Spurn Day 18

So today is the nearest thing to a day off, and a chance to go and explore Spurn. As usual I headed first up to the Vis-Migging point, where there was an incredible amount of Swallow Movement. While I was there, for an hour and a half, I counted around 600 Swallows going south, and around 11 Sand Martins were going with them. There was also a few dragonflies hunting the area, including Migrant Hawker, one of which sat down very near to where I was standing, so I decided to grab a few photos of it.

-Migrant Hawker

I stayed until lunch. After lunch I decided to head off to collect my laundry from Kew. I headed up Canalside, but the tie was out and there was not much around on the walk. There were good numbers of insects with many butterfly species and a few dragonflies, such as Emperor and Common Darter.

Once I had gathered my kit I decided to walk back along the road and the coast, to complete the triangle walk. In the field next to Kew I got the days highlight when I found 3 Yellow Wagtails feeding in one of the puddles there. Initially they moved off, but they returned, though they kept skulking in the grass. After a bit they began to alight on branches and wires, giving better, but more distant views.

-Yellow Wagtail

It was a quiet walk overall, and as such did not really add much else along the way. At the end of the walk, near the seawatching hut I did find some more birds, in a flock of around 25 Common Scoter that were chilling on the sea. It was quite difficult to judge numbers because of the wave movement, and because they were quite far out, but I did my best and 25 is about right.

-Common Scoter

So that was the days fun over with, and of course the nightshift has begun. I was shocked to arrive to the sight of no birds on the edge of the pond. My initial concern was that something terrible must have happened, but checking through Keirons notes and it seems the opposite is true, with 28 juvs leaving today. I guess they must have just been waiting for the wind and then they were off.

The Daily Oystercatcher

Not a lot to write today, as I arrived too late to really get any views. I had a check when I saw there were no birds, and the Oyks were sitting by the side of the pond so were unfortunately disturbed by my checking. But since the chicks did not fly at this point I think its safe to say they have not fully developed their flight feathers yet, though it can't be long now.

Species List:

Vis-Migging: Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Swallow, Swift, Sand Martin, Migrant Hawker,

Triangle: Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshank, Common Scoter, Yellow Wagtail, Starling, House Sparrow, Whitethroat, Oystercatcher, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Swallow, House Martin, 

Beacon Ponds: Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Dunlin, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover,