Soil Hill; Isolation week 4

The week suffered from an enduring north esterly wind which peaked between monday - wednesday. Although birding was still possible, there was a noticable blow with a chilly edge to it. Numbers of migrants seemed to grind to a halt as a result, with species such as Swallow being thin on the ground until the wind died down.

18 April

Visit from 08.45. Total 41 species observed.

It was cold early morning so I set off slightly later to hopefully get a few more birds. The female Ring Ouzel was still on Taylor Lane during the morning, and another, a male, dropped out of the sky at the summit. It sat on a wall for a few minutes before flying up and south. That brings my total number of this species this spring to five individuals, as a minimum. There was also a nice showy Goldcrest on the way up.

-Goldcrest

-Ring Ouzel

19 April

Visit from 07.15. Total 43 species observed.

Highlight today was an extremely distant Marsh Harrier over Ovenden Moor. A Buzzard also went over. Up to two Whitethroat now, with a second bird holding territory. Two Swallows also flew through. A single Wheatear was on the wall by the NK pond. 

-Marsh Harrier

20 April

Visit from 07.00. Total 39 species observed.

Despite the howling gale there was something of a patch mega when I had two Greylag Geese fly south from Thornton Moor Reservoir. They were extremely distant but the silver coverts were obvious even at this range. There were three Wheatears today, but the numbers of other migrant species were consistent with previous days

-Greylag Geese

21 April

Visit from 08.00. Total 34 species observed.

The strongest wind of the week was today, and as a result bird numbers were well down. There was nothing out of the ordinary and numbers of established migrants were down as a result of the conditions. 

-Song Thrush

22 April 

Visit from 07.30. Total 41 species observed.

Wind dropped off a little bit and there were a few more migrants present. The male Stonechat, presumably the same bird as the previous week, as on Ned Hill Track. Three Wheatear were in the cattle fields at the bottom. There were two Oystercatchers on the rubble at the bottom of the north slope, rather than in the fields surrounding the site. Snipe continue to be common this spring, and the Reed Buntings are still present in the same location.

-Oystercatcher

23 April

Visit from 07.15. Total 42 species observed. 

The wind had almost gone completely today, and there were a few more birds of note. The Canada Geese around Bradshaw had been joined for the morning by a party of Greylags which were visible from the greater Soil Hill area. One of these birds was nearly white but the structure and plumage of the other birds suggests to me that this is an abbarent bird rather than a domesticated individual. 

At least five Swallows flew north over the course of the morning, and a Sand Martin flew north with them, only the second time I have seen this species here. 

There seemed to be a bit of movement of Golden Plover. A single bird flew north calling, followed ten minutes later by a flock of eight. These birds seemed to loop round and I lost them round the back of the hill but a search in the fields around the summit failed to find them. I did find two birds on the top, one was certainly a Golden Plover but the other, when it flushed, seemed smaller and had a more rapid wingbeat. Frustratingly they both flew north in a direct line away from me so I was unable to get much more on them. I did get a look at this bird when it initially took off, but sadly it was directly into the sun, but the impression I got was of Golden Plover plumage, so who even knows. 

Up to three Whitethroat on the hill now.

-Golden Plover

24 April 

Visit from 06.45. Total 44 species observed.

After what felt like a slow week it was nice to end it on a high with a solid patch tick. I was at the bottom of the hill scanning the fields walls for Wheatears when I heard a distinctive ticking all behind me, certainly not the call of a Hill resident, but having not seen one for some time it took a moment for my brain to recognise it. I spotted the bird flying down the North Slope treeline, a Yellowhammer. The ammount of yellow suggested that it was a male but it lacked the bright yellow head, so probably a 1st winter male. Sadly it did not stop and carried on north, going with a purpose. An excellent patch tick as these are not common birds in Halifax (also a Halifax tick for me).

And that was probably not even the highlight of the morning, as the Grasshopper Warbler which had been silent all week burst back into life this morning with an outstanding show, singing from a wall no less. I have never seen this species as well. A brilliant bird. 

A Wheatear was present on the bottom fields, and there are now four Whitethroats dotted around the hill. A Buzzard flew north as did three late Fieldfare. Two Collared Dove were also a nice addition to the week. 

-Grasshopper Warbler

-Western Roe Deer

Species List:

Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Red-legged Partridge, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Little Owl, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, Ring Ouzel, European Robin, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Common Reed Bunting, Western Roe Deer, Red Fox, Stoat, European Rabbit, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, 

Soil Hill

19.03.2016
After yesterdays dizzying return to the patch today was a more somber affair. I did however manage no less than 5 patch year-ticks; Woodpigeon (remarkably), Dunnock, Herring Gull, Pied Wagtail and Moorhen. So not a bad return to the hill

Species List:
Soil Hill: Magpie, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Dunnock, Blackbird, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Starling, Lapwing, Stock Dove, Grey Heron, Jackdaw, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail,

20.03.2016
An early morning visit today, starting at 08.00 and then onto 10.00. Bright blue sky so I had hoped for a few moving whoopers but alas, no joy. There were good numbers of large gulls coming out of roost though, all Herring and Lesser Black-backed. Got a patch tick when 4 Greylag Geese flew north up the valley. I added Kestrel and Sparrowhawk to the patch yearlist, and there was a nice treat with 4 Teal on the bottom pond.
An additional, non-bird, treat were four Roe Deer moving around the hill and between the neighboring fields.

-Teal

-Roe Deer

Species List:
Soil Hill: Magpie, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Meadow Pipit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Skylark, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Curlew, Kestrel, Canada Goose, Starling, Mallard, Sparrowhawk, Black-headed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Greenfinch, Common Teal, Wren,

Soil Hill 01.01 - 06.01

Since returning home for Chirstmas I did not see the sun shine in all of my three weeks. This tragic turn of events did not help me kick start my effort to earn Soil Hill some recognition through the Patchwork Challenge competition. Perhaps unsurprisingly by the time I return to university on the 6th of January I had only amassed 18 species, each of which was only a solitary point.

01.01

To be fair, my small assembledge of species did get a very good start by Soil Hill standards. I was hanging after New Years and so took some time to make it up to the Hill. Even as I arrived the ball was set rolling with a flock of around 20 Golden Plovers flying overhead. I have not seen any up there for a few years now, so that was a very welcome start. Other species were all usual, but a nice bonus came in the form of four Roe Deer in the lower fields. They were spooked by traffic and ran straight towards me, coming as close as five meters away. The light was poor and so I gathered no photos, but take it from me the views were impressive. 

-Golden Plover

-Roe Deer

Species List

Soil Hill: Common Gull, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Golden Plover, Jackdaw, Black-Headed Gull, Canada Goose, Skylark, Goldfinch, Starling, Roe Deer

03.01

It rained, and there is little more to say than that. Mallard was a nice species to have seen though...

Species List

Soil Hill: Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Mallard

05.01

The fog had now also become an issue as well as the rain. Wren was a good bird on the summit today. However, the real winners were down the far slope. I knew flock of Fieldfare had been residing around the bottom fields and but I would have to descend in order to see them through the fog. At the top of the slope I was surprised to see a few Fieldfare in the trees adjacent to the slope. I though that was pretty good, but somehow they saw me through the fog, and about 20 birds all took off from within the fog and then vanished back into it. However, among the 20 or so Fieldfare I picked out a smaller Redwing which is apparently not a patch tick according to my trusty Soil Hill list, but I can't remember the last time I saw one here, and its a fine record for patchwork challenge. 

Species List:

Soil Hill: Blackbird, Wren, Mallard, Fieldfare, Redwing

06.01

I had a quick look round the hill in the rain before I set off back to Sheffield. The only thing that made it worthwhile was a Lapwing on the top. Another species to have safely under the belt. 

Species List

Soil Hill: Magpie, Carrion Crow, Wren, Lapwing

Soil Hill

First day back on the hill today, so I was hopeful for something a bit different to have happened during my time away. There was Himalayan Bolsom growing on the verge going up, which I don 't recall being there before.

As I passed the small group of trees at the base of the track-way I thought I could hear Goldcrest calling, which would be a remarkable patch tick, so set up to get wait to see if I could confirm my suspicions. I was pleased after a wait of around 20 mins that I got decent views of a Goldcrest feeding among the pine needles. However, I was unable to get a photo, so I decided to wait a longer to try and get a photo of this patch tick.

As I waited I gained another patch tick, though this one a little less unexpected, in the form of 2 juvenile Coal Tits that were flitting around the pines. These I was able to get a record shot of, and I was pretty pleased with my effort.

-Coal Tit

The Coal Tits sat out for a bit, and they were more than obliging while I was waiting. The Goldcrest made another fleeting visit, but I failed to have my camera ready and I missed my chance to grab a record shot, so cue more waiting!

Its a good thing I did too, as I got my most remarkable record for the site I have ever got. Another bird landed on a horizontal branch, which was so obvious but so unexpected, Nuthatch! I could not believe what I was seeing, but sadly only managed one, very obscured record shot. I was thrilled at seeing this, a real patch MEGA. If I had not spent so long looking at the patch of trees I would never had known it was there, which makes you wonder what other goodies are lurking in there. The Nuthatch flitted for around 30 seconds before it dropped back into the wood never to be seen again.

-Nuthatch

I was buzzing after seeing that, and nothing could really top it. And nothing did! The top was pretty quiet all in all. I spotted a couple of Roe Deer down the north face, though at the time I could only see one, but looking at there photos I spotted the ears of a second 

-Roe Deer

Its a thrilling return to the patch with numerous patch ticks, and the Nuthatch being an exceptional addition to the Soil Hill list. What an afternoon, you don't get many like that up there.

Species List:

Soil Hill: Swift, Carrion Crow, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Blackbird, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Nuthatch, Skylark, Starling, Swift, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Moorhen, Kestrel, Magpie, Great Tit, Pied Wagtail,

Spurn Day 40 - LIFER ALERT

I was unsure whether the 4.00 start was still required but decided to head up at that time anyway just in case. It was not but since I failed to get any on duty kip it gave me the chance to get a full days birding in, and what a day’s birding it turned out to be.

I started the morning trying to count the Black-Headed Gulls moving north, but there were just too many and their movements were very confusing, so after a bit I gave up on that and started to watch the waders that were about. I counted 2 Turnstone, 7 Redshank, a few Knot and a few Dunlin, as well as 1 Black-Tailed Godwit. There were also a few of the latter moving out to sea, with a couple of flocks going south, 1 of around 7 birds, the other of around 15.

The first of the day’s highlights appeared at 08.20. Mick Cunningham had told me I had missed a year-tick when he had been up and been watching the ponds. He had recorded a female pintail among the mallards, but since then I have been on nights and I had been unable to find it at any point. The group of 5 Mallards had been around all morning but their numbers swelled at around 8.00 and from the distance I thought I noticed one that could have possibly been the bird. I upped sticks and moved round Long Bank in order to get a better view. The closer I came the more convinced I became that I had indeed found one of my years tart ticks. And sure enough, just as I was getting to the best view the inevitable happened; the birds flew. I grabbed the camera hoping to catch some helpful secondaries. Luckily the birds settled again on Kilnsea Wetlands on the other side of the bank. My last doubts were laid to rest here, and I gratefully added a lovely female Pintail to my year list. It was a great sighting and I got some decent views before the ducks flew off again, this time for good though. I managed some decent shots too, given the distance the light.

-Pintail

I headed back to the hut, very satisfied with my days work. Not long after I returned a female Wheatear fluttered in front of the hut, and I tracked it down on the beach. Though it did not give exceptional views it was still a delight to see, one of my favourite birds. 

Not long after that and another lovely bird showed itself on the poolside. It was a Ruff, but only one and it was the only one I saw today. I tried to grab some record shots for Spurn but it was too far off and I was unable to get any of note.

-Ruff

During my nightshifts there had been one record that I had been seriously gripped by, but I asked Paul and he said it was likely to be a one off. But at 9.30 said bird, or one of its species, made an appearance along the ponds. Purple Sandpiper! It’s the first time I can report seeing one since I set up my blog 7 years ago, and since my prior views were absolutely impeccable it’s been too long. Sadly this time the views were less than impeccable. I followed it from the hut for about 10mins before mounting long bank and heading round to see if I could do any better from there. I had hoped it would do what the curlew sand had done, but alas it did not, and the views remained too distant for the camera, though through the scope I got really good views. It took up with 2 Dunlin and 2 Turnstone and they slowly made their way round, but they did not make it close enough for me to get any really good shots. 

-Purple Sandpiper

I have waited so long to see another of this species but alas the view was too short and by 10.00 the bird had decided to move on. It could be some time before I see another, so that was much appreciated. After the bird had left and I was left in a post-purp mode, I had a look around to see what else was around. There was a pair of Roe Deer in the field behind the bank, they stood out a mile now the field had been cut. I grabbed some shots just because they looked so striking. The pair of Turnstone had also remained put and they too were striking, only more so than the deer.

-Roe Deer

-Turnstone

I stuck around for the wader roost given that it was the kind of day where I might muster some other yearticks. Alas that the wader roost was very quiet, with 2 Whimbrel, 1 Bar-Tailed Godwit, 1 Curlew and 25 Grey Plover. Impressive but sadly lacking in numbers! As a result I headed back to lunch later than usual. I picked up a few willow warblers chilling along Beacon Lane, and a lovely Yellow Wagtail.

My lunch break was short as there were birders sleeping all around the warren, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. As I was heading back up Beacon Lane I continued to see Willow Warbler and Whitethroat, and then I spotted another warbler chilling on the edge of a bush. I raised my bins and got a good view of it. My first thoughts were ‘that’s a funny coloured willow warbler’, but then it did the decent thing and turned revealing the only feature on Britain’s most featureless bird, a grey collar. I’m not sure it was excitement, or relief but I had finally added Garden Warbler to my yearlist. You forget this is only the second time I have ever seen one, and that the last one was found through a photograph and not really seen at all. But in my excitement the bird decided to do the indecent thing and dived into the bush and was replaced by a Whitethroat. It took some time before I re-located it and it put on a show, but in the end it did put on as much of a show as Garden Warblers do and I was able to enjoy it and grab some photos, an improvement on my last efforts that’s for certain. Given that I was so convinced I would miss one this year, this is possibly the species with the most relief attached to it on my yearlist. To say it’s so bland it does have something about it, and I am quite taken to Garden Warblers, despite their sneaky ways.

-Garden Warbler

The afternoon was very quiet just like I expected and seems to be the norm. I did pick up a Spurn tick in the form of Wren, but it was a fleeting glimpse.

And so the shift ended, with 3 year-ticks, not something I had predicted. What could make it better? A Lifer? Cue Seawatching! Given the calibre of the night before tonight’s total of Common Terns was quite low, but still impressive, 2480 went by. We had a whopping 44 Fulmars though which was pretty nice, and 8 Arctic Skua and 41 Manx Shearwaters. Besides Common Terns, numbers of all other seabirds seemed to be on the up, which was more than ample compensation.

But what about the lifer! In all honesty it was nothing compared to the days year-ticks but it’s still a lifer. It was Sooty Shearwater, but when I saw it I was surprised by how little shearwater behaviour it expressed. If I had seen it on my own I would have it down as a skua of some description. It moved rather fast, but when its identification was explained by the guys I could see why it was a Sooty, and perhaps the fact that my scope is lacking meant I could not pick out many key features too, not that I’m blaming my tools. It was nice to have another seabird added to my life list, but I think a better view may be in order, so I don’t have to take other birders words for it. But its still a lifer, and a nice one to have, a real seawatch speciality. Sadly It was too far out to get any photos, that record lasted up to the 22nd lifer this, a photo of them all and then the 23rd and it all falls apart. Never mind, it was still great to see.

And that was that, not night shift so I could enjoy the evening relaxing and get a decent kip. I have been informed that my last chicks are flying, which I had not seen but Paul tried to ring it and it flew away apparently, so as of now the operation is over and the decontamination of the fence will commence tomorrow. I guess this is the beginning of the end for my time at Spurn. If the last chicks fledge fully we will have fledged 60 young this year, a record year!

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Oystercatcher, Cormorant, Kestrel, Black-Headed Gull, Sparrowhawk, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Knot, Black-Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Turnstone, Dunlin, Sandwich Tern, Feral Pigeon, Curlew, Mallard, Yellow Wagtail, Gannet, Common Gull, Swallow, Mediterranean Gull, Woodpigeon, Little Tern, Fulmar, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Arctic Skua, Mute Swan, Pintail, Little Egret, Ringed Plover, Ruff, Wheatear, Grey Heron, Marsh Harrier, Purple Sandpiper, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, House Martin, Grey Plover, Greenshank, Linnet, Sanderling, Whimbrel, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Starling, Dunnock, Blackbird, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Willow Warbler, House Sparrow, Wren, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Goldfinch, Reed Warbler, Herring Gull, Avocet, Sand Martin,

Seawatching: Arctic Skua, Common Tern, Oystercatcher, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, Great Skua, Gannet, Common Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Sooty Shearwater, Swallow, Common Scoter, Sandwich Tern, Little Gull, Black-Headed Gull,

Spurn Day 36

 It was a long, cold night sat outside, cowering from the wind behind the hut. When it finally ended I rushed back and got straight into nice warm bed. On the way back though I did spot a Swift, which have been a bit few and far between recently.

I slept very soundly and as a result woke up very late and did not make it out birding for some time. When I did, at around 4.00 I headed to Canal Scrape via Clubleys to see what was about. There was a storm oncoming I noticed, which meant I needed to be in the hide before it hit. On Clubleys I flushed 2 Snipe but that was all.

On canal it was pretty quiet as is usual. I picked up both Willow and Reed Warbler while there, in addition to the usual Coots and Mallards. There was a bit of movement from waders coming off the estuary, but they were too distant to really make out. One thing I did make out though was the undoubted highlight of my stay in the hide. I noticed a large bird flying over Canalside in a lazy sort of way, I raised my bins and saw that it was an Owl, so grabbed the camera to get some shots. Its larger size and reduced streaking made it pretty obvious that it was a Short-Eared Owl, almost certainly the same bird that I saw last weekend.

-Short Eared Owl

The storm took an age to approach, and it was soon half five and time to be headed to the seawatch hide. I headed off hoping that the storm would hold off just a little longer. Along my way I spotted a pair of Roe Deer along the coast.  They were very bold, as you would expect from the deer here, the male showing a very nice pair of antlers. I got a few photos but it was at this moment that the heavens decided to open, so I made a speedy getaway.

-Roe Deer

The Tern passage started very fast, with birds streaming through, but by seven it had stopped and by half seven there were no birds moving at all. There were a few other things around; a Great Skua out at sea was nice, as was a Fulmar that flew overhead, not something I had anticipated. There was also a pair of Arctic Skuas overhead, a pale phase and a dark phase, harassing a small group of Sandwich terns.

-Arctic Skua

Despite finishing Seawatching early I ended up setting off for my shift a little late, and it was very gloomy when I departed. Along the road I noticed a small dark shape scurry out from the undergrowth and sit in the middle of the road. By now the gloom was very dark and I was wondering if I had imagined it. It was only when I was nearly on top of it that it moved again, a Hedgehog, scurrying back into the undergrowth.

Well, it’s been a quiet day compared to yesterday. At least I was able to get into the hut tonight, that was very much appreciated!

Species List:

Canal Scrape: Common Snipe, Kestrel, Short-Eared Owl, Mallard, Coot, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Knot, Sandwich Tern, Lesser Black-Backed Gull,

Seawatching: Oystercatcher, Sandwich Tern, Herring Gull, Swallow, Ringed Plover, Black-Headed Gull, Arctic Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Gannet, Common Scoter, Dunlin, Great Skua, Knot, Turnstone, Little Egret, Fulmar, Arctic Skua, Common Tern,

Spurn Day 6

Again, Day 6 started at bang on midnight. But since it was completely dark I failed to register any birds until around 4.00 in the morning. There were only a few Dunlin still around, as well as the Little Tern, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher that I have become so familiar with over the last few days. I was delighted to see that the Oyk family with 2 chicks were still doing fine, as they were feeding along the shoreline. When you can see a family like this, know they are the same birds you’re watching day after day you become very attached to them, and they have been one of the highlights of my time here so far.

As the time wore on to the end of my shift I started to notice a few other birds around. A few Whimbrel were moving down the coast, in occasional small groups, but it’s the first time I have seen them up at the ponds so that was nice. There was also a Greenshank behind the hide, but I saw it the same moment it saw me and so my views of it were fleeting. There were also 4 summer plumaged Little Gull that went north over the hut in the morning too, always lovely birds to see.

On the way back to the warren, a worn and weary me spotted a lovely buck Roe Deer feeding on a hawthorn tree by the roadside. It was incredibly approachable, before it ambled off into the fields as I tried to pass.

I awoke again at 12.00, but found myself locked into the warren so did not get out until around 13.00. I went up behind the warren to join Paul and Steve but it had been a quiet morning apparently, and my stay there of around half an hour yielded very little, the highlight being a male Linnet that was singing from a gatepost.

Since it was so dead Paul offered to take me shopping early, but before he went to check his nets and found 3 young Swallows in them, so I got to watch him ring them before we set off. They were mixed ages, some clearly very young, but one seemed much older.

On the way into Withernsea we had some pretty nice birds. By the side of the road was a female Sparrowhawk that flew into a tree as we passed by. A fleeting but nice view of the bird. Next up was Little Owl. Paul mentioned a nest in a farm complex, but we failed to spot the bird as we drove past. No wonder, as round the corner the bird was easy to see sleeping in a tree.

Once we arrived back it was clear to see that it was still pretty dead in terms of birds, probably due to the lack of wind. As a consequence I once more headed to Clubleys ponds behind the warren to see if there were any RV Darters around. There were not, but remained good numbers of Emperors, of which I saw a 3 way fight, and Black Tailed Skimmers. 

-Black-Tailed Skimmer

Since I had all afternoon I decided to do the Triangle walk, which was basically the same walk I had done over the past few days. I headed off up Canalbank first to see what was about but there was not much. There was a Reed Warbler calling from the canal scrape, and more Whimbrel on the estuary, thought the tide was out and they were not close.

-Whimbrel

I carried on without much further happening besides flyovers and brief views of commoner birds. Along the road I got a nice treat though as I spotted a Roe Deer buck, probably the same as the morning, feeding very placidly side by side with a Brown Hare in one of the fields. I got some great views of it as it wandered around in the open seemingly completely uncaring that it was so obvious. The hare on the other had was quick to bolt, and was not particularly showy even when it was there, so I managed no photos of that.

-Roe Deer

So the afternoon wore on and evening came, and the joys of the nightshift came at me again. This side of the night was very successful, with nothing happening and plenty of birds to see while it was still light. The highlight of this was a Common Sandpiper feeding along the edge of the sea. Apparently, or so I understand, they are not overly common around here, but we shall see tomorrow when I submit it. Other birds were an excess of around 2000 Dunlin along the beach and pool edge, and incredible sight. Red Knot and Grey Plover were joining them.

But it was not just the birds, as there was a young female Grey Seal hauled out on the beach. It let me walk past within a few feet without batting an eyelid. It was bizarre only seeing one seal, and yet it still being so uncaring about my being there. Sadly I left my big camera at home to save luggage, and as such my photos are not exceptional, but still show just how close I got while walking past it. The photos will follow as my laptop does not want to read my compact cameras SD card!

  The rest of the evening passed without incident, and little else to report except for a couple of Little Egrets hunting the pool. And with that I will sign out for today with the species list.

Species List:

Beacon Pools: Dunlin, Little Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Mute Swan, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Little Gull, Shelduck, Common Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Swift, Grey Plover, Woodpigeon, Greenfinch, Roe Deer,  

Warren Viewpoint: Common Gull, Swallow, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Grey Seal,

Driving: Sparrowhawk, Little Owl, House Sparrow, House Martin, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Rook,

Clubleys Scrape: Sandwich Tern, Meadow Pipit, Swallow, Magpie, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Common Emerald Damselfly, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown,

Triangle: Whimbrel, Woodpigeon, Curlew, Mute Swan, Swallow, Mallard, Reed Warbler, Coot, Common Gull, Magpie, Pied Wagtail, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Starling, Whitethroat, House Martin, Linnet, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Sandwich Tern, Black-Headed Gull,

Beacon Pools: Black-Tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, Sandwich Tern, Avocet, Common Gull, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Dunlin, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Knot, Grey Plover, Little Egret, Grey Seal, 

Spurn Day 2

So day 2 begun, with my first shift. This shift began at 5.00 in the morning, so a 4.00 rising was required. To say it was testing is an understatement, it was really grim. Thankfully the rain had eased, leaving only the wind to contend with. On the way to the hide I passed a singing Sedge Warbler, which was a nice recovery.

I passed by the Tern areas to a chorus of angry adults overhead voicing their discontent at my presence. I met the other warden who was finishing his night shift and settled down for a 5 - 5 shift of watching Little Terns and anything else that may be around. The colony, some 45 pairs strong, is between the sea and a saline pool. On the pool there were the waders that had been brought up to rest by high tide, predominantley Dunlin, Redshank and Grey Plover. One of the latter was in stunning summer plumage, which is a plumage tick for me.

-Dunlin

-Grey Plover in Summer Plumage

As the morning wore on the numbers of wading birds began to drop as they moved off into their feeding grounds. It was during this time that I noticed an unusual specimen among the Dunlin. Its bright buff plumage drew me to it, that and the fact that it had no black on its belly. On closer inspection it was also larger than dunlin, and had a longer, curved bill. Could it be that I had found another lifer, curlew sand? I considered it and mentioned it to the warden as one, but I failed to see the white rump so I’m unable to confirm or deny it either way. I checked photos of curlew sand online and have not found a photo of a bird as buff as mine, so I have opted not to call it as one and wait for one with a white rump.

-Mysterious Wader, above the rock

But of course the birds that I was here to watch were the Little Tern. There were at least 7 juveniles and numerous adults. They often flew over the hut on their way between fishing and the colony. I got great views as they moved around the place, sometimes even fishing in the pond in front of me. To say it was only a lifer yesterday they have very quickly become a familiarity in my current line of work.

-Little Tern

During the latter part of the morning it got to a stage where my tiredness was beginning to catch up with me. It was a struggle to keep awake, and it was still less than half way through my first shift. However I was awoken from my drowsiness by a small flock of summer plumage Little Gull that flew over the pond, allowing me to get a great view of them coming towards me and grab a few record shots of these lovely birds. 

-Little Gull

Things frequently slowed down on the pool so I frequently looked out to sea. There were usually some gannets passing by but the highlights of my seawatch were the small groups of Common Scoter that flew past, quickly becoming a regular feature through the day. They were often far out to sea though, so it was difficult to get any decent photos of.

  In the dunes themselves there were a few insects around, but due to the wind they were not in excess. The most notable of these was a large orange moth flying around, but it did not land at any point so I was unable to get a clear identification of it. When I came up to it I got a better view of it and when it got trapped in some grass. It was a Garden Tiger Moth, but it did not stay still so I could not get any decent photos, only record shots.

-Garden Tiger Moth

The morning passed and the afternoon drew on. Soon the waders started to come back from their feed and accumulate on the pond. Among them there were a few summer plumage Grey Plover, adding to the one earlier and a few other dubious Dunlin that could have been something else but I was not it a position to comment anyway. I managed another year-tick in the form of a pair of summer plumaged Knot that had mingled in with the waders. It’s the first time I have seen a summer plumage knot, so that was an exciting development in the day.

-Summer Plumage Knot

My shift came and went, and so did I. On my walk back along the beach I had to pass a small group of Dunlin on the beach in front of me. Naturally I wanted to avoid spooking them but it was not going to happen, they had taken up all the space between the terns and the beach. I ended up having to send them up twice as the first time they did not get it that I was going that direction. For all that I managed to get some decent shots of the birds...

-Dunlin

When I had almost made it back the Warren, worn and weary, I found another species that required photographing. This time though it was not a bird but a mammal. A Roe Deer was muching grass in the field next to the road. It was very bold and I managed to get some decent shots before it ambled away, seeming pretty careless about my being there.

-Roe Deer

I headed back to the Warren to grab some dinner. After that I decided to go for a bit of Seawatching, to see if I could find anything. In about an hour I managed a good few Gannets, a couple of Guillemots and a pair of Sandwich Terns, so not overly productive but good practice.

I decided to have a wander around the warren to see what was about and to try and find the pools where the darters were. I headed towards the spit first but soon realised the pools were not that way. There was a Linnet singing from one of the signposts, and I spotted a few Whimbrel along the shoreline, which was my first time in a while seeing them. I continued along the shoreline to try and see if the ponds were behind the hedge, but they were not. I did succeed in flushing a Brown Hare and a Fox though, which definitely counts for something.

I eventually did find the pools in the field behind the Warren. As expected for this time of day there were no dragonflies, but there was a Roe Deer feeding in the long grass, possibly the same one as earlier. Again, it was quite bold too so I was able to get some good shots of it, even though the light was so low. 

-Roe Deer

And as such my first full day at Spurn, and my first working day finished. I was knackered and ended up in bed by 9.30. Looking forward to more of the same tomorrow!

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Ringed Plover, Gannet, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Dunlin, Little Egret, Meadow Pipit, Shelduck, Little Gull, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Grey Plover, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Common Scoter, Avocet, Mute Swan, Common Tern, Sedge Warbler, Black-Headed Gull, Swallow, Common Gull, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon, Linnet, Swift, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Turnstone, Knot, Garden Tiger, 6 Spot Burnet Moth, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, 22 Spot Ladybird,

Seawatching: Gannet, Swallow, Guillemot, Sandwich Tern, Common Gull, Fulmar, Shelduck, Great Tit, Grey Seal,

Warren Walk: Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Whimbrel, Swallow, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer, Pied Wagtail, Woodpigeon, Roe Deer, Brown Hare, Fox