Hornsea Wildlife and Walks: Away Day To t'River 'Ull

Thursday 9 June 2022

Away Day To t'River 'Ull

That there lockdown thing stopped many things. Primarily me getting out to different interesting places, and when I realised it's been over 2 years since I enjoyed a good walk down the Leven Canal - well, it had to remedied.

The day was 10 degrees, dry and overcast and cool with a bit of a northerly breeze when I set off early doors, so I didn't expect to see any butterflies or dragonflies, and I wasn't at all disappointed when none turned up.

8 miles walked

Bird species seen and or heard - 43

Little Grebe Cormorant(2) Mute Swan(4) Mallard(30+)

Grey Heron(6) Little Egret (12+) Greylag Goose Kestrel(1)

Red Kite(1) Pheasant Moorhen(5) Coot(1)

Oystercatcher Lapwing(2) Black-headed Gull(7)

Wood Pigeon Barn Owl(3) Swift(c.10) G S Woodpecker(1)

Skylark Pied Wagtail(2) Wren Dunnock

Robin Blackbird Song Thrush Cetti's Warbler(5)

Sedge Warbler Reed Warbler Blackcap Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat(2) ChiffChaff Willow Warbler Great Tit

Magpie Jackdaw Carrion Crow Starling

House Sparrow Yellowhammer Reed Bunting Chaffinch

First sight of the canal after setting off

I was expecting to see and hear lots of Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and Whitethroat and these birds indeed were the main backdrop to the morning, with Yellowhammer and Skylark also prominently singing along the way. Lesser Whitethroat was a good addition to my monthly list as I hadn't heard one at The Mere in June until now.

I counted 5 Cetti's Warblers on my way to the river and 4 on the way back. This is a marked increase on the one that I recorded on my last walk along the canal two years ago. Good habitat along the canal so hopefully numbers will continue upwards as breeding birds disperse further along its length.