Thursday 26 November 2020

More Humber Bank Birding

 It was a clear and frosty start as I left home but the closer I got to Goxhill Haven on the Humber Bank the more overcast and misty it became, turning into quite a drab day with the odd splash of warm light as the emerged.  Goxhill Haven is situated on the banks of the Humber opposite Hull so as I turned to walk first east and then south I had the P&O ferries to Zeebrugge and Rotterdam in my sights.  I had arrived about an hour after low tide so there was plenty of mud exposed for waders to feed on.  Large numbers were making the most of the opportunity with plenty of redshank, dunlin and knot as well as the occasional curlew.  On my return walk I had excellent views of black-tailed godwit, identification confirmed when the flew a short distance and revealed the black tail beautifully.  During the morning I saw several skeins of pink footed geese and good numbers of these were settling just inland of the sea wall a couple of fields away.  I did try to find them in the car later but to no avail.  Just past Dawn City Clay Pits ( a Lincs Trust reserve)  I enjoyed watching a marsh harrier as it hunted the marsh and fields.

My turn around point was East Halton Skitter giving me a round trip of 5.5 miles.  As I approached Dawson City on the return leg a short-eared owl delighted as it quartered the marsh on the seaward side of the bank.  A stirring and soul enriching sight.

Once back at the car, having failed to find the geese I popped in to Winter's Pit to check out what was there and enjoyed the sight of a large flock of wigeon coming in.  Their whistling call is always one of my favourite bird calls.

  • House Sparrow
  • Little egret
  • Redshank
  • Black Headed Gull
  • Mallard
  • Dunlin
  • Crow
  • Meadow piput
  • Herring Gull
  • Great Black Backed Gull
  • Starling Reed Bunting
  • Linnet (several flocks)
  • Pink footed goose - several skeins
  • Knot
  • Wood Pigeon
  • Curlew
  • Magpie
  • Blackbird
  • Marsh Harrier
  • Green Finch
  • Stonechat - pair
  • Short-eared Owl
  • Wigeon
  • Black-Tailed Godwit (7)
  • Lapwing
Winter's

  • Mute Swan
  • Grey Lag
  • Pochard
  • Dabchick
  • Tufted Duck
  • Mallard
  • Redshank
  • Wigeon - large flock
  • Curlew
  • Gadwall
  • Lapwing
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