Spurn Day 17

Last time on the dayshift for a week now. Once more it began in fog, so I took a power nap. I was awoken to the radio, the message of which I thought said something about ‘spotted redshank’ and ‘tern hut’, so I had a look. I later discovered this was not the case, but in looking I re-found the Curlew Sandpiper that’s been around, milling about with the Dunlins.

It turned into another really warm day, which I had been dreading given that it was a weekend in the school holidays. It was a quiet day though thank goodness. Nobody really bothered the terns, and there was nothing exceptional on the bird front. The highlights were a Yellow-Legged Gull on the beach, and a Yellow Wagtail that dropped in around lunchtime, the first time I have seen one on the ponds.

In the evening I had a bit more stuff. I had to take my laundry up to Kew, so decided to go via Canalside. There was a sea fret in, but that meant any birds would not see me. The first birds I saw were a flock of Shelduck that were over the Humber. They looked really mysterious in the fog, but since I had nothing else photographed all day I decided to grab a few pics.

-Shelduck

The tide was still quite high, and as a result there were good numbers of waders along the shoreline. I got really good views of Whimbrel along the bank, as well as views of Redshank and Dunlin.

-Whimbrel

-Whimbrel, Redshank and Dunlin

And that was about it Birdwise. There was one other item of interest, and a lifer for me, in that near the top of Canalside I found a Puss Moth Caterpillar. Sadly it had been trodden on and its guts were spilled out, but it was still alive, just in a less than magnificent state. It’s the first time I have seen this species of caterpillar, and they are just as weird as they look in the books.

-Puss Moth Caterpillar

The Daily Oystercatcher

Pretty standard day for the Oyks today, much feeding and wing stretching. By the looks of it, it won’t be long until they can fly, and then will be free from the necessary protection that they get as a side effect of the tern project. It’s the last time I will see them properly for a good while now, given that I’m back on nights. By the time I get back to days they will probably be ready to roll.

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Knot, Common Tern, Black-Headed Gull, Sanderling, Woodpigeon, Marsh Harrier, Little Gull, Swallow, Little Egret, Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow, Yellow-Legged Gull, Yellow Wagtail, Gannet, Kestrel, Sedge Warbler, Feral Pigeon, Blackbird, Linnet, Grey Plover,

Canalside: Whimbrel, Redshank, Dunlin, Shelduck, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Common Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Puss Moth Caterpillar