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Shaftesbury Avenue, HULL, HU8 9BH

Dwellings at Nos.39 to 45.

Semi-detached houses, by 1926, and bungalow, 1960s on the east side of Shaftesbury Avenue between Eglinton Avenue and Astoria Crescent.

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6825353

KCOM celebrates its 120th anniversary this year, established in 1904 as Hull Corporation Telephones, having been acquired from the General Post Office. KCOM has, until recently, been the main provider of broadband to users within its trading area. Significant changes to 'permitted development rights' in 2015 has been a game-changer. In 2021 Connexin began its rollout of broadband in the city. This has prompted a significant number of complaints as the new provider has erected poles instead of laying cables underground. Many streets now have a duplicate set of poles, producing an environmental eyesore. Furthermore, MS3 Network also began to rollout broadband in 2022, again leading to outrage at the proliferation of duplicated infrastructure. Complaints that the new rules do not require planning permission for the additional poles has led to much press coverage, both locally and nationally, and local MPs and councillors have become involved to resolve this contentious issue. Today, poles are being installed in Shaftesbury Avenue for MS3 Network. This view also includes the nearby poles for KCOM (far left) and Connexin (against garden fence).

On a snowy morning, a cyclist approaches the junction with Astoria Crescent.

A male sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) has almost finished his breakfast, most probably a male blackbird. A regular visitor to my garden, its presence more often than not evidenced by the discarded pile of feathers.

Hover-flies (Syrphus ribesii) on Bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum).

A female sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) takes a late lunch on my lawn. On the menu, a wood pigeon, more than likely one of the pair that was earlier perched on the garden fence. After plucking some of the feathers, the hawk attempted to fly off with the carcass. The weight of the pigeon undoubtedly prevented but a very short hop to another part of the garden, where more feathers were plucked. The hawk then moved its prey to beneath a Fatsia japonica. The head and wings of the pigeon were later to be found deposited on a nearby Lady Fern.

The Big Butterfly Count results for 2019 have recently been published: https://www.bigbutterflycount.org/2019mainresults and the Peacock (Aglios io) achieved 2nd place in the rankings, showing a 235% increase in sightings on 2018. This example was spotted in my garden, on the last day of Summer, feeding on Hylotelephium spectabile (formerly called Sedum spectabile), which has several alternative names, including 'butterfly stonecrop'.

Two Wood Pigeons (Columba palumbus) on the ridge of my garage roof taking advantage of the heavy rain to cleanse their wings.