Soil Hill Birding; updates from the week 29th August - 4th September

  The warm August gave way to a much wetter September, with the final arrival of rainy conditions and strong east wings. Nevertheless, the daily visits to the Hill continued unabated and still birds were being produced. We did also spend some time away visiting other areas, mainly for tourism but also visiting friends, and this meant a few of our visits were in the afternoon or early evening, obviously changing the dynamic of the birding.

• The bird of the week appeared during a late afternoon visit on the 3^rd, when a child riding an ATV on Ned Hill Track flushed out a roosting Tawny Owl. Fortunately, once the rider had moved on, the bird settled and we were able to get some amazing views. It understandably remained alert throughout our time watching, in stark contrast to the only previous time I have seen this species here, when the individual never opened its eyes. 

• The only true Mega of the week, or at least it was before this August, was on the 29^th when three Yellow Wagtails flew over Perseverance Road together. I fudged my camera settings but Lia was able to get a brilliant recording of the birds as they flew off heading east. We checked the horse paddocks along the road, but didn’t find them anywhere. 

  The change in conditions has not slowed down the stream of migrants passing through Soil Hill this autumn. As the season draws on the composition of migrants begins to gradually change, and that has already begun to take place this week.

• The most abundant of the notable migrants this week was absolutely Whinchat, with sightings on almost every single day. Generally the birds were found at the bottom of the North Slope where they remained distant, but on the 04^th there were also two at the top on the walls near the masts. The highest count of the week was 3 on the 30^th. It remains difficult to judge the total number of birds this autumn, but from our observations I suspect that there have been a minimum of five new birds this week, meaning an absolute minimum of 13 Whinchat so far this autumn. 

• The only Spotted Flycatcher of the week was actively feeding on Ned Hill Track at the end of the afternoon on the 02^nd. It showed well at times in lovely evening light.  

• The change in conditions had a dramatic effect of Tree Pipit observations this week, with just a single bird on the 29^th. Notably, this bird was not a flyover but was instead seen feeding on the short grass above the Ned Hill Track, quite the behavioral difference from the usual migrating individuals.   

• The local warbler squad remained on and off throughout the week, with Sedge Warbler still being seen until the 01^st, while Grasshopper Warbler was only seen on the 31^st. Blackcap was also seen on just one date, when an individual was seen at the bottom of the North Slope on the 04^th. 

• Willow Warblers completely dropped off a cliff this week, with no counts higher than four birds, and with my first blank dates since the spring.  In fact, three on the 30^th was the only date where more than one individual was seen. Conversely, Chiffchaff passage continued unabated, with multiple individuals recorded on every day this week peaking with four on the 03^rd. 

• A warbler I have generally left out of these summaries is Common Whitethroat, but numbers have already begun to drop as the autumn draws on and it has been most noticeable this week. With between four and six individuals were recorded until the 02^nd, after which only a couple of birds were noted. 

  The general birding also continued to provide some goodies, with the Grey Partridge putting in an appearance again with a single on the 30^th and the group of three seen again on the 01^st. A distant Collared Dove was seen flying north on the 31^st, which is the first I’ve recorded here since May. A rather dozy juvenile Common Buzzard has been around most of the week, perching on various posts at the bottom of the North Slope, where it takes the heat from the local corvids. And on the 01^st, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen flying south from the Koi Farm Copse.

  A distant Curlew was heard calling on the 29^th, but the individual eluded us. A small group of Lapwings has reappeared on the Bottom Cattle Fields, seen on and off throughout the week with a maximum count of 19 on the 03^rd. These bird have presumably started using the field again in , response to the wetter weather. Another species that will benefit from the fields becoming wet again are the Common Snipes, which also started to reappear more consistently this week with birds being seen on three dates this week. Sadly there was no repeat of the impressive snipe arrival seen last September, but as the fields become wet again hopefully the birds will return in good numbers. 

-Tawny Owl

-Spotted Flycatcher

-Tree Pipit

-Whinchat

Species List:
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Mallard, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Eurasian Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Sedge Warbler, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, Spotted Flycatcher, European Robin, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Western Yellow Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting,

Soil Hill birding; updates from the week 22nd - 26th August

This is the last full week in August for this year, and what an August it has been with an incredible 75 species recorded, an absolutely unbelievable month for inland birding generally, let alone Soil Hill. This week the good birds continued with a steady trickle of commoner migrants and a few other goodies sprinkled in for good measure. When the birding is like this it makes you excited to get out in the morning to see what you can find. 

• The bird (s) of the week were undoubtedly Yellow Wagtails. Remarkably, over the course of the week we recorded this species on four occasions, three in the same morning in what seems to be a remarkable run for the species at this site where I have only recorded it once previously.

  -The first of the week was on the morning of the 23^rd when we were at the bottom of the North Slope.  Fortunately, I was quickly able to pick up the bird and had some time to set up my camera to make sure I got a few photos. The bird was a little distant, and in the fog and panic I managed only a couple of blurred record shots, but since I failed to get anything when I last saw the species here, I am pleased I got something. The bird didn’t stop and continued west towards Ogden.

  -The next three records were all on the 26^th, with an individual flying over Taylor Lane at 06:44, and two flying over the bottom of the North Slope at 07:26 and then finally at 08:29. This corresponded with a trickle of other species, all of which were flying South-West. Sadly I only managed a few photos of the first bird, especially since the second bird flew really low over us.

Compared to the previous weeks, totals of migrants dropped off somewhat this week but there was still plenty to look at, including a long overdue addition to the year-list here. 

• On the 25^th the first Common Redstart of the year finally appeared on the Ned Hill Track, picked out excellently by Lia. This bird is the first time I have ever found a male here, and the lack of covert hooks suggests it may even be an adult. It was elusive and mobile so photos were at a premium. In the evening JJL found a redstart in the fields near Bradshaw which we went to look at, and superficially appears to be the same bird, showing how these migrants move through once they arrive.

• During the week we only recorded Whinchat on three dates, but that did include two together on the 24^th, the others being singles on the 25^th and 26^th. All of these birds have been in the same area at the bottom of the North Slope, which makes judging the total number difficult. However, by my reckoning, there have now been seven different individual Whinchat pass through so far this autumn. 

• There was a light scattering of Wheatear during the week, with observations on three dates; three on the 22^nd, two on the 24^th and a single on the 26^th.   

• The only Spotted Flycatcher of the week appeared in the garden of Rabbit Dell during the afternoon of the 22^nd, as we drove back over the Hill on our return from the supermarket. The bird did not appear present in the morning, so could have been brought down by the arrival of rainfall around lunchtime. It then stayed in the area until the 24^th.  

• Despite the many rarities so far this August, the month really belongs to Tree Pipit. This week was no exception with birds recorded every single day. Almost all of these were birds on vis-mig, with the highest counts being four on the 23^rd, five on the 24^th (within an hours period), and an incredible 11 on the 25^th; where nine flew south and two were grounded on the summit, the first grounded individuals this year.   

• The contingent of warblers remained present for this week, with Sedge Warblers making an appearance on the 23^rd and then two on the 24^th, again both juveniles. The juvenile Grasshopper Warbler was still present on three dates this week, and was even reeling, or attempting to, on the 23^rd. And a male and female/immature Blackcap have also been seen on and off at the bottom of the North Slope. 

• There were still a few Willow Warbler passing during the week, with 10 on the 22^nd and 11 on the 23^rd, before numbers dropped to just single figures. Chiffchaff is now being seen almost daily, with three on the 25^th being the highest count. This count included the first singing bird of the autumn.  

• The final few Common Swifts continued to pass through this week. A single was seen on the 22^nd, followed by a late group of six on the 26^th. Also on the 26^th there was a flock of nine House Martin that slowly flew south, the only sightings of the week. 

• Although it is not yet the time for true migrants, Goldcrest has already begun to appear more regularly, especially along Taylor Lane where at least one individual has been seen daily, and three seen together on the 23^rd. As the autumn draws on we can look forward to more of these beauties.    

On the none migrant front there continued to be a steady trickle of other interesting birds. The most notable of which is the first Green Woodpecker of the year which was on Taylor Lane on the 23^rd. Two Great Spotted Woodpecker were also seen flying south distantly on the 26^th, but this is a more regularly encountered species at this time of year.

The full contingent of 10 Grey Partridge was seen again on the 23^rd, although in two smaller groups of seven and three. There was one Curlew during the week, with a single on the 26^th which was calling further up the valley. Common Snipe was also recorded on the just the 26^th, but this was three individuals dropping in to the bottom  Cattle Fields, as hopefully numbers build up into the autumn.

And finally, we recorded our second highest total of Mistle Thrush of the year on the 22^nd when 24 flew over Taylor Lane. 

-Yellow Wagtail 23.08.2022

-Yellow Wagtail 26.08.2022

-Sedge Warbler

-Goldcrest

-Spotted Flycatcher

-Whinchats

-Tree Pipits

-Common Redstart

Species List:
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Mallard, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Swift, Common Moorhen, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Western Barn Owl, Little Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, European Green Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Sedge Warbler, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, Spotted Flycatcher, European Robin, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Western Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting, 

Northumberland dipping Black-Winged Prat

Not gonna spend too much time going through today. Train up for early morning, the bird was reported at half 4, but was sadly last seen at 7.00, 3 hours before I eventually arrived. The last observers to see it could not confirm that it left, though given that it has not been seen since it would seem likely that it has indeed left. 

The site itself, Bothal Pool was not difficult to get to but did lack anything else really to do. Birds on site were few and the wind was a real problem. As a result the three hours I spent waiting for the pratincole to return were not especially pleasant.

Bird highlights included Shelduck, Little Ringed Plover and the incredible Swifts whizzing round really close to us. Terry from Spurn was also there, so it was nice to catch up with another Spurn birder. I only took one bird photo through the whole day, which was of a very distant Yellow Wagtail in one the fields on the opposite side of the road. Through the scope I could see it was singing, but it was so distant I could not hear it at all.

-Yellow Wagtail

It did mean I got home for 7.00 in the evening, which is a more reasonable time than many of my trips. But in short it was a major disappointment, as any dip is, but this one was a species I really wanted to see...

Species List:

Bothal Pool: Black-Headed Gull, Little Ringed Plover, Mallard, Gadwall, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Swift, Reed Bunting, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Pied Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Magpie

Radford Meadows

So close to 250 I was in a very twitchy mood and as such I decided to go for the Green Winged Teal at Radford Meadows just outside Stafford. Sadly, in the 3 hours I waited, I failed to see the bird and it has not been seen since my visit, so I guess the 250th will have to wait.

There were a few nice birds around; there were at least 5 Little Ringed Plovers on the distant scrape, as well as 2 Dunlin. On the near scrape there were a pair of Shelduck and there was a Common Buzzard roosted in a tree. Behind me and over the canal there were a few spring migrants singing, though the only one I saw was a Whitethroat, which was a yeartick for me. As the afternoon wore on there also dropped in a couple Yellow Wagtails. One dropped very close to the viewing area but only briefly and then flew off onto the far scrape. It was then joined by another and a few Pieds.

-Yellow Wagtail

As the afternoon wore on the weather got poorer and poorer until it was full on pelting it down. It was at that point that I decided I'd had enough and left for the train. I was a little early for the train so went for a walk round the park nearby, as I had seen they had something of a little aviary.

The aviary was mainly gamebirds but there was a superb male Lady Amherst Pheasant, of all things. If only the Lidlington bird had shown like this...

-Lady Amherst's Pheasant

Species List:
Radford Meadows: Mallard, Gadwall, Shelduck, Canada Goose, Graylag Goose, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Pied Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Dunlin, Little Ringed Plover,

Orgreave Lakes

With nothing feasibly twitchable that wanted to stick around I headed down to the patch once again to see what, if anything, had changed. The answer is, not a lot, and there seemed to be fewer birds in total than there had been on previous visits. Granted, I was not there for first light due to being a lazy student but I was there for half 9, when the effects of dog walkers would not have been felt yet.

The Maned Duck and Egyptian Geese were all still present and correct, as were the other usual suspects dotted around the edge of the lakes. Once more the Wheatears put on a fine display including a couple of females. I got a few digiscoped shots of some of the males hanging around, as they were willing to perch reasonably close.

-Wheatear

As I was watching the Wheatears another birder/photographer wandered the opposite way along the path and mentioned that he had seen 3 Yellow Wagtails behind the large mound. This would be a year-tick so I hurried off to have a look. Behind the mound there were none but I did pick them up further along looking lovely as they ran around the field.

They were not easy to digiscope as they were mobile and kept well down in the grass, but one of them eventually decided to cross the path and it allowed me a chance to get some shots for the trip/year. These are possibly the most yellow Yellow Wagtails I have ever seen, they were remarkably bright, which may not come across in the photos.

-Yellow Wagtail

I had a quick check on the birdguides app on the way back, and found that something twitchable had dropped in: 2 Black-Winged Stilts in Staffordshire. I entertained the possibility of twitching these and so headed off to get some bus wifi and work it all out. Not that I would have stayed on site any later having not known this, but an hour after my departure at midday an arctic tern was reported on site, and 20 mins after than an osprey flew through...

you can't have them all!!

Species List:

Orgreave Lakes: Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Egyptian Goose, Graylag Goose, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Little Ringed Plover, Blackcap, Redshank, Wheatear, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, 

Spurn Day 57

Today was going to be a busy day preparing for the festival and as such I knew that I was not going to be able to do much birding. I therefore awoke early in order to get as much in as possible. The seawatching was as quiet as it has been recently. 

However things quickly picked up when news came through that an unbelievable bird had been caught at Churchfield. They had caught a Wryneck, and were showing it off in a few mins. I got a lift with Andy and we headed up there. We did not have to wait the 10mins, as most people were already there and since it was so early we were not expecting any none regulars.

When the bird was brought out the first thing that struck me was the way its neck moved, hence the name. It reminded me of a snake in some way. After a bit though it stopped moving its neck and just settled down for us to watch it in a more natural position. It did seem much longer and thinner than they have done in the field but that may have been as a result of its current predicament. 

It was the undoubted highlight of all the birds that I had seen being ringed during my time at spurn, but due to the fact that it was so early in the morning I was unable to get any crystal clear photos as the light was too poor and the bird was very mobile. Either way though it was special to see and well worth the early morning. 

-Wryneck

I then headed back to the seawatching via the canal until the time came to go shopping. Just as we were setting off Tim reported that he may have a greenish warbler but that he needed help to relocate the bird. We headed over that way to help him look.

When the Wryneck had been released it flew off over towards Kew villa, over westward. When we were walking down the canal towards to Tim, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a medium Brown Bird flying behind me. I turned and got bins on it as it alighted in a small tree. As soon as I picked it up I knew it was Wryneck. I let Andy know and we had a good look at it as it perched there before we headed towards Tim. Just as I turned Andy said 'did it have a ring?', In the excitement of seeing the bird I ha forgotten this key feature, but when I turned around the bird had gone. I tried to re-locate it but I was unable to do so and so gave up. The Question of whether or not the bird was a new one or the same one remained to be answered. This mystery took another turn when 2 Wrynecks were seen in that area later in the day, one with and one without a ring on. Perhaps I had found a new bird, or perhaps not. We will never know, but it was exciting to find my own even if it was not a new bird.

The greenish warbler was never refound and so we headed off shopping. When we came back I was dropped off to wander down to the warren along the canal, without my radio. When I arrived back at the warren I turned my radio on to find no message. Unbeknownst to me a third wryneck had been caught in the warren right next to me and I had no idea. How frustrating!

The afternoon was spent putting up the main Marquee, and as such we were not able to do much birding. However in the evening I came along to help Paul and Tim do some Yellow Wagtail and Swallow ringing. It was lovely to see the Yellow Wagtails in the hand, though the light was poor and I was unable to get any decent photos.

-Yellow Wagtail

Species List:

Canal Side: Yellow Wagtail, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard,

Spurn Day 53 - LIFER ALERT

Time was running out on my time at spurn, so I decided to finally go for a walk down the point. I had to wait until the tide had receded; as a result I spent some time birding round the warren to see if I could see anything.

First of all I watched from up at numpties where there continued to be plenty of tree sparrows flying overhead, around 500 today. There was also a Spotted Flycatcher hunting around the warren which gave decent views through the bins.

I then headed to Canal Scrape but it was as quiet as Canal Scrape usually is. There was a single Pied Flycatcher hunting along the back but the highlight was when a flock of 7 Little Egrets flew across the pond, sadly not landing but it was a nice sight to see.

When the tide had gone down enough I headed out and down the point. The birds were sparse for the most part of the walk down, the exception being at Chalk Bank hide where there were good numbers of birds still roosted up. The roost included 129 Oystercatcher, 39 Curlew and 28 Greater Black-Backed Gulls.

But I had not really gone down for the birds, only for the nice walk and to see what it was really like. With the exception of the breach itself there did not seem to be an excess of damage. The vegetation was more substantial than I imagined, with high bushes over low scrub. I took plenty of photos from the trip though…

-Spurn Point

As for birds on the point? Well there were a few nearer the end but there was so much shrubbery that there could have been anything there. The highlights where 2 Whinchat which sat nicely and a stunning Yellow Wagtail, the most yellow I have seen one during my time here.

-Yellow Wagtail

I failed to find any megas, but I had a nice time and it was a pleasant walk. On my return I spent most of the afternoon chilling and following the football. In the evening though I headed up to the seawatch to enjoy the tern movement.

I had only been up there around 20mins when I got todays lifer. Steve suddenly announce, quick get on this. He then followed up saying he thought it was a great crested grebe, but as more opinions came in as the bird was picked up it was announced that it was a Red-Necked Grebe. As soon as this came about I doubled my efforts to get onto the bird and managed it just as it came up to straight out. It was certainly a grebe, and the red neck could almost be seen, though it was a little too far out unfortunately. It continued on and had soon passed us.

Another lifer, but this was the final grebe I needed to get all the grebes on the British List. As far as I can work out it is the first full set of British birds that I have, grebes, so that in itself is pretty special. I was thrilled to bits with that, and a great end to the day.

There were other birds during the evening, including 2 Kittywake and a Little Gull, adding variety to the usual Common and Black-Headed Gull. 2 Red-Throated Divers went north too, on about the same line as the grebe, so offering a nice comparison through the evening.

Species List:

Vis-Migging: Tree Sparrow, Spotted Flycatcher, Whitethroat, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Magpie,

Canal Scrape: Redshank, Snipe, Dunlin, Coot, Pied Flycatcher, Mallard, Reed Bunting, Little Egret, Willow Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern,

Spurn Point: Oystercatcher, Cormorant, Curlew, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black-Headed Gull, Robin, Whinchat, Dunnock, Yellow Wagtail,

Seawatching: Red-Necked Grebe, Little Gull, Kittywake, Guillemot, Red-Throated Diver, Swallow, Herring Gull, Oystercatcher, Arctic Skua, Kestrel,

Spurn Day 47

I decided that my spurn patch weekend list was in need of a boost. So I awoke with the intention to find as many species as possible so that I may be crowned NGB champion. I started as usual at the seawatching, where I added Eider to my list of species for the weekend.

I next headed along the canal to try and pick up species. I got a great tick when a Marsh Harrier flew over me. It was quite muggy in the morning so my photo was not very good, even when it flew straight overhead. I grabbed a few shots to include on the website but I have only included them as a record purpose.

-Marsh Harrier

. I spent a bit of time with Tim looking over the estuary. I found Golden Plover to add to my list while Tim found Greenshank and Yellow-Legged Gull that we both added. I then moved along the triangle towards Beacon Lane which I then wander up in order to spot as many species along the road. Stuff was about along Beacon Lane, including Grey Partridge, Wheatear and more Whinchat, the latter of which I got some photos of. Also along Beacon Lane on a none avian front was a lovely Common Lizard that I spotted basking on a rock. 

-Whinchat

-Common Lizard

On the ponds I added a few Wildfowl like Wigeon and Mute Swan, not overly rare but very important in a bird race. I then headed along to wetlands to see what was on there. The best things I found were Pintail, Common Sandpiper and plenty of Yellow Wagtails. As soon as I arrived there was one on the fence which was as close as I have ever been to one, allowing me to get some of my best ever shots of the species.

-Yellow Wagtail

Also on wetlands, and the highlight of the walk was a juvenile Little Ringed Plover which had been there for a few days but I had not seen. Its a Spurn Lifer for me, so I was very excited to see it, the first one I have seen for a few days.

-Little Ringed Plover

I continued round picking up odd bits, the highlight being a Spotted Flycatcher on Beacon Lane, Spurn Tick. In the evening I also patch ticked Razorbill going north which was nice. Overall, a sound day and a great list to help me on my way with the NGB patch challenge.

Species List:

Seawatching: Arctic Skua, Gannet, Common Scoter, Knot, Common Teal, Wheatear, Oystercatcher, Fulmar, Sandwich Tern, Yellow Wagtail, Eider, Red-Throated Diver, Redshank, 

Mooching About: Whinchat, Cuckoo, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Blue Tit, Lesser Whitethroat, Great Tit, Wren, Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Blackbird, Whitethroat, Curlew, Golden Plover, Greenshank, Whimbrel, Cormorant, Oystercatcher, Mallard, Robin, Yellow-Legged Gull, Collard Dove, Goldfinch, Dunnock, Carrion Crow, Grey Partridge, Kestrel, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Wheatear, Linnet, Yellow Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Dunlin, Wigeon, Little-Ringed Plover, Shelduck, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Pied Wagtail, Little Egret, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Chaffinch, Collard Dove, Spotted Flycatcher, Greenfinch, Meadow Pipit, Coot, Starling, House Sparrow, 

Seawatching: Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Oystercatcher, Razorbill, Common Tern, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Arctic Skua,

Spurn Day 42

Today was a quiet day on the bird front, but today we commence with the fence removal. I gratefully accepted the lie in and so crawled out of bed at the time and sluggishly headed out to bird.

A wander round in the morning and a look out to sea yielded very little. It was only when I was on my way up to the ponds during early afternoon that things started to get a little more interesting, when I spotted a group of 5 Whinchat on the fence lines. Sadly they quickly moved up but I managed a reasonable photo of one of them.

-Whinchat

I arrived early at fence removal to check everything was in order. It was. I had a look for the terns and sent 1 chick flying frantically away, but it shows that they are doing well. We then began to fence removal. It was hard graft, harder than I expected and slower too, but it had begun, and the first few wires came down.

After the afternoons hard graft I was well ready to crash out in the warren. Fortunately on the way there I spotted some nice birds to keep the spirits high, including a couple of Yellow Wagtails alighted on the fence posts opposite where the whinchats had been. I grabbed a few shots of them, looking lovely in the evening light.

-Yellow Wagtail

The evenings seawatch was dead, nothing to note at all there. The possible highlight were 6 Common Scoter, but even they could hardly rescue it. In all honesty I have had days more productive at Soil Hill than that evenings seawatch.

Species List:

Seawatching: Common Tern, Swallow, Common Gull, Gannet, Meadow Pipit, Black-Headed Gull, Common Scoter, Oystercatcher, Stock Dove, Sand Martin,

Spurn Day 24 - LIFER ALERT

Tonight we returned to the usual night pattern which involves no fox, or rather, that I see no fox, but it could well have been there and gone as soon as I turned the torchlight on. On my walk back to the warren I did see the devil on Beacon Lane, but he turned into a field from the lane, and was well away from the colony at this point.

By midday I was awoken from my recovery sleep by the AGM going on in the lounge. I spent a good couple of hours in bed waiting for it to finish so I could leave, but it did not. I fortunately had no reason to leave as there was a torrential thunderstorm occurring outside, and that would therefore mean few birds. So was the theory, though birdguides was reporting a wood sandpiper at Spurn. I am bitter I slept through that to say the least.

Finally at around 2.00 I decided I had done enough and left my room. Without thinking I left without any of my kit, or even any socks, so when my breakfast was finished and the meeting was not I suddenly realised I would have to go back through the meeting in order to get my stuff to go out. I did not particularly like this idea. Fortunately I had left my scope in the kitchen the night before and as such I was able to take that, slip on my boots and go for a bit of Seawatching while I waited for the meeting to finish.

Naturally for that time in the afternoon the sea was dead. There was the odd bit of movement but nothing really, and you could count the number of birds at any one time on one hand. The highlight was a Bonxie that came and landed on the sea at mid-distance. Only the second time I have seen one this year, so that was nice to see. There was also a flock of Common Scoter (9) that went south, but they were the highlights of probably around a 15min stint.

 I had not got any jackets with me, so due to the cold and the lack of birds I finally decided I would have to disrupt the meeting in order to get any use from the day. I also found out the story of the wood sand, apparently it had been on Canal Scrape, but had been flushed as the guy who found it, his radio was on too loud and the bird cleared off. It landed in the triangle, so there was still the possibility that it was around. As a consequence when I had gathered my stuff I headed that way to see if it would return to the Scrape.

As I walked in I could see a couple of birders looking over in the corner at something. It was a Common Sandpiper, bobbing in the corner. I got to watch it for around 5 mins before it upped sticks and headed off on the Humber. It was a great start, considering the last time I had been on this scrape I could count the birds I had seen on one hand.

Gradually the other birders left, and I was soon birding alone. There were still some Swallows entering the hide to their nest in the rafters. As a result I got exceptional views of them, one bird frequently sat on the rafter above our heads just chilling, with the other bird entering and then relieving it of duty. What they were doing I do not know, as there was no calling from any chicks, the bird was not sitting, implying no eggs, and both birds were clearly adults, so what they were gaining I struggled to comprehend.

After about 20 mins in the hide things were not looking good. So far I had managed a Snipe and a Whitethroat. Things were looking a little bleak to say the least. However my fortunes quickly changed. I did not see it drop in, but at 3.40 I noticed a waders head sticking out of the shrubbery where the snipe had been. This was definitely not a snipe head, that much was clear. As soon as I got contact on it, I was in no doubt at all that this was the Wood Sandpiper I had sought after.

It was stunning bird, the eye stripe so striking and the speckles along its back glistened in the afternoon sun. It was a lovely bird to see to say the least. My only wish was that I could get some photos like the views I was getting through the scope. My wish was granted! The bird moved along the near shoreline the whole time, eventually coming to the closest point to the hide, around 3 meters max away from my seat. Its habit of keeping to the bankside vegetation made it difficult to get any clear record shots, but the birds close proximity meant I could get photos with all the birds features and beauty in a clear format.

-Wood Sandpiper

That is, or course a lifer for me, and it seems this year at least, with my 4 sandpiper lifers (Green, Curlew and Pectoral), that all have been exceptionally close and all have been adult birds giving exceptional views. Usually sandpipers are so skittish and hard to approach, so to have had such experiences with all four truly has been amazing.

The bird stayed with us for about an hour. Another couple of birders came in too, about 3 I recall, and saw the bird. I had intended to proudly announce the birds return down the radio, but when it came to it I found my radio was flat…

I got to watch the bird preen, stretch, sleep, even regurgitate a pellet (Which I would have loved to collect). I basically got a full house of its behaviours, which was more than I could have wanted. It came as close to the hide twice before it left. Its departure was due to a very sudden thunderstorm, a very heavy sudden thunderstorm, and when I say heavy I mean really really heavy. It was some downpour to say the least and I do not blame the bird for leaving, as every single other bird also made a break for shelter, even the ducks. The best bit of this, though slightly harsh, was watching the snipe run for cover across an area of short grass from the water’s edge. They looked unbelievably comical, almost like they were about to trip over their long bills.

-Thunderstorm

It was as the Wood Sandpiper approached for the first time that I began to get spoiled for choice. A Yellow Wagtail dropped in on the short grass at about the same time (Pre thunderstorm) and began feeding there. It too began to move closer. So now I have a situation where I can photograph incredibly close Wood Sand and Yellow Wag at the same time, talk about being spoilt for choice.

-Yellow Wagtail

The yellow wagtails stay was not very long though, less than 10 mins for definite, and it had left before the wood sand reached maximum closeness. To say I had seen nothing while I had been there last time, this had been quite some day. But despite the suaveness of the Wood Sand, and despite the views of the Yellow Wag, what really got me truly excited was when a snipe flew across and landed in front of the hide. Snipe are one of my favourite birds. They are so comical, and yet seem to have so much character. And their plumage is also subtly beautiful, and that was what really caught me with this bird since it was so close and seemed so fresh. I did not really get any great shots, but post thunderstorm another bird dropped in and this one was a bit showier, though the light was now against me. I think though that it is safe to say that my love for the snipe has been re-kindled.

-Snipe

Once the thunderstorm had passed I decided to head off in order to download my pictures and gather my things before the annual Spurn BBQ. I spent a couple of hours at the BBQ before I had to leave for my shift. I actually left a bit early to see if I could catch any waders on the pond but there were very few there, only a handful of Redshank, Dunlin and Knot, but their numbers were very thin on the ground.

So now I sit in the darkness typing this up, reflecting on the day. Even though it was one of the shortest days I have had at Spurn I would say it was one of the best. Lifer, a favourite and dramatic conditions all make for a recipe for a great day. It does also mean that I now have a full house of British waders, with a few passage exceptions (Phalaropes, Temmincks, Kentish), who would have predicted that as the start of the year.

The Daily Oystercatcher

In all the excitement of the day it would be easy to forget about our beloved Oyks. But fear not, I have not forgotten them, though there is very little to tell. From what I have seen of them today they have no really done anything out of the ordinary, spending a lot of time feeding and moving about. The chicks are almost as big as the adults now and it is getting difficult to tell them apart in low light. My babies are growing up too fast…

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Little Egret, Dunlin, Knot, Oystercatcher, Sandwich Tern, Mute Swan, Redshank,

Seawatching: Sandwich Tern, Great Skua, Common Scoter, Linnet, Sand Martin, Swallow, Oystercatcher, Common Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull,

Canal Scrape: Common Sandpiper, Snipe, Swallow, Mute Swan, Mallard, Woodpigeon, Whitethroat, Sand Martin, Linnet, Blackbird, Wood Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail, Magpie, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Coot, Black-Headed Gull, Sedge Warbler, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Sandwich Tern, Little Egret, Whimbrel,

Spurn Day 18

So today is the nearest thing to a day off, and a chance to go and explore Spurn. As usual I headed first up to the Vis-Migging point, where there was an incredible amount of Swallow Movement. While I was there, for an hour and a half, I counted around 600 Swallows going south, and around 11 Sand Martins were going with them. There was also a few dragonflies hunting the area, including Migrant Hawker, one of which sat down very near to where I was standing, so I decided to grab a few photos of it.

-Migrant Hawker

I stayed until lunch. After lunch I decided to head off to collect my laundry from Kew. I headed up Canalside, but the tie was out and there was not much around on the walk. There were good numbers of insects with many butterfly species and a few dragonflies, such as Emperor and Common Darter.

Once I had gathered my kit I decided to walk back along the road and the coast, to complete the triangle walk. In the field next to Kew I got the days highlight when I found 3 Yellow Wagtails feeding in one of the puddles there. Initially they moved off, but they returned, though they kept skulking in the grass. After a bit they began to alight on branches and wires, giving better, but more distant views.

-Yellow Wagtail

It was a quiet walk overall, and as such did not really add much else along the way. At the end of the walk, near the seawatching hut I did find some more birds, in a flock of around 25 Common Scoter that were chilling on the sea. It was quite difficult to judge numbers because of the wave movement, and because they were quite far out, but I did my best and 25 is about right.

-Common Scoter

So that was the days fun over with, and of course the nightshift has begun. I was shocked to arrive to the sight of no birds on the edge of the pond. My initial concern was that something terrible must have happened, but checking through Keirons notes and it seems the opposite is true, with 28 juvs leaving today. I guess they must have just been waiting for the wind and then they were off.

The Daily Oystercatcher

Not a lot to write today, as I arrived too late to really get any views. I had a check when I saw there were no birds, and the Oyks were sitting by the side of the pond so were unfortunately disturbed by my checking. But since the chicks did not fly at this point I think its safe to say they have not fully developed their flight feathers yet, though it can't be long now.

Species List:

Vis-Migging: Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Swallow, Swift, Sand Martin, Migrant Hawker,

Triangle: Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshank, Common Scoter, Yellow Wagtail, Starling, House Sparrow, Whitethroat, Oystercatcher, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Swallow, House Martin, 

Beacon Ponds: Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Dunlin, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover,

Orgreave Lakes - Avenged

Today is the last day of what has been an extraordinary Easter. Since its a Sunday my options as to where I can go, so I decided to go to my local path Orgreave, just to see what was about. The weather improved through the morning, until it was sunny and warm. That made it a rather pleasant walk. Sadly I slept through my alarm so when I arrived there were a too few many dog walkers around. However, there were also a few birders around, so I got to ask them what was around. 

The answer was not a lot, but I set up on main lake to watch. The highlights were a Wigeon that flew in, quite late in the year, and a pair of Little Ringed Plover right in front of me, so I was able to get some decent record shots.

-Little Ringed Plover

After a while I decided to carry on round, on the way flushing a Wheatear and watching Great Crested Grebes on the lake. However, near the outlet pipe I stumbled across a really stunning bird, one that I only saw for the first time this year yesterday. Indeed, it was a Yellow Wagtail, and far more sedentary than yesterdays birds, allowing me to grab a few photos. However, while I was watching it, it was joined by another Yellow Wagtail, the first time I have ever seen more than together.

-Yellow Wagtail

I also found a Pied Wagtail on the banks. I considered the possibility of getting a photo with all 3 British wagtail species in it, but I considered the prospect of finding a grey wagtail on this site was very unlikely...

A few meters up though I saw a wagtail with a grey back land on the bank. I considered it so unlikely that I would find a grey wagtail that I considered blue headed or channel before it, but indeed it was a Grey Wagtail. I was shocked, and impressed, the first time I have ever seen all 3 British wagtail species in one day. A first time for everything.

-Grey Wagtail

I continued round, though there were many dogs around which I thought would end all hopes of finding something. It did not however, as I stumbled across a rather bold male Wheatear near the path, bobbing around and hunting in the grass. Once more, when you see these birds it is difficult to believe just how stunning they are. 

-Wheatear

I set up on the far side of where I had been. From my vantage point I could see 4 Little Ringed Plovers in front of me, and a few more Redshank. The Wigeon flew back in, though I did not see it leave. After some time my mind wandered off for a few mins...

I came back to find 2 terns on the lake in front of me. I panicked. I immediately went for the camera to grab some photos so I could identify them when I got back. I then tried to find them with the scope but I could not really get a decent view. From my position I would have said the streamers were too short, but I am not familiar with arctic terns so I could not say so. However, I then checked the photos while the terns were hunting up the far end.

From the photos; Shortish bill, no obvious black at the end, short neck and, most importantly black fringes on the underside of the wing. So then, I have, finally, on the last day of the holiday, finally found my Arctic Terns. The birds (there were 2) stayed on the lake for about 20 mins while they moved up and down the main lake, before heading off northwards. 

Having been over all week looking for these birds it was such a relief to find them, and on my own patch. And that I found them, so overall I probably would not have had it any other way. The only downside was that the birds did not land on the lake, which was disappointing, but I still managed a few decent record shots...

Que record shots:

-Arctic Terns

After they left I decided to head off to finish off my essay. However, I left having had a stunning day, finally finding some Arctic Terns and finding lovely Yellow Wagtails, a great day with great species found.

Species List:

Orgreave Lakes: Skylark, Reed Bunting, Starling, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Lapwing, Canada Goose, Graylag Goose, Sand Martin, Coot, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Little Ringed Plover, Mute Swan, Great-Crested Grebe, Black-Headed Gull, Meadow Pipit, Wigeon, Wheatear, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Swallow, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Yellow Wagtail, Redshank, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Kestrel, Linnet, Arctic Tern, Chaffinch,