Spurn
Day 1
For the
second day of Lia’s visit we headed to Spurn, to experience the amazing
phenomena that is bird migration. As soon as we arrived, we got news that an
Isabelline Wheatear was in a field along Kilnsea. Although the bird was
distant, we got decent views of it running around a stubble field. We did not
stop for long so that we could head towards the ringing station.
Ringing was
steady with a few nice birds including a fantastic Water Rail and two Black
Redstarts from a group of five feeding along the tank blocks. Later on, in the
afternoon, I also ringed a Cormorant that had been bought in to the Obs for the
day to be looked after. It was a bit of brute but it was released on the Borrow
Pit in the evening. Outside the nets there were also a few nice birds, including
a smart Yellow-browed Warbler in the Obs garden. We ended the day by dipping a
Bluethroat in the slatmarsh north of the breach.
-Yellow-browed Warbler
-Water Rail
-Black Redstart
Spurn
Day 2
We did a
normal routine for Lia’s first day at Spurn, with ringing in Churchfield in the
morning before heading out birding. The absolute standout bird from the ringing
was a gorgeous Icelandic Redwing (Coburni), which I was told was the
first processed and documented as an Icelandic at Spurn. Not at all the
standout bird that we expected.
Our
mornings ringing was interrupted by the reappearance of the Bluethroat from the
previous day. Consequently, we sacked off what was a steady ringing period and
enjoyed fantastic views of the bird as it crept around the saltmarsh. And from
there we carried on birding, heading up to the wetlands for some ducks and as a
result finding the Black Brant for the first time in the autumn. Presumably
this is the returning individual from previous winters, but it was still nice
to spot for the first time this autumn. In the afternoon we headed to Easington
Lagoons to look for Snow Buntings, and it did not disappoint with three
individuals, two showing very well.
-Icelandic Redwing
-Bluethroat
-Black Redstart
-Common Scoter
-Snow Bunting
-Black Brant
Spurn
Day 3
Having had
such an excellent day the previous day, today was something of a bump back to
earth with rain all day and strong winds. We walked along the beach to look for
the Shore Larks reported the previous day, and after a struggle in the wind we
finally saw a single individual feeding on the edge of the ponds.
With the
rain continuing we struggled to bird during the afternoon but a short trip to
Sammies yielded some nice results with a posse of 15 Grey Partridge on
Easington Straight. The Little Owl was also still present on the haybales
there. In the end we managed to make the most of the poor conditions.
-Shore Lark
Spurn Day
4
After a day
away from Spurn at Filey we returned to the action today in fine form. In the
morning I made the call to finally catch the bluethroat that had been lingering
around the breach. It took no more than a matter of seconds before the bird was
in the spring trap and was ringed and being processed. Sadly I held the bird
for photos so I wasn’t actually able to take any myself. In addition, we also
caught three Yellowhammer and a Bullfinch to complete an excellent morning.
After
ringing we tried to see the Pallas’s Warbler that was in Easington. The bird
was mobile and difficult, plus it was always against the light, but its still a
Pallas’s Warbler so it was absolutely stunning. A flock of Long-tailed Tits
numbering around 30 individuals also flew past at close quarters giving amazing
views. During the afternoon we tried to find some Cettis Warblers that were
around Sammies but we failed to find any.
-Yellowhammer
-Pallas's Warbler
-Long-tailed Tit
Spurn
Day 5
Early morning
conditions were pretty grim so we first headed to wetlands where we again found
a low number of ducks. The Black Brant was still on Long Bank Marsh which once
again showed nicely. After a few hours we headed down to the Warren to open
nets and look for some twite. While we failed on the latter, opening the nets
caught us two Fieldfare which were awesome birds for Lia to ring.
For the
evening we headed to Welwick Saltmarsh to see any raptors that came in to
roost. We had at least for Short-eared Owls, Merlin, Peregrine, Marsh Harrier
and Buzzard completing an excellent day out.
-Black Brant
-Reed Bunting
-Fieldfare
Spurn
Day 6
It was
another grim day in the morning but we were able to open some nets and as a
result we enjoyed a few nice birds but overall it was stready. A few Brambling
started to appear mid-morning and this was without doubt the best bird we caught.
There was serious rainstorm during lunchtime so we decided to head off to our
next destination, ending a fantastic week at Spurn.
-Brambling
Species
List:
Spurn Bird
Observatory: Greylag
Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Black Brant, Canada Goose,
Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Common Shelduck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Eurasian
Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Tufted Duck, Common Scoter,
Common Pheasant, Grey Partridge, Little Grebe, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common
Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Pied Avocet,
Eurasian Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, European Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing,
Common Ringed Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red
Knot, Dunlin, Eurasian Woodcock, Common Snipe, Common Greenshank, Common
Redshank, Razorbill, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull,
European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Northern Gannet, Great
Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier,
Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Little Owl, Short-eared Owl,
Great-spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian
Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit,
Shore Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Bearded Reedling, Barn Swallow, Yellow-browed Warbler,
Pallas’s Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Eurasian Blackcap,
Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Redwing, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare,
European Robin, Bluethroat, Black Redstart, European Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear,
Dunnock, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Eurasian Rock
Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Brambling, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch,
Twite, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Snow
Bunting, Yellowhammer, Common Reed Bunting, Grey Seal, Roe Deer, Brown Hare,
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