Archive | Hessle RSS feed for this section

2/1/17 Birding around Hull

2 Jan

2/1/17 Had a slow start to 2017, only managing a couple of hours around Cottingham on New Year’s day and had nothing unusual. Tuesday morning went out with RL with the intention of counting the Goosander in Hull. Started at East Park where we could only find five.

fullsizeoutput_1e11

Goosander on East Park Lake in Hull

fullsizeoutput_1e10

Great Crested Grebe on East Park Lake in Hull

Next to Costello Playing Fields [Peter Pan Park] where we had eleven then to nearby Pickering Park where we had another three.

fullsizeoutput_1e0d

Goosander on Costello Playing Fields Lake in Hull

As it was nearby we then checked with out luck, Hessle Sainsbury’s and Aldi car park for Waxwing. Thirty had been on Spring Street earlier but had flown off but headed that way incase they had returned. Hadn’t got far when twelve were reported off Hessle Road at Strickland Street/Goulton Street junction. Arriving, there was SM who had again found them. Got a quick record shot then joined him under the trees.

dscn3788

Waxwings Strickland Street/Goulton Street in Hull

There were no nearby berries but Steve had been getting them coming down to a puddle in the road. Managed to get a few clear shots of one through branches before they all flew off east and didn’t return.

fullsizeoutput_1e0b

While hoping for their return we had a Peregrine over several times before disappearing off east in close pursuit of a feral pigeon. However it returned ’empty handed’ and sat on a distant lighting gantry.

fullsizeoutput_1e0a

Peregrine from Goulton Street in Hull

Five Waxwings were seen a little later at Hessle Sainsbury’s.

Getting in manage an hour with the dog in Cottingham KGV Rec and fields behind and added a few to the year list including Reed Bunting and Fieldfare.

Year List: 45

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Waxwings at last

27 Dec

26/12/16 Haven’t seen a Waxwing since the big influx of 2012/13 during which I stumbled on several flocks. My last been in Cottingham on Southwood Road on April 6th. There have been small numbers in the intervening years but no long stayers locally in East Yorkshire. This autumn there has been a big influx but none so far locally. Early Boxing Day afternoon I got a report from RL of one found in Hull on Boothferry Road by EC. Unfortunately it was that time of year when family gets in the way of birding. Fortunately had had a good walk round Cottingham with the dog earlier, the highlight being a Woodcock flushed by Wilbur in fields off Dunswell Road.

27/12/16 A larger flock of Waxwing had been found at the regular site at Hessle Sainsbury’s later on Monday afternoon. Headed there Tuesday morning with ML and RL. The flock was immediately visible in trees by the car park, although perversely most photographers at least were standing under a empty berry tree in the hope of the classic berry eating shot. dscn3712

Waiting for the Waxwings on berries at Hessle Sainsbury’s

Anyway we got several shots with out any competition before trying for the berry shot but although I did get a few the birds were very nervous there.

dscn3719

Waxwings at Hessle Sainsbury’s

fullsizeoutput_1de7

And finally on berries

Next back tracked to Costello playing fields where we’d seen several Goosander from the road earlier. fullsizeoutput_1dee

Goosander in Hull on Costello Playing fields lake.

Good a few shots then headed to Hornsea Mere Seaton Road Hide. Had a Long-tailed Duck although again distant being nearer the southern shore. Also had a cream-crowned Marsh Harrier over.

A flock of Snow Bunting had been regular at Barmston last week so went there next. Walked nearly as far as Fraisthorpe wind-farm but saw no Snow Bunting but did have good numbers of Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer and Skylark, as well two Stonechat.fullsizeoutput_1def

One of two Stonechat at Barmston

Also had one of the two Hooded Crow in the area although only in flight at a distance. Had had better views of Hooded Crow there earlier this month.fullsizeoutput_1df4

Sanderling on Barmston beach.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started