A walk by the River Hull at Kingswood

I walk from Kingswood Reservoir (old sewage works) to the wetlands at the NW corner of the city limit. A sunny, beautiful still day, warmer than previous days. There are still fields by the river, mostly left fallow after ploughing. The hedgerows are in very poor state, almost non existent.

I start by checking the Bransholme or Roe Bank reservoir. The building at the end looks like a colony of Herring gulls. A pair of Shoveler rests on the water. There are Tufted ducks, Coots, plenty of Greylags and Lesser Black-backed gulls and Herring gulls. I can only see a Little Grebe.

The male swan busking to Greylags. The pair of swans in residence don't appear to have a nest. After chasing the greylags, the pair did some practice flying, taking off and landing at the other end of the reservoir.

Reed buntings sung at regular intervals by the river Hull.

Skylarks sing as soon as I emerge from the underpass. There are two males rising and singing, then descending to a patch on a fallow field. They are tricky to spot as they land, as they are superbly camouflaged. At some point I count five in a skirmish.

Skylark.

Skylark.

Linnets.

A distant Grey Heron.

A distant hare at the other side of the river.

A mallard with ducklings in the river.

Some Greylag rest by the river. Wawne is the village in the distance.

I'm surprised to see the Chiloe Wigeon that occasionally visits Pearson park, resting with the Greylags.

I hear my first Willow Warbler of the year singing by the wetlands. As I approach there is a second one singing too. 

Willow Warbler.

Mallard pair.

Mallard and ducklings.

As I start to return I hear a wagtail and when it flies I realise it is a Yellow Wagtail, also my first this year and a nice addition to the Hull list. Two Yellowhammers cross the river, giving no photographic opportunities.

 A not very long, but really pleasant walk, which I mean to repeat in a month or so.

Roe Deer and Pheasant.

A pair of Crows appear to be feeding on a dead rabbit.

Up the River Hull. 4. Kingswood to Wawne

The weather forecast for today was of no rain and sunny spells, so I drove to Kingswood by the bridge over the River Hull to walk to Wawne. This stage goes through the last of the farmland in the Hull city council area, which is disappearing fast to development, and enters the East Riding of Yorkshire. The twin bridge carrying the A1033 road is the last in a long stretch, as there are no bridges until Grovehill Bridge, north of Weel. There used to be a ferry at Wawne, which stopped by 1946. Indeed, the still called Ferry Lane at Wawne was the end of the stage.

 I join the bank after going through the underpass under the twin bridge. The grassy bank is not as muddy as I was expecting. As soon as I start, over the noise of the busy road and building construction, I notice the song of Skylarks. Them, and the occasional Reed Bunting song, accompany me through the stage. A few Linnets fly over, they are the first of the year for me. A roe deer feeds on the other side of the river. Overall, a relatively long stage, given the return by the meandering river, but quite pleasant and yielding 39 bird species.

Cormorants, posing, all sculptural atop pylons. Every pylon by the river had a few resting. There are few large trees by the river and the pylons seem to suit them. 

Floodlights are used in the same way by a Kestrel. 

A Greylag sitting on the other side of the river. 

Roe Deer. 

A bend in the river looking north. 

A wetland created a few years ago by the river bank, possibly to compensate for development, I could find no name for it on maps. It is now fringed by reed beds. 

A pair of mute swans, coot, moorhen and mallard were in residence in the wetlands.

Another cormorant on a pylon, this one in breeding plumage.

There are occasional willows, almost in bloom, ash and patches of reedbed by the river side.

Male Reed Bunting.

Linnet 

On a set aside field a large flock of Linnets move about. I notice a couple of Yellowhammers like flaming suns on the ground. When they fly, another one joins them. 

A male Meadow pipit after carrying out its parachute display flight singing away.

A pony tethered to the bank. 

Google Earth view of the 4th stage. 4.16 km.