Chilly and Sunny Circuit of Hornsea Mere

A species list from this morning's walk around The Mere (39):
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe - 6
Cormorant - 12
Grey Heron - 2
Mute Swan - 74
Whooper Swan - 6 (3 adults and 3 juvs)
Greylag Goose - c.400
Canada Goose - c.70
Gadwall - 33
Teal - 6
Mallard - c.30
Tufted Duck - c.100
Long-tailed Duck - 1 female type off KP
Goldeneye - 17
Moorhen - 2
Coot - c.50
Black-headed Gull - c.350
Herring Gull - c.40
Common Gull - 3
Wood Pigeon - c.200
Wren
Robin
Blackbird - 15
Mistle Thrush
Long-tailed Tit - 8
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Jay
Magpie
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow - 6
Reed Bunting - 2
Chaffinch
Goldfinch - c.35

It was a cool day early on with a chilly north west wind which was felt at its coolest on the sea front and at Kirkholme Point and showers blew in a few times but they were never too prolonged. It was noticable that there were no Cetti's Warblers singing as I walked around The Mere this morning, but on Friday there were 6 singing.

Rainbow over a showery South Beach

Long-tailed Duck between KP and Swan Island

I walked along the north side fields hoping to see a few winter thrushes but there were none, although a good number of finches were flitting about in the hedgerows.

I met a friend on the way down to Wassand Hide and he told me that 6 Whooper Swans had landed in front of the hide but had then flown west into the furthest corner. Hopefully I'd be able to see them but the reeds are very high and they obstruct the view from the hide.

The drive to Wassand

One of too many Grey Squirrels in the wood

On reaching the hide I opened the window and was met by a strong gust of cold wind! I kept my hat and gloves on I can assure you :)

The Whooper Swans were still there but were almost hidden from view by the reeds. Luckily when the wind blew it flattened them so I could get a decent view. I had the Nikon camera with me so I could zoom in to get a few photos, but the further you zoom in the worse the picture quality is. These are record shots at best of the 3 adult and 3 juvenile Whoopers:

Adult and juvenile Whooper Swan

Long-tailed Duck

It was a cool and overcast day as I set off on my walk and the breeze had a bit of nip to it. Shorts are a thing if the past now and I had gloves and a woolly hat in my pocket just in case. I didn't need them as it turned out though.

On the cliffs there were a few Meadow Pipits and 4 Skylarks but nothing else to keep me interested. Same on the beach, seafront and Stream Dike so I carried on to Kirkholme Point.

The Little Gulls are now long gone though one or two still appear intermittently on The Mere, but not on the jetties. Off the south side of KP I saw a Long-tailed Duck, probably the same bird that has been seen over the last week or so. It was distant and never came any closer than about 200 yards.

female/juv-type Long-tailed Duck

Autumnal wildlife

A wonderfully sunny day and a good long wander around Hornsea to see what's on offer.

South Cliff was a bit breezy but still pretty balmy for 5 October so shorts are still the order of the day :) About 20 Common Gull were basking in the warmth at Hornea Lakes and a small flock of Meadow Pipits flitted around the set-aside field. 7+ Skylarks came in off the sea to add their voices to the morning.

Lark descending

A Dunnock was singing near the cliff top and was very active in and around some old wire

Dunnock

I scanned the sea and beach for anything out of the ordinary but couldn't see anything but the usual Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls and Cormorants. A younger and fitter me would have a scope on his back!

Over at KP there was a single Little Gull on the jetty. There were 200+ Black-headed Gulls on the water and the north westerly wind was quite strong, strong enough to raise small waves on The Mere. The water is still too high to harbour any waders on the shore line, although we've had a few Common Sandpipers over the last few weeks.

A lonely Little Gull

A walk on the south side got off to a good start as 13 Whooper Swans flew in past me as I walked through 1st field. I met John L as I carried on into 2nd field and he'd counted 14. All my photos showed just 13 but then John told me he'd seen one on the water over by Swan Island so perhaps one peeled off and landed separately?

Whooper Swans incoming

While I was talking to John a dragonfly flew past and landed in the grass - this was the first of several I saw during my walk.

Male Migrant Hawker dragonfly

A couple of Cetti's Warblers were singing in the willows at the bottom of Snipe Grounds but the hedgerows were strangely quiet today. The expected Linnets, Reed Buntings, Yellowhammers and Tree Sparrows just didn't appear. Even the Goldfinches were absent.

Down by the hide in Wassand where there was shelter from the wind, a few more dragonflies plus a Comma and a Red Admiral brightened up an already sparkling day. A Hornet also buzzed in and started preening (or whatever it's called when insects clean their antennae). This is only the second Hornet I've seen in Hornsea.

Female Migrant Hawker

A worn ,

Hornet

same Hornet as above

2 Jays were making a right racket in the hawthorn bushes, perhaps squabbling over a few berries or acorns?

1 of 2 Jays

same Jay as above but with a slower shutter speed

 On my way to Southorpe Rd through the fields 3 Common Darters and another Comma showed up. This Comma was a much cleaner specimen that the previous one.

another ,

female Common Darter

My final sighting of the morning was of the semi-resident flock of Barnacle Goose. They circled for a while and then landed in one of the fields. I counted 122 and also spotted a Pink-footed Goose in with them.

80+ of the 122 Barnacle Geese

Barnacle Geese with Pink-footed Goose