Saturday, 8 February 2025

Bitterly Cold on the Sea Wall

Keen to see wether access was back along the sea wall at Novartis Ings, after dropping Heather off at the station, I went to have a look. I had hoped to access the sea wall from near the dock but the beginning of the footpath was not in evidence, perhaps blocked off. Instead I drove to the old Novartis plant but the security personel who normally open the barrier appeared not to be there. Twice thwarted I parked the car and walked along the track past The Ings and onto the sea wall. It was only 4C, overcast and drizzling and in the brisk easterly wind, bitterly cold. When I arrived at the sea wall it was blocked between there and the dock; presumably why I couldn't find the start of the path. There were large numbers of shelduck, redshank and dunli and in the distance a large flock of lapwing and beyond them, on the tideline black-tailed godwit were present. The ings were quiet apart from gulls, wigeon, a lone little egret and plenty of gulls. Despite the miserable conditions I saw 24 species.

Photos are from the archive and taken in much more pleasant weather.



 

Humber Bank
Humber Bank
Golden Plover
Novartis Ings
Novartis Ings from the hide

Friday, 7 February 2025

Birding at Winter's Pit and Along the Humber Bank.

 A beautiful day today, feeling really warm in the sun. I picked Brian up at 9.30 and we were soon parked up at Winter's and ready for our walk around the pit and then along the Humber back to the Skitter Beck outflow. My first singing skylarks of the year made it feel really spring-like for the first time. Other highlights were the two male and one female on the old brick pit and the small flock of barnacle geese still with the usual greylags. An excellent day with 40 species.

Barnacle Geese, Winter's Pit.

Tuesday, 4 February 2025

Snowdrops, Aconites and Red Kite at Belton House.

 We met up with Heather's brother and his wife today at Belton House in order to belatedly exchange Christmas Presents, have a walk around the garden to see the snowdrops and have lunch. The birding highlight was a red kite soaring over the park.












Sunday, 2 February 2025

A Walk Along The Freshney

 A Jet Walk along the Freshney today from St Michael's Chruch, Little Coates. It was a beautiful day; 6C and clear skies. It was good to hear my first song thrush of the year and we were delight when we were walking past Town's Holt when a kestrel landed in a tree just above us. It had seen a vole and perched up preparatory to pouncing and making off with its catch.

Female chaffinch
Kestrel
Flotill of mute swans on the Freshney.

Friday, 31 January 2025

Tetney Marsh

 It was a dry but gloomy day today; 6C with a 6 mph easterly wind. A walk with Dorothy, Steve, Brian and myself before returning Chez Pickwell for a curry night. Birding highlights included sper views of a hunting barn owl and a great white egret.

Barn Owl
 

Saturday, 25 January 2025

North Cave Wetlands

 Heather and I had gone to stay at Cave Castle Hotel for Heather's annual yoga retreat. I always use it as an opportunity to go birding at North Cave Wetlands as it is only just up the road. This year I was joined by my regular birding companion, Brian, who had driven up from home in Keelby. 

Fortified by a cup of coffee we set off for a circuit of the reserve. We were hoping for brambling at the maize field feeders, but, although, there was plenty of activity, we saw no bramblings. Apparently there was only one male and one female and they didn't show for us. We continued on our circuit taking in two new hides and the north end of the reseve as anoyher gravel pit has been worked out and is being rewilded. Highlights of the day were redwing, tree sparrow, siskin, goldeneye and six red kites in the air together.

Gadwall
Goldfinch
Siskin
Hazel Catkins
Hazel Catkins










Long Tailed Tit
Reed Bunting
Reed Bunting
Robin
Tree Sparrow
Tree Sparrow

Friday, 17 January 2025

Birding at Gib.

 Last night was a beautifully clear night spangial with a myriad stars. It was planets I was interested, though, especially Mars. Mars was in opposition to the sun and, therefore, at its brightest. The first of my planets to appear, as usual, was Venus, the Evening Star rising last night in the south. This was soon followed by Jupiter high in the sky slightly to the east but almost directly overhead. Through binoculars it was possible to see some of the planet's moons. Lower in the sky to the north east was mars, bright and through binoculars with a definite red glow to it. Slightly east of Venus, if I used my imagination was saturn. In a few days (21st January) we arrive at the date when all the planets are in line. I don't suppose we shall see all of them without an astronomical telescope but at least 5 should be seen with binoculars. We just need clear skies. I find looking at the night sky fascinating; the distances involved are beyond comprehension.

This morning Brian picked us up at 9.00 for a day's birdwatching at Gibraltar Point Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust's nature reserve, in fact the first designated nature reserve in the country. I have a long association with 'Gib'. When my parents first bought a car around 1960 we used to drive across the Wolds to visit at weekends and my brother and I loved climbing and jumping down the sand dunes. It would be frowned on today and, if we knew it, was then. Whilst in the 6th form I stayed there for biology field trips and have many times taken school pupils here for residential and day visits. I have also visited countless times for birdwatching over the last 60 years. 

We arrived today at 10.00 am just in time for the cafe opening for Biran's obligatory coffee. Once refreshed we set ot for the roadside hides, calling in first at the plantaion feeding station. This has been revamped since our last visit and now boasts a drinking pool along with a selection of perches for photography. There was a fair amount of activity and I managed a few photos despite the poor light. Next it was off to Jackson's Marsh Hide. There were plenty of birds on the lagoon and marsh. A little egret feeding in front of the hide allowed for some reasonable photography. Curlew and wigeon were bot calling; so evocative. Brent geese were present and kept wheeling into the sky with their usual deep, grumbling calls. Earlier, a skein of pink-footed geese had flown over, their contact calls reminiscent of a distant pack of yelping hounds.

From the next hide, Hardy's we had superb views of a hunting marsh harrier, hovering, moth-like, just above the reeds. Water levels were high in the Mere Hide on the freshwater marsh and a little grebe of dabchick gave exceptional close views as it fished for sticklebacks. By now it was time to wander back across the marsh to the visitor centre and the warmth of the cafe for lunch. Afterwards, there was just time to walk down the Lill's Hut and the Wash observation point. Here we had good views of grey seals, hauled out and resting on the banks of the Haven. A solitary roe deer was also out on the marsh.

It had been a raw, cold day, but an excellent one with 39 species. One to look back on whene we are here in shorts and T-shirts in the summer.

Blackbird
Chaffinch
Goldfinches
Little Egret
Little Egret
Little Egret
Little Egret
Little Grebe
Little Grebe
Little Grebe
Little Grebe