Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates patch. Week 6

 Today there was snow on the ground, an easterly wind and a forecast of snow flurries. The snow is much kinder to my camera than the rain, so, of I went via Pearson Park, which always looks beautiful in the snow. The combination of the recently flooded areas and the snow created an undisturbed area in the middle of the grassy area, where a mixed flock of gulls were concentrated facing the wind, loafing. I had to seek the shelter of a tree trunk to be able to photograph them, as the snow was horizontal at the time.

Common Gulls

Common Gulls.

Pearson Park in the snow.

Afterwards, I crossed Beverley Road and I was on the patch km2. A Greenfinch was singing at Sculcoates Park, and a small flock of chaffinches fed on the trees, some Woodpigeons on ivy berries. Although It is a small park, I always make a detour in my visits to the patch, as it is quite good for finches. 

I walked around Abby Way, on the grassy area by the train line. I was hoping to flush a woodcock, which have been irrupting in large numbers in the East Coast, escaping the cold weather, but no luck.

The Sculcoates north cemetery had some flooded paths. Three Bullfinches and a large flock of Goldfinches were about. 

I walked to the River Hull. The tide was quite low and I counted 5 Redshank.

Wilmington Bridge

I rejoined the drain and walked to Fountain Road and back. I managed to find a Little Grebe, it kept close to the reeds and hid several times.

Little Grebe

Another snow flurry by the drain.

Mallard pair.

The only Coot I saw today.

Moorhen.

View of the drain by Bridlington Avenue.

Another view of the drain.

One of the two Mistle Thrushes feeding by the water line at Pearson Park.

A young Common Gull.

Loafing gulls.

A Black-headed gull.

Note: I made two visits to Sculcoates last week, but it was too rainy for a blog post, hence the lack of week 5 post.

Snow and ice in the park

I walked around the park on my way to work yesterday and today. The pond was iced up, with only two small patches around the fountains free if ice. There was a layer of snow a few cm deep and the strong Easterly made it for very cold feeling. The whiteness of the ground and dark grey skies make a noticeable difference to how bird plumage reflects the light. The underwing of Common Gulls looks very dark, reminiscent of Lesser Black-backed gulls. The wings of immature Herring gulls in contrast, looks very pale.
 The milder weather that was encouraging birds to sing brutally stopped and was replaced by much harsher conditions. Still, the Blackbird below insisted on singing. It looks in beautiful breeding condition. The glow from the snow on the ground gives it a strange ashy colour.

The flock of Common Gulls loafed on the icy pond, pointing east to minimise the impact of the wind on their plumage. I took lots of photos as they are such photogenic subjects. I didn't notice when I took the photo below, that there was an unusual bird walking amongst the Common Gulls.

 This Carrion Crow called repeatedly. It pecked the snow later, looking a bit annoyed that it wasn't easy to see what lay beneath.

The Stock Doves called from the tree above the crow, seemingly undeterred.

 More lovely Common Gulls.

At some point one of the Common Gulls appeared with what it looked like a stick and roused the interest of other gulls

 But then I noticed this absolute rarity in the park, a Ruff!

 Eventually was flushed by a gull and disappeared.

A Moorhen walked about on the ice.

When checking the photos last night. I saw there was an unusual gull in the flock. It looks like a Mediterranean gull, but other photos show it might just be a Black-headed gull moulting into its summer plumage. I looked for it today but no luck. 

 The young Mute Swan is still about, looking whiter everyday. Its mum departed a few weeks ago, but the young one came back after leaving, according to one of the park wardens.

 I returned today. I started checking the gulls, but people feeding them meant they wouldn't stand still.

 This is a young Common Gull, looking like it hasn't moulted many of its feathers.

 A young Herring Gull amused itself with a dummy, making for some comical photos.

Bridlington Harbour and Bempton Cliffs

Despite the forecast of very cold easterlies and snow I headed to the coast this morning. I stopped at Bridlington Harbour and walked the north and south piers. I could see a single Purple Sandpiper, but there were plenty of Redshank and Dunlin on the exposed and sheltered mud of the harbour, and an immature Great Black-backed gull feeding on a large fish. The Barnacle Geese still present in the harbour. The waves crashed against the north pier and the tide was rising so I decided to move onto Bempton Cliffs.

Immature Great Black-backed gull with breakfast.

Purple Sandpiper.

Purple Sandpiper.

Herring Gull pair.

Dunlin.

Another pair Herring gull braving the wind on the north pier.

Snow flurries greeted me at Bempton. It was sheltered at some spots, and exposed at others. Gannets circling and on nests and Fulmars squabbling and displaying were plentiful at the cliffs. No Kittiwakes or auks at all to be seen. 

Just after getting to Jubilee Corner a pair of Peregrines appeared. What looked like the tiercel displayed by diving in front of the falcon and towards gannets or fulmars. They circled almost above me for a while before flying towards the fields. The photos today were poor as the wind and the dark conditions didn't help.

Gannets.

Gannet.

Feral Pigeons.

Circling Fulmars.

Fulmar on nest.

Pair of Peregrines.

Snow showers coming from the sea.

Staple Newk.

Shags.

Gannets.

Kestrel. One of ten I spot on the trip today.

Kestrels on the trip today.