The Road Less Traveled

 You can find little gems where ever you go if you look hard enough. Down a quiet, small ginnel in Hornsea town centre I found such a gem.

Ivy-leaved Toadflax

 This lovely little plant that grows on old walls throughout Britain isn't a native species. It was introduced in 1640 from the Mediterranean area and became popular as a rockery plant, soon escaping into the wild.

The flock of Barnacle Geese that arrive each year to spend winter with us are now firmly established in my daily search pattern when I walk the south side Mere footpaths. They move around the fields so you never know where they will be from day to day.

Barnacle Geese with St Nicholas church as a backdrop

Barnacle Geese this morning

 We started with 38 when they arrived and we've seen up to 61 at times, but yesterday and today they were down to 37.

I spent a while down at the sea front yesterday and today as the strong winds in the wake of Storm Darragh were north easterlies. Hoping for a sight of Little Auk I set up my scope in the open window of the car in the "Wave Watcher's" car park yesterday morning and settled down - but not for long. The strong wind buffeted the car so much it was almost bouncing on its suspension and I couldn't keep the scope steady. I tried with the bins but again, the movement of the car was too much, so I gave up, took the car home and went for a walk (without the scope).

This morning was a little calmer so I went to the small shelter on the sea front and settled down there. I didn't have to wait long for the first Little Auks to come along. The light wasn't good but you work with what you're given 😊

This and all above - Little Auks flying North off Hornsea

I walked south along the promenade towards home and stopped at one of the gates down to the beach, waiting and hoping a few more auks would fly along - and they did so I got even better views.

More Little Auks off Hornsea

Also passing close in were Gannets, Kittiwakes and Cormorants.

Juvenile Gannets

Kittiwakes

Kittiwakes

Kittiwakes

Kittiwakes incl. juv

The Trans Pennine Trail marker on the sea front is a well known local land mark and sun behind it looked very nice.

Trans Pennine Trail marker

Little Egret and Long-tailed Duck At The Mere

 Not so long ago a sighting of a Little Egret in Stream Dyke just down from the Mere would not have warranted a second glance.

These days though it's a different story. We have recorded smaller numbers of these birds at the Mere through 2024, probably due to the water level being kept very high so the water is too deep for them to feed easily at the water's edge. There are still sightings of course, just not as many as in previous years, and they don't drop in to stay and forage as often as they used to.

Little Egret in Stream Dyke this morning

 I was down at the sea front this morning as the sun is rising later and later (for another 20 days or so anyway) so it's much easier to get there before sunrise. The light was gradually improving as I looked over towards Flamborough Head.

Flamborough Head lighthouse just visible in the half light

The early morning light is wonderfu and there are so many lovely sights to see as you walk along the promenade.

Cow Parsley seed head

The sun well past the horizon

A Turnstone coming in to feed

Turnstone

Purple Sandpiper

I expect to see Turnstones, Purple Sandpiper and Sanderling along Hornsea sea front but Dunlin is less common.

Dunlin with three Sanderling on the beach

Even less common is Oystercatcher. We see more of these birds at the Mere during the breeding season than we do on the beach or on the grass just by the prom through the rest of the year.

Oystercatcher through the breakwater window 😀

A walk through Goxhill the other day was a nice change from my usual patch walk. I didn't see anything unusual or note worthy but a Grey Heron perched in a tree gave a passable silhouette.

Grey Heron profile

The small church at Goxhill is very picturesque and made a pleasing well-lit subject, given the dark clouds behind it.

 The Long-tailed Duck that arrived a few days ago is still here and is seen most days now. Hopefully it will be here through winter as we usually get one that hangs around that long.

Long-tailed Duck with Goldeneye

Long-tailed Duck with more Goldeneye

Hey T.C.

We enjoyed some very nice days before the snow came down. 

It's been ages since I saw a Treecreeper so I've been scouring the trees for the past week or so in an attempt to find one. Success eventually came near Weatherhill, only a brief sighting and just managed a good image before it flew deeper into the copse.

I can't help it now as it's got so ingrained it happens automatically. What does? Well, the BTO  two digit recording code for Treecreeper is TC; TC from my youth was Top Cat, a cartoon character; the phrase uttered by another character in that show (could have been Benny The Ball) was "Hey T.C."; so if I see a Treecreeper the first thing that comes to mind is that very phrase. Sad init 😂    BTW this one was horizontal for a change as they are usually vertical or upside down.

Hey T.C.

A young Whooper Swan with a broken wing has been at the Mere for some days now and is looking in reasonable health apart from its wing. It is feeding OK and is very mobile, swimming the length of the Mere from KP in the east to Decoy in the west.

Whooper Swan in Decoy

The temperature was warm enough to get numerous flies basking in the sun - most of the fence posts were similarly populated.

Basking flies. Not a species, just a description.

Walking through the fields I could have sworn I was looking at distant snow-capped hills showing above the trees. I wasn't of course, not in the heart of the East Riding!  Normality was restored after a double take and the fluffy white clouds registered.

It's cloud illusions I recall

Along the south side footpath the set aside field is doing its job and attracting passerines to feed. Linnets, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Reed Buntings, a smattering of Yellowhammers and up to four Greenfinches are there regularly, and there's always the chance of something different like a Brambling or a Redpoll.

Greenfinch

More tidying up. Hedgerow flayed and long grass cut. It's a footpath for goodness sake. Leave some for the wildlife 😡

No caption required

The two Egyptian Geese that have been loitering with the other geese and ducks at KP were present and correct once again. No camera with me on that morning so phone shots only.

Egyptian Geese

As above

We have a single Kestrel that is seen almost every morning along the south side. A grey morning with poor light yielded a similar image.

Kestrel in first field

The stick in the middle of the Mere (we guess it's a mooring pole?) is getting well used and most days there is standing room only. This is the same one often used by a Hobby through summer.

Well populated stick

Fungi keep showing up and I do my best to put a name to most of them. This one is Shaggy Scalycap (possibly).

Shaggy Scalycap (Pholiota squarrosa)

The Borage has clung on well, but it's likely that the snow has seen it off now. I'll have a look tomorrow now it has melted.

Pre-snow Borage

I saw 12 Moorhens at KP one morning which is the most I've seen there, 10 being my previous best.

Moorhen and Common Gull on a KP jetty

Fieldfares have been few and far between around the Mere and Redwings are not much better. There are half a dozen or so over in Wassand Wood that fly through the hawthorns in search of food.

Redwing

The rest of the photos were taken after the snow arrived and the warmth went out of the air. My full cold weather gear was unearthed and I've had it on every day since.

Grey Heron, Goldeneye and Tufted Duck and snow

Roe deer chilling in the chill, eating a chilled breakfast

Barnacle Geese

It snowed in Hornsea you know

No flies on this fence post