Otter, Bean Goose and Nuthatch sighted on a memorable day

Wow, wow and wow again. What an incredible morning's walk along The Mere.

Although the weather was cold again with a really biting Easterly coming in, the sun and the wildlife made the morning thoroughly enjoyable. 4 hours well spent!!

Walking through Freeport the early birds were up and singing and by the time I got to Hull Road I was almost awake 😃 which was just as well as I spotted a Barn Owl perched on a fence post:

As I was watching the owl a pair of Bullfinch flew into the hedgerow right in front of me and started doing what Bullfinch do best - nipping succulent buds from the branches. Apple tree buds seemed to be their favourites when we had apple trees in a previous house's garden :

Just about 100 yards further on there were the usual herd of Greylag Goose in the field on Southorpe Road. Yesterday a couple of rarer geese were reported there so I scanned the Greylags hoping to see them. Sure enough there they were, 2 Tundra Bean Goose. Smaller and daintier than the Greylags with a browner head and a dark bill with a pinky orange band:

Tundra Bean Goose among the Greylags

Tundra Bean Goose with a Greylag Goose behind for comparison

A better photo of the Tundra Bean Goose

All very wonderful and interesting, especially as this was the first time I'd seen one at The Mere, but I was getting cold with standing still, so I put my foot down on the accelerator and moved into second gear (the best I can do) along Southorpe Road.

There is a lot of clearance work being done at the moment in the fields and hedgerows around Wassand. All part of the new owners putting their stamp on the place no doubt, but also just the regular and continuous maintenance effort that is needed to keep the countryside looking its best and to ensure it doesn't out-grow its welcome.

I walked through the copses and fields along the track towards Wassand Hall and down towards the bird hide that overlooks the Mere at Decoy Plantation. There were only a few scattered ducks and swans about, with a lone Buzzard soaring above the trees:

Buzzard over the Mere

The reeds have been thinned out a little to the left of the hide and Coot, young Mute Swans and a Moorhen were all feeding in the loose vegetation.

An almost adult Mute Swan

Goldeneye

Suddenly, everything went mad. Birds cleared off quickly which is usually the sign of a predator coming in. I looked up to see if there was a Marsh Harrier or a Peregrine flying through, but there was nothing. There was, however, a familiar shape in the water, swimming out from the reed bed towards the far shore. Otter - nice one indeed! They are reported quite regularly from the hide but you have to be pretty lucky to see one so clearly.

Otter swimming along the reed bed opposite Wassand bird hide

It's always worth a visit to the hide, just in case something pops up that you don't expect. There were no Marsh Harriers in view today, which is strange because you normally expect to see at least one this time of year.

Going back along the woodland walk I stopped to fill up a bird feeder. A week ago I noticed that someone had kindly left a fat ball feeder hanging on a branch about 10 yards off the path, and I've filled it a couple of times with suet balls. The first time I filled it there were no takers - obviously it takes time for the wildlife to get used to new additions to their environment. The feeder was empty this morning so I filled it again and walked off for 15 minutes to let things settle down. When I came back there were Blue Tits, Great Tits and a Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding on it.

Blue Tit and Great Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker and Blue Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker and Blue Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Normally we don't bother with feeders in the wood by the hide because of the Grey Squirrels. There are so many of them that if we put up peanuts or seed feeders that weren't squirrel-proof they would be emptied in no time, and not by the birds. Luckily Grey Squirrels don't appear to be partial to fat balls so they (hopefully) get left for their intended customers.

As I walked out of the wood I saw a small group of Long-tailed Tits so I waited to see if anything else was tagging along with them - you sometimes get a Treecreeper or two that move through the woods slightly behind the LtT feeding on insects. This time there was something even better than a Treecreeper - a Nuthatch!!!!!

Nuthatch - at last :)

I was so used to seeing Nuthatch near where we used to live that I never really thought there wouldn't be any over here in Holderness, but they are a rare occurrence. Nuthatch have been seen in Wassand estate in the last few years but I've never managed to see one here until now - a landmark event 😀

By the way if you haven't seen a Treecreeper, see here   http://hornseawildlife.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/a-sunny-and-calm-day.html

Apart from the walk home, which was pretty uneventful compared to the previous 3 hours, that concluded my morning's outing and I went on my way feeling good - which is just how walking in the countryside is supposed to make you feel.

Monochrome Mere

It's been cold, you may have noticed?

I walked to the hide at Wassand on Wednesday and everything just seemed unreasonably grey and cold - even the birds were either black, white or black and white or some shade of grey. Come on Spring, hurry up :)

Coot in the reeds

Young Mute Swan

Rain!!

Mute Swan, off to paint the town red?

Goldeneye

Tufted Duck

I could have added photos of Carrion Crow, Magpie, Blackbird, any of the gulls or a female Great Spotted Woodpecker, but I don't want to over-work the theme.

Great White Egret - Gone in 36 seconds

During my walk around The Mere this morning I stopped off at Wassand hide. As usual I wasn't expecting anything spectacular, but as I opened the window I saw a large, white flappy thing with a snowman's carrot for a nose. Great White Egret no less!!!!!!

It was directly opposite the hide when I first saw it and it was flying east. I managed to get my camera sorted pretty sharpish and fired off a few frames as it continued flying away, but then it slowly turned and flew almost directly over the hide, going south east. I didn't see it again but it was a marvelous sight for all of the 36 seconds that it was visible :)

Great White Egret over Wassand Hide

As I walked back towards home along the south side footpath the hedgerows were being flailed to keep them at a reasonable size. In 1st field the vegetation near the Mere behind the fence was also being cut, but this didn't seem to perturb the Stonechats at all as they were were still foraging along that stretch. There were 3 this morning, 2 females and a male.

Clearing the shore vegetation

Male Stonechat

Stonechat amid the cleared vegetation

Stonechats

Down at Hornsea Mere a pair of Stonechats have been seen regularly along the fence line. They look to be over-wintering there and given the habitat is suitable, you never know, they may even try to nest there come Spring. Fingers crossed for them.

Click to play a video of the Stonechats here:-

Further along the South side the heavy and prolonged rain has made the footpath very, very wet. You need wellies if you're walking towards Wassand -

The woodland walk to Wassand hide is under water too

The view from Wassand hide is not particularly inspiring this year. For some reason the ducks seem to be staying up the East end or at least they aren't venturing past Decoy. Don't lose faith though because there is still a chance of seeing Otter, Bearded Tit or Bittern as they have been seen intermittently, but not regularly.

The Marsh Harriers continue their regular presence, showing really well as they drift effortlessly over the reed beds. We've had up to 4 birds in the last week, 3 cream crowns and an adult male, so another male harrier flying in and staying would be great and would enhance the chances of successful nesting attempts.

Going back home I saw a Barn Owl hunting over the fields so I thought I'd try and get some video footage of this wonderful bird. I got some footage in failing light which isn't great but at least it's a start.

Click to play a video of the Barn Owl here:-