August at Spurn

Obviously a large section of August was spent in Madeira, but my time at Spurn was pretty productive for the most part. A number of nice species were ringed, and I had a great time with the abundance of Dragonflies and Damselflies which had emerged as a product of the warm weather. The most exciting of these was the reappearance of Small Red-eyed Damselfly along the canal after an absence of about five years, the entire time that I had been visiting Spurn. Whilst out photographing them I also found a female Banded Demoiselle, which was a Spurn tick for me and only the 19^th record.

-Small Red-eyed Damselfly

-Banded Demoiselle

Birding remained fairly slow but a cracking male Red-backed Shrike in Canal Hedge on the 8^th August, the day before my departure to Madeira, was a nice treat and made for an excellent start to the autumn. Sadly it remained distant and mobile whilst I was observing it. Ringing remained slow and steady but a Treecreeper was a nice surprise in the nets one morning. A Common Crane flew south over Kilnsea one Saturday whilst I was at work. Of course I abandoned my work and scanned from the foreshore in front of the pub. I was lucky enough to be with Jonny Holiday who had bins with him and was able to pick the bird up.

-Treecreeper

Upon my return the first migrants of the autumn had begun to appear, with 150 Willow Warblers seen in the area on one day. Wheatears and Whinchats also started to appear, and I went out with spring traps and managed to catch on of each, as well as another Whinchat in Corner Field. Pied Flycatchers also began to increase towards the end of the month, and we caught a few of these in the garden. We also caught a Wood Warbler, a real scarcity at Spurn, which Paul brought round to the pub for me to ring whilst at work. A Kingfisher in Churchfield was probably the ringing highlight of the month, and maybe even the year. A really stunning bird!

-Whinchat

-Wood Warbler

-Kingfisher

A cracking male Black Darter on the 24^th was another dragonfly Spurn tick for me, this time found by Tim at the end Churchfield Heligoland trap, as so many rare dragonflies area. On the 29^th Adam, as he so often does, found a Woodchat Shrike at the Warren. It was extremely elusive and difficult to connect with, but as the morning warmed up it became more active and was soon feeding out, even if it remained a little obscured. During the afternoon I headed off to Hornsea with my parents, and as a result I missed out on ringing an Icterine Warbler. The next day a new bird was in the garden at Kew but sadly never went in any nets, but fortunately it reappeared in the nets later the following morning. I was pretty thrilled when I took it out put it that way, even if it’s not a self-find. That was one of two birds that I ringed on the 31^st, the other being a Red-backed Shrike at Sammies Point that Adam and I caught using spring-traps. What a day that was!

-Woodchat Shrike

-Black Darter

-Icterine Warbler

-Red-backed Shrike

Species List:

Spurn Bird Observatory: Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Gannet, Cormorant, Peregrine, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Lapwing, Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Curlew, Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Common Tern, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Swift, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Red-backed Shrike, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Robin, Redstart, Wheatear, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Dunnock, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting,