A Beached Grebe

Today we ventured into North Yorkshire to a site we've only visited as a one off special in the dim & distant past. There was the call of a Bullfinch near the car park, but it remained hidden. Everyone arrived on time & we shared cars to the ultimate destination about a mile or so further up the road. After lunch the 3 at the front had a brief glimpse of a Kingfisher, as it took off on sight of us and headed away along the stream. This was quite well screened from the strong winds, so we could hear juv Willow Warblers & the alarm calls of Blackcaps, Robins & Wrens, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker called as it flew behind the hedge. Even the frog-like croak of a Gadwall carried against the wind to where we were standing. In the afternoon there was a massive flock of Long-tailed Tits with a few Willow Warblers, Blue Tits and Great Tits also part of the gang.

Little Grebes

 Willow Tit

 Commas

 Comma

 Looking through the gaps in the hedge we could see Mute Swans, Greylag Geese, with plenty of Lapwings accompanied by a few Starlings. Ducks included: Mallard, Teal, Shoveler and Gadwall. There were large numbers of House Martins flying high after insects with just a few Swallows in tow. 

From the hide we had great views of a family of four Little Grebes, plus Herons, Cormorants, Lapwings & a single Redshank. John or Steve spotted a flock of Canada Geese coming in to land across the road onto some far pools. Then John spotted a very distant Great Crested Grebe, which remained long enough for everyone to find it. The only bird of prey was a distant hovering Kestrel. 

Migrant Hawker

 Migrant Hawkers

 Ditto

 Red Admiral

 Ruddy Darter

 Common Darter? [female]

 Common Darter [male]

We carried along the path until the railway bridge, at which point we saw at least 3 Willow Tits, plus a few skulking Blackcaps and Whitethroats. On the way back a female Bullfinch was spotted, but she disappeared into the hedge pushed on by the strong winds. On the pool behind the path I spotted a tiny distant bird struggling against the wind - this was a Kingfisher. Luckily, it first landed on a stout, short post then flew high into a Hawthorn bush where it sat long enough for everyone to see it. This was a new location for Len & he was especially pleased as it was his first Kingfisher for 20 years.

Speckled Wood

 Green-Veined White

 Meadow Brown

 Chickory

 Amphibious Bistort

 A return to the Visitor Centre saw plenty of Tree Sparrows on the feeders, plus Greenfinches & Goldfinches, but the visit to a screen was less productive with nothing new to add apart from a pair of scruffy moulting old Pheasants. A Marsh Harrier drifted west of the car park at lunch time, but not everyone managed to get on to it before it disappeared. The day went quite well, and would have been even better without the awful wind!

In the afternoon we had a look at the Kingfisher Screen, but there wasn't a single bird of any description. However, it was a bit better for butterflies and dragonflies. We found a pair of Migrant Hawkers resting on a bare twig, and back at the dog muck walk we saw a pair of Commas. These didn't interact at all, so it was impossible to say if they were 2 males, 2 females, or one of each!

Hull Birds Available Online

In 2002 Richard K Broughton published Birds of the Hull Area.  To mark the 10th anniversary of this milestone volume, the information included has just been made available online for the first time:  Birds of the Hull Area

A male Bullfinch taken within the Hull boundary at the Humber Bridge Country Park.  Numbers of Bullfinches continue to do well at the Park.  There are a great number of Ash trees at the park - one of the Bullfinches favourite foods  - but their food is definitely supplemented by food left at the feeding station.  These are the most confiding Bullfinches I have ever seen, sometimes flying down before the person putting down seed has retreated from the bird table!

 Unfortunately, the one off records mentioned in the book such as the Wood Warbler singing in May 1986, and the skull of a  Hawfinch hitting the kitchen window in 1998 have not been repeated.  However, there have been some more one off records to compensate.  In the very dry April of 2011 we had a succession of surprising visitors to the water in our garden: Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat even a Reed Warbler, but the biggest surprise was a male Ring Ouzel - a first since we have been watching in 1969.  Further investigation revealed it was trying to find earthworms among the male Blackbirds during the day in the cemetery, but for at least 2 evenings it sneaked into the garden for a drink.

A Ring Ouzel in the cemetery

 The previous evening here he is looking to slake his thirst

 We didn't see our first Great Spotted Woodpecker in our Hull garden until 18th September 1977, but now they are an almost daily visitor - especially the young birds in June and July.

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker Bathing 

 In the 2000 book my photo of a male Brambling which stunned itself for a few seconds in our window was published.  Since then they are not quite an annual visitor, but we do get a few in the garden on average one or 2 every other spring or two.  We've yet to have an autumn record, all our birds seem to be on the way back to Scandinavia in April or May.

A female Brambling in our garden April 2008

 Another of my photos of a Tawny Owl perched on a drainpipe on the maternity home was included in the 2002 volume.  Unfortunately, the maternity home has gone, as has such an obvious place for the owls to perch.  We still have Tawny Owl in the trees, but the only time when they are easier to find is when the mother is sat guarding her nearby chicks.

Adult Tawny Owl

 Tawny Owl Chick

One of the most recent unusual one-off birds was a Lesser Whitethroat which was first seen on Boxing Day 2009.  It excited some local interest, as it its late arrival meant it could have been of an eastern race.  However, it's true identity was never definitively  established.  It was then seen subsequently on an almost daily basis until mid-April 2010.

Lesser Whitethroat at our feeding station in early January 2010

At the Eleventh Hour

Little Owl Chick

On Friday & Sunday evening the final events associated with Robert Fuller’s summer exhibition took place.  On both occasions we started in the new studio extension.  From the window on Friday we could see a young Great Spotted Woodpecker on the peanuts, and a Tree Sparrow fledgling being fed by its parent on a suet cylinder.  Then we saw the male Kestrel come down to  a small bird table.   Yesterday we only had the Kestrel, but this time at least 2 individuals were seen.

Immature Great Spotted Woodpecker (but in Hull)

We then shared cars to a hillside where we settled down to wait for Badgers.  As we waited on Friday we were surrounded by the gentle farts of House Martins, the cheerful twittering of Swallows.  There were plenty of Finches in the area, including Goldfinches, Linnets, Greenfinches and Chaffinches, which flew over us throughout our vigil gathering food for their chicks.  A Yellowhammer was also seen on both nights.  A Buzzard hunted nearby on Friday, whilst there were 2 on Sunday, but they didn’t approach as close to the waiting group.  On both evenings the plaintive mewing of a young Buzzard could be heard calling from the wood on the hilltop, presumably asking to be fed.  

On both nights we waited for over an hour keeping an eye on the higher sett, which we were told was the one currently occupied and that the cubs were due to emerge about 8.45.  Nothing happened on Friday until one participant spotted a head emerging from the supposedly vacant lower sett at 8.50.  A female emerged several times & collected fresh grass and backed into her tunnel.   We waited for quite a bit longer without any further sightings, so we packed up ready to return to the gallery.  We had all exited through the gate when someone spotted movement at the higher sett.  Everyone stood entranced for 10 minutes or so as 4 cubs capered about & seemed to play before setting off into the cultivated field.  Sunday was similar but this time all the activity was at the higher sett.  The telescopes were aimed at the upper sett, and everyone enjoyed miraculous close views of the energetic playing of the young Badgers.

Badgers (last year at a nearby location)

(c) 2012 Vince Cowell

 Tawny Owl (same location, but from 2010)

(c) 2012 Vince Cowell

On returning to the gallery it was about 10pm when the Tawny Owls arrived & these were watched for at least half an hour tucking in to their evening meal.  This year the owls in the trees near the gallery have failed to raise any offspring, but the adults are coming down to food, as are another pair from 2 fields away.  Apparently, there is considerable tension between these 2 families, but we only saw a couple of amicable owls. 

Tawny Owl (same location, but from 2010)

(c) 2012 Vince Cowell

 Little Owl (same location in 2010, is this the bird that was eaten earlier this year, or the one that paired up with another after the death of its partner?)

You may have read on Robert’s blog of the death of one of his adult Little Owls at the beginning of the breeding season.  Robert therefore assumed that the Little Owls were a write-off this year, but scientists say there is always a surplus population, and sure enough another bird must have moved in, because on Thursday evening Robert found a Little Owl fledgling – nearly a month later than other years.   They hadn’t used their accustomed nest-hole, but had utilised a previously ignored special nest box instead, which had been in position for 7 years.  We shared cars to this area on both nights, and Robert managed to locate a chick on each evening, which remained in place, transfixed by his torchlight.  The scowling youngster provided a fitting ending to the evening’s sighting, especially for the chap on Sunday, who’s Birthday treat for all his friends to enjoy, was the reason this event was taking place.  This year the evenings began inauspiciously, but perseverance paid off and by the end all the targets were achieved. 

Some You Win...

On Friday the am group got to partake in a more negative side of twitching.  We met at Hornsea Mere half an hour later than normal to avoid the wet start to the day.  This turned out to be a good move as both sessions avoided the downpours – the afternoon session by only a couple of minutes.

Unfortunately, in the aftermath of heavy overnight rain and strong winds, there was no sign of the Roller.  It had been replaced by noisy jets - not really an adequate substitute.  While we scanned the area there were no hirundines over the crop this time, and although I could hear Yellow wagtails from time to time, there was only one quick glimpse. The Skylarks put on a better show, and the Whitethroat still seemed very vocal in the car park.  On the return trip David noticed a Barn Owl perched on a road sign – one of the best sightings of the morning.  Back at the Mere there was no sign of the Red-Crested Pochards, and very few other birds of interest.  There seemed an absolute plague of Canada Geese, which appear to be taking over the site.  Even their goslings had already lost that air of cuteness, which they exude in their first few weeks of life.  

Linnet [male]

 Bristling with Missiles

 Treecreeper

At the woodland site the Treecreeper was the star performer with excellent views of 2 birds, but especially of one confiding individual.  Someone (Peter?) spotted a Buzzard soaring over the hall, and we also heard a noisy Great Spotted Woodpecker, which then flew off erratically.  A pair of Red-legged Partridge rocketed up, and flew away from us & hurdled a hedge into the distance.  We reached a gate, which represented the furthest extent of our walk.  On Wednesday we could just hear a Cuckoo at this point, but today we couldn’t hear anything interesting, and it all seemed rather disappointing, until Jeanette turned spotted a Fox carrying a dead Rabbit.  We spun round but at the same time the very bright Fox saw us, and he quickly bolted back the way he had come and disappeared into the woodland.

 Treecreeper

 Pair of Linnets

 ditto

 A less red dry perched Linnet

In the afternoon we couldn’t find anything of interest at the mere, so we checked out a reserve we’ve never visited before.  Even before we left the car park we came across a pair of bright Linnets and a Tree Sparrow having a bath in a puddle.  We negotiated our way along the rather confusing start and blind turns among the rather recently-planted native tree species.  A Swallow twittered away on an old farm building, but it wasn’t possible to snatch a picture, while a Blue Tit scolded us from a hedge.  In a marshy area on adjacent land, Jim spotted a Lapwing sat on a nest.  As we neared the sea the air was full of birdsong.  This was made up of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Reed Buntings, while large numbers of Sand Martins flitted & twittered over the long wet grass, and hung round a WWII pill-box.  All but the Skylarks also sat prominently on either posts or the barbed wire.  The best sight of the afternoon was seen on the return journey came when Sue W identified a Yellow Wagtail on the barbed wire.   Thunder rumbled all around us with lightning flashes appearing to hit the Driffield area.  One Linnet was the reddest Linnet I’d ever seen, and I even had to double-check it wasn’t a Rosefinch – it wasn’t!  There was a whole family of young meadow Pipits – seemingly at least 6 juveniles – sharing their time between the wires and the mowed path, but they were flighty & it wasn’t possible to get pictures of any of them.  A Willow warbler gave even briefer views as it took refuge in one of the small trees, and a Chaffinch and a flock of Starlings were the final birds we encountered.  We didn’t hang around too long as eventually the ominous sky looked as though it was actually going to engulf us after all.  We were just changing out of our boots and back into our shoes when the heavens opened.

 Meadow Pipit

 ditto

 An apparently intact fossilised Tree (elm?) on the cliff edge & now open to the sea with several feet of boulder clay above it

Badgers by Owl-Light

2 Tawny Owl Fledglings

 Tawny Owl Fledgling

 2 Badger Cubs (c) 2012 Richard Whateley

After the excitement of finding a Corncrake at Struncheon Hill, that evening was Robert Fuller’s first Owl and Badger Watch of the season.  Luckily, Chris Cox had booked, and he volunteered to drive, again rescuing me from dropping off at the wheel, after being on the go since 4.50 than morning.  We arrived at the gallery in good time to find most of the attendees already assembled.  The original plans had to be altered.   One of Robert’s Little Owls had been eaten in March, probably by Tawny Owls, and his Tawny Owls hadn’t nested in their usual box, probably because one of the adults had been electrocuted during the winter.

Everyone followed Robert to the new Owl location in their own cars.  On arrival we headed to the area where Robert had seen 2 chicks that morning.  Down in the valley we could hear an adult Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from higher ground where there had been a scout minibus a few minutes before.  However, we were near recently fledged youngsters, and Robert pointed out these calls to the assembled throng, but we didn’t manage to get a visual fix on them.  A Chiffchaff called nearby and sang fitfully a few times.  At least one person fell over trying to look up for Owls and walk at the same time, but no one was seriously hurt.  So, that is what Healthy & Safety is for!  We started to go uphill again on an uneven track & Robert said that the Tawny Owl chicks were calling quietly.  It was much more difficult to find the chicks in this large Beech tree, than those which had frequented the long line of trees outside Robert’s gallery.  One of my students, Richard W, was the first to spot one of the chicks.  We eventually all had views of these fledglings, but they were flighty, and moved about several times before they remained still long enough for most to get good views in Robert’s telescope.

The Badgers had been coming out shortly after 8pm, so we switched our attention to them.  We settled down on the hillside near the sett they had been frequenting.  However, we were spread out, so Robert wasn’t able to regale the group with tales of Badger lore and behaviour.  We waited for 75 minutes before anything happened.  It was thought they could smell us, so they refused to come into the open, or that we were too close to the sett.  In fact the Badgers were already abroad because after an hour and 15 minutes the sow and 4 cubs headed back down to the sett.  Everyone got to see them as a couple of cubs stayed in the open for some time.  However, they all went back into the field above their sett again and were lost from sight.  Robert went up the hillside and walked along the side of the fence and this caused the return of the cubs and the sow.  She froze and looked over her shoulder because of the excessive noise caused by the nearby scouts, but soon headed back to the sett following her cubs.

The return of the badgers brought an end to our vigil.  On the return journey we stopped to listen for Quail without success, but I’ll be trying again on our next visit.

Craking in Our Boots

Barn Owl [male?]

 Greenshank

 Friday was our final visit to Hempholme Meadows.  On the drive up we had a pair of Grey Partridges along the reservoir walls, and then later we saw another pair near Hempholme lock.  At the new scrape area there was a Greenshank, Oystercatcher, Whitethroat, Lapwing, and Greylag Goose.  Birds heard but not seen around here included: Yellowhammer, Skylark, Blackcap and a distant Cuckoo, which seemed to be on the southern area of the site.  Jim spotted a Barn Owl out hunting.  This bird was being victimised; first it was mobbed by an immature Common Gull, and later it caught a vole, and was harried & attacked several times by a Kestrel, until the Kestrel flew away bearing the vole to its next box.  You can’t beat a bit of klepto-parasitism!

Barn Owl

 Male Kestrel Striking the Barn Owl

 Owl taking Vole to the Ground & Kestrel Flying to a high perch 

 Barn Owl perched in the pm with Thieving Kestrel's Box Behind

 Barn Owl Hunting in the pm

 ditto

 Common Tern

From Stanningholme farm we could see a Stock Dove and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, whilst there’d been an influx of Reed Warblers since the last visit with at least 2 birds heard.  A Song Thrush belted out its song.  From the shooting estate we could hear a Reed Bunting, Reed warblers and a loud Sedge warblers, but the Whitethroats were much quieter.

When we reached Scurf Dyke and 4 Sand Martins flew overhead in a northerly direction.  Meanwhile 5 Pochard went in the opposite direction.  This was the area where we heard our nearest Skylark.  A Common Tern was hunting for fish along the dyke, and a Kingfisher saw us & took evasive action, but did give a fly-past on 2 occasions allowing everyone to enjoy a flash of blue as it came down from its higher evasive route to hug the water, as is its usual wont.  Towards the junction with Barmston Drain we came across our first Willow Warbler, and several Tree Sparrows and a Long-tailed Tit. 

Long-tailed Tit

 Roe Deer [Hind]

On the River Hull we had a very loud Reed Warbler which seemed to be singing from a Hawthorn bush rather than the reeds.  A Shoveler flew along the River Hull & appeared to land, but there were 2 small boats heading south along the river Hull, so it wasn’t able to hang around.  There was our first Meadow Pipit singing in this area & 5 Canada Geese were in a field next to plenty of Friesen cattle.  It disappeared into the shooting estate, and this is where Kathleen spotted a female Roe Deer, which stared at us for a few minutes before disappearing into cover.   Another pair of Grey Partridge flew into the fields on the east side of the river, and nearby it was clear that the Otter trail was still being well used, as it had forged a noticeable path in a the newly-grown vegetation.  Later we were nearly back at the cars when we noticed that a Mute Swan had taken up residence on the riverbank near the new hide. 

Mayfly

 Linnet [male]

 Hare

 Mute Swans

 Swift

On the drive in the afternoon we had good views of a male Linnet on the reservoir wall., a Buzzard flew over us at the beginning, while the barn owl was out again, and this time successfully caught a vole and was not robbed this time.  A Hare was seen in a field of Red & White Campion, while minutes later a flock of 33 Mute Swans flew south overhead.  The remainder of the sightings mainly followed the am session, but we had very close encounters with a flock of Swifts and an Oystercatcher flew just over our heads.    However, there was one encounter in the afternoon, which was very different from anything which happened in the morning.

 Oystercatcher

In the afternoon I was scrambling up the bank of Scurf Dyke when I heard 4 harsh notes in a very distinctive rhythm.  I could hardly believe what I was hearing.  I waited while the rest of the group scrambled up, when it gave a further 2 harsh notes ‘crex, crex’, but it was very faint.  I wasn’t convinced everyone on the class could hear the Corncrake.  We waited for 20 minutes and I heard it again for another 4 times, sometimes only 2 notes, but the final time a whole 6 notes.  The call seemed to come from 2 different areas, but the gap between them was long enough for the bird to have moved between one location & the other.  This was the first time I’ve heard the bird apart from in TV documentaries, when I was always led to believe that they sang for hours at a stretch, so these short bursts were a bit disconcerting.  I telephoned the reserve warden, and he informed me it was one of only a very few records for the site.  He later texted to say both he & 2 Hull Valley stalwarts were listening to the bird.  It was a relief to have independent confirmation!

You can hear the Corncrake singing for longer, recorded later that same afternoon by Reserve Warden, Richard Hampshire here: http://tophilllow.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/just-one-cornetto.html