Spurn Bird Observatory

For the 60^th birthday of PC, myself and a few friends attended Spurn for a surprise birthday party. While most of the weekend involved drinking and social activities there was a little time for birding and seeing some of the sights.

Just as I arrived an Oriental Turtle Dove was found in Easington. Initially I drove past it, not knowing what was occurring, and so missed the original sighting. It then took a further two hours before I finally connected with the bird, but I finally managed it. It then had the decency to linger into the weekend so the following day I returned and got more views of the bird perched more prominently than at first. This is my second of this species in the UK, and was the first for Spurn since 1975 and only the second ever record.  

There was a reasonable Swift passage during the weekend, with the highest count being 2500 on the 5^th. We also tried flick-netting low flying birds and as such caught two juveniles that we were able to ring, a ringing tick for me. Another species that seemed to be passing through in good numbers was Little Gull, with flocks exceeding 50 birds blogging about the area and often passing low over the observatory building.

In the sunny afternoons I went out hunting for dragonflies. Although it is still quite early in the season there were reasonable numbers, including a smart male Hairy Dragonfly that I removed from the Church Field Heligoland Trap. Although not the prize it once was, this species is always exciting to see. Also nice were up to three Common Emerald Damselflies on the back pond of the Churchfield, a good sign after none were recorded last year.

One afternoon we also went out twitching some Orchids, which seemed to be in good numbers here this year. There was a Southern Marsh Orchid in Church Field, Pyramidal Orchid down the Canal Bank and Bee Orchid at the top end of Sandy Beaches. Whilst there we spotted PK fishing on the beach, and watched him removed a Starry Smoothound shark from the sea. It was roughly a meter long, so not huge, but is my first actual wild shark that I have identified, so very cool to see. Sadly he had released it by the time we made it down onto the beach. 

-Happy 60th Paul Collins, SBO warden

-Spoonbill

-Little Gull

-Swift

-Oriental Turtle Dove ssp. meena

-Collared Dove

-Pyramidal Orchid

-Hairy Dragonfly

Species List:
Spurn Bird Observatory: Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Common Shelduck, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Common Scoter, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Oriental Turtle Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Cuckoo, Common Swift, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Golden Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Little Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Eurasian Spoonbill, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Western Barn Owl, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Western Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Common Reed Bunting, Roe Deer, Brown Hare, Common Frog, Common Toad, Smooth Newt, Grass Snake, Starry Smoothound, European Perch, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-tailed Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Four-spot Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter, Large Skimmer, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, 

Kent - Triple Lifer Day

Of course, as soon as I could I made my move for the Oriental Turtle Dove in Kent. It was only right, given its a species I have long wanted to see, seemed predictable in its pattern and was particularly expensive to get to (Less than £50 for a journey into Kent is not bad). Its my first ever visit into the south-east so that alone was something I was excited about. I was very excited for the whole thing in fact.

I set off from my house at 01.00 to get a taxi to Meadowhall to get my coach into London. Once in London I made the short walk from the coach station to Victoria train station where I got a half an hour train to Otford where the dove was residing. I was on site by half 6 in the morning, the earliest I could have realistically been. I swear I only got about two hours kip on the coach, and I did have fears for how my body would hold up, but fortunately I was fine until the train back to London in the evening.

In the three hour morning wait the Dove showed for a grand total of 5 seconds at 7.30. Super looking bird and well worth the trip down, but sadly a little brief. It spent all its time in the garden feeding out of sight. I was obviously a little disappointed at its showing but I knew I was coming back later in the day and fancied my chances then. Plus I'd seen it, and there are plenty of birders who have not. Also on site were a couple of Ring-necked Parakeets, and commoner garden species. 

-Oriental Turtle Dove

It was also great to meet a few of the Norfolk NGB's there, who arrived just in time to see the bird. In total we managed to clock up just over 30 species for the site during the time there.

When it became apparent that the bird was not going to show again I made my move. I had decided to get the train down to Tonbridge and walk along the river, as a couple of European Turtle Doves had been seen there over the last couple of days, and as my biggest tarts tick I felt this needed attention. From Tonbridge, once I connected (or not) with any doves I had planned to go to a country park near Maidenhead for Nightingale but when I suddenly learnt that would take an absurd amount of time I decided instead to walk from Tonbridge to Paddock Wood train station along the river Medway, before getting the train back to Otford for the evening.

Once I gathered my bearings in Tonbridge I was soon out into the countryside along the river. I quickly picked up my first Swift of the year, followed by both Sedge and Reed Warbler. Oddly I also had my first Robin and Great Tit fledglings of the year, showing just how much faster things really do move down south.

The river walk was lovely. I was surrounded by singing Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Cuckoo, although I failed to see the later species. I was also serenaded by Turtle Dove. I was strolling along and suddenly I picked up on the purring sound coming from the trees across the river. However it stopped too quickly and I lost any location I had on it. It took it 20 mins or so to start again but by then I had already picked it up in the top tree, badly backed against the light and rather distant. Through the scope the views were fantastic but I sadly failed to get that with the camera.

Its so sad to think this is my first ever Turtle Dove, but I guess thats a sign of the times. Its such a smart bird it really is so sad whats happened to them. But I finally connected with one and got to spend a good hour watching it chill in the top of the tree. Given the poor conditions I only included a couple of my record shots, no point using up data.

Double Turtle Dove lifer day...

-European Turtle Dove

The weather was on point today, with glorious sunshine and barely any wind. It was lovely. There were plenty of butterflies on the wing, including Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Orange Tip and Peacock.

Continuing along the walk I had a bird whizz over my head. It only took a short view to realise it was in fact a Hobby, my first of the year and very exciting too. It circled a couple of times over the field allowing me to get a few nice record shots of what was probably my best unexpected species of the day looking back. A really nice surprise.

-Hobby

I had looked on the Kent Bird Club sightings page before I left and found a few bits and pieces on an old gravel pits near paddock wood at the end of my walk, so I decided to call in there. A few Nightingales were reported there and since I had now ruled out going to Maidenhead it seemed like my best chance of seeing one. The site was really smart, although there were fewer waterbirds than I imagined for the quality of the site. However, the bushes were full song and it did not take long for me to pick out a Nightingale. I headed over to where it had called from and somehow managed to miss it, only spotting its bright red rump flying away from me. However, with some persistence I did manage to get a shot of it sat out in the almost open. Lifer number three. Whilst I waited I also got another yeartick when two Common Tern flew overhead.

-Common Tern

-Nightingale

Although the bird itself proved elusive during my hour trying to get a photo of it, it kept singing the whole time and that song was beautiful, really pleasant to listen to. 

I had not quite realised but the walk between the stations was well over 10km, and with carring the tripod on my shoulder, wearing two jackets as it was cold when I set off and all my gear in my backpack, I was more than a little exhausted when I stumbled into the station. Still, I got half an hours sit down as I made my way back to Otford. On the way I recieved a notification informing me of the bird showing again.

And when I arrived on site it was doing just that, siting out fairly well in an area we could get much closer to it than before. The only downside was the light was against us but that was only an issue for photographers. For me, a good record shot is all I ask and I definately got that. Through the scope I got fantastic views of the bird preening as well as moving round. All in all I got everything I wanted. What a superb bird.

-Oriental Turtle Dove

The Parakeets also kept appearing, with one bird sitting out in the open so much it would have been rude not to take a photo...

-Ring-necked Parakeet

My coach back left London at half 8, so I left the Dove at 19.00 to make sure I was there in good time. By that time the bird had dropped back into the garden and with the light continuing to fade there really was not worth staying for.

I arrived back home in Sheffield at 00.30, by the completely exhausted but so thrilled about an incredible days birding, possibly one of the best I have ever had. Three lifers, year-ticks galore and a host of other awesome birds, more than I could have dreamed of at the start of the day.

Species List:

Otford: Robin, Kestrel, Blackbird, Starling, Oriental Turtle Dove, Feral Pigeon, Ring-necked Parakeet, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon. Goldfinch, Dunnock, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jay, Collard Dove, Grey Heron, Wren, Sparrowhawk, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw, Greenfinch, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Buzzard, Stock Dove, House Sparrow, Long-tailed Tit, Mallard,
Tonbridge: Swift, Grey Wagtail, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Sedge Warbler, Blackbird, Herring Gull, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Collard Dove, Mallard, Magpie, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Song Thrush, Blackcap, Yellowhammer, Linnet, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Wren, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Stock Dove, Turtle Dove, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Herring Gull, Common Buzzard, Starling, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Hobby, Skylark, Nightingale, Common Tern, Moorhen, Coot, Great-crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Wheatear,