Wild at Hull: mud

Showing posts with label mud. Show all posts

Tuesday, 9 February 2021

Urban birding at Hull: Walk to The Deep in the snow

With a fresh layer of snow on the ground, and a forecast of sunny spells, I decided to walk to The Deep, what is becoming a monthly walk for the last few months. Although I was surprised by a couple of short snow flurries, it wasn't as windy as yesterday, and there were long sunny spells, making it a very pleasant walk.

Singing Starling.

I find snow wonderfully disorientating, I like how it changes the feel of the cityscape. As I walked along the back streets off Princes Avenue, Spring Bank and Freetown Way, I was surprised turning a corner and having to get my bearings. Birds look amazing in the snow too, especially gulls, the white reflection on on their undersides making them look bright white. Locals throw bread onto the verges in front of their houses, and the gulls descend in a white, noisy flurry to pick them.

Little Mason Street.

At Little Mason Street, I notice a crow looking at me from a wall. I happen to have a few peanuts with me and I place them on the ground. The crow almost immediately comes down to get them as I stand back. It walks with its beak full and hides one of them in the snow, making a little hole, covering it back, patting the snow down, coming back to check. Then it goes for more. I'm not sure how this peanut hiding is going to work out!

The crow carrying peanuts.

Now, coming back for more.

I reach North Bridge and I take the path by the river Hull. It is almost low tide. A Redshank feeds on the mud, closely observed by a Black-headed gull. I count 9 Redshanks on the stretch from North Bridge to The Deep.

Redshank and Black-headed Gull.

The old moorings of the Arctic Corsair.

This Redshank was dipping its head in the water to feed, right at the tideline.

The glistening feathers of a Carrion Crow by Myton Bridge.

The exposed mudflats by the mouth of the River Hull.

A cormorant was gliding fast with the flow of the river. As it arrived at the Humber, it started to fish, and then I noticed there were two of them, one of them looked young. They dived one after the other several times by the Humber flood defences.

Then the sun came out and one of the cormorants headed for the spit and started sunbathing and spreading its wings...

...soon followed by the other, who landed and walked to stand closer to the first one.

There were many gulls on the spit at the mouth of the river, by The Deep. Two compact flocks of about 50 Black-headed Gulls were loafing. There were also several Herring Gulls, mostly immature, and Common Gulls. I noticed some of the Black-headed gulls had black heads. Then noticed one with a very black head: an adult Mediterranean Gull! Notice its white wing tips.

Slumbering Mediterranean Gull amongst Black-headed gulls.

The Mediterranean Gull woke up only briefly.

One of the Black-headed gulls with dark head.

River Hull and tidal barrier.

The Humber with The Deep.

Icicles on the Hull History Centre.

Saturday, 9 January 2021

Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates week 2

A beautiful morning, frosty, blue sky, I head to Sculcoates. I first explore the area around the railway line behind Abbey Way. Three Greenfinches fly over, and I spy a Song Thrush with some Blackbirds feeding on hawthorn. A sound draws my attention and I watch as three Roe Deer run away amongst the trees along the railway line. The deer and three Grey Squirrels make the start of the mammal list for the patch. I add Crow, Magpie, Redshank and Stock dove to the square year list, now to adding to 28.

Frosty lawn with the railway line on the right.

The drain has a layer of ice up to about half a meter wide a bit over the water surface and the water is steaming (top shot). Moorhens and Mallards sit by it.

Looking north from the cycle/pedestrian bridge.

The almshouses building.

Two Stock Doves are having a face off.

This corner pylon is in a brownfield site next to one of the cemeteries.

A view of the oldest cemetery.

The tide is low and a redshank appears with much calling.

Redshank feeding on the mud of the river, on the reflection of the British Extractions building.

I bump into David L. who's been working hard scything areas in the cemetery. He tell's me that he's seen both frogs and toads in the newest cemetery. There are three bullfinches feeding on buds on the newest cemetery, and that puts an end to today's walk.

Monday, 16 January 2017

Up the River Hull. 2. Air Street to Sutton Bridge

I walked from home to the river by Wilmington Bridge to start the second stage up the River Hull. It was midday and the rain had stopped, although it was cloudy, dark, and damp, drizzling at times. I wasn't looking forward to the first section of this stage, as it was through industrial states, abandoned buildings and silos on roads with barely a pavement, which are not frequented by pedestrians to say the least.
To cheer me up two Redshank flew up from the river mud by Wilmington Bridge, and kept on calling for a while.

Redshank calling.

I power walked though Bankside and Innovation drive, the river only visible from shop car parks.

'Reckitt's' chimney in the background.

I was somewhat relieved to see the big roundabout and the twin Ferrylane Bridges at the end of Clough Road.

Ferrylane Bridges

I had planned to walk on the Wilberforce Way, as a section of this path runs by the east bank of the river. But at Ferrylane Bridges I realised there is also footpath on the west bank, which I preferred, as it goes by Oak Road playing fields, and so I descended the steps onto it. The path, although narrow, seemed quite used, which encouraged me to carry on despite it being on slippery grassy banks with the occasional gully to cross.

The path was quite narrow at times, sandwiched by the muddy banks of the river and more brownfield sites, a scrapyard and industrial estate.

A wall covered in graffiti, some quite beautiful appeared on the opposite bank.

I could see the wind turbine by Oak Road and eventually the path became wider and safer. A nice patch of Sea Aster grew on the bank and the first patch of reedbed appeared.