The 2nd dawned bright with just a light south-westerly wind- ideal conditions for visible migration.The morning duly produced an obvious movement with 2000 Starling, 110 Fieldfares and smaller numbers of Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Meadow Pipit and Skylark passing west over the park. A good arrival of thrushes over preceding days left at least 30 Blackbirds and 20 Redwings on the park. A wintering Chiffchaff appeared in the young plantation by the main entrance. What may well have been this same Chiffchaff was seen on several days right through to the 28th often feeding in the young plantation inside the main gate, where it could usually find a sheltered area to feed on even the wettest of days.
Blackbirds were often much in evidence throughout the month. Further arrivals of wintering birds from Scandinavia and the Baltic countries swelled the size of the local population with up to 30 present in the park on good days.
Wildfowl numbers were generally disappointing but 17 Teal, with most of the males now in their full plumage, were displaying in the bay on the Middle Lagoon on the 2nd. Two Goldeneye remained on Pond B. The number of Little Grebes traditionally falls away as winter approaches and a maximum of just four birds were to be seen during the month. Shoveler continued to be a feature of the Middle Lagoon, and also took to feeding on the new lagoons on the northern site and on Pond C, but few Gadwall were present. The Mute Swan family departed in dribs and drabs, probably moving down to New Holland where most of the local breeding birds spend the winter feeding by the Pier. Several flocks of Pink-footed Geese flew over the park during the month, either en route between their roost on Read’s Island and feeding areas inland, or as they moved south towards their main wintering area in North Norfolk.
Odd Cormorants continued to frequent the nest box pole in Pond C. They could occasionally be seen holding their heraldic pose drying their wings on the pole or on the sallow bushes by the eastern channel.
Two Sparrowhawks roosted in the southern park. A single Kestrel could often be seen around the Folly area, where it perched for long periods between hunting forays.
The Humber shore continued to prove a good place to watch the feeding flocks of Dunlin. These numbered up to 190 birds at low water, along with smaller numbers of Redshank, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Curlew and Lapwing. Large numbers of noisy, squabbling Common and Black-headed Gulls were accompanied by odd Lesser Black-backed Gulls hanging on late into the winter. The Humber embankment has also been attractive to small numbers of Meadow and Rock Pipits. Two or three of the latter occasionally flitted over the fence to feed on the excavations on the north of the complex.
At least one Grey Wagtail also appears set to winter in the area although it is very mobile and covers large areas in its daily quest for food. The photograph attached was taken in the drainage areas in the main car park, one of its many feeding localities.
Kingfishers continued to visit the park ponds with one even indulging in some display on the pond by the Folly in mid-month; rather early for the 2003 breeding season! On the down side, the Green Woodpecker has not returned this winter but odd Great Spotted Woodpeckers have again been in evidence feeding on the dead trees.
Water Rails are seldom visible, but their characteristic loud screeching calls give away their presence in the dense reed beds. At least three of these reed dwellers were calling from the southern end of Pond B and in Pond D on the 2nd and there were calling birds in the southern end of the park on many dates to the end of the month.
Siskins are a relatively new addition to the wintering birds of the clay pits. It was only with the planting of areas of alders around the Humber Bridge approach road in the late 1970’s that the species’ favoured winter food became available and small flocks started to spend the winter in the area. The alders on the country park have an excellent cone crop this year and the flock of Siskins has quickly increased to over thirty birds. Accompanying the Siskins are a number of Goldfinch and odd Lesser Redpolls in the main plantation by the entrance gates. Both species tend to feed quietly and can be easily overlooked but can also be very tame and afford excellent views, to the careful observer, from the main pathways.
The roving tit flock still contained two or three Goldcrest- our smallest bird. This is a highly attractive bird; with its bright yellow crown stripe, diminutive size and thin high pitched calls. It is constantly active, needing to feed all day long in winter just to stay alive.
Snow Buntings are generally a coastal bird this far south in Britain, but the species is almost annual in November-December along the Humber bank where they feed on the seeds of saltmarsh plants. Following a fly-over bird at the end of September, another individual landed briefly on the northern edge of the park, on the newly seeded area, on the morning of the 11th.
Finally to turn the old adage upside down, a gathering of 17 ‘black crows’ in the tops of the old plantation, by Barton Broads, on the 11th proved not to be Rooks but Carrion Crows, an unusually large gathering for the park.
Graham Catley