February floods at Pearson Park

Pearson Park at Hull is my local birding patch. I make a point of walking around the park on my way to work and I regularly visit it on weekends. I also do the BTO Wetland Bird Survey, which involves a monthly visit and a census of all wetland birds in and around the pond. I don't often blog about visiting it, but last autumn and this winter it has been very, very rainy and the park is pretty flooded, with large expanses of water on the grassy areas, it somehow has departed from normality.  This winter has been also unusually mild, before the new year there was a couple of days when the pond froze, but that's it. On top of this, the park is undergoing a refurbishment, and there is resurfacing going about on paths and around the pond plus the renovation of the conservatory, a new music stands and kerb works. There is a lot of heavy machinery around, and a fair amount of drilling, sometimes at several places at the same time. I was worried that these would cause some serious impact on the birds of the park, especially the wetland birds, as the pond is surrounded by works.
Despite the chaos I've been surprised by how the birds have really taking it on their stride. The pools formed by the rain actually have offered them a safe haven from dogs and people. Geese are spending a lot of time by the pools, and have abandoned the pond. Gulls have also relocated there, and have been enjoying the worm bonanza. There has been a regular Grey Wagtail about in the last week and even a Pied Wagtail which is a rarity in the park. Black-headed Gulls, which are rare in the park, are feeding amongst the common gulls, particularly enjoying the pools.
  This is just a selection of some of the birds I've been photographing in the park during February.

The Feral Pigeons dutifully eating the grass seed spread by the new kerbs.

with some help from these Woodpigeons.

A group of gulls loafing with a dog chasing a ball on the background. I love this shot that shows how parks can be multi-use. Gulls payed little attention to the dog going back and forth.

A 150+ strong flock of Pink-footed Geese flies over on Valentine Day.

The Geese are now all split into couples that avoid getting near each other, and easily get into squabbles, unlike the peaceful winter flock.

Greylag pair.

On the 17th February, two Redwings were at the park.

Grey Squirrel enjoying a conker from its hoard.

Great Tit singing near the pond.

This Treecreeper froze when a heavy vehicle passed behind the tree. It is the usual response of an alarmed treecreeper, momentarily becoming a small tree stump.

One of the couple of dozen black-headed gulls that have been feeding on the flooded grass.

Grey Wagtail feeding by a pool.

Spot the Pied Wagtail with a Common Gull.

An assortment of Herring and Common gulls looking for worms. 

Stock Dove.

A Song Thrush male has been singing for a couple of weeks. This one just swallow a large earthworm.

Male Chaffinch on the ground. The camouflage of chaffinches on dry leaves is amazing.

The lake island has been repaired with willow branches to support the soil and some grass planted. The Moorhens have given it a seal of approval.

Another view of one of the pools.

Three large trees have fallen over in the winter storms. This one has provided dead wood, which hopefully will be left on the ground. I was excited to see that the smaller branches are lining the wet woodland paths and making a small dry hedge. Good use of the wood for new habitats.

There has been some tree planting around the park and there will be more planting to come. I look forward to the park being quiet again, but it has been interesting to see the flexibility of the birds responding to the refurbishment.

A trip to Flamborough Head

A windy, mainly overcast day with occasional light rain, I head to the white cape to try and tick the Grey Phalarope that has been at Thornwick Pools for a few days. It is one of the easier lifers ever: as I enter the hide at Thornwick Pools, a birder points it to me. It bobs up and down the waves at the pool, constantly picking invisible prey from just under the water surface. Not the usual spinning behaviour that this species often carries out. After a bout of feeding, the phalarope swims to behind a lump of soil, where, sheltered from the NW wind, it preens for a while. A few Moorhens, Teal, a Shelduck and a Greylag are about at the pools too.

Grey Phalarope resting.

Grey Phalarope with prey.

I return to the car and drive to South Landing looking for some shelter. The tide is almost high. A flock of Turnstones rests by the tideline. I watch Gannets diving just offshore. Cormorants feed too. Guillemots steadily motor past. An immature drake Eider preens in the distance. A Rock Pipit calls as it flies across the landing.

Turnstones.

Immature drake Eider

Immature drake Eider.

I decide to go to Bridlington for lunch. I search for the Purple Sandpipers on the sea wall. There are 19, with Turnstones. I find another one feeding on the slipway on the south side of the harbour. About 80 Redshank roost on the sea wall.

Turnstone at Bridlington Harbour.

Purple Sandpiper.

House Sparrows on lobster pots.

Redshank roost on harbour wall.

South Landing to Danes Dyke circular walk

 The morning promised a northerly wind and little risk of showers. With the hope of finding some migrant birds, I headed for Flamborough, where I was also last week. The tide was high on arrival, but it wasn't a particularly high tide. I spent the first hour slowly walking around the woods of South Landing, enjoying a long sunny spell that was also being enjoyed by a myriad of insects. Four ladybird species were sunbathing, including many Harlequin, several 7 spots, a 10 spot ladybird and some Pine Ladybirds. At least 3 Common Darters were on the wing on sheltered spots and a noon fly (Mesembrina meridiana) sat on a fence.

Pine Ladybird. This is a tiny ladybird.

Harlequins.

Noon fly.

10 spot ladybird.

Melanic Harlequin ladybird.

I descended the steep steps to the beach. There was enough space between the cliff and the beach on the ebbing tide to walk to Danes Dyke by the cliff, which allows for seawatching. Although not a particularly difficult walk, walking on boulders and shingle requires some concentration, so I took plenty of stops for sea watching. Curlews flew north in ones or twos. Cormorants dried their wings on the rocks and in the distance, scoters and divers could be seen.

Three Common Scoters fly north.

Red-throated Diver.

This pipit called my attention. It had the look of a Rock Pipit, but cleaner streaks than the locals, Harry Witts on twitter identified it as a Scandinavian Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus littoralis), which often winters in the area.

Cormorant on the rocks.

A Rock pipit surrounded by swarms of seaweed flies on the strandline.

Caught one!

One of two Pied Wagtails on the rocks.

On turning a corner on the cliff, Danes Dyke became visible (top shot). I filmed a flock of Turnstones feeding on the strandline

I got to Danes Dyke in time for a picnic. I sat on the rocks at the base of the dyke, only to be interrupted by a sharp shower! Never mind. Having finished my lunch, I took the parth on the left of the stream to walk around the dyke. It is such a wonderful place, the contrast between the bright chalk cliffs and the sea on one hand, and the creek in woodland on the other is amazing to see. I flushed a Woodcock at the top of the woodland, on the edge of fields, my first this year. 

After walking around the dyke, it was time for the return walk, which I took on the coastal path at the top of the cliff. After a steep ascent, I took a few minutes to look back onto the coast towards Bridlington.

On the path I noticed a large squished insect. It was still alive, its antenae and jaws still moving. I photographed it at home and identified it as a Violet Ground Beetle, Carabus violaceous, which I've never seen in an intact state. It appeared to have been pecked, its elytra indented. I wonder if a bird had attacked it and then let it go?

I went to South Landing beach again. A Wigeon looked a bit lost, surrounded by Oystercatchers. 

Record shot of three drake Eiders went north...

And a seal balanced itself precariously on the rocks. Here stretching and yawning.

It looked like a Common Seal.

Hull Dragonfly best spots: Foredyke Green pond

An early morning trip to this relatively small pond. It is warm and sunny and as I cross the Foredyke stream a Southern Hawker is quartering the path and comes to check me out. it doesn't take long to notice the hawkers riding an long area of shallow water between the shore and the emergent vegetation. There are at least two male Migrant Hawkers chasing every now and then, and at some point a male Southern Hawker and a female that disappears into the vegetation. Common darters are also about and two mating pairs and 3 ovipositing pairs are also seen.
As for damselflies, a couple of Blue-tailed Damselflies and a single female Emerald. Then a male Emperor appears and starts patrolling the more open area of the pond. Just briefly, a brown Hawker patrols the long shallow area.
 This is a relatively new pond that I have visited five times this year. The pond is located in a wildlife area, Foredyke Green with grassland and trees that offer foraging habitat for insects, and it is close to Noddle Hill Nature Reserve, a great site for dragonflies. I'm not aware of previous records for this site. It has shallow and exposed areas, areas with emergent vegetation and marginal vegetation and a deeper area that ensures it doesn't dry in the summer. A small island is connected to the shore in the summer. It is near a footpath and it gets a fair amount of litter, so we've had a couple of litter picking sessions this year to clean it up. There are three metal pond-dipping platforms, all now quite far from the shore as the pond level is low.

This shallow area between the shore and the vegetation was much favoured by hawkers and darters

An emerald was found amongst the emergent vegetation near the shore.

Hull Dragons
This year we have recorded 11 species in the pond, so far the pond with the highest number of species in the Hull dragons survey. Seven of these were seen today. I will update the post with further records for this year.
All the photos taken today.

Male Common darter

Blue-tailed damselfly.

Ovipositing common darters.

A male Migrant Hawker rests for a few seconds on some leaves.

The male Emperor in residence favoured a spot to bask in the sun or eat prey.

Female Emerald.

Male Southern Hawker

Species list and breeding evidence

1. Emperor. Male holding territory
2. Broad-bodied Chaser. Ovipositing.
3. Four-spotted Chaser. Male holding territory.
4. Common Blue Damselfly.
5. Blue-tailed Damselfly. Ovipositing.
6. Azure Damselfly. Ovipositing. 
7. Common Darter. Ovipositing.
8. Southern Hawker. Territorial male and female present.
9. Brown Hawker.
10. Migrant Hawker. Male holding territory
11. Emerald.