Spurn 31.10.2016
Another day largely built upon westerly winds. The strength
of the wind had dropped off markedly, but there did seem to be a large number
of thrushes in, with Blackbirds lining the road and fieldfares in most of the
bushes. I decided once again to head down the point, but the trip was
punctuated by other birds. It started fairly poorly, when I returned at the
breach to have a look a couple of Twite that had been caught at the Warren.
-Twite
Once down the point I struggled to concentrate as not long
after I arrived at Chalk Bank, news broke through that a shrike sp. had been
seen in Canal Hedge, but it had only been seen briefly. I initially stalled in
the area so I could race back if I needed to, but when no more news was
received I decided to continue down the point. At the lighthouse I stumble
across 5 Snow Buntings, including a bird that appears to be an Icelandic
individual based on how brown it is.
-Snow Bunting
Not long after this the radio buzzed again regarding the
shrike, suggesting that it ‘looked interesting’ but nothing more would be said.
I made a call to head back to make sure I was near if anything was going to
become of it. I was just on the far side of the breach when the Paul French
announced that he had seen it clearly, and thought it looked like a Brown
Shrike. Panic set it and I fair paced it back to the hedge.
The Shrike proved difficult at first, showing clearly but
not for long at all. However, with only Spurn Regulars on site it was easy to
manoeuvre ourselves into a position where we were able to see it clearly. The
bird was clearly much more uniform brown than would be expected for a red
backed and was obviously too dark for either Isabelline race. Its mask was also
striking. A cracking bird, and Spurns seventh MEGA of the autumn (Five of which
I have connected with).
-Brown Shrike
In the afternoon we continued with the ongoing odd jobs
associated with the observatory garden. However we did see the four
White-fronted Geese that were knocking about in Easington, although from a
distance.
Species List:
Spurn: Blackbird,
Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Reed Bunting, Linnet,
Twite, Snow Bunting, Dunlin, Sanderling, Knot, Grey Plover, Mallard, Mute Swan,
Wigeon, Brown Shrike, Woodpigeon,. Swallow, Water Rail, Moorhen,
Spurn 01.11.2016
The first day on November brought with it cold northerly winds,
leaving the whole of the Spurn area feeling rather wintery. I headed down the
point early on to try and find whatever was down there first. Sadly though I
failed to find anything good and, despite good numbers of thrushes, there was a
general dearth of species variety. The undoubted highlight was relocating the
Icelandic Snow Bunting on the beach. This time I was sure to get some rump
shots, the dark centres of which confirm the bird to be of the subspecies
‘insulae’. An interesting and extremely educational bird!
-Snow Bunting
In the afternoon, with the bushes continuing to be hard
work, we continued to work in the garden, clearing rubbish and storing
firewood. In the end a rather steady day but a pleasant affair anyway!
Species List:
Spurn Peninsula: Blackbird,
Fieldfare, Redwing, Brambling, Chaffinch, Snow Bunting, Reed Bunting, Curlew,
Common Scoter, Turnstone, Starling, Wren, Robin, Cormorant, Herring Gull,
Dunlin, Sanderling, Great Black-backed Gull,
Spurn 02.11.2016
November is meant to mark the slowing down of autumn with
fewer birds and generally colder weather. My parents were coming today, so I
was in no rush to really do much, rather try and keep myself in order. After a
lie-in I headed down to the Seawatching hide in the hope of something flying
past.
And something did. We were all watching out to sea, when the
radio crackled into life with obvious excitement. The only word I heard clearly
was Egret flying north over the warren, but a quick pivot round quickly put me
on a Cattle Egret flying straight over my head. If only I had picked it up
sooner, as my photos were all of the bird flying away from me. It looked
initially like it might drop in, but instead it flew off out over the Humber and
then north. It was only when it was out over the Humber that I finally got
decent views of its bill and a more general impression of its overall
structure. I had rattled off record shots as soon as it had come over, a lifer
after all, sadly though all but a few were of just the wings and feet. I
managed a few of the bird in profile when it flew more westwards towards the
Humber over the triangle. I scoped it out over the Humber and followed it as It
drifted up river until it was pointless following it anymore. Another lifer
this autumn and only the third record for the Spurn area!
-Cattle Egret
Once the excitement had reduced I realised I should probably
head back up to the obs in order to meet my parents. I had only just got back
when the radio again crackled with the news of the Rough-legged Buzzard in the
triangle. It was apparently flying north, but neither myself nor Ian who were
there could see it. However the behaviour of the crows suggested it could be
flying quite low, and when I checked the Humber we had it flying low down going
north. Again, if we had gotten onto it sooner we would have got cracking views
and shots, but sadly not to be.
The afternoon with the parents nice. I took them out to see
a couple of birds in the hand, which included a Twite and a Woodcock. Both
cracking birds and really nice to see in the hand, especially the Woodcock,
which was docile enough to be held in a ringers pose without too much bother.
-Twite
-Woodcock
Species List:
Triangle: Woodcock,
Twite, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow,
Rough-legged Buzzard, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Gannet, Guillemot, Common
Scoter, Mallard, Wigeon, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Common Snipe, Blackbird,
Redwing, Fieldfare, Robin, Dunnock,
Spurn 03.11.2016
Having discussed with Sarah about trying to catch Snow
Buntings down the point today we headed off in the hope of finding some by the
lighthouse. It quickly seemed like we might not have to go down, having come
across three approachable birds at the breach, but they were not having any of
it. One bird took a long look at the spring trap before changing its mind, and
that was as close as we got. On the other hand I did get a cracking view of the
buntings, two of which I reckon were Icelandic Snow Buntings judging by its
brown rump with dark centres. Being around the breach meant we were in luck when a Waxwing was caught at the Warren. Its great to see these stunning birds up close like this.
-Waxwing
After a while the buntings took flight and headed south down
the peninsula. We did not come across them again on our trip down the
peninsula. To be honest, we did not find much of anything, the best of it
probably a Woodcock flushed. The highlight was a single run of the Heligoland
trap at the point, which produced a whopping 17 Blackbirds, plus a single
Redwing. That was extremely exciting, as I scribed or Sarah who ringed them.
-Blackbirds
-Redwing
Species List:
Spurn Peninsula: Woodcock,
Robin, Redwing, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Reed Bunting, Kestrel, Goldcrest,
Turnstone, Cormorant, Snow Bunting, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull,
Spurn 04.11.2016
After a night of drinking it was remarkable that we all woke
up at a reasonable time and that we continued with our original plan of going
down the point. The walk down was good fun, but we saw very little. There was
an obvious clearout of birds down the point, with thrush numbers much reduced
on what they had been the previous day. Still we ran the Heligoland trap a
couple of times and caught a small sample of Blackbirds which was nice.
The obvious highlight was an absurdly tame fox on the main
loop path. When we first saw it we all quietened down in order to not scare it,
but then it came running up to us. We were able to touch it the thing came so
close.
-Fox
On the way back we spotted the three Snow Buntings that
Sarah and I had spent the previous morning trying to trap. We tried again, but
sadly we were not successful once again. Whats worse is that this time one of
the birds actually stepped into the trap but failed to set it off. After at
least an hour of trying the buntings all got up and flew south, and that was
the end of that. Two of the birds were Icelandic Snow Buntings, and this time I
got a few pictures, although nothing spectacular.
Species List:
Spurn Peninsula: Woodcock,
Blackbird, Fieldfare, Reed Bunting, Snow Bunting, Herring Gull, Great
Black-backed Gull, Redwing, Robin, Dunnock, Dunlin, Sanderling, Curlew, Knot,
Spurn 05.11.2016
The weather started cold, wet and windy. It was not pleasant.
When I did eventually get out birding I went round ponds and wetlands but it
was a waste of time. Besides the usual wildfowl species there was not much
happening. The wind made it a struggle to hold the scope steady. It felt good
to get out though, even if it was pretty unproductive.
Species List:
Kilnsea Wetlands,
Beacon Ponds & Holderness Field: Wigeon, Mute Swan, Teal, Mallard,
Greylag Goose, Brent Goose, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Grey Plover,
Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Redshank, Greenshank,
Spurn 06.11.2016
I could have got up early and gone to Welwick to see if the
Pallid Harrier came out of roost, but I didn’t. As a result, when I was proven
wrong and the bird was seen in the morning there was a massive sense of
disappointment, even though it was my own stupid fault.
We walked up to Sammies to hopefully pick it up flying over
the saltmarsh. A few other birders were also there and after a bit of time I
did manage to pick the Pallid Harrier up. It was distant but a clear view, with
a distinctive white rump and rusty underwings both obvious in flight. It then
dropped and despite our efforts we were unable to pick it up again from
Sammies. As a result I managed to flag a lift round to Welwick to try and spot
it closer and showing better. Sadly though, despite two hours waiting there,
the heavy rain and hail meant that the bird did not show again.
The heavy rain, wind and cold temperature put pay to most of
the rest of the days birding. On the way back we had a look at the putative Greenland
White Fronted Geese in the fields in Easington. I would rather spend the time
in the Obs warming up after the morning’s cold session.
In the afternoon we headed out again, back to the Harrier
site at Welwick marsh. After a short
while it showed much better in the evening gloom, slowly flying across the
saltmarsh. This time I was able to fully take it in, including the neck collar
among the other features. A cracking bird that’s for sure.
-Pallid Harrier
Species List:
Sammies Point/Welwick
Marsh: Pallid Harrier, Turnstone, Little Egret, Sparrowhawk, Greenland
Whitefront Goose, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard, Mute Swan,
Marsh Harrier, Reed Bunting, Meadow
Pipit, Redshank, Common Snipe, Dunlin, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull,
Common Gull,
