Kilnsea Wetlands and Welwick Saltmarsh

 

Yesterday's trip felt quite short. I rarely go to Spurn lately without stopping at Kilnsea Wetlands. So I did another trip to the area today, stopping at Welwick Saltmarsh NR on the way back to check the Sea Aster bee colony.

It was a couple of hours before high tide, so I was expecting waders at the wetlands, but the diversity of waders was amazing to behold. Some of these afforded close views as they fed just in front of the hide, Little Stint and Ruff especially, but also Spotted Redshank.

Ruff.

Distant Greenshank roosting.

Ruff.

A large flock of Redshank. A Common Sandpiper walks behind. 

A lone Golden Plover.

Caspian gull?

Little Stint

Little Stints.

Pintail.

Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff

Snipe.

After an hour in the Wetlands I moved to Welwick. The weather was staying quite cold (everyone in the hide was complaining about how cold it was), cloudy and breezy. I walked along, searching for banks with holes. I was starting to be doubtful if any bees would be active in this weather. Then I noticed an open sandy bank with plenty of holes by the path, and plenty of bees! Sea Aster bees are solitary bees, meaning there are no workers, just males and females. After mating, females dig their nests and lay their eggs in cells under the sand, which they provision with pollen mainly from Sea Aster. Despite the 'solitary' label, these bees form colonies, and many nests can cluster in a particular area.

One of the colonies.

The second colony nearby.

I crouched down to have a good look at the Sea Aster Bees. There was a lot of activity, with bees coming in and out of their nests.

Sea Aster bees.

One of them by two nests.

There were so few flowers about, I wondered where the bees travel to collect pollen. Would they fly as far as Kilnsea and Spurn? A single thistle flower had two bees clinging to it.

I walked a bit longer on the sea wall. I flushed two Short-eared Owls, which was a surprise. A third individual was present. They flew over the marsh, landed by some sheep and mobbed some crows. They were lovely to watch.

I turned round not wanting to disturb the owls. A Wheatear landed on the marsh, only to be chased by a Swallow. The young Swallows were being fed on the wing. As I returned I checked the bee colonies. There wasn't a single bee to be seen. I had been lucky they had been active earlier, maybe the sky turning darker had sent them inside their nests.

Urban River Hull: Scott Street Bridge to The Deep in October

 

It's a very high tide today, 7.8 m at 9:30. It is a mild day with clear blue skies and with a very light wind. I head East towards the river across the city, and start the BTO WeBS count at Scott Street bridge. I'm not expecting much at that spot, but I flush a Grey Wagtail, which flies and joins another two upstream, I even manage to get the three of them in a photo. It is peak season for this species, and they often travel in small groups, possibly family parties? It made me think of the river Hull as a migration corridor, and how this species is perfectly happy anywhere near water, no mater how urban the place is. 

Grey Wagtails.

As I get to North Bridge, I hear a Skylark call overhead, another autumn migrant! Before crossing the bridge, I retrace my steps and take High Street to check the dry docks. I didn't see any ducks in my September visit, but today there are three grown ducklings with a female basking in the sun. It takes two months for ducklings to be able to fly. These look close, their wing feathers still quite short, so these could be the remaining 3 ducklings from the brood of 9 I saw in mid August, who might have survived these two months in the dock where the Arctic Corsair will be displayed.

Juvenile ducks.

Just 13 Black-headed Gulls on the Royal Mail roof today. 

The ringed Redshank on the left.

The whole roost.

The full roost, more alert than last time, all standing on one leg, made it for easier counting. 17 present today.

As I cross Scale Lane Bridge, the crows seem alert, gulls alarm call and Feral Pigeons fly in a flock. I scan the sky but fail to see any raptors.

A pair of Mallard. There were 28 on the salt marsh my Myton Bridge, feeding, I wonder if on the seeds of the plentiful Sea Aster there.

The first Common Gulls of the season on the site.

Common Gull.

Small White butterfly.

I reach the mouth of the River Hull and turn round. The tide is now exposing some mud and the Redshank have moved to the opposite shore. They are looking very alert and fly off in a tight flock, calling.

The reason for their nervousness becomes clear soon. A Buzzard is passing overhead.

I see three Sparrowhawks as I walk home, one near the Deep, another by the train station and another over Princes Avenue. They do like to soar in blue skies.

A skein of 51 Pink-footed Geese flies south over the city centre.

East Park in October

 I took a walk around East Park, taking advantage of a morning of sunny spells and mild weather in between rain showers. Despite the sun, it was too cold for active dragonflies to start with. But I checked the branches of willows and alders for oviposition scars of the Willow Emerald. I was only successful on al alder near where I saw a male las month.

Oviposition scars of Willow Emerald on Alder. 

They were found in the alder in the centre of the photo.

Four young swans flew together. They are the surviving offspring of two pairs that bred in the park this year, although only three adults were present.

The pale Red-crested Pochard was also present.

While Woodpigeons fed on Whitebeam berries on the tree, two Greylags ate the fallen ones underneath.

The main lake from the bridge.

I moved to the boardwalk. A single Common Darter and several Migrant Hawkers were present. The three juvenile Mute Swans had joined their mother and started upending near the boardwalk. I noticed that the swans can upend while keeping one of their feet tucked under their plumage.

The lake from the boardwalk.

Female Mute Swan with her three young.

The female upending using only its right leg for balance, the other leg is tucked under the plumage.

I spot a Gadwall at the other side of the lake, but I can't refind it. I only have 6 records of Gadwall at East Park, concentrated between August and December.

There are some Jackdaws about, hanging around a tree. I remember that I often see Jackdaws in this particular area and I see one of them leaving the tree with what it looks like nest material, so I pay more attention and see a Jackdaw entering a hole in the tree. It takes a little while, but it ends up peeking out, allowing me to take its photo.

As I watch the family of swans moves under some willow, I notice a small bird flying onto a willow branch, it's a Kingfisher! It sits on the brach for a while and makes some sort of display, but I can't see another individual. It moves around and even makes a fishing attempt, calling every time it changes perch.

Kingfisher display?

Urban birding at Hull: Sculcoates week 40

 A mild, breezy day of sunny spells. I do a long walk around the 1 km2 at Sculcoates, visiting both cemeteries, the river and all stretches of the Beverley and Barmston Drain. 

Cormorant by Bankside.

Birds

A good day for birds, with 28 species recorded. Of note was the peak count of Moorhen this year, with 18 counted, many of them juveniles. Little Grebes were present at Abbey Way, returned after being absent since February, two were diving under the blanket of duckweed and Azolla waterfern. I saw a bullfinch in the north cemetery, flushed from a large Guelder rose in berry. Three Chiffchaffs were around the patch too.

The two Little Grebes.

Two squabbling Moorhens fly over a little Grebe.

Little Grebe.

The continuous carpet of Azolla. It is so thick that large drops of water float on top after the rain.

Feral Pigeon on nest by Wilmington Bridge.

Blackbird on Rowan.

Insects

The sun trap area just south of the cycle track was the best for dragonflies, with three species seen.

Migrant Hawker.

Common Darter.

Willow Emerald male (also top shot).

Common Green Shieldbug.

Hawthorn Shieldbug.

Mammals

Six cat were seen roaming in the green spaces of the patch. A Grey Squirrel was present at Sculcoates Park, and, sadly, the 3rd dead hedgehog in the patch this year at Northumberland Avenue, a roadkill.

A dead hedgehog.