Flushed out

As widely reported plenty of water about today - not so many folk about, so not many sightings to report with the exception of a 'buzzard with long wings and a white tail base around Decoy Woods / Angram Farm.  The white common buzzard is well documented and fits this description regularly, but a few of the regulars think there is something interesting in this one - but it needs some more investigation yet...  Waxwing on the road yesterday morning with the first short-eared owl of winter seen last night.  Peregrine over North Marsh and plenty of little grebes around Hempholme Lock.

Worth a look around the reserve and river though to see the unfolding events.  This was the river Hull at Hempholme at 10:30 this morning - the weir long gone and water nearly over the lock gates:

Beverley and Barmston Drain is well up - and now higher than some of the surrounding fields:

Including Hempholme Meadow - the flap valves restrict flow into the meadow though there is still water coming in from Barmston Drain:

It can't lose the water coming in from North Marsh though and the level by 15:00 was continuing to increase:

Not good news if you're a rodent - but it makes up for the rain if you're a barn owl - it can just sit on the edge and wait for the evacuees:

We've had other reports of it perched on this post - so if you're after some good shots of a barn owl the Angus McBean hide may be your place.  Further down river the otter was not too put off either - trail over the bank:

And spraints:

Baswick's sheep were keeping a keen eye on the river:
In places the river was around 30cm from over topping the defences:

It should be said though that we have seen the river even higher than this before - so it is not entirely unprecendented:

The Marie Celeste (it's been there for a while so we need not worry about its occupant!):

Watton Beck at Wilfholme:

The Environment Agency doing a sterling job clearing weed from the intake screens at Wilfholme pump house:

Enabling untold volumes to be discharged from Barmston Drain into the river:

Watton NR filling rapidly - not quite one with the drain as yet:

A trip back to Hempholme at last light showed a nice kestrel hunting D res:


With this sparrowhawk taken yesterday:

After 5 hours the river had risen by a further 14cm - so we'll see what the coming hours rainfall do.

There is a flood alert out for the river Hull upper catchment at the time of writing - details on the EA floodline site here.

Certainly this river had also appeared over the road at Watton after the rain had stopped.

Watton Beck at the A164 looking relatively tame at last light:

What will it look like tomorrow night?