Spurn Day 36

 It was a long, cold night sat outside, cowering from the wind behind the hut. When it finally ended I rushed back and got straight into nice warm bed. On the way back though I did spot a Swift, which have been a bit few and far between recently.

I slept very soundly and as a result woke up very late and did not make it out birding for some time. When I did, at around 4.00 I headed to Canal Scrape via Clubleys to see what was about. There was a storm oncoming I noticed, which meant I needed to be in the hide before it hit. On Clubleys I flushed 2 Snipe but that was all.

On canal it was pretty quiet as is usual. I picked up both Willow and Reed Warbler while there, in addition to the usual Coots and Mallards. There was a bit of movement from waders coming off the estuary, but they were too distant to really make out. One thing I did make out though was the undoubted highlight of my stay in the hide. I noticed a large bird flying over Canalside in a lazy sort of way, I raised my bins and saw that it was an Owl, so grabbed the camera to get some shots. Its larger size and reduced streaking made it pretty obvious that it was a Short-Eared Owl, almost certainly the same bird that I saw last weekend.

-Short Eared Owl

The storm took an age to approach, and it was soon half five and time to be headed to the seawatch hide. I headed off hoping that the storm would hold off just a little longer. Along my way I spotted a pair of Roe Deer along the coast.  They were very bold, as you would expect from the deer here, the male showing a very nice pair of antlers. I got a few photos but it was at this moment that the heavens decided to open, so I made a speedy getaway.

-Roe Deer

The Tern passage started very fast, with birds streaming through, but by seven it had stopped and by half seven there were no birds moving at all. There were a few other things around; a Great Skua out at sea was nice, as was a Fulmar that flew overhead, not something I had anticipated. There was also a pair of Arctic Skuas overhead, a pale phase and a dark phase, harassing a small group of Sandwich terns.

-Arctic Skua

Despite finishing Seawatching early I ended up setting off for my shift a little late, and it was very gloomy when I departed. Along the road I noticed a small dark shape scurry out from the undergrowth and sit in the middle of the road. By now the gloom was very dark and I was wondering if I had imagined it. It was only when I was nearly on top of it that it moved again, a Hedgehog, scurrying back into the undergrowth.

Well, it’s been a quiet day compared to yesterday. At least I was able to get into the hut tonight, that was very much appreciated!

Species List:

Canal Scrape: Common Snipe, Kestrel, Short-Eared Owl, Mallard, Coot, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Knot, Sandwich Tern, Lesser Black-Backed Gull,

Seawatching: Oystercatcher, Sandwich Tern, Herring Gull, Swallow, Ringed Plover, Black-Headed Gull, Arctic Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Gannet, Common Scoter, Dunlin, Great Skua, Knot, Turnstone, Little Egret, Fulmar, Arctic Skua, Common Tern,

Spurn Day 27

I think it’s safe to say that today was a good day. The weather was glorious and the wildlife was on top form. It started as soon as I got there really, or rather as soon as I was really there, because as soon as I got there I crashed and had a power nap.

Upon awakening from my nap I immediately began to search the pond for Little Terns and anything else that may be around. There was some other stuff around, namely 2 Spurn ticks for me; Tufted duck and Little Grebe. The Tuftie was a drake just leaving eclipse. It spent most of its time that I saw it with the Little Grebes, of which there were 3; and adult and 2 juveniles. The grebes stayed all day though I think the Tuftie may have left as I did not see it during the afternoon.

-Tufted Duck with Little Grebe

We then had a bit of a lull after that. In fact the whole day went into a bit of a lull, probably because it was so hot. There were very good numbers of Yellow Wagtail around, at least 6 but probably more, and off all different shades, ranging from scratty brown to fairly fresh yellow. A juvenile Marsh Harrier made and appearance too, drifting over north bank and avoiding the ponds for the most part, which meant that the terns were not disturbed in any way. There was also a Black Tailed godwit that spent the day on the ponds, adding to the wader diversity. Alas it was not a summer plumaged individual but it was appreciated none the less.

The morning livened up significantly when I was on my way back from long bank around mid morning. It was quite warm by now, and came back to find a Common Lizard chillin on the doorstep of the hut. Of course as soon as it saw me it bolted, but the only place for it to go was inside the hut. It only stayed in a few minuets as I went into the hut myself in order to keep the exit clear and usher the lizard out. Of course I had the wrong lens but managed a few shots with my compact when the lizard sat rather obligingly on the ladder near the door. It was certainly a different experience on the job…

-Common Lizard

On the way to lunch down Beacon Lane I kept my eyes open for the lesser whitethroat but I could not find it. I did find numerous Common Whitethroat including a few juvs, but they tended to be skulky and difficult to see fully. Also on the lane I found a lovely Willow Warbler, which is unsurprising now their passage has started. It was very photogenic and allowed me to get some really decent shots of it, thought there was a bit of branch rather unhelpfully in the way.

-Willow Warbler

 It remained quiet until pretty much going home time. But as I was about to leave early because it had been so quiet, a pale phase Arctic Skua flew by not far off shore. It did not cause much disturbance but I stayed in order to make sure it did not return and bother the birds. It was a nice individual, very clear with well-defined features, clearly visible as it moved along the coast.

-Arctic Skua

So that finished me off for my day shift. So, where was all the wildlife? Well it all came during the evening’s seawatch which was very productive bird-wise but damaged my already fragile credibility significantly.

I started at around half 6 with a few guys, though by the end there was quite a crowd. It started very slowly, the tern passage barely getting going. However, but half 7 it began to pick up and good movements of Common, Sandwich and Arctic Terns began to move through. Picking up the Commons from the Arctics in a mixed flock is not something I can do with ease, but  by the end of the evening I gave it a go with 2 Terns that drifted down, calling them as commons. Apparently they were both Arctic! I also made a blunder with a Gull that landed on the beach. With the light it looked like it had yellow-legs, so I called it. As it moved towards the shore though its legs cleared and it turned out to be a Herring Gull. Wonderful!

However, that’s enough of the negative, what about the positive. Well, as I said there was good movement of Terns going through, but there were also a few waders. There were a few Knot, Sanderling and Dunlin, as well and the usual Whimbrel and Oystercatchers. Tim spotted 2 Juvenile Med Gulls that flew through, even landing on the sea for a minute or two before moving on.

The real highlights, though, started when there was a bizarre wader call from overhead. I of course had no idea what it was, but the others all jumped to their feet with Wood Sandpiper, only my second ever of course. It was quite high up, and without the call I would probably not have noticed it and certainly never identified it, but it was a new experience, if not a sadly brief one.

At 8.00 came the real star of the show. There had been one possible juv black tern moving far out to sea, but the guys were identifying it from its jizz and none really sounded overly convinced. Either way, I’m not sure I saw it. But at 8.00 a large group of terns came through reasonably close to the shore. I followed them and thought I had picked out a Black Tern in with them. I was about to call it for someone to look at, when another birder sat outside the hide called it first, loosing me possibly my best self-find ever. But this bird was closer than my first, so I decided to grab some record shots. It was at that moment that the unthinkable happened, when a pair of Arctic Skuas appeared, going the opposite way up the same line. Of course the terns went mad and scarpered all over the place. The Skuas started chasing the Sandwich Terns but the other terns disappeared and I was left searching the horizon frantically looking for my Black. Fortunately Paul pointed them out to me, as they had gone straight up and I would have missed them otherwise. We then found the Black, adult black I must add, and I was able to get some record shots to maintain my 100% lifer photo record for this year.

-Black Tern (With Commons)

We called it quits at around 8.45, having totted up a decent number of species (Well, they had for me). The final thing to move through was a flock of Common Scoter at 8.36. It was quite a seawatch, very successful, and I think I am getting to grips with it a bit more, the more I do it.

And that wraps up today. It’s been a very enjoyable but very relaxed kinda day, not too much tern bother and plenty to enjoy in the warm weather.

The Daily Oystercatcher

Today marks a new turn in the Oystercatchers. For the first time I recall seeing one of the chicks alarm call and move independently of its mother. That means that at least one chick now knows how to handle itself should to encounter a predator on its own. Their progress has been outstanding, and its good to watch them develop these final skills. I note that I have not included a picture of them for some time, so here’s a nice family portrait to show just how much they have changed.

-Oystercatcher Family

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Common Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Shelduck, Mallard, Reed Bunting, Swallow, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Marsh Harrier, Little Egret, Yellow Wagtail, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Woodpigeon, Linnet, Redshank, Mute Swan, Black-Tailed Godwit, Sand Martin, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Sparrowhawk, House Martin, House Sparrow, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Whimbrel, Pied Wagtail, Arctic Skua, Grey Seal, Common Lizard, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Large White, Wall Brown, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ruddy Darter, Emperor, Migrant Hawker, Blue-Tailed Damselfly,

Seawatching: Guillemot, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Little Tern, Dunlin, Gannet, Swallow, Common Gull, Wood Sandpiper, Black Tern, Arctic Tern, Meadow Pipit, Arctic Skua, Herring Gull, Sand Martin, House Martin, Oystercatcher, Knot, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Redshank, Sanderling, Whimbrel, Common Scoter, Grey Seal

Spurn Day 26

Despite being back on days, today was a quiet day on the ponds. There was very few wader movement, though I may have missed some when I went for lunch, but if I doubt they came and left with the space of 2 hours.

But there was a Black-Tailed Godwit on the ponds, which is a species that seems to have been lacking in recent visits. Other waders included 5 Sanderling, a few Dunlin, the Oyks and a Common Sandpiper that dropped in during the early morning.

The highlight of the day was when an Arctic Skua flew over the colony. Sadly it did not come close to the hut, but left by the south side of the pond. I grabbed a photo of it and it is effectively the only thing photographed all day, which was a reflection of how quiet it was.

-Arctic Skua

There was an incredible passage of Hirundines though, with sometimes over a hundred birds going south in the space of a minuet. It was certainly impressive, I can only imagine what it was like down at the watch-point. There were impressive numbers of Swallows all skimming the ponds at the same time, so its been an impressive day hirundine wise that's for sure.

On the way back form the ponds I got another view of one of my bogey species. Yesterday I have a sneaky feeling I may have seen a Lesser Whitethroat along Beacon Lane, but as usual the views were too fleeting to be confident. Today the same thing happened but I managed a fleeting view enough to tell me that I had indeed seen my second ever Lesser Whitethroat. Sadly as soon as I saw the bird it dived into the bush and I spotted a small grey brown bird fly out the back. But that seems pretty standard for this species.

Having been picked up by that after dinner I headed up to the Sea-watching point. There was a good group there, so there was a chance that if something mega turned up it would be seen. It did not, but there was decent passage of Common and Sandwich terns with a few Arctics thrown in for good measure. Its my first real experience of tern passage, and I have to say that my old issue of Common or Arctic is showing me up a bit, not what I really wanted.

The Daily Oystercatcher

I have seen more flying today, flying in groups, singly, you name it. When the family all fly together you can clearly tell which are the youngsters as they have to flap twice as much as the adults. But besides that I can see they are becoming more competent flyers, and will soon be on their way off the pond I feel.

Species List: 

Beacon Ponds: Black-Headed Gull, Shelduck, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Meadow Pipit, Swallow, Sandwich Tern, Woodpigeon, Mallard, Linnet, Little Egret, Little Tern, Reed Bunting, Yellow Wagtail, Sand Martin, Feral Pigeon, Graylag Goose, Swift, Arctic Tern, Arctic Skua, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Black-Tailed Godwit, Pied Wagtail, House Martin, House Sparrow, Sanderling, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Avocet, Blackbird, Mallard, Lesser Whitethroat, Dunnock, Whitethroat, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Magpie, Wall Brown, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Large White, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Ruddy Darter, Emperor, Migrant Hawker, 

Seawatch: Gannet, Oystercatcher, Sandwich Tern, Common Scoter, Arctic Tern, Little Gull, Turnstone, Swallow, Sand Martin, Common Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Arctic Skua, Whimbrel, Grey Seal,

Spurn Day 16

 Once more the day started off with thick fog, and sleep. When I awoke the situation was improving for once or at least on the weather front. I had slept through the wader roost, but since I could hardly have seen them anyways it seems little loss. There was no sign of the curlew sand from the last few days, probably skulking in the fog until it cleared, then headed off to the Humber to feed.

The usual cast were all present, but I learned today that the Sandwich Terns on the pond are actually from a population in Holland. The things that ringing can teach you.

There was good movement of Little Gull all morning, with 6 birds moving at 8.45 but peaking to at least 11 by 9.30. Many of these were adults but there were a couple of first years around, one of which stayed all day. They are lovely birds Little Gulls, wholly underappreciated.

-Little Gull

I actually did not spend much time at the hide today, as a long haul shopping trip was required mid-day. I just worry about the amount of bother the terns were getting from the public, as there seemed to be an excess of blatantly ignorant people around, who simply ignored your requests to tell them to move.

The only thing bothering the colony besides the people was a Juvenile Greater Black-Backed Gull, with which the terns were fine if the gull sat next to them, but if it was in flight was a cause to rise and call and mob the bird. The GBBG must have been very confused. The only other predator was an Arctic Skua out to sea, but it did not approach the colony, probably as a consequence of the horse riders along the shore. I grabbed a few truly awful record shots, but they will do.

-Arctic Skua

The real fun of today occurred when Paul and Tim came up to the colony to do some ringing of the young terns. Our systematic searches failed to find any on the shoreline or in Area B, where we expected but in area A we found 3, one of which was old enough to ring. I was allowed to hold the bird too, a real honour, while it was photographed.

Since we had got a fairly poor turnout from the terns, not unsurprising given most were now juveniles, Paul decided to try and ring some Ringed Plover. These chicks were well on their feet and present slightly more of a challenge than the terns, which were very docile. There were 3 Ringed Plover chicks, so that was one each. I swear mine was the liveliest, as it darted around, Zig Zagging all over the place and going under frustrating fences. I eventually got it after about a minuet of chasing, involving dives and near misses, and despair. Once in the hand though they were very docile and easy to deal with. Tim rung them and then we let them go. It was one of the most fun things I have done since I got here, and that is saying something.

-Ringed Plover

I had intended to stay a little longer today, as compensation for the extended break, but at 5.00 the sea fret made a return and within 5 mins it had gone from decent visibility to hardly being able to see anything. As a result I decided to call it quits there, since there seemed little point in staying.

So despite it being quiet overall it was one of the most enjoyable days I have had and the chasing of the ringed plovers was something I will never forget.

The Daily Oystercatcher

Another fairly standard day for the Oyks, with much feeding and wing stretching going on. Once more the birds tended to stay in pairs, although one chick was left to wander on its own for a bit when its adult decided to go for a kip on one of the crab pots. Of course, as the chicks are unable to fly, the adults went bezerk when we were rounding up the plovers for ringing, but they tended to stay away despite the adults obvious frustration.

Species List:

Beacon Pools: Grey Plover, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Little Egret, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Cormorant, Skylark, Mute Swan, Gannet, Little Gull, Swift, Mallard, Sanderling, whimbrel, Arctic Skua, Pheasant, Sand Martin, Redshank, Grey Seal, Brown Hare

Spurn Day 14

I arrived at the hut for 5.00 in the morning as per, ahead of another long but enjoyable shift. As soon as Keiron had left I evaluated the situation. It was foggy, so I could hardly see the far side of the pond, there was a North wind blowing, so it was freezing cold, and I was absolutely knackered. The solution, I decided, was to sleep off this grim morning in order to better appreciate the rest of the day.

I awoke from slumber at around 8.00 to see, much to my delight, that the day had cleared, though the wind had not dropped. The reduced fog meant that it felt much warmer so I set up for a morning check. First I headed over the Long Bank to do a morning Little Tern juv count, and registered a very poor 8, though the tide was out and there were possibly some on the beach.

Both Oystercatcher families were still out, as were 3 Little Egrets and 3 Little Gulls, 2 adults and a Juv. The decline in weather conditions meant that the Seawatching had improved and there was a steady stream of gannets moving to sea.

The first of the morning’s events occurred at 9.30. Still feeling groggy from my kip I was sat in the hut with the front open sorting out some notes when I heard some frantic squawking from outside the hide. I looked up to see a Sandwich Tern being mobbed by an Arctic Skua. I had never expected a Skua to actually enter the colony, only ever pass it by near the sea. Here was one actively hunting in my colony, meaning I would have to deal with it. But at the same time it’s an Arctic Skua right in front of me, and I hardly ever see this species. So I decided to spook the bird, with my camera. As soon as I saw it I jumped up and grabbed the camera. But the bird must have seen me as it immediately gave up its pursuit and headed seawards, where I managed to get a couple of record shots. Consider my duty done.

-Arctic Skua

That left me very satisfied with my mornings work, but also very surprised that such a sea-going bird had come into the colony to hunt my terns, very concerning. But I considered it a one off, a chance to get great views of the species. Wrong! At 10.00 the terns all went mad, flying all over the place, and who should fly straight through them but the same Arctic Skua. It must have gone back south out to sea and then come back up through the colony. Here though I failed to see it actively bother anything.

It just glided through the colony with a handful of angry Sandwich Terns on its tail. It followed the line of the pond straight up towards the hut, and after flying around the northern end of the pond decided to fly right over the hut, and over me. I could not believe it, how close it came, gliding some gracefully over me. It is possibly the best view of the species I will ever get. I was fortunate enough to grab a few shots of it as it drifted over, before heading out to sea. An experience I will never forget. I saw it a little later heading back south out to sea, and wondered if it was going to try a third time, but it never did.

-Arctic Skua

The birds were left in peace following the skua’s departure. But not for long though. At 10.20 all the birds went up again, and I mean all the birds. Even the Egrets went up, everything was up. I already had a worrying suspicion as to the cause of this disturbance but could not see it. I did see it though, in its usual spot, sat on the beach. The female Sparrowhawk had returned again, and was once more causing havoc among my terns. I scared her off, but I do not think she caught anything. Hopefully they will begin to get the message.

It was really not the terns’ day. We then had more bother from Kestrels, but fortunately only by their presence and not their hunting. And then the juv Marsh Harrier made an appearance. Last time the only thing this bird had upset were the Crows, but this time all the terns went up. Fortunately it did not come close and all quickly settled down, while the harrier dealt with its old adversaries up a the north end of the pool.

-Marsh Harrier being mobbed by Carrion Crow

The next hour was spent watching irresponsible birders, making sure that they did not disturb my terns. Once they had cleared off I headed back to the Warren to pick up some lunch. When I was almost back I spotted a large flock of Common Scoter flying northwards near the Seawatching hide. They were quite close to shore too, allowing me to grab some shots that were a slight improvement on what I had in the past. 

-Common Scoter

That was a very busy few minutes for me, as no sooner had the scoters gone than did another, or possibly the same, Arctic Skua come flying along the shore. It then took a turn inland and started flying over Clubleys towards the Humber. Half way across it found a Sandwich Tern with a full beak which it decided to mob. So far as I could tell the Tern got away. The Skua continued towards the Humber where I saw it turn south and then disappear below the tree line. It’s been quite a day for Skuas.

-Arctic Skua mobbing Sandwich Tern

I did not stay long for lunch, it being a busy predator day I wanted to get back to my terns as soon as possible. I made it back for 1.30 having not seen much on my walk back, only a Painted Lady in the same place as yesterday, so presumable the same one. It was still sunbathing despite the lack of sun, obviously still suffering from whatever it was that made it shiver when I saw it yesterday.

-Painted Lady

The ponds were very quiet when I got back, not a lot happening. I went round to Long Bank again to do another count. I swear I got corn bunting while I was over there, but I cannot be sure, as is usually the case when small brown birds whizz past you. I also counted a record 5 Kittywake on the bank with a few Little Gull. I’m getting good at this Kittywake spotting business.

On the way back I spotted a Knot among the small group of Dunlin feeding at north end of the pond. Since all my photos of summer Knot so far have been relatively poor I decided to take a few here, to boost my Knot gallery. They are not (!) bad. 

-Knot

With the tides changing the times that the waders arrive every day is getting later, and today it was around 4.00 that the first waders arrived. Until then I had not much to do at all, as a sea fret had come in and was making things difficult. Seawatching was out of the question and tern counting would be biased since I could hardly see half of them.

I did get some drama though when a familiar foe made another appearance. The female Sparrowhawk is really beginning to get on my nerves now. Again it left empty handed but once more made all my terns very on edge, making my job very difficult.

I was on Long Bank when the waders arrived, a very poor showing indeed, only a couple of hundred dunlin showing. There were 3 Grey Plovers among their ranks and the Summer Turnstone from yesterday. There was also the Curlew Sandpiper from yesterday, which was still looking lovely. Once more it came fairly close, and so I grabbed some more shots, though they would do well to add to yesterday’s photos. 

-Curlew Sandpiper

The final count of Little Tern juvs got a very respectable 30, not bad at all. There was too much movement though, as the terns were frequently being flushed, so much so that most of the Dunlin actually left, taking the Curlew Sand with them.

I decided to call it a night after the tern count at 4.30. The fret had made things very difficult, half the pool obscured. There had not anyone to send away during the entire afternoon shift and as a result there was little I could do besides watch the fog. As a result I drew the line and headed home. On the way back I spotted one of the Grey Seals near to shore, and since I have not taken any photos of them yet I decided to grab a few, since they are a regular feature of any day at Spurn.

-Grey Seal

And that was that. The fret came and went through the evening, but I remained exhausted so I did not go out again. Another birder was in the warren and he said that he had got nothing, so once more it seems I had the best of it up at the pools. Man, I love my job.

The Daily Oystercatcher

As mentioned both families were seen today. My family spent most of their time in their chick adult pairs, occasionally coming together to do some feeding. I managed to upset them multiple times while checking the fence and moving between Long Bank.

I was interested to note that when the above marsh harrier made an appearance, instead of the parents going off to mob them, they immediately ran to their chicks, as if to protect them. I don’t really see what an adult oystercatcher would have been able to do against a marsh harrier, but this was a different response to that seen to the Sparrowhawk over the last few days, a bird which was violently mobbed by the oystercatchers.

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Little Egret, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Dunlin, Gannet, Kestrel, Little Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Arctic Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Skua, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Herring Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Sanderling, Swallow, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Marsh Harrier, Common Scoter, Kittywake, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Knot, Starling, Sand Martin, Curlew Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Wren, Grey Seal, Brown Hare, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Small Skipper, Painted Lady, Wall Brown, 

Spurn Day 12 - LIFER ALERT

Sort of a continuation from yesterday; in the evening Paul was going to try to ring storm petrels and since I had never seen one I gave him a hand. However, nothing happened in yesterday’s half on the night with the exception of a few bats and a Toad. However on this side of the night stuff did start to happen and I picked up another lifer. Not a stormie or even anything alive but I saw my first Shooting Star. The first one I was not expecting and it was the brightest. I was surprised by just how bright it was, clearly adding illumination to the dark seascape as it whizzed overhead. There was a second too but this one was less bright. To say that I was thrilled would be an understatement! Paul even commented that I was easily pleased, which is true, and a good way to be I would say.

We now skip ahead to 5 in the morning as the shift began. It was another lovely morning only this time I was on the right side of it, so would be able to appreciate it all the way. There were no waders in when I arrived but still plenty of stuff around, including a personal record of 5 Little Egrets and both Oystercatcher families.

The morning began to pass with species coming and going. At around half 5 a Common Sandpiper dropped in, which I recognised by the call but only saw briefly. There were the usual assortment of regulars in, Arctic, Sandwich and Little Terns making up the bulk of the lagoon-side birds, plus the Ringed Plover and 5 Cormorants on the raft. At 6.00 I found a Red Knot feeding along the shoreline, but only one, and it soon moved onto the beach to feed.  At 6.10 I found a juvenile Little Gull preening itself on the side of the lagoon too, but again only one.

Things really began to kick off at 6.55. From behind me I heard a few terns call alarmingly and turned around to see a large black gull sized bird flying along the shoreline. It was an Arctic Skua, Dark morph. It moved along the beach very close to where I was sitting, the best view of one I have ever seen. The only downside was that the morning sun was behind it, so all I got of the bird was its silhouette. I was also surprised by how big it was, at least the size of a herring gull, but it has been 4 years since I last saw one. It was great to see, even though it’s my job to keep them away…

-Arctic Skua

The Skua did not stay long, only really passing through. It did cause absolute havoc in the colony, and the Sandwich Terns were probably part of the reason it did not stay for long. Its agility for a big bird while avoiding the terns was also striking, as was the size of terns in comparison to the Skua.

The tide had started to drift out over the morning so once the Skua had left and all had settled down I began to check out the birds on the beach. Most were Sandwich Terns with a few Arctic and Little thrown in. I continued scanning and stumbled across a small gull among the colony. I had a check of the key features and was left in no doubt that I had found myself a Kittywake sat on the beach. Now this may not sound much but this is a personal milestone for me. Ever since the Old Moor kittywake I have wondered if I would have been able to find and i.d a kittywake outside of its regular habitat. And now I had, with this individual on the beach. This self-found bird shows just how much I have improved even over this year.

-Kittywake

But the Gulls on the beach did not stop there. Another quick look and I found myself another unusual gull. Sadly it was quite distant but it was still pretty clear that I had found an adult Yellow-Legged Gull sat on the beach. This is not a species I see very often, though I have seen one at spurn already, but this one was self-found so all the more rewarding. Sadly I could not get any decent photos of it simply because of the distance, but they serve as record shots for this find.

-Yellow Legged Gull

I continued to scan the beach and the sea in case anything should drop in or drift by. I found a Black-Tailed Godwit feeding up near the far end of the beach and a young Gannet flew north at 7.20. The Terns were having a really bad day. Apparently the fox dropped in 4 times last night, then the Skua this morning. Add to that an adult and juvenile Kestrel that came in at 7.50 and a Grey Heron at 8.05 that sent them up. A Brown Hare then set them off, but these are easy enough for me to deal with.

It all settled down for a bit then, with birds coming and going but nothing major really. The next headlining bird to come along was a juvenile Marsh Harrier that drifted over from the north and circled the top area of the ponds. It then drifted west, largely avoiding the colony. It is a patch tick for me though, a nice addition.

-Marsh Harrier

Luckily the Harrier did not come in close enough for the terns to kick up a fuss. But their troubles did not stop there. At 10.50 the worst of them all came in. I saw the birds all go up but could not make out a threat, but this time it was really bad, as all the birds were calling and in the air. Then I saw it flying straight towards me. It was a male Sparrowhawk that had zoomed through the colony. It actually had the nerve to land in Area A, which meant I had to scare it off, a pity for such a spectacular bird. I did not see it get anything, but it went back south after I flushed it and I lost it, so it’s possible it may have done more damage out of sight. The Terns took an age to calm down, and were on edge for the whole afternoon, often going up for no reason.

The next bird that stood out from the regulars was something special, a self-found lifer. Out my 18 lifers this year only Corn Bunting was completely self-find, so this is pretty special, and long awited. As I watched the dunlin, a small group quite near to the hut I spotted one among them that was definitely not a dunlin, but for the first time it was pretty clear what it was. I had finally found myself a Curlew Sandpiper, at long last. Having seen one now I can safely overrule all the dubious birds during my time here.

It was a young bird, but molting so its plumage was quite blotchy. It really stood out from the Dunlins and was pretty much the spitting image of that in the book. It basically looked like a dunlin on stilts, with a slightly longer beak. I was very impressed by how different it actually looked in real life, having made it difficult for myself over the past few days. I tried to follow the bird as it fed to grab some photos for record purposes. I grabbed 2 in focus, but the bird I photographed and the bird’s plumage I saw looked completely different. It was not until I found a different photo from a different set that I figured it must just be the lighting

-Curlew Sandpiper (Middle Bird)

-Curlew Sandpiper (Central Bird)

I spotted the bird at 11.20 and by 11.40 the small flock of dunlin it was part of had taken off and gone to the beach. As a result when I went to lunch I kept an extra eye open for them. I failed to find any Dunlin but did flush 2 small waders. When I first saw them I considered if they were little stint, but were too red on the face and when they took of the distinct wing pattern showed clearly that they were Sanderling. I have never seen a summer plumage sanderling before so this was a plumage lifer for me, another addition to what was turning out to be a great day.

-Summer Plumaged Sanderling

By now it was getting quite hot, and me with 2 jackets on was beginning to feel a bit of a mug. However, the weather meant that Beacon Lane was alive with butterflies and dragonflies. On the small pond there was Ruddy Darter, both male and female, and Emperor, the latter was ovipositing too. On the butterfly front it was manly whites and browns, of the latter however I got a patch tick in Wall Brown. A species that used to be common back home, I hardly see them anymore, so I was well pleased when I found this individual, very fresh.

-Wall Brown

 On my walk back after lunch I found some more Sanderling on the beach. There were also Dunlin and the Ringed Plover. I had thankfully disposed of my excess clothing and so was feeling fresh for an afternoon perched on my dune watching the birds. If the morning was anything to go by I should be in for a good time.

The afternoon was significantly quieter than the morning, most things probably put down by the heat, as indeed was I. The haze over the pond was bad that I could not distinguish between Dunlin and Redshank in the wader roost. I did manage to distinguish the Black and Bar Tailed Godwits, 1 Black and 11 Bar, as well as count the number of Grey Plover, 13 with 1 summer plumaged ad.

At 2.30 the next treat came in, if only for about 10 seconds. I heard a peculiar call and turned round to see a pair of dark wader with distinctive white rumps drop in. They were Green Sandpiper, or so I take it, as they left almost immediately, before I could get the scope on them to look. I was scouring the bank where they had landed to get a better look, took my eye from the scope to get my bearing to see the birds flying off…

I enjoyed a quiet afternoon catching a few rays while counting terns and other birds. The Terns were still very put out due to the Sparrowhawk in the morning, but they had no real reason to worry despite their constant jittering. That’s until 4.15.

I heard the call of an alarmed tern at sea and looked to see an Arctic Skua mobbing a Sandwich Tern. It was quite far out but it was clear to see through the scope. It’s the first time I have ever seen a Skua undergo this characteristic mobbing behaviour. I have to be honest, its not pleasant to watch, though it is fascinating. This was quiet far out. The Tern got away this time, and the Skua began to approach the shore…

As a result I got the camera ready, but then lost the bird. In fact I lost both, as there two, but only one had been mobbing and only one was coming towards shore. I waited a couple of mins before deciding it must have moved off. I then heard the terns go mad, and spotted the Skua very close to the shore causing chaos. But as soon as I saw it, it began to move back out to sea, so not decent shots as such. It was still a great encounter and a behaviour tick to add to my collection.

-Arctic Skua Mobbing

-Arctic Skua

 The Skua left northwards I think, but I lost it again among the waves. It was almost time to head home too, having clocked up 50 species of bird during my shift today. The only other thing of note was a flock of Common Scoter that went north while I was watching the Skua. I did not follow them as I was busying trying to work out what kind of Skua I had (Poms or Arctic), but I reckon about 35 birds.

On the beach there were a few more Sanderling, this one though was a juvenile and so lacked the colouring on its head that the others I had seen had. I managed a pretty decent flight shot though as it took off.

-Sanderling

I arrived back at the warren at around half 5, absolutely worn out. I crashed onto the sofa for a good ten mins before I managed to muster the energy to cook dinner. 12 hour shifts on 4 hours sleep are not a good idea I have decided.

I had just put my chicken on when another birder, Rob, wandered in to get a jacket and said that there was a Bonxie on the sea. This required immediate attention. Off went the chicken, on went the boots. I made it up there, the bird still there, but it took me some time to actually find it. As we watched, Rob noticed that it was pecking something, which we worked out was an auk, probably a guillemot. The brute was giving it a fair old bash, but was too far out to get any pics.

That was the final bird of the day, clocking up my 3^rd yeartick and second Skua of the day, what a finish. A finish well worthy of the day I would have said.

The Daily Oystercatcher

And of course our update from Spurns star birds. Both chicks with both adults were about when I arrived, feeding along the shoreline. There was also some wing-stretching from the chicks which is a promising sign. Sometimes they were feeding themselves, but other times they were pestering their parents. One chick seems to pester the parent significantly more than the other, and I have also noticed that one of the chicks seems to wander on its own a lot; an independent chick.

But this feature has been going for a few days and I have not yet introduced you to our stars. So this morning when they were fairly close and together I grabbed a few photos. Please note that there is also a Little Egret, one of the 5, photo-bombing this family portrait.

-Oystercatcher (With Photobombing Little Egret)

Species List:

Beacon Pools: Little Egret, Little Tern, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Common Sandpiper, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern, Ringed Plover, Cormorant, Mallard, Mute Swan, Woodpigeon, Swallow, Black-Headed Gull, Whimbrel, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Knot, Little Gull, Skylark, Redshank, Arctic Skua, Kittywake, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Yellow Legged Gull, Gannet, Black-Tailed Godwit, Common Tern, Swift, Kestrel, Grey Heron, Sand Martin, Graylag Goose, Dunlin, Marsh Harrier, Carrion Crow, Sparrowhawk, Curlew Sandpiper, Linnet, Sanderling, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Pied Wagtail, Whitethroat, Grey Plover, Green Sandpiper, Magpie, House Martin, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Common Scoter, Blackbird, House Sparrow, Starling, Grey Seal, Brown Hare, Southern Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly, Ruddy Darter, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White, Wall Brown, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper,  Green-Veined White, Small Skipper, Ringlet, Red Admiral, Peacock, Small White,