Holderness: Kilnsea and Easington

A cold and windy day, with drizzle forecast in the morning. Nevertheless, to reach Kilnsea easily, Saturdays is the only day the Spurn Explorer bus runs, so I took it at 8:24 and just before 10 am I was at the Spurn Discovery centre. I dip into the Canal Scrape hide. It is very quiet, the only thing of note a Mute Swan on nest and a passing March Harrier that, with the wind, it seems to be flying backwards most of the time, Given the wind, I decide against walking along the bank and head towards Beacon Lane, seeking the shelter of the hedges. Another Marsh Harrier passes by. It starts drizzling to top the horrid wind. A Whimbrel, and then a group of 6-7 fly over. I get to Kilnsea Wetlands hide and I spot a Whimbrel feeding. Usual suspects from the hide, but it's lovely out of the wind. 

March Harrier.

The old Blue Bell building at Kilnsea.

A dapper Reed Bunting at Beacon Ponds.

Whimbrel.

Oystercatchers pair.

Shelduck pair.

Three highland cattle are grazing the wetlands. Note the Nofence collar.

A birder gets in the hide and comments on two drake Garganey at the wetlands on the other side of the road. Having missed the one at Bransholme reservoir, and quite relunctantly as it means leaving the comfort of the hide, I take advantage of the sky lightening and face the wind again. I'm wonderfully suprised to find Holly and Ryan at the other hide. They point at the Garganeys and a stunning summer plumage Bar-tailed Godwit. There are about 30 Curley about and a few Whimbrel too, one of them passes a Curlew allowing a side to side comparison. 

Lapwing.

Curlew (left) and Whimbrel side to side.

The dozing Garganey.

Bar-tailed Godwit.

Drake Pintail. Two females were present too.

Hare.

I come across Holly and Ryan again, who had left the hide earlier. The wind seems to have eased a bit. They have heard news of a Cuckoo and we head for the bank. We see the Cuckoo flying. It attempts to land atop a bush, but it changes its mind and dissapears from vide. Just then I spot a Barn Owl hunting ovet the field. It gives us great views. It has probably taken advantage of the easing wind to do a spot of hunting.

Barn Owl.

Barn Owl perched.

We head for the Discovery Centre for a hot drink and lunch. Afterwards, I head towards Sammy's Point on the Humber Bank. There is not much about, but I record some saltmarh plants that are colonising the bank and footpath, including Sea Wormwood, which I hadn't seen before there. 

View over the Humber with Spurn Point in the distance.

Looking towards Easington Bank.

Brent Geese.

Curlew.

The three of us meet again at Sammy's Point. Holly had messaged me that she had found a Redstart on the first paddock. It's a male, perched on a hawthorn and regularly flying back and forth to the ground. We watch it feeding for a while. Then I continue my walk towards Easington along Humber Side lane. I make a short stop at the cemetery, where I quickly find a male Brambling with some chaffinches. As quickly as they appeared, they dissappear! I carry on and admire the thatched roof tithe barn when I notice there are two Barn Swallows flying around the farm. I take some record shots, but, for my delight they land on an aerial and the male starts singing! I wander around Easington church while I wait for my bus back.

Male Redstart.

Redstart.

Another Whimbrel, it's been a Whimbrel day!

Little Egret.

Some animal sculptures decorate the edges of a field just before Easington, including this wonderful swan and dog pair.

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Easington Cemetery.

Male Brambling.

Easington tithe barn.

My first Swallows of the year, already settled and singing by the tithe barn.

Swallow pair.

Urban birds at Hull. 51. Whitethroat

 

The scratchy phrase of a singing Whitethroat, with the tone of an aggressive question,  is one of the harbingers of summer. This warbler of brown and grey tones, with a bright white throat and eye ring, and warmer brown wings. When singing, males lift their crown and puff their throats, together with its long tail it gives the impression of a slim bird with a large head. They sing from prominent perches, and can jump into a display flight in song. Characteristic raspy, repeated alarm call, when disturbed. It lives in hedgerows, ditch and river banks and scrubby, open areas. 

Singing male, Sculcoates, 23/05/2022.

Status and Distribution in Hull

Whitethroats are common summer migrants. In the city, any scrubby patch will hold a pair. They arrive in the second half of April and quickly settle in their territories. By mid June they will have a batch of fledglings and start a second brood. There are pairs at Sculcoates, along the Barmston Drain, many pairs at Noddle Hill, MKM railway triangle, and on the outskirts of the city. They leave by the end of September.

Carrying spider silk as nest material. Sculcoates, 27 April 2024.

Fledgling, Sculcoates, 19/06/2021.

Fledgling, 7 June 2025. Note the darker iris and browner head.

Conservation

Whitethroats are Amber listed. The species's winter quarters are just south of the Sahara, in the Sahel. In 1968 an intense drought in the area resulted in a crash of 75% of the Whitethroat population due to extremely poor winter survival. Some further droughts in the 80s affected populations. Although numbers  recovered to some extent, they never got back to the levels in the 60s and there is an indication of more recent population declines.

More information

Broughton, R.K. 2002 Birds of the Hull area.

BTO Birdfacts. Whitethroat.

Tophill Low in November

A trip to Tophill Low on a calm and sunny day with the Hull Natural History Society. We get to the car park by 10am and have a quick look at D res before heading to the south of the reserve. Amy tells us about the new grazers in the reserve: sheep, pigs, goats and cattle now are the grazing team, it's like Tophill Low is the Yorkshire Knepp! A big pull for me was the Ring-necked Drake that had been reported at O-res, which we ended up missing. We walk south along the new path enjoying the new additions to it like the large reconstruction of the Roos Carr carved figures found in Holderness, now standing in their own bog.

Roos Carr figures reconstruction.

Common Darter

As we got to O-res, we quickly found the Red-necked Grebe. The light wasn't the best to search for the Rong-necked Duck, and a birder there with a telescope hadn't seen it either. 

Red-necked Grebe.

Forty-five Curlews and a pair of Mute Swans were at South Marsh East.

Roe Deer

We had seen a fly-over Whooper from the visitor centre, now it appeared this had landed at O-res. A single brown feather possibly meaning its a young bird becoming separated from the flock.

Fieldfares and Redwings were on the hawthorn on the way to the Watton hide. The goats were browsing under the Hawthorns. As soon as we got there, I had a UK lifer in the shape of 8-9 Cattle Egrets roosting on the shore. Two Little Egrets were about too and then a Great White Egret landed, a lifer for some of the present. The arrival of a Grey Heron completed the set of Ardeidae for the day!

Cattle Egrets and Greylags.

Cattle Egrets.

Great White Egret.

Large White Egret, Little Egret and Grey Heron posing well for comparison purposes.

Tufted Ducks.

Fieldfare.

Common Darters. We saw a total of 5 individuals. A Peacock was also seen.

The striking Dog Stinkhorn.

This is a record shot of the Red-crested Pochards.