East Anglia -Undisclosed Location

 Another week of work in the South-East was once again very productive, with plenty of bird activity, as well as lots of insects. In total, I managed three new species of Butterfly as well as many more views of Norfolk Hawker, which was a lifer last time I was down this neck of the woods.

The birding was high quality, with Hobbies seen regularly, Spotted Flycatchers active in a nearby plot of woodland as well as Marsh Tit being abundant. We also spent a night on a nearby heathland looking for Nightjars, of which we found four. There was also a distant Stone-Curlew flying in the gloom calling. Otherwise, my attention was largely drawn to the insects that were around. 

The dragonflies were in fine form. In addition to Norfolk Hawker being seen every day, we also found Southern Migrant Hawker although they did not land. There was also Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker already on the wing. There was not as much in the damselfly this time, as I was unable to find any Variable Damselflies at all, not for the lack of trying.

On the butterfly front, I managed to tick off White Admiral on the first morning’s survey. That afternoon through some research, we discovered a nearby site that held Purple Emperor and the next day I tried it out. Despite the overcast weather, there were a few Purple Emperors in the canopy but only a single female came down to the floor of the woodland, where someone had left a box of rotting fruit for the butterflies. The following day I tried again in sunnier conditions but the wind had picked up and I did not even see a Purple Emperor. Also here I finally connected with Purple Hairstreak, although they too spent most of their time in the canopy. Still, it was good to finally get that species onto my list. There were also more White Admirals here, as well as Grayling and Silver-washed Fritillary, producing a fantastic selection of butterflies for the week.

-Norfolk Hawker

-Southern Hawker

-Southern Migrant Hawker

-White Admiral

-Purple Emperor

-Purple Hairstreak

-Silver-washed Fritillary

-Essex Skipper

-Roesel's Bush-Cricket

Species List:
Undisclosed Location: Mallard, Common Wood Pigeon, European Nightjar, Common Swift, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Stone-curlew, Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, Common Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Marsh Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Barn Swallow, Common Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Eurasian Blackcap, Eurasian Wren, Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, European Robin, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Common Reed Bunting, Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Ruddy Darter, Common Darter, Broad-bodied Chaser, Four-spotted Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Southern Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, Norfolk Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly, Small Copper, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Common Blue, Purple Hairstreak, Meadow Brown, Grayling, Small Heath, Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Large White, Small White, Peacock, Red Admiral, White Admiral, Purple Emperor, Silver-washed Fritillary, 

Spurn Bird Observatory

  The annual Spurn BBQ gave me an excellent excuse to return to Spurn, primarily to see people before I leave but also to fit in some early autumn birding as the migration season begins to gain momentum. I arrived on Thursday and stayed until the following Tuesday, giving me plenty of time to enjoy the birding between hangovers.

  There was some nice birds during my stay, the undoubted highlight of which was the juvenile Black Stork that was tracked down the coast on the Sunday. A group of us spent our day on the Obs platform, scopes at the ready, awaiting for the bird to appear over the horizon. Rainstorms hindered its progress and it took longer than anticipated to arrive, but once we received news that it had passed over Holmpton we knew that it was a matter of time. Once we picked it up the bird spent most of its time flying over Easington and landing in fields. Most birders drove up to get a better view but a small group of us stayed on the platform where, although distantly, we could watch the bird as the local Peregrine forced it down again and again until it landed in a ditch out of sight. It was not until the next morning that it finally came south, passing low over the platform just above us, but frustratingly the wrong side of the sun. A brilliant Spurn tick for me, making up for missing out on the bird in 2015.

  Other birds were also around. An Osprey flew south on the Tuesday, and there was a constant trickle of waders flying in off the sea as we watched from the Obs platform. Turnstones, Black-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels were all among the highlights. Passerine-wise it was still a little steady but there was a nice scattering of Willow Warblers that helped keep the ringing entertaining in a morning. We also tried Storm-Petrel ringing but we failed to even attract any, never mind catch them. It was not a complete loss though, as, in addition to some incredible shooting star action, we also caught a Sandwich Tern, which was a ringing tick for PC. And that does not happen often!

  The weather was warm so in the afternoons we went out to hunt for Odonata. I had a Spurn tick when JHF pulled a male Brown Hawker out of the Church Field Heligoland trap. This is was the easiest species I still needed at Spurn, so was a welcome addition to my list. There was an influx of Banded Demoiselles over the weekend as well. I caught up with two in the end, one in Kew and another in Sykes Field, but there were double-figures over the weekend, an event only previously documented once at Spurn. There were Small Red-eyed Damselflies to enjoy as well, but the highlight was a female Southern Migrant Hawker that I removed from the end of the Church Field Heligoland. My suspicions were raised so I grabbed some photos on my phone, but then talked myself out of it and let it go, forgetting all about it until the next morning when I opened the book and realized what a fool I had been. Still, the first female for Spurn, and not a mistake I will be likely to make in future…

-Black Stork

-Sandwich Tern

-Osprey

-Southern Migrant Hawker

-Brown Hawker

-Banded Demoiselle

Species List:
Spurn Bird Observatory: Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Common Shelduck, Mallard, Common Scoter, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Cuckoo, Common Swift, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Golden Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Common Guillemot, Black-headed Gull, Little Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Stork, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Western Osprey, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Western Barn Owl, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, Eurasian Magpie, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Western Yellow Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Common Reed Bunting, Roe Deer, Red Fox, Brown Hare, European Rabbit, Common Lizard, Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue-tailed Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Migrant Hawker, Southern Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker, Emperor, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter,

July at Spurn

Junes Squacco Heron remained around the area for the start of July, and I occasionally spotted it as it flew between the various water bodies that compose the triangle and the wetlands. Birding was generally pretty slow for the most part during the start of the month, with very few birds turning up in the nets. A young Great-spotted Woodpecker was the best we managed in the net, and we also finished off the Barn Owl chicks and ringed an unwell Guillemot that we had been tasked with restoring to health. We also targeted the Marsh Warblers on Beacon Lane and caught the male bird, but obviously had to remain quiet as a result of the breeding attempt. The birds fledged three chicks, making it a very successful breeding attempt. An impressive arrival of Silver-Y moths was a none avian highlight, with any flowering bush covered in them.

-Squacco Heron

-Marsh Warbler

The month really kicked off on the 14^th when a Greater Sand Plover was found on the beach at Beacon Ponds. Sadly I was at work when it was discovered, and when I clocked off it was already dark. Given that waders at Spurn usual make a swift exit from the area I was not optimistic of it still being around. The following morning the bird was rediscovered in the same place, but sadly I was not at Spurn until late morning after which the bird had disappeared. Of course the damn this reappeared once I started my shift and was unable to twitch it. I managed to negotiate a half an hour break mid-afternoon to finally see it, much to my relief.

On the 19^th we ringed the Sparrowhawk chicks in the nest behind the pub, but ringing was otherwise very quiet until the 23^rd when we started using Corner Field. On our first day we managed an impressive 56 birds of 11 species including; 28 Swallows, 2 House Martins and a few Sand Martins. Sadly the nets never really reached this kind of numbers again as when we opened them, but we still caught a few nice birds there.

On the 25^th the highlight of the month was discovered down the canal; a cracking male Southern Migrant Hawker. I was away for most of the day twitching Franklin’s Gull, and when the news broke that a SMH had been seen at Spurn it very much took the glamour of the twitch away. The journey back was filled with suspense but fortunately the dragonfly remained in the same location for the whole day and the following days, so I was able to see it and really appreciate this stunning rare insect.

-Southern Migrant Hawker

-Emerald Damselfly

On the 27^th July, whilst hungover as hell early morning, news filtered through of a probable Semipalmated Sandpiper on wetlands. It took a while for everyone to be satisfied with the identification of the bird, but it showed fairly well allowing for good photos to be taken. It was a really smart little wader, and a nice end to the month.

-Semipalmated Sandpiper

Ringing remained slow at the end of the month but a couple of Stock Dove pulli were a nice addition to the Spurn ringing yearlist.

Species List:

Spurn Bird Observatory: Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Gannet, Cormorant, Peregrine, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Lapwing, Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Whimbrel, Curlew, Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Semipalmated Sandpiper, 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, Cuckoo, Swift, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Robin, Wheatear, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Dunnock, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting,