Soil Hill; Isolation week 15

Another week passes, and another week with mixed to poor weather. As usual I visited a few sites across Calderdale with a few nice species and a few outstanding highlights.

On the 6^th July my visit to Soil Hill turned up probably the find of the year when I stumbled across a male Red-veined Darter at the bottom of the North Slope. As soon as I saw the insect fly past me alarm bells started ringing, and as it landed, I knew I had an extremely rare insect on my hands, the first for Calderdale. In dull conditions it was extremely docile allowing suitable photo documentation. When I left it was still sat in the vegetation, but AC when looked later it could not be found. A real turn up for the books and the highlight of what has been an exceptional spring.

Also on the 6^th there was some bird action as well when 2 Crossbills flew west across the Hill, as well as two Siskins. On the 7^th there was probably the bird highlight of the week with a cracking Grasshopper Warbler loudly reeling and occasionally showing on the North Slope. Presumably this bird was the individual singing on the 10^th. Otherwise the birdlife on the Hill remained largely consistent, with a few Stonechats and Sand Martins the best of the rest during the week. Bullfinches were also on the around on the 9^th and 10^th of the week. During the week Black-headed Gull numbers increased rapidly, and on the 10^th the first Common Gulls returned over the Hill.

Just a single visit to Whiteholme this week, on the 7^th, due to the recent rainfall having devoured the shoreline that looked so promising for migrant waders. A couple of Wheatear were the best that I could muster here. On the same day I made a quick stop at Ogden to see the juvenile Dipper that has been reported recently. It showed quite nicely in the gloom of the woods, but the supporting cast was fairly limited to common woodland species.

On the 8^th I did a bit of a tour around SE Halifax, starting at Cromwell Bottom for Reed Warbler, where I also had Kingfisher and a nice party of Goosander. There was also my first Common Gull of the Autumn. I followed this up with my first visit to Jay House Lane to see the Tree Sparrows, a few of which were on show, and finally a quick stop in Shibden Park to Calderdale year-tick Coot.

-Red-veined Darter

-Dipper

-Grasshopper Warbler

Species List:

Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Mallard, Red-legged Partridge, Common Pheasant, Feral Dove, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Swift, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Eurasian Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, European Herring Gull, Little Owl, European Green Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Common Blackbird, European Robin, European Stonechat, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Red Crossbill, Common Linnet, Eurasian Siskin, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting, 

Whiteholme Reservoir: Canada Goose, Common Swift, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Eurasian Wren, Northern Wheatear, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit,

Ogden Water LNR: Canada Goose, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Swift, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Blackcap, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren, White-throated Dipper, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Common Chaffinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin,

Cromwell Bottom NR: Mute Swan, Mallard, Common Merganser, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Grey Heron, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Eurasian Blackcap, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Reed Bunting, Western Grey Squirrel, Bank Vole,

Jay House Lane: Common Wood Pigeon, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Owl, Eurasian Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Barn Swallow, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Common Blackbird, House Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, European Goldfinch,

Shibden Park: Mute Swan, Mallard, Feral Pigeon, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Coot, Black-headed Gull, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Blackcap, Eurasian Wren, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Eurasian Bullfinch, Eurasian Siskin,

Spurn Weekend: May 27 - 30

Having been away for so long, it was good to finally get back to my favourite birding site.

Saturday
Having arrived the following evening I was keen to get out birding. I made a large loop including the Triangle, Beacon Ponds, Kilnsea Wetlands and Sammies Point. Sadly there was fairly little on display, the whole area feeling a little quiet. I had a Long-eared Owl at Sammies, which was Spurn tick for me (I think) but that was the best of it. In the afternoon we all headed to the pub to watch the FA cup final, but sadly the game was interrupted by a Red-footed Falcon, which, to add insult to injury, we all missed!

Sunday 
Today was a day that will go down in Spurn history for being exceptional. Sadly I missed half of it, but still had 3 extremely good birds. I walked round the triangle first but found nothing. Upon my return to the Obs I missed Alpine Swift and TWO Red-footed Falcons. at 11.00 I'd had enough and joined the masses at Numpties. Good thing I did, as not only did I then proceed to see another TWO Red-footed Falcons, but also found my first real description species; Red-rumped Swallow. The excitement, for me, of something like that more than makes up for the birds I missed:

The morning of the 28th of May was an exceptional day for visible migration. At 11.15 I arrived at the Numpties watchpoint at Spurn having already frustratingly missed 2 Red-footed Falcons and an Alpine Swift that had already gone south. There was a small crowd of Spurn regulars present, enjoying a steady trickle of House Martins and Barn Swallows going south, which continued all day.

At 11.40 there was a noticeable lull in the number of birds moving. I happened to scan left of where I was standing and saw two swallows flying south just over the heads of the left most crowd members. Through my binoculars I noticed that the second bird clearly showed a pale rump, and this immediately set alarm bells ringing. However I was looking into the sun and I wanted to make sure that the bird was not a House Martin. The bird banked clearly showing black undertail coverts and long tail streamers. I realised that I was looking at a Red-rumped Swallow, and panic set in. My immediate response was that I could have imagined the rump, but the bird banked again clearly showing that I had not.

At this stage, still only a fraction of a second after I had picked up the bird, I shouted ‘Red-rumped Swallow’ and pointed in the direction of the bird. The bird was probably level with the observers at this point, but everyone present was able to get straight onto it and watch it continued over our heads and fly off south. The bird was picked up again about a kilometre south at the Spurn breach by Rael Butcher, who was the last person to see the bird as it flew south. The bird was photographed by Jake Gearty, but he was the only observer present to do so.

The bird had noticeable long tail streamers which would suggest that it was a male. The overall structure was almost identical to the Barn Swallow that it was adjacent to, not squat and stubby like a House Martin. I was lucky to have spent the two months prior to this weekend at Spurn birding in Spain and Portugal where I was able to watch Red-rumped Swallows daily, often in the company of Barn Swallows. That said, this was a British tick for me.

It was a truly amazing day, and one that will go down in Spurn folklore. Not only was it a record day for Red-footed Falcon (Four!) but it was also a record day for Hobby, with seven individuals flying south. There was also a good arrival of Red-veined Darters, with at least seven males. An awesome day to be a part of. 

-Red-veined Darter

-Red-footed Falcon

Monday

The morning started wet, grey and overcast, and this was the theme of the whole day. Early morning Tim caught a possible Iberian Chiffchaff. He listed all the features and made a good case but we will have to see when we get the results of the DNA test. I tried my best to find some birds around the triangle but ultimately failed. A yeartick of Cuckoo was about the best I could managed. Not quite on the same scope as the previous day.

-Possible Iberian Chiffchaff

Tuesday 

For my final morning of the weekend I decided to try my luck at the Point. My time would have been better spent in bed, as there were not many birds to be seen down there. A couple of Spotted Flycatchers and a Wheatear were all that I could manage migrant wise, and a Peregrine was all that I could manage otherwise. A fairly steady day to be honest.

Species List:
Spurn Bird Observatory: Mallard, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Shelduck, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Hobby, Kestrel, Peregrine, Red-footed Falcon, Common Buzzard, Long-eared Owl, Dunlin, Sanderling, Turnstone, Curlew, Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Eider, Red-rumped Swallow, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Common Swift, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Linnet, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Northern Wheatear, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Wren, Robin, 

Spurn Week 4

Monday 04 July

The wind of the last of the few days dropped for the morning at least, resulting in still and quite muggy warm conditions. Passage was all but dead, although there were a few Sand Martins moving through. I am no longer on mornings, much to the relief of my weary body. Somehow I managed 12 hours kip the previous night.

The best of numpties were a pair of juvenile Great-spotted Woodpeckers that were flitting between the fence posts. As passage was dead I headed out to clubleys field late morning to try and find some Red-veined Darters. I managed to find one but its red veins were not overly pronounced, leaving me with a few doubts initially, although it clearly is. There were also multiple Emperor, Four-spot Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer and Common Darter to enjoy.

-Great-spotted Woodpecker

-Red-veined Darter

-Emperor Dragonfly

In the afternoon I headed up to ponds. My shift now works with the high tide, allowing me to sift through the increasing numbers of waders, Tonight's count racked up; Dunlin 783, Redshank 78, Common Sandpiper 3, Knot 2, Greenshank 1 and Sanderling 1. The best birds were a group of 4 Common and 1 Arctic Tern that came through late evening.

Sightings List:

Numpties: Woodpigeon, Sandwich Tern, Common Scoter, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Swift, Black-headed Gull, Little Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew, Golden Plover, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Goldfinch, Linnet, Mallard, Gadwall, 

Beacon Ponds: Greenshank, Little Tern, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Wigeon, Great-crested Grebe, Dunlin, Redshank, Lapwing, Avocet, Cormorant, Sand Martin, Little Egret, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Knot, Sandwich Tern, Common Sandpiper, Kittiwake, Sanderling, Common Scoter, Guillemot, Gannet, Teal, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Tern, Arctic Tern

Tuesday 05 July

Another nice day with no stupidly early morning. I was down at the seawatching hut early morning for a few hours. There were a few bits and pieces moving on the sea, including 3 Manx Shearwaters and a few duck. The highlight of the duck was a Pochard that went north, possibly a Spurn tick for me, but I will have to check.

On my way to ponds I got the highlight of my day when I spotted a massive Grass Snake cross the path and go into the gabions on the other side. I had only seen its tail and figured that would be that. That being until its head emerged from the top of the gabion and sat there for about 10 seconds before slithering back into the grass. It was about a meter long and thick as rope, I had no idea they got that big. Since I was hardly expecting it I did not manage any photos, but trust me it was awesome.

Wader numbers had picked up again on ponds, with Dunlin numbers not at 1216, over 1000 for the first time this autumn. Redshank numbers had taken a slight dip, but Whimbrel had picked up. The cracking Red Knot was still there, and there were a couple of Greenshank too.

-Dunlin

Sightings List:

Seawatching: Shoveler, Teal, Gadwall, Gannet, Red-throated Diver, Guillemot, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Sandwich Tern, Common Scoter, Curlew, Knot, Dunlin, Meadow Pipit, Puffin, Pochard, Manx Shearwater, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Little Tern, Woodpigeon, Magpie, 

Beacon Ponds: Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Whimbrel, Ringed Plover, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Scoter, Curlew, Redshank, Wigeon, Mallard, Common Tern, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Grey Plover, Knot, Little Egret, Linnet, Greenshank, Sand Martin, Barn Owl, Reed Bunting, Common Sandpiper, Common Gull, 

Wednesday 06 July

The vis-migging in the morning was very limited. We ended up not watching any birds on the sea to pass the time, and wrapped up by eleven. Since it was a nice day I headed onto Clubleys scrape but was unable to find any dragonflies other than Black-tailed Skimmers. I did however spot another Ruby-tailed Wasp that I was able to get a couple of photos of, maybe a bit of an improvement on my prior efforts.

-Ruby-tailed Wasp

Up at the ponds it was a very familiar affair on the bird front, but I was treated to something really special whilst on long-bank. I heard the Mallard family in the ditch go absolutely berserk, and given that an Otter has been in the area I immediately wondered if that might be the cause. I was thrilled to see that it was indeed the cause, but my views were only fleeting and no photos. All I managed was the back end of the body and tail as it swam into the reeds, but given I'm only the fourth person to have seen the animal in over 3 weeks that it has been present I am not complaining. What a treat!

Sightings List:

Seawatching: Gannet, Common Scoter, Teal, Sand Martin, Mistle Thrush, Cormorant, Swallow, Arctic Tern, Curlew, Pied Wagtail, Whimbrel, Redshank, Dunlin, Little Tern, 

Beacon Ponds: Oystercatcher, Greenshank, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Great-crested Grebe, Mallard, Ringed Plover, Reed Bunting, Carrion Crow, Redshank, Dunlin, Mute Swan, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Wigeon, Black-headed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Curlew, Common Snipe, 

Thursday 07th July

Numpties this morning finally had some real movement, with Swifts moving through all day. The final day total was 3480 but I had gone up to the ponds for the latter part of those numbers, I clocked out at around 2000. A handful of Sand Martin also went south, but not as many as previous days.

Up at the ponds the numbers of waders continued to increase. A lovely total of 780 Dunlin with a few additional species mixed in, including 117 Redshank, 9 Knot and one of each Godwit. Things looking up for wader passage.

-Swift

Sightings List:

Numpties: Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin, House Martin, Gannet, Dunlin, Redshank, Whimbrel, Curlew, Golden Plover, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Little Egret, Cormorant, Knot, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern, Carrion Crow, Sparrowhawk, Linnet, Goldfinch,

Beacon Ponds: Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Wigeon, Great-crested Grebe, Swift, Swallow, Cormorant, Mallard, Whimbrel, Curlew, Greylag Goose, Bar-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Common Teal, Marsh Harrier, Sand Martin, Mediterranean Gull, Pied Wagtail, Mute Swan, Black-tailed Godwit, Knot, Common Tern, Lapwing, Redshank, Dunlin, Black-headed Gull, Greenshank,

Friday 08th July

A noticeably lighter Swift passage this morning, with only a steady trickle of birds moving. I gave swing netting a go with Paul to try and catch some but sadly I was far too inexperienced and kept swinging too early. That being said, we only really had a couple of birds to swing for, so its not like we missed out on much. Despite the slower stream, we managed to clock 1500 Swift and 1000 Sand Martin. Two Turnstone out over the sea were also nice.

Wader totals were slightly down at ponds, but it could be as I left the ponds before the high tide which was later in the evening. Still, a healthy count of 660 Dunlin with 60 Redshank and 4 Knot was not a bad count. A few wader continued moving back in as well, with 16 Whimbrel and 19 Black-tailed Godwit. 

-Swift

-Common Lizard

Sightings List:

Numpties: Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin, Knot, Turnstone, Cuckoo, Kestrel, Goldfinch, Dunlin, Little Egret, Starling, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Goldfinch, House Martin, Linnet, Redshank, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Whimbrel, Curlew,

Beacon Ponds: Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Swift, Sand Martin, Swallow, Great-crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Skylark, Starling, Reed Bunting, Dunlin, Little Egret, Ringed Plover, Fulmar, Common Scoter, Greylag Goose, Redshank, Knot, Greenshank, 

Saturday 09th July

The Swift movement of the last few days really labored today, but still almost 1000 birds were reach by the end of the day, but that was over the entire day and I was only at numpties in the morning. There were a few Waders coming in though, especially Redshank landing on the Humber.

The ponds was very much the same, but now the tide times had changed such that I completely miss any birds coming in. However I did get a smashing compensation in the form of an adult Little-ringed Plover, my first adult and only second ever at Spurn. Cracking little thing, although always a bit distant unfortunately. A single Arctic Tern and Little Gull also added a nice bit of spice to a chilled out evening. 

-Little-ringed Plover

Sightings List:

Numpties: Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Curlew, Whimbrel, Mallard, Common Scoter, Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Goldfinch, Linnet, 

Beacon Ponds: Swift, Sand Martin, Little Egret, Little Tern, Arctic Tern, Common Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Cormorant, Gannet, Mute Swan, Avocet, Bar-tailed Godwit, Swallow, Redshank, Dunlin, Little-ringed Plover, Grey Heron, Yellow Wagtail, Little Gull, Greenshank, Knot,

Sunday 10th July

A rough night in the pub meant no presence from me at Numpties in the morning, the world was still spinning somewhat when I woke up at 10.00. I did manage to recover somewhat for my time at ponds, but sadly there was nothing really worth recovering for. It was a very quiet evening to say the least. The best of it probably two Grey Plover coming in off.

Sightings List:

Beacon Ponds: Swift, Sand Martin, Little Egret, Little Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Cormorant, Gannet, Mute Swan, Avocet, Swallow, Redshank, Dunlin, Little-ringed Plover, Grey Heron, Yellow Wagtail, Little Gull, Grey Plover, Greenshank

NGB Spurn Weekend Day 2

My first full day at Spurn. It started steady, dipping the black brant, but then got to see a Garden Warbler in the hand as compensation. A few birds moving on the sea, including my first Arctic Tern on the year, bringing me so close to 200. Then the radio crackled into life and the morning really kicked off. It happened that a Red-breasted Flycatcher had been found in the Crown car park, so I piled into Steves car and we raced up. There was a feeling of deja vu as I arrived to the news that it had just gone, flown across into Cliff Farm. A similar story to the one I missed at mig-fest. Whilst everyone else tried to find it from the road, I wandered down the canal and after waiting it did finally sit out. I whilstled the others but by the time they arrived the bird, which proved tricky all day, dived back into the bushes. It was some time before it remerged too, leaving me hoping I had not cocked it up. Thankfully it did come out and when it sat out I was able to get some record shots. However, the early morning gloom made it diffiuclt, and the bird was very tricky, and hard to follow. It continued to show all day but the first views in Cliff Farm sound like the best of it. Another lifer for the weekend for me.

-Red-breasted Flycatcher

I could have watched it longer, but the time was cut short by news a male Red-backed Shrike had been caught at the Warren. Once again I piled into Steves car and we raced down. In the hand the shrike was absolutely stunning, obviously. An adult male shrike is always fantastic but to see it up close you could really appreciate it, an incredibly handsome bird to say the least. Undoubtedly one of the many highlights of the week. I mean, what more can I say. Awesome...

-Red backed Shrike

After release the bird continued to show nicely along the canal. The day was warming up, so I decided to make a move up to the ponds via beacon lane to see if there was anything up there. I got very little on the way up, but once at ponds and wetlands there was a few things about, including Tufted Duck, Knot, Black and Bar-tailed Godwit flybys. Obviously the Little Terns were still there, with 12 sitting out on the shoreline. But the real highlight, and the best bird I found up until the Sunday was a flyby Velvet Scoter. I picked up a duck at sea, mid distance, but from long bank it was quite far away and the haze was making it difficult. However, it was clearly a Scoter, even from a long way out. It was only when I got to see its wings clearly that the White really stood out. I tried to get a photo but once I took my eyes off the scope I lost it. Still, a smashing Spurn and Year-tick for me.

As the afternoon wore on, the weather continued to be incredibly warm, so I decided to head on down to Clubleys to see if any Red-veined Darters were out and showing. I was in luck. I had four male and one female showing very well along the edge of the scrapes. I finally got the shots and views of the species that I had wanted since I first came to spurn almost two years ago.

-Red-veined Darter

I finished the day with a short trip to Sammies, but there was nothing much going on up that way. A couple of Grey Partridge gave me a fright when the erupted from the grass in front of me, and a tatty cream-crowned Marsh Harrier flew over. In the evening the NGBs started to arrive, allowing me to see old friends and make new ones. Despite there not being the numbers of birds around, it was a fantastic days birding.

Sightings List:

Spurn: Canal and Warren: Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Swallow, Shelduck, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Wren, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Pheasant, Curlew, Greylag Goose, Dunnock, Whimbrel, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Mallard, Magpie, Reed Bunting, House Martin, Black-tailed Godwit, Canada Goose, Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Common Scoter, Brent Goose, Whitethroat, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Common Gull, Garden Warbler, Little Tern, Arctic Tern, Red-throated Diver, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Grey Wagtail, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike, Oystercatcher, Skylark, Meadow Pipit,

Spurn: Beacon Lane and Holderness Field: House Martin, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Robin, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Dunnock, Magpie, Swallow, Moorhen, Sedge Warbler, Carrion Crow, Shelduck, Little Egret, Avocet, Skylark, Yellow Wagtail, Black-headed Gull, Reed Bunting, 

Spurn: Kilnsea Wetlands and Beacon Ponds: Tufted Duck, Ringed Plover, Little Egret, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Mallard, Mute Swan, Little Tern, Swallow, Cormorant, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Teal, Knot, Shelduck, Woodpigeon, Meadow Pipit, Herring Gull, Greylag Goose, Sandwich Tern, Skylark, Redshank, Pheasant, Bar-tailed Godwit, House Martin, Carrion Crow, Black-headed Gull, Dunlin, Reed Bunting, Velvet Scoter, Turnstone, Stock Dove, Four-spot Chaser, Orange Tip, Red Admiral

Spurn: Triangle: Blackbird, Woodpigeon, House Martin, Goldfinch, Swallow, Dunnock, Greenfinch, Whitethroat, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Meadow Pipit, Starling, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Skylark, Moorhen, Linnet, Cuckoo, Peregrine, Grey Partridge, Marsh Harrier, Lapwing, Common Blue-tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Red-veined Darter, Black-tailed Skimmer, Orange Tip, Wall Brown, Common Blue

Spurn Day 7

It’s hard to believe but I have now been working at Spurn for an entire week. Time flies when you’re having fun. Fun though, is not a word I regularly associate with night-shifts. Fortunately we I had no bother thought the oystercatchers did kick up a fuss ay 3.00, though I could not find anything. You get very paranoid doing this job, so any sort of fuss and you want to check the birds are alright. Only when your there do you remember what it would be like if there really was a predator, as their attention quickly turns to you.

Dawn broke to the most incredible sunrise which turned the whole horizon red. I have some great photos but my laptop does not want to read my SD card, so they will have to wait for another time.

In the meantime I enjoyed the delights of the mornings birdlife. Once more there was a Greenshank behind the hut, it flew in at around half 4. But besides that it was the regular cast; Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Grey Plover, Cormorant, Mute Swan etc.

This was the first shift I had made it the whole way without nodding off. As a result when I made it to bed I did not leave until around 13.00. It was a nice but breezy day that I awoke to, and although most of it had passed I seemed to lack the energy to make the most of what remained. Since it had been so dead yesterday I decided to conserve my energy and stay around the warren. And that meant Clubleys Scrape again to see if any RV Darters were showing.

Today I was in luck as there was one male flying around the edge of the pond, and whats more he was even landing on the bank. However, landing is one thing, allowing me to approach is another and I have now placed RV Darter at the bottom of my ‘most approachable dragonfly’ list. I managed some record shots but they were not what I was after. It was unfortunate then that the dragonfly chose this moment to scarper.

I spent the next 15mins or so hunting for him before I found him again. In the meantime I was able to enjoy the other sights and sounds. Once more I heard the coot or moorhen calling from the reeds, but once again I failed to see it and so this mysterious birds identity will remain unknown. Other dragonflies consisted of the usual cast; Emperor Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer and Common Darter. There were also Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly and Common Emerald Damselfly, the latter of which I took some more photos of as a means of waiting for the RV to re-appear.

-Common Emerald Damselfly

But as I hinted at before, I did refind the RV Darter. To my joy this time he decided to play ball. Not as well as his relatives have done for me in the past but the photos I got here were a vast improvement on what I have got previously. I am very happy with my results, showing all the characters from reasonably close quarters. Since these are effectively my record shots there are quite a few. Enjoy!

-Red-Veined Darter

After a good while watching and photographing the dragonfly as it moved around the pond I decided to head back. Once more it had been quiet on the bird front and I could see no point in staying out much longer.

However, after a short while inside I decided to do a little sea-watching to see if there was anything. Of course there was not, a group of about 10 Whimbrel going south being the only birds of note. I did find a none bird of note though, as a Painted Lady settled outside the hide, the first time I have seen one since the day I started uni. Sadly the angle was well against me so my photo is nothing short of atrocious, but it does the job.

-Painted Lady

I left the Seawatching hide and found Steve and Paul doing some vis-migging, so decided to join them for a little while to see what was about. Despite the fact that it was a reasonably quiet day we still counted in excess of 500 swifts and 50 Sand Martins, so not a bad total. We also had a Little Egret over the triangle and a Yellow Wagtail over our heads. Obviously the latter is not a species I see very often so I was very pleased when Paul pointed this one out, a nice addition my growing Spurn List.

I left the guys to it at around 18.00 as I headed in to cook ahead of my nights work. I set off to a glorious sunset in front of me, and a great rain cloud with a full rainbow behind me. To say it was a stunning evening would be an understatement.

But it was not just the weather that was glorious. As I headed up Beacon Lane I spotted an owl form over the fields to my left. My first thought was SEO as, but it was too small. Though the view was fleeting, through the bins the silhouette I had seen became the pale form of a Barn Owl. But my view was fleeting as it flew over a hedge a matter of seconds after this identification. But it does mean that my dip at Old Moor will haunt me no more, and though a better view would be appreciated, it does mean I now have 176 species on my list this year.

The rest of the walk was busy but relaxing, with a Pheasant in the tree, a seal at sea and around 2000 Dunlin on the beach I needed to pass being among the characters I encountered on my way to the hut. Once at the hut it was already very poor light but the usual suspects were in, with a vast increase in Knot numbers I note. The Greenshank was already in too, the first time I have seen it in an evening.

So that ends day 7, the darkness drew in and only the constant chatter of the dunlins reminded me of the fact I was surrounded by birds. Once more the fox did not make an appearance on this side of the night, and I have had plenty of productive avian revision sessions.

Daily Oystercatcher

So though my job is a little tern warden there are other birds on the pools, namely 2 pairs of Oystercatchers. One pair has one well grown chick but the other pair has 2, less well grown chicks and tends to stay down this end. As you know they are the same birds every day that you watch them you begin to grow more and more attached to them, so I decided to write a little feature on their progress every day.

In the morning it’s always a bit of a worry that I may have missed something during the night and that one of the chicks may have been taken. At first it’s difficult to judge as the birds are often roosting or difficult to find first thing. So as the sun broke I had a look but could only see one adult Oystercatcher, though it looked relatively big, so I made the assumption that the chicks must be under it.

I was right, and about 15mins later the adult bird stood up and unceremoniously dumped the 2 chicks onto the sand. They looked a little dazed for a few mins before joining their adult, I assume mother, on the morning forage. One of the chicks found a sizeable worm which it ran off with, looking rather comical with the worm dangling from its beak.

In the evening I only saw one chick. That chick was marching through the wader roost sending Knot and Dunlin scurrying out of its way.

Species List:

Beacon Pools: Dunlin, Mute Swan, Little Tern, Ringed Plover, Cormorant, Greenshank, Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Common Tern,

Clubleys Scrape: Sedge Warbler, Swift, Sand Martin, Swallow, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, Red-Veined Darter, Common Darter, Emperor Dragonfly ,Four-Spot Chaser, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Common Emerald Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White,

Warren Vis-Migging: Yellow Wagtail, Little Egret, Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshank, Sandwich Tern, Sand Martin, Swallow, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Swift, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Kestrel, Whitethroat, Black-Tailed Godwit, Skylark, Common Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Roe Deer, Painted Lady,

Beacon Pools: Barn Owl, Whitethroat, Pheasant, Greenshank, Little Tern, Oystercatcher, Knot, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Turnstone, Cormorant, Common Tern, Mute Swan, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Meadow Brown, Large White

Spurn Day 4 - LIFER ALERT

I managed to sleep in til 9.00, but awoke at 5 feeling completely awake. I guess that confirms that my sleeping pattern is screwed. However, I now had a full day ahead of me full of exploring and casual birding.

I decided to start with a little Seawatching as the weather was not exceptional. However, the sea was completely flat, no waves at all. I settled down to watch and see what would emerge. The highlight of my hour’s shift were 21 Common Scoter, which flew by in flocks of 10 and 11. The only other birds were the Gannets, but these were way out. It was a nice start to the day though, and the weather picked up during my stay.

Next I moved to join the small group of birders that was stationed near the seawatch hut. These were counting swifts and were made up of locals and regulars. Initially it was very daunting being among so many birders familiar with each other, but I got to speak to a couple as they started to drift. There were good numbers of Swift even while I was there, but the total for the day was already about 1000. The real buzz was regarding a certain bridled tern that was slowly progressing down the coast, and many were wondering if it would make it so far down to Spurn.

As the weather picked up, and I mean really picked up, I decided to head over to the ponds near the warren to see if there were any red-veined darters. The place was buzzing, with about 10 Black-Tailed Skimmers and 2 Emperor Dragonflies strutting their stuff along the pond. Another birder was also there looking, and we got chatting. He mentioned that there was another pond where there may be some, in Churchfields. We stuck around the warren pond though, and good thing too. I did find a darter, but I was unable to approach it very easily so was restricted to long range views and photos. However, it was very red, so I put it down as a Ruddy Darter and thought nothing much more of it.

However we now jump ahead in the story. I returned for lunch and filtered through my photos to see if there was anything funny about said dragonfly and also a couple of other things. I zoomed into my best photo and what do you know; Red Veins. However, the dragonfly lacked the blue eyes and had black legs. It was almost like someone had taken red-veined darter wings and stuck them onto a ruddy darter. Obviously the 2 ruddy features are more subjective to light than the very obvious red veins, but I was reluctant to call it.

That afternoon I spoke to Paul the warden and showed him the picture. He too was not confident with it, but we decided it was obviously an older insect as it had tatty wings. This supported the Red Veined school of thought as ruddys had only just started to emerge. This and the fact that it had a more red face (And Pauls opinion having seen them before) confirmed the dragonfly as my first ever Red-Veined Darter. 

-Red-Veined Darter

Unknowing this of course we continued to Chruchfields to see if we could find any there. Apparently four had been in the Heligoland trap the day before, but not today. We met Tim Jones there and he fished out 3 Ruddy Darters from the trap. There were also a few very fresh Ruddy Darters on the pond looking rather lovely. Add to that a couple of Emperors and Four Spot Chaser. But the lack of Red Veins made me wonder if I was actually going to get one. Tim said that they often get another influx, so it was likely more would appear.

  On my tour of Spurn the next stop was the Canalside walk. Along there was supposed to be a family of lesser whitethroat. Bob was already watching them, and said that he could hear them. Apparently numerous people had been past claiming these birds as Lessers. I heard the call and thought it was common whitethroat, but since so many had apparently claimed them as Lessers I assumed I was wrong, not knowing the call for a Lesser. As a result I claimed this as a great find for the day. However, I got home and checked just for good measure and they were indeed Common Whitethroat. The moral of the story kids is always trust your instinct and just because someone tells you something does not make it right. 

-Common Whitethroat

After lunch, having checked my photos, I decided to go to the pond and try to re-find the dragonfly to get some more photos to clear up my dilemma. It was around for about 5 mins, but the wind had picked up and it was chased off by a Black-Tailed Skimmer, so no answers were found at this point. I did grab some photos of the Black-Tailed Skimmers though, but they did not come out very well.

-Black-Tailed Skimmer

I decided to walk back up Canalside, have a look at Churchfields again and then come back down, doing ‘the triangle’. On the way up Canalside I picked up Reed and Sedge Warbler, as well as Reed Bunting. I am accumulating some great species for my trip here. However, it was another dragonfly that stole the show as I found an Emperor Dragonfly eating a Bumble bee of some description. Sadly it was not out in the open for a full body shot but I got some great close ups of the jaws. I got close enough to hear it crunching the bees carapace, but it was so loud that I did not have to be excessively close. 

-Emperor Dragonfly

Timing would have it that when I arrived at Churchfields it was raining so there were no dragonflies to be found anywhere. I continued along the road where there was an actual family of lesser whitethroats but did not find them. I did find a Blue Tit though, which was a much needed addition to my site list.

I headed back to the warren ponds but the wind had put all the dragonflies down, so nothing was happening there unfortunately. As a consequence I headed back to the Warren where I asked Paul about my dragonfly and had it confirmed as a Red-Veined Darter, my first. I decided to do some Seawatching but that did not last long, as after half an hour I had only managed one distant Gannet.

However, my time there was livened up when Paul brought a recently ringed Sand Martin juvenile to be released. It’s a different view of a bird when it’s in the hand and it was a real privilege to be able to see this young bird so close, and then watch it go on its journey south. 

I wandered back to the warren to work on this and to make dinner. During dinner Tim walked in and told me about a young Cuckoo that had perched on a post near the warren. I came out and had a look and it was still there. It had just been rung, so that was probably why it was sticking around, that and the fact that there were good numbers of cinnabar moth caterpillars in the area. It was lovely to see, and very docile so I could approach it and grab some photos. In the evening light the brownish plumage really shone, one of the best views I have ever had of Cuckoo.

-Juvenile Cuckoo

Thats the end of this post, but I'm on nights tonight which will be a new experience for me, so I will update this post tomorrow should anything happen during the night.

Nothing much happened in the night, as it was quite dark when I got there. I did however stumble across some Turnstones along the beach as I made my way to the hut, which were a nice addition to my daylist

Species List:

Seawatch: Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Gannet, Common Scoter, Sandwich Tern, Woodpigeon, Swift, Herring Gull, Oystercatcher, Common Gull, Linnet, Grey Seal, Meadow Brown, Large White,

Warren Ponds: Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Linnet, Skylark, Starling, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Common Darter, Red-Veined Darter, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Common Emerald Damselfly, Meadow Brown, Large White, Small Heath, Gatekeeper, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral

Churchfields: Sparrowhawk, Woodpigeon, Ruddy Darter, Four-Spot Chaser, Emepror Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Oak Eggar,

Canalside: Common Whitethroat, Swallow, Linnet, Magpie, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Mallard, Mute Swan, Whimbrel, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blue Tit, Emperor Dragonfly, Small Skipper, Small White, Large White, 6-Spot Burnet Moth

Warren: Cuckoo, Woodpigeon, Meadow Pipit, Swallow, Swift, House Martin, Rabbit,