Snow Buntings, Ships and a Late Starling

 Yesterday I saw 40+ Snow Buntings in the stubble field on Rolston Cliffs. They were in two small flocks of about 20 each but the light was very poor and they weren't approachable at all. Today the light was better so I tried to get some photos of them.

It took a while before I managed to find any Snow Buntings at all. I quartered the field starting from the cliff top path and working towards the road. I got about 80 yards down the field before I saw the birds taking off about 100 yards away. They flew towards the cliff top and I lost them over the edge so I guessed they had landed on the beach as I have seen them do several times. I got to the edge and searched the beach but couldn't find them. A minute or so later I heard them calling as they took off behind me from the field again. How did they do that? 

Anyway, I ended up walking a long way, traversing the field a few times before I got some serviceable photos. I left them in peace and set off home.

Snow Bunting overhead

21 of the 23 Snow Buntings

A few of the birds in nice light

Incoming

On the ground - usually I couldn't get close enough

Final Snow Bunting photo

While I was wandering up and down the very soggy stubble field I put up 6 Skylarks (sorry Skylarks, not intentional) and a Kestrel flew over the cliff top path with a Starling in its talons. No photos of the Skylarks but I got a few of the Kestrel. Lucky really as I was munching on a banana when it appeared and these were taken with one hand 🤣🤣

Kestrel carrying a Starling

There were 7 ships out in the bay, probably still riding out the bad weather from Storm Bella as I could see anchor chains on a couple of them. Also one was in front of Flamborough Head which made a quite photogenic shot.

It would be nice if we could have a few dry days please, to give the land time to dry out a bit. That's my new year's wish - a bit less rain 😎

Very Wet and Pretty Quiet

 After the heavy rain the footpaths and fields are very wet indeed, with a stream running through the gate between first and second fields and a flooded path at Snipe Grounds. I couldn't get through there as I didn't have wellies on so I detoured around it which made my walk shorter than usual.

The number of Redwing and Fieldfare seemed lower than I've seen for a while but the Goldfinch and Linnet flock is increasing.

Apart from those there wasn't much to see until I got to Freeport car park on my way home and saw a Sparrowhawk standing in a large puddle. I got as close as I could as there was no cover between me and the bird, and took a few photos before it got tired of being watched and flew into the trees. It wasn't wet so I guess I may have disturbed it before it got down to a bath.

Also in the car park was a Mistle Thrush and a small flock of Long-tailed Tits - Could have saved myself getting wet feet and just gone straight to the car park.

Bright and Sunny Southside Walk

 A proper December morning boded well for a good walk and I set off at a brisk pace to warm myself up.

Despite the early hour there were a few people walking along the road in front of me as I reached Southorpe Road. Weekends are usually a little busier around the Mere so I wasn't surprised to see others out and about.

Once the sun got up fully, the sky was a lovely deep blue and stayed that way all morning.

A few Redwing were in the treetops as I went through the double gates into the ridge and furrow field leading to the west end of the Mere.

I heard a Green Woodpecker calling from the wood as I walked past and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew through the trees. Another couple of months and these birds, along with others, will be thinking about pairing up for the breeding season.

In the large hawthorns there were more Redwing and a couple of Fieldfare feeding on the berries, which are disappearing fast now.

Redwing

In Ouzel Hedge the flock of finches had a few additional birds today. Along with about 40 Goldfinch I saw 6 Yellowhammer, 7 Reed Bunting, c. 10 Tree Sparrow, a Greenfinch and a few Linnet. Also about 40 Starlings were noisily reminding me of their presence. We don't see that many Starlings at the Mere outside their fantastic dusk roost murmurations.

Starlings looking great in their spotty plumage

The flock of c.160 Barnacle Goose took off and flew overhead but instead of coming down on the Mere or in one of the southern fields as usual, they disappeared west.

Barnacle Geese

Out on the water there were plenty of wildfowl (Mute Swan, Coot, Mallard, Pochard, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Wigeon, Tufted Duck and 2 Shoveler. Also Greylag Geese.) No sign of the Smew for me although the redhead had been seen earlier.

The final sighting for the morning was the pair of Stonechat that have been regulars along the fenceline recently.

Male Stonechat

Female Stonechat

A very pleasant 5 mile wander and much better than I can expect tomorrow after a visit to the dentist 😢

Time For Another Mere Circuit

 I try and walk around Hornsea Mere a couple of times each month just to keep tabs on what is going on. Usually the answer is not very much, and so it proved today. 

The fields and footpaths on the north side of the Mere are not very inspiring. From a wildlife perspective the fields are arable and are given over to crops almost all year round, although there is a small strip of land that is planted as a cover crop area. The soft ground showed deer footprints this morning but I didn't spot any other signs. From a beauty perspective the copses and hedgerows are the most appealing features and the hedgerows would be even better if they weren't trimmed. Q. Is the plural of copse really copses?

Once you get to Wassand estate and the south side things are much better with mature trees, open grassy fields, reed beds and views of the Mere.

On the north side not much was seen apart from a Kestrel, 6 Fieldfare and a Song Thrush.

Song Thrush

However, I did indulge in a bit of arty farty nonsense again when I saw water droplets on the bottom of hawthorn berries with the low, misty sun behind them.

The sun eclipsed by a hawthorn berry

The set aside field which held a good sized flock of Goldfinch and Linnet last year is not faring so well this year. There is time for it to grow in size of course and I hope that it does, as it would mean the number of birds hasn't massively reduced over the last year.

The Mere itself was pretty quiet today with the Common Scoter seen again and the drake Long-tailed Duck too. The Smew were seen today but not by me.

Juvenile Common Scoter

Drake Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck and Goldeneye

A not very elegant landing

A Cold and Frosty and Beautiful Morning

 We had a drop in temperature to -1 last night so this morning was cold. It was icy underfoot and although walking boots are great for rough terrain, they aren't really made for walking on icy pavements - cue me creeping along looking like Bambi on the frozen pond 😂

Once I got to the footpaths the going was much better so I could stride out properly and get a bit warmer. The frost was really showing well on the plants:

Frozen umbel

Teasels

Ice crystals on a tree branch

The mist was quite thick and reduced visibility to about 100 yards on my out through the fields so scanning the Mere was not particularly profitable. I could hear Pink-footed Geese flying north overhead but I couldn't see most of them although about 400 went through a gap in the clouds, giving me chance to count them. 

Once it started clearing on my way back I could see Swan Island, and a look over the water from second field revealed the juv Common Scoter still present. More Pinkies were going over too with an additional 300 seen.

I walked to first and second fields again yesterday afternoon to hopefully get a better view of the drake Smew that has been here for a few days along with two females. I saw the drake in the murky morning from a long way off and the two redheads were closer. I managed to see the drake again and had a bit better view but it was still too far away for photos. 

The drake Long-tailed Duck was also out in the morning but only very briefly in the afternoon.

Three Whooper Swans left the Mere while I was there in the afternoon but four stayed on for a while on Swan Island Spit. A female Goosander was on the far side of the spit.

The juv Common Scoter was showing quite well yesterday afternoon and I took a few photos just for the record.

juv Common Scoter in the late afternoon light

Snow Buntings and Woodcock

 Having checked the stubble field along the cliff tops many times through the last couple of months and seeing nothing but Mipits and Skylarks, I was pleased to be rewarded with a flock of 30+ Snow Buntings yesterday and today. I also flushed a couple of Woodcock - the first of the season for me.

some of the Snow Bunting flock

male, female and juv?

I managed to get a few photo of the birds on the ground, but they are very hard to locate in a big field with their colouring merging so well into the vegetation.

A few Snow Buntings but well hidden

The flock was very mobile this morning and only visited the beach twice while I was there. They circled the field several times before disappearing into the mist.

30 Snow Buntings - almost all the flock

Out of focus, but shows m/f/j plumages

Another view of different plumages

The second Woodcock I flushed - managed to fire off a few frames as it flew towards the trees...

Woodcock, off to find better cover