Soil Hill birding; updates from the week 21st - 25th September

 This was again a short week due to spending the first half in Ireland visiting Lia’s family that are living there. That said, this condensed week really brought out the best of Soil Hill, with some very enjoyable visible migration (although very limited migrant numbers in the bushes), as well as a couple of huge surprises. Although for the most part the winds have been from the northwest and quite chilly, conditions have been clear with any rainfall occurring overnight. 

• There is one undoubted highlight of this week, with not one but two mega species for me here. At 09:09 on the 24^th I was stood on the North Slope VP counting the lively morning passage. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a small flock of birds passing directly overhead which I did not immediately recognise. Quickly grabbing the camera, I rattled off as many shots as I could while the birds headed west and out of sight. A quick glance at the photos showed me clearly two Bar-tailed Godwit, recognised by their long, slightly upturned bills, as well as three other waders. In a panic, I messaged out the news should any other birders be able to pick them up. It was not until later when I studied the photos a bit better did I spot that the other three birds had black armpits, making them Grey Plover. This is two patch ticks, in the same flock and brings me up to 16 wader species for Soil Hill. Of all the amazing birding encounters I have had on this patch, this ranks up there with the very best. 

-Bar-tailed Godwit & Grey Plover

-Grey Plover

Its been quite the week for waders on Soil Hill, even away from the two exceptional species that I added to my list on the 24^th. 

• On the 25^th my optimistic search produced the first Jack Snipe of the autumn, as it typically erupted from the grass under my feet before flying a short distance and dropping into the adjacent field. It is still quite early, but good to know they are using the site despite its overall dryness.

• One species that has been regular on the weeks VizMig has been Common Snipe, with the highest count being 14 that all flew west on the 22^nd, followed by eight that flew west on the 24^th. A boot around the wetter areas also on the 24^th, flushed five different individuals.

• On the 24^th the first Golden Plover of the autumn could be heard calling, before picking them up as they headed south. These birds then u-turned and flew back north passing straight over me.  

• The only other wader species encountered this week include a Curlew that was feeding on the Bottom Cattle Fields on the 23^rd, and two sightings of Northern Lapwing that flew north on the 24^th and then one that flew east on the 25^th.

-European Golden Plover

-Common Snipe

In spite of the winds been mostly northerly, with just one day of southwesterlies, the main feature of the week has been visible migration. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since I knew my schedule would give me a full autumn here. Every day I have even taken the scope with me to help pick up distant migrants, and it has paid off with quite a few bits of interest. 

• The main species on passage this week has been Meadow Pipit. While the numbers have not be exceptional, they have been reasonable and consistent with 344 on the 24^th being the highest count of the week, followed by 259 on the 23^rd and 213 on the 25^th. Most have travelled directly over the hill, but others have passed further to the west, down the valley.

• There have been a few notable others moving, including Lesser Redpoll on the 23^rd, 25^th and two on the 24^th which are the first of the autumn. There have also been Siskins on two dates, the 24^th and 25^th. Commoner finches have also been moving in smaller numbers, but no counts of more than 10 for any species.

• Hirundines have continued in small numbers throughout the week, but have gone missing on some days. The best count of Barn Swallow was 24 south on the 23^rd, with 13 south on the 25^th being the only other double figure count. Eight House Martin flew south on the 21^st and nine flew north on the 23^rd, for some reason.

• Small totals of Pied Wagtail have also flown south, with 10 on the 25^th being the highest count, followed by 9 on the 23^rd. Grey Wagtail on the other hand has been in very small numbers, with no more than two on any date.

Migrants in the bushes have been well down on the previous weeks, as almost all of the summer breeders have moved on. Although stranger things have happened, it seems unlikely that any of them will make a late reappearance. 

• Although I said it the previous week, what is almost certainly the last Whinchat of the year was present distantly on Taylor Lane on the 22^nd. The revised final total for the autumn is now a conservative 17 individuals. 

• The only grounded migrant that has seen an increase in numbers this week is Stonechat, with birds seen nearly every day generally scattered around the site, with high counts of four on the 21^st and 23^rd.

• The last warbler standing of the autumn is Chiffchaff, and they have been present every day although in small numbers, with a high count of three on the 21^st being the best of the week. 

• Finally, Goldcrest has been seen every day but the only day with multiple individuals was the 24^th when three were recorded in different locations.

-European Stonechat

While the winter wildfowl still keep arriving I will continue to break down sightings of these species until the variety returns to simply small counts of common species. Once again it was a good if not an exceptional week for geese and ducks on Soil Hill. 

• After last weeks near continuous stream of Pink-footed Geese, a single skein of 71 on the 21^st and two skeins totalling 182 on the 22^nd was not what I had imagined for this week. That was until the final day, the 25^th when the floodgates opened and 662 flew past between 08:00 - 10:00, in 10 different skeins. The largest of these were 151 and 111, both of which passed well to the north over Keighley. Greylag Geese were limited to four flying north on the 25^th.

• The Eurasian Teal remained on the NK Pond throughout the week, with the highest count being five on the 23^rd. The only other notable duck sighting of the week was a Goosander that flew south on 22^nd, before dropping into Ogden. 

-Pink-footed Goose

-Eurasian Teal

That has pretty much covered all the sightings from the week, with very little else of note. There have been a few Raven sightings during the week, with two on the 23^rd and then three together on the 21^st. And finally a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew east on the 24^th. 

-Northern Raven

Species List:
Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Goosander, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Grey Plover, European Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Little Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Common Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Reed Bunting, 

Soil Hill & Whiteholme; Week 22nd April - 29th April

Soil Hill

Its staggering just how cold it has been this week, given that it's the last week of April. At least two frosts and a constant NE wind of varying strength has meant the Hill has been a challenge at times. However, there have been a few nice birds to report. The undoubted highlight was a Jack Snipe flushed at the bottom of the North Slope during the late afternoon of the 25th. Helpfully it looped round once it flushed, allowing me to grab a few photos of what is my latest record for this species. Migrants have been thin on the ground, with one Wheatear on the 22nd and two on 29th being the only ones. A smashing but distant male Whinchat on the 29th certainly made up for this, and at least two Grasshopper Warblers have been reeling on and off since the 23rd. A few Jays have been blogging around the Hill during the week, with one dropping into the North Slope Tree-Line on the 27th. Other nice species during the week include a pair of Grey Partridge, a flyover Lesser Redpoll and a male Bullfinch.

-Eurasian Jay

-Jack Snipe

-Whinchat

Whiteholme Reservoir

It was disappointing to find Whiteholme almost void of shoreline, with just a slither in the NW corner of the reservoir. Still there were a few interesting birds that passed through on my visits during the week. The 24th was the standout day, with a passage Arctic Tern followed an hour later by a passage Bar-tailed Godwit, which was a Halifax tick for me. These birds followed a national movement of both species due to the strong NE winds. The following day on the 25th there was no movement of note, although two Shelduck dropped in, joining a smart pair of Goldeneye that were already present. Other birds of note included a pair of Goosander that flew through, a single Dunlin and a pair of Ringed Plover. 

-Shelduck

-Northern Wheatear

-Bar-tailed Godwit

-Arctic Tern

Ringstone Edge Reservoir

On the 24th, just over five minutes after the Bar-tailed Godwit flew through Whiteholme, another was reported on Ringstone. Since it was not a huge detour, and this bird seemed settled, I called in for a quick look. The extent of the white on the coverts from photos by John Marsh shows that this was a different individual from the bird at Whiteholme. 

-Bar-tailed Godwit

Species List:
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Mallard, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting,

Whiteholme Reservoir: Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Common Shelduck, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Common Goldeneye, Goosander, Red Grouse, Common Pheasant, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Golden Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Arctic Tern, Eurasian Jay, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Eurasian Wren, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Reed Bunting,

Ringstone Edge: Canada Goose, Common Pheasant, Great Crested Grebe, Feral Pigeon, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Northern Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Kestrel, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Skylark, Willow Warbler, Eurasian Wren, Pied Wagtail, Common Linnet, 

September at Spurn

September started slowly, with very few grounded migrants, a product of the persistent westerly winds. A few Willow Warblers, plus a couple of Garden Warblers were the best that the nets had to offer. A few Ortolan Buntings were around the area, but I failed to connect with them and the tapes I produced were insufficient for bringing them into a net. A Kingfisher on the fourth was a bonus, still only the second I have ever ringed.

On the 2^nd September I had the surprise of my life when, on the way back from work, I had a Badger feeding on the lawn at Cliff Farm. I was so startled I nearly fell off my bike, but managed to compose myself to watch it scuttle under the hedge and into the bushes at Kew.

Sadly over the Migfest weekend I was extremely busy so had very little time for any birding or bird related activities. However, the day after I began trying to target waders around the Humber shore. Turnstone was my first target as they are bold, predictable and lovely birds. It took some work but I managed to catch two different birds, an adult and juvenile, both stunning. After those I really wanted to catch Sanderling, but found it difficult to find any individuals behaving in a way such that we could move them into a trap. However, at Beacon Ponds we found a very reluctant to fly Bar-tailed Godwit, which after some amount of work, we were finally able to manoeuvre into the trip trap, only the 34^th ever to be ringed at Spurn.

-Turnstone

-Bar-tailed Godwit

The following days produced very high numbers of birds in the nets. Most of the birds were Tree Sparrow, and we did over 150 in two days. Meadow Pipit numbers also increased dramatically, although they were initially more reluctant to drop near any traps. Two Redstarts were nice, and after many individuals bounced, it was nice to finally catch a Sparrowhawk.

On the 20^th I was treated to a great flyby Great White Egret that passed nearly overhead whilst I was ringing Meadow Pipits in Churchfield. Had I my camera I would have been able to get some great photos, but sadly not on this occasion.

Species List:

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

Spurn Week 6

Monday 18th July

After my first night-shift in over two years I was looking forward to a proper days sleep with no interruptions. Alas that this turned into one of the most hectic mornings imaginable. It started pleasant enough, when on my way back I spotted a lovely juvenile Wheatear behind the tern hut. In the morning light I was able to snap a few nice enough photos of one of my favourite birds.

-Wheatear

I waited for Mick on long bank and headed off home once he had arrived. This is when the real horror of the morning began to set it. On my way back over long bank I flushed a young Reed Bunting out of long bank. The bird could obviously not fly very well, judging by the fact that it crashed into the ponds about 10 meters out. Initially it looked like it would be Ok, as it spluttered its was towards the shore, but it then decided to turn back out into the middle of the ponds. It was at this point I decided to go it after it. I had to remove all the electronics from my pockets first and then waded/swam out to it. Sadly though by the time that I arrived at the bird it was already too late, and nothing more than a sodden corpse. I brought it back to shore and Mick tried to give it mouth to mouth but we were unable to save it. A really sad end to the night shift.

And that should have been that. I was soaking wet, stinking of pond and absolutely knackered. Ready for a shower and bed. I was so close, not more than 100 meters away from the obs when Mick crackeled over the radio that he had a pale legged stint up at the ponds. Now, rather than crawling into the shower and bed I was running for my scope and then back up to the ponds. When I arrived the birders were well into their discussion as to the stints identity. Least seemed to be favourite, but was clear that the light was a real problem and that the legs might not actually be yellow as they seemed. It took time before the bird moved and better views could be had, revealing after all that the bird was just a Little Stint.

-Little Stint

Once I finally made it to bed I struggled to get to sleep given that the day was not already very bright and warm. In the end I dragged myself out of bed around two in the afternoon and once I had woken up I made my way to the ponds for the high tide wader roost. I was rewarded with my first Curlew Sandpiper of the year. It was a stunning summer plumage red brick bird, the only downside was that it was very distant and that was reflected in my poor attempts to phone-scope it.

-Curlew Sandpiper

Sadly though I was still exhausted and once I was satisfied I had gone through all the waders and seen all the unusual species among the Dunlin I headed back to the obs for tea and then off to the night-shift.

Sightings List:

Beacon Ponds: Wheatear, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Dunlin, Knot, Little Tern, Grey Heron, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Pheasant, Common Tern, Curlew Sandpiper, Turnstone, Redshank, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover,

Tuesday 19th July

Today I am leaving Spurn for a few days for my graduation. Sad but true. The morning was thankfully nowhere near as eventful as the previous day but there was not a great deal about, only the usual Dunlin and other waders. A cracking Bar-tailed Godwit behind the hut was about the best of it.

-Bar-tailed Godwit

Sightings List:

Beacon Ponds: Dunlin, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Bar-tailed Godwit, Herring Gull, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Reed Bunting,

Sunday 24th July

After a week of Graduation partying, plus not sleeping well in the hot weather had all but broken me sleep wise. As a result I was in no rush to get up on my first morning back at Spurn. I missed a red-necked phalarope on ponds, but that was the only species I missed, so I consider that a blessing in disguise.

I made my way down to seawatching once I got out of bed. There were a few waders, mainly Sanderling but a few other species thrown in too such as Dunlin and Knot. A quick check of Clubleys field produced a Snipe, but no dragonflies. The real highlight of the morning as an Arctic Skua that flew south, my first of the year and long overdue at that. It was a smart dark phase individual that flew fairly close in, affording nice views through the scope.

In the afternoon I went to bed in a desperate attempt to recapture something of a sleeping pattern before I began night shifts again...

Sightings List:

Seawatching: Sanderling, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Scoter, Arctic Skua, Swallow, Swift, Meadow Pipit, Common Snipe, Knot, Redshank, Whimbrel, Sand Martin, Red-breasted Merganser,

Spurn Day 41 - DOUBLE LIFER ALERT

As you have read indeed, today was a double lifer day. Since I no longer had to go up to the ponds I allowed myself a lie in, the first one I have had since I arrived. However it was still short as I wanted to make my way up to the Seawatching hide in order to ensure I did not miss any potential lifer seabirds going down.

Fortunately it had been a quiet morning, though I was left gripped by red-throated diver, which would have been a year tick. I settled down to watch to see if any late birds would come, but it remained quiet. At around 9.00 Mick called out that he had spotted a large raptor, and he worked it out as an Osprey moving over the sea. To be honest it was too far for me to do anything with, but I took their word for it and added Osprey to my day list.

At around 9.15 the first of the day’s lifers passed through. I was scanning along and spotted a cormorant flying north, but continued to scan. Not 2 seconds later Steve called out that he might have a great-northern diver, which I knew immediately would be the same bird. Indeed it was. As the other guys got onto it they decided it was not bulky enough for a great northern diver, and its feet extension was not right, therefore it must be a Black-Throated Diver. I had hoped my first Black-Throat would be a bit more than a silhouette moving along the horizon. It was clear to see it was a diver, and with the points they had made I was willing to agree with them on that front and add it to my list, though I can only wish the view had been better so I could properly appreciate it.

Obviously pleased with another lifer I headed out into the morning to have a look round prior to my moving to the ponds to remove the fence. I headed up to canal scrape but was informed that there were no birds there, so decided to have a look in the bushes along the road along the triangle walk. Not far up the road from canal scrape and I spotted a Whinchat, sat along the fence post at the back. I got a few photos, but it was too far really, and it was nice to just watch it.

-Whinchat

Carrying on along the road there were ample Willow Warbler, bushes aplenty with them. Some I was able to get really good views of, as they flitted around the undergrowth. Along the top road I found a couple of Lesser Whitethroat too, calling to each other from the bushes, but as usual I was reduced to fleeting glimpses. I tried my best to get some photos but it was not happening, the birds were showing too irregularly for me to get any.

Down Canalside it was much quieter, though I could see the waders out on the Humber, including vast numbers of Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot, along with Dunlin, Redshank and Ringed Plover. When they all took off it was spectacular to see.

-Bar-Tailed Godwit and Redshank

The afternoon was spent removing the fence and so I could not really watch the birds, though I did have a check on the Little Tern chicks and saw the youngster flutter off when I approached the area, not convincingly I must admit. The Oystercatcher family also put in an appearance, looking really grown up, though the chicks still have the distinctive dark patches at the ends of their beaks.

The evenings seawatch promised much but was very quiet on the whole. There were good numbers of Manx Shearwaters out to sea and 1740 Common Terns, which is low compared to some of the totals we have had. Numbers of all the birds were down really, save for 1.

Paul had some ringing guys up at spurn for the last few days, and they joined in for the early part of the watch. At around 7.00 an Australian guy suddenly called out, ‘whats this close, is it a sooty or a Balearic?’. All jumped up to check but it turned into a nightmare to find, especially given it was mid distance. It was quickly announced as a Balearic, and fortunately I was one of those lucky enough to find it, and watch it was it glided north. Because it was so close I made the fatal error of trying to photograph it, try and break the horrid lack of photos from lifers that has emerged over the last few days. As a result I did not watch it as much as I would have liked, but I did see enough of it, including the duskier belly and otherwise Manx like Jizz. The view was good when it banked up and I could see the lack of white on the underside. I have to say that of the 3 species ticked a spurn Seawatching, this is the only one I feel I could confidently do again, but that is probably as a result of the good view we got.

Spurn only get a few Balearic every year, so to be there for this one was special, and of course it’s another great lifer to add to my growing list. It’s a pity with Seawatching that the birds move through so fast, but either way I was thrilled.

Species List:

Seawatch: Gannet, Arctic Skua, Feral Pigeon, Oystercatcher, Swallow, Common Scoter, Black-Headed Gull, Ringed Plover, Cormorant, Linnet, Woodpigeon, Osprey, Black-Throated Diver, Sandwich Tern,

Triangle: Bar-Tailed Godwit, Knot, Redshank, Dunlin, Little Egret, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Whinchat, Willow Warbler, House Sparrow, Wren, Linnet, Starling, Blackbird, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Woodpigeon,

Seawatch: Fulmar, Gannet, Common Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Common Scoter, Manx Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, Arctic Skua, Common Gull, Swallow, Oystercatcher,

Spurn Day 3

 So begins another working day. Today I decided to give myself a lie in, second morning on the job, by half an hour, so I got to the hide at half 5. I set up all the gear, saw what was around and then must have fallen asleep on my shoulder. The kip probably lasted around 10 mins, but it set me for the day. Prior to that I had been struggling to keep my eyes open.

The weather was a bit of an issue with thick fog making it difficult to motivate myself or find any birds. It was also bitterly cold so got 6 layers on, and still was struggling to keep warm. By late morning thought the fog had cleared and it came out in glorious sunshine. The 6 layers suddenly went from hero to villain as it became quite uncomfortable, so when I returned for lunch I dropped many of them off. As it would happen, but 4.00 the sea fret had returned.

So what birds were around at that time? The Dunlin were on mass, as were Redshank and Grey Plover. There was also a couple of Knot in and the usual Sandwich Terns, and of course the Little Terns. As the morning progressed and the Dunlin started to move out a pair of godwits came in. After a bit of inspection I decided there was one Black-Tailed and one Bar Tailed. After much deliberation with myself I announced proudly down the radio about the Bar-Tailed Godwit, though it had since flown off south. I even got a reply, asking to confirm my sighting! How exciting is that.

The rest of the morning passed without incident. I had to speak to my first civilians, asking them to keep away from the perimeter fence. As you can expect I was quite apprehensive about this, but after the first time it became easier and by the end of my shift had told about 5 people that they needed to move away.

In order to break up the 12 hour monotony I decided to leave lunch at home and go back for it at around 12. On the way back I decided to call in at the pools I had found the night before to see if the darters had come out. The weather had picked up considerably and as such there were plenty of Odonata including Emperor Dragonflies, Black-Tailed Skimmers in abundance and Emerald Damselflies, which the warden had mentioned with some pride. Alas though there were no darters to be found at this point.

I returned to the hide to complete my shift. Because of the nice weather there were lots of insects around in the dunes, and on my lunch trip I had picked up my macro lens to capture some on camera. Besides the beetles and moths there were also good numbers of butterflies: Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper, Small Heath, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral. The insect species I photographed included 22 Spot Ladybird and Brown Tail Moth, as species I have never seen before

-Brown Tailed Moth

-22 Spot Ladybird

As the afternoon wore on the sun continued to beat down until the fret came in again and the cool returned. Initially it was a struggle to see the birds due to heat haze, but then the fog came in. The afternoon was not a good time to be watching the birds. I did see both Oystercatcher chicks along the lagoon edge which were truly lovely, as well as good numbers of Little Tern Juveniles (8 at max I counted), including an juvenile being fed by an adult. I tried some more photos today, but the best I got was one having a wash on the beach on the way back from lunch

-Little Tern

As my shift drew to a close the days waders returned from their days outing. There were good numbers, including a good 30 Bar Tailed Godwits, so much for radio worthy. There also came 10 Black-Tailed Godwits, numerous Grey Plovers, including some in summer plumage, and the obvious Dunlin in excess. Among the Dunlin was yet another individual that look suspiciously like curlew sand. Bigger, bill longer and curved, no black belly, brighter facial markings. The only thing against it was the fact that it was grey rather than buff. Once more, despite the overwhelming evidence, I am reluctant to tick it due to the fact that I was unable to see the white rump. However, since I am here for the next few weeks it would seem likely that one day I will get a decent of one where I can see the white rump…

-Bar Tailed Godwits with obscure bird (6th from right)

I left at around half 5, with the ‘curlew sand’ still fast asleep. The fret had become really bad at this point and the number of things in sight was greatly reduced. I checked the ponds again but they were dead, only a Sedge Warbler to cheer things up.

And that is where we shall end it for today. Tomorrow I get a lie in, as I am not on the day shift. It does mean though that I will be out until 5 am doing the night shift. Right now the prospect of a lie in is all that’s keeping me going regarding that prospect!!

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern, Common Tern, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Black-Tailed Godwit, Shelduck, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Cormorant, Dunlin, Knot, Redshank, Little Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Skylark, Swallow, Linnet, Little Egret, Mute Swan, Sand Martin, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Whitethroat, House Martin, Dunnock, Blackbird, Shaded Broad Bar, Brown Tail Moth, 6 Spot Burnet Moth, 22 Spot Ladybird, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Small Skipper, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Heath, Emperor Dragonfly, Blue-Tailed Damselfly,

Warren Ponds: Meadow Pipit, Sedge Warbler, Magpie, Rabbit, Ringlet, Meadow Brown ,Black-Tailed Skimmer, Emperor Dragonfly, Common Emerald Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly,

Norfolk Holiday Day 5-It all ends

Its the last day sadly, but in one sense, its the first day. The first day without fog! Finally, I will be able to do scans of reedbeds and seawatching. We decided to go to Tichwell because it has a big car park that might be able accommodate the caravan. We only intended to spend the morning at Tichwell, the afternoon at some aviation museum for my brother and traveling home.
  Since I would actually be pushed for time today I made the most of it, dashing out of the car to get straight on with it. I didn't bother with fen hide as I have never seen a single bird there, and  also missed out Island hide, since anything I can see there I can also see from Parrinder. I first went to the Parrinder that looked out over the Fresh water area of the reserve.
 There were god numbers of Brent Geese in Comparison to yesterday. They had probably arrived overnight due to the fog clearing. They were perched on the islands just from the hide. Other birds that were around included Gadwall, which was not seen by me yesterday and a number of other wildfowl species

-Brent Geese 
I had a quick scan of the islands, but there was nothing that was not here yesterday. The golden plover had all gone, and only one snipe flew in, and that was just as I left. There were however lovely numbers of winter wildfowl, and I got great views of teal, shoveler and wigeon.

-Wigeon
I headed to the hide across to look over the tidal marsh. There was not much, much less than yesterday. I only spotted one knot, in fact I only spotted one wader that was not a redshank, the knot. I did however spend a bit of time in there, and as I waited a Grey Plover did fly in, but it was distant and only view able by scope,  which was a pity.
  I decided to go to the beach and do some seawatching. Sadly, the lack of fog had meant that the reserve was really busy, and this was maybe why there was so much less on the scrapes. The beach and sea were a good place to go to try and avoid the crowds.
  On the way to the beach I passed a pair of Black tailed godwits that were not visible from the hide due to a bar of grass. They were very close to the path, so I dutifully took loads of photos of them, probably the best photos of this species I have ever had.

-Black Tailed Godwit 
The beach was much quieter, but also much colder, winder and more unpleasant. I guess you can't have it all. I started by scanning the waters edge. The tide was well out sadly, but that meant that I could watch the shorebirds without spooking them. There were good numbers of Brent Geese, as well as oystercatchers. Other birds included Sanderling, Knot, Bar-Tailed Godwit and a few Grey Plover, all but one of which I have seen less than five times, so an impressive haul.












-Brent Geese
I next turned my attention to the sea. Actually being able to see what was out there was a luxury. It was all in vain though. I spotted two gannets, and one black duck. Sadly I couldn't get a decent view of the duck due to the wind shaking the scope. I took the scope down but then couldn't find it again, so it will forever remain a mystery.
  Walking back to the car after lunch, I noticed a group of hardcore birders looking out over the tidal marsh. Apparently there was a wood sandpiper around, just my look that I couldn't help look for it! Sadly that was the end of the Norfolk holiday, that has been incredible, but sadly rather short. Hopefully I will be able to come back some time before uni...