So for my first full day at spurn before the NGBs arrived in the evening I had already decided to do the point providing there was not much moving. There was nothing moving as a thick fog had set in overnight. As a result I set off down the point with the intention of doing a proper count and hopefully getting plenty of stuff seen.
It was pretty quiet, with most of the birds seen being Common Whitethroats, of which I counted 36 singing birds, though there were undoubtedly more. At the point I was harassed by a crow overhead which would not stop calling while I was there, which probably did not help the number of birds. This crow played this way all weekend according to other birders that went down the point. There were plenty of Brown-Tailed Moth caterpillars which I had heard so much about but never seen, as well as a host of Garden Tiger moth caterpillars. The birding highlight was a Tree Pipit that went over my head calling. I did not recognise the call but a quick check of the Collins App left me in no doubt. I also found a Redpoll at Chalk Bank, as well as a Sedge Warbler.
-Common Whitethroat
-Sedge Warbler
By the time I had done at the point I decided to head off up to the ponds to have a proper look at my Little Terns for the year. Along Beacon Lane I re-encountered the Lesser Whitethroats that were still keeping a very low profile and proving very difficult to photograph.
-Lesser Whitethroat
I wandered round Holderness field. I kept checking the ponds to see what was there. I checked the phalarope pool, but the bird had not been seen for a week, so imagine my surprise when I saw it feeding. I radioed it out, but still could not believe I had refound it. Given the butterflies I had for a obvious bird that was only a refind, imagine how tense its going to be when I find something new and mega!!
-Red-Necked Phalarope
After watching the phalarope for a while I head on my way. I had a look over wetlands with Mick, and we spotted Little Grebe (which was later put out as a red-necked) and a drake tuftie, both good birds for Spurn. Ponds was quiet, but there were a few Little Terns along the edge of the ponds and with the new Swaro I was finally able to get a proper good look at them, even though I had all of last summer.
Mick had told me about the Corn Buntings, that they were up at the top of the Easington lagoons. I had always planned to head up that way but this was good news to hear. The Lagoons were quiet courtesy of a some disruptive dog walkers. At the top of the lane, exactly where Mick had described I connected with only my second (third and fourth) Corn Bunting. 2 birds were in the corn in the field, but one was singing from the hawthorn next to the path giving me a proper good look and a chance for some nice shots of the yeartick.
-Corn Bunting
I could tell I was a little close to the birds singing perch so did not stay long. I decided to walk back down the beach to find anything there. I was rewarded with a Fulmar flying down the beach super close, probably as a result of the fog. There was also an adult Guillemot in the shoreline breakers. It seemed fine and had probably been disorientated by the fog.
-Common Guillemot
Since it was only early afternoon and I had already done the point and the lagoons I decided to do all of Spurn for the first time since I had been here, so I headed over to Sammies via Long Bank. There was not a great deal there, not even for the day list, but it was in the mid afternoon lull in the middle of the day, so its not a massive surprise.
I finished off the walk down Canal Bank where I added Coot to the day list, but not a lot else and I was knackered so after that went back to the Warren for a little sit down. Overall a smashing day with Corn Bunting the star species being only my second ever, best ever view and Year and Spurn tick, its got it all really.
Species List:
Spurn Point: Mistle Thrush, Swallow, Whitethroat, Dunnock, Linnet, Little Tern, Meadow Pipit, Sandwich Tern, Shelduck, Gannet, Guillemot, Reed Bunting, Starling, Great Tit, Woodpigeon, Wren, Carrion Crow, Tree Pipit, Kestrel, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Sparrowhawk, Lesser Redpoll, Sedge Warbler,
Numpties and Beacon Lane: Woodpigeon, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Swallow, House Martin, Common Gull, Skylark, Magpie, Starling, Mallard, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Whitethroat, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Lesser Whitethroat,
Holderness Field, Beacon Ponds and Kilnsea Wetlands: House Martin, Magpie, Black-Headed Gull, Mallard, Reed Bunting, Great Tit, Whitethroat, Avocet, Woodpigeon, Swallow, Starling, Linnet, Red-Necked Phalarope, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Shelduck, Gadwall, Oystercatcher, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Little Tern, Little Egret, Redshank, Knot, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Sedge Warbler, Grey Heron, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Corn Bunting, Blackbird, Herring Gull, Fulmar, Guillemot, Sandwich Tern,
Sammies Point and Canal Bank: Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Shelduck, Mallard, Starling, Swallow, Carrion Crow, Skylark, Linnet, House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Stock Dove, Little Egret, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Black-Headed Gull, Oystercatcher, Sanderling, Sand Martin, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Common Gull, Coot, Great Tit, Coot,
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