Spurn Week 20

My final week at Spurn for this current term! Unbelievable to think how fast the last 20 weeks have gone, but here we are at the end. Next stop, India!

My last week could have been slow and birdless but that was simply not the case. Ringing has been steady with a few passerines caught when the wind has dropped sufficiently to get the nets open. We also had another wader ringing session on the 5^th, where we caught a few Redshank, Knot and a single Dunlin. Earlier in the afternoon we went out to try and drop a net on a Jack Snipe. Since we had no idea if the snipe was even going to be there I had my doubts, and when all the Common Snipe got up before we were even close I really began to question the method. We had just put the net down and was wandering round straightening it up when out of the grass beneath my feet out pop a Jack Snipe, straight into the net. Outstanding. What a stunning little bird.

-Jack Snipe

-Redshank

-Dunlin

Given its mid-winter the prospects of anything unusual were fairly low. On the 4^th a Waxwing was seen in Easington and I went up with Paul to have a gander. Waxwings are obviously stunning birds and this one showed rather nicely feeding on Juniper berries  in one of the gardens. Since we were already in the area we decided to have another look at the Rose-coloured Starling. We saw it, and that’s all there is to say on the matter really.

On the 5^th we had a great surprise when a Green-winged Teal was found on wetlands. Sadly it quickly moved out to sea where I was able to get brief but satisfactory views. This is my most dipped species, so to finally see one provides something of a relief. My first lifer of 2018, what else is to come?

Species List:

Spurn Bird Observatory: Wigeon, Teal, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Pintail, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Brent Goose, Barnacle Goose, Greylag Goose, Moorhen, Coot, Little Egret, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Gannet, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Knot, Dunlin, Turnstone, Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Common Snipe, Jack Snipe, Mediterranean Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Tawny Owl, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Waxwing, Starling, Rose-coloured Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Reed Bunting, Snow Bunting,