Spurn Day 29 - LIFER ALERT

So for anyone in the birding world I am offering no prizes for guessing what today’s lifer is. For anyone who is not, let me tell you now: it’s a good one! Birders may also be wondering, since it’s the ponds where I work, did I find it? Sadly not, but I did grab myself a place in the books in other ways today. So in case you are in any doubt, today is has been an excellent day.

So where did it all start? Surprisingly it started at Beacon Ponds with hardly any birds at all! And of course that called for a power nap. I’m not going to lie, the situation did not improve much after that. On the Little Tern front there is still 2 young chicks, who are growing nicely, a few juvs and one very young chick which may well end up being left.

On the ponds otherwise there remained one Black-Tailed Godwit, all day, and a Green Sandpiper made a very brief appearance at 11.15, dropping in for around 30 seconds. There was decent passage of Swifts and Hirundines too, so despite the sparseness there were still a few bits around.

I found the first Mediterranean Gull at around 10.00. I was very excited to have found a Med Gull on the beach, so tried to get some photos, but on the whole failed. I noticed a large gull raft further up the beach, but too far to risk going for a look and leaving the terns. Fortunately the mass moved down the beach and was joined by more birds it seemed. By 11.30 there were plenty of gulls on the beach just off from the hide. I had a look through the ranks and found a few Med Gulls. I began to look more, and found more. Continued looking revealed more! I was going to leave, but decided it might be an idea to count them as it may well be the most seen today. So I set about counting. I counted 47 birds, including 5 juvs. It’s the most I have ever seen at one time, but that’s not saying much. However, what is saying very much is that it’s also the most Spurn has ever had, the previous record standing at 45. I am now the Spurn Med Gull record holder, what about that. I would have loved to grab a photo with them all in, but they were too spread out, in 3 or 4 large flocks, and as a result could only make do with a few shots. The highest I have in any one shot is 14, though there are a few birds in those photos that may be Meds, but due to obscuring it is difficult to tell.

-Record Mediterranean Gull Count

Birds had started to move off not much longer after I finished my count, and it was now 12, already half an hour after I would have normally gone for dinner. I could see some people coming along though, too wait in order to tell them that they needed to move. As a result my lunch break was delayed. This is very important in what transpires.

On the way down Beacon Lane I kept an eye open for clouded yellows, but I did not find any. I did encounter a number of Migrant Hawkers, some of which were being very photogenic and allowing me to get some decent shots. I may have flushed around 6 or 7 Hawkers on my walk down the lane alone, and there were even more along the cliff top.

-Migrant Hawker

I leisurely walked back. I had almost reached the warren when it happened. I had just bumped into YWT Alex and asked how his day was, when the radio went off. ‘Terek Sandpiper, Beacon Ponds’. It had to be the moment when I was furthest away that this broke did it not. My relaxed lunch suddenly became a very rushed lunch, running round, trying to get the toaster to toast faster, while topping up my bottle and all that jazz.

I have probably never power-walked so fast in all my life than when I did to get back to my shift. Along Beacon Lane I did pass a Clouded Yellow, but it did not look like landing, and I did not look like stopping. I decided to go to my shift via long bank, that way I would find the twitching mob and know where the bird was. It was of course down at the very far end to my hut, meaning I would not be able to watch it while on duty.

There was already a reasonable crowd (this is where I found out about my Med Gulls), including Paul and a few of the locals. They asked how come I had not found it. Given that I had madly rushed back in order to make sure I did not miss it, this had left my mind. In fairness it was at the far end of the ponds, and I had been very busy counting Med Gulls, which perhaps gives me an excuse. Because Paul was there I had a quick look through someone’s scope and grabbed a few pics before heading to my shift, in order to make sure I was doing my job first.

The bird was sleeping, and my view was very brief, and too far away to make anything out with bins. My photos were appalling, hard to tell which bird it actually was. But of course my shift was the priority and I returned having ‘seen’ the bird and settled down. I arrived back at 1.30 but by 3.00 the beach was dead so I decided to make a return to the twitch and actually get a proper view this time with my own scope (The one from the hut). I had thought my initial views were little more than what I had got for ‘arctic warbler’ and I opted not to tick that because my views were so poor and I failed to get a photo. And the photo for this bird may as well not have been taken.

When I got back I was informed that the bird was not showing; it was asleep! Fantastic, what a time to come off shift! However, it was not long before the bird moved into the open, though still sleeping. After about 20 mins though, it raised its head for a little bit and I was able to see that charismatic bill. I got to see it like this for about 5-10mins before it went to sleep behind a large rock and disappeared from view.

I did get a lot out of my short view. I got to see it stretch and preen a little, showing all its plumage. I have to say had I seen it on my own, I would have probably just though it an aberrant common sandpiper unless I had got a view of the beak, a feature it was not keen to show off. But when it did it became pretty clear as to the birds identity, and I was able to fully appreciate it for its beauty. It certainly was a very handsome bird.

So did I get any photos in the end? Well, I did, but they leave a lot to be desired. I suppose it is a good thing that you can actually tell what it is in them, but given the distance and the heat haze it is hardly surprising that they are not exceptional.

-Terek Sandpiper

 When the bird disappeared from view I headed back to complete my shift, and do a bit of overtime to compensate, though nothing extra happened during my shift. It’s a good thing I returned when I did, because at around 4.30 the bird must have gone. Or rather it was about that time I noticed the crowd had gone, and nobody had come to replace them, suggesting it had indeed gone. It was not re-located, and has not been, so I guess I chose my timing well. Would it not be wonderful if it returned tomorrow and took up with that flock of Dunlin that like to hide behind the hut, that approachable lot? Yes, that would be wonderful!

For the rest of the shift as I mentioned not much happened. I flushed a Common Sandpiper from where the crowd had been, while I was making sure the bird had really left. I also found an adult Yellow-Legged Gull on the beach while checking for clouded yellows, though I found none.

That could well be the end for the days birding, but it was not so. I decided to do a little sea-watching in the evening, though it was very quiet. There was a bit of tern passage, but only really of Commons, as the Sandwich count was down to about 25 in an hour. There were a few whimbrel and gannet too, but not many, as well as a single Knot travelling with some Oystercatchers.

I claimed the highlight for this session. I remember stories about Adam always finding stuff behind you when you were not expecting it. I thought I might see if I could find something unexpected that might liven up the evening. I was in luck. I noticed a bird on the wires above the warren and decided to check it out. Through the bins it looked like a Merlin, but I grabbed the scope to confirm to check.

When I announced it all 6 birders spun round to have a look and a few wandered off to grab some photos of it, even though Merlin are quite common round here. Of course, this was the most buzzing thing I had seen today, strange as it sounds. It was only my third ever Merlin, a lovely female it was, and certainly the best view I have ever had as it perched on the wires being mobbed by the swallows. I grabbed a few shots but did not attempt to get closer and as such they are not exceptional.

-Merlin

Wow! What a lot of writing, but on a day like this it is required in order to make sure all the drama is covered. It’s been an exceptional day to say the least, with my 5^th Sandpiper lifer of the year, a place in the record books and then that Merlin! Could I ask for more?

The Daily Oystercatcher

But let us not forget out true stars. I got to watch them during the day, and they avoided the stardom as they were at the opposite end to the Terek, up at the north end with me. I upset them a few times traveling between Terek viewing and the hut, but they were fine, simply flying off to get out of the way. I also say one sit down in a small sunken pit in the mud, which was quite comical, almost as though it was sitting on a nest…

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Mute Swan, Sand Martin, Black-Headed Gull, House Martin, Oystercatcher, Linnet, Ringed Plover, House Sparrow, Redshank, Common Gull, Whimbrel, Common Tern, Little Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Little Egret, Swallow, Herring Gull, Swift, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Meadow Pipit, Cormorant, Woodpigeon, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail, Green Sandpiper, Pied Wagtail, Grey Heron, Black-Tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Common Teal, Sanderling, Kestrel, Whitethroat, Sparrowhawk, Turnstone, Mallard, Avocet, Yellow-Legged Gull, Grey Seal, Common Lizard, Ruddy Darter, Migrant Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White, Small White, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Wall Brown, Meadow Brown, Common Blue,

Seawatching: Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Knot, Merlin, Swallow, Goldfinch, Grey Seal,

Spurn Day 28 - LIFER ALERT

Its not been long since my last spurn lifer, but this is one of the big ones. I had wanted to see 2 species when I was coming to spurn, Red-Veined Darter and today's lifer. Of course this species is more of a right place, right time kind of job, but being at Spurn I knew I had a pretty decent chance of finding one.

The sound of an alarm is one of the worst sounds ever. Waking while still dark, in summer is a painful experience! To make it worse is the fact that it was raining for my walk to the hide. I had to dodge the toads again along the cliff top path, though this has become pretty standard now.

I got a bit of a shock along my walk though, and it set the standard for the day pretty high to say the least. At the campsite at the bottom of Beacon Lane I spotted under the lamp-post a Hedgehog happily scurrying. I could not take it in at first, its been so long since I last saw one. It wandered towards the hedge, but it did not move quickly as though it was alarmed, and I was reasonably close. I tried to get some kind of shot with my compact camera but naturally I failed. It reached the fence and that's where I left it, no point harassing the poor thing when really it needs to be getting to bed.

-Hedgehog

So the standard for the day was already quite high, a species I can only recall ever seeing once before on my walk to work. Thats where the fun stops really, I got to work in the rain, I was wrecked. I crashed in the chair and power-napped. I actually had to leave quite early to get back for a meeting about the tern project, so at half 8 I set up to leave. There was not much going on with the ponds, the Oyks kept making a racket but I could find no source for their discontent, besides other Oyks.

On the way back to the warren I spotted a Sanderling on the beach which was quite approachable and allowed me to grab some shots of it should anything else fail to materialise during the day.

-Sanderling

The meeting went well and by half 11 I was ready to roll on back to the hut to complete my shift. It was at this point that I received a radio message informing me of '3 clouded yellows on beacon lane'. Now I have to go up that lane to get to my shift, and I need clouded yellow, so I suppose I had better make a move. I think I reached beacon lane in my record fastest time. I then wandered up the lane slowly trying to pick out any yellow butterflies. I failed up to a point. The message had said that they were by the pond, so when I got to the pond and there was not one I assumed they must have moved on.

Of course its always at this point that they reveal themselves, and so it was today, as a yellow butterfly flew past me, over the pond banking and was not seen again. Such was my luck for today. However, I had plenty of time and decided to go for luck on the rough ground on the far side of the pond, as it looked like ideal habitat for them.

\It was a wise decision, as I managed to track down 2 Clouded Yellows in the area. Now a new problem arose, the butterflies seemed to have a mutual agreement that landing was no an option and proceed to fly all over the place but not land anywhere. In the end I decided my best option was to grab some record shots of them in flight, awful though they may be.

I grabbed a few before the butterflies moved on leaving me with only a few Common Blue and Wall Browns on the scrub. I wandered back but on the way picked up 3 more Clouded Yellows, and one of these had obviously not received the memo about not landing as it alighted multiple times of various flowers, though not for any extended time periods I hasten to add.

I swapped lenses and made to grab some photos of him. I made some decent attempts but they always seem to have some angle on them and were not profile, though some came close. In the end though I was pretty happy with my results, given what I had resigned myself to after the first few.

-Clouded Yellow

So that is another Lifer for me at Spurn and one that I had really wanted. Its been a long time coming, a big gap in my 'I-Spy butterflies and moths' (50 points). They were far brighter in flight than I had expected. I had thought they would be a shaded white butterfly, similar to brimstone, but not at all, they were a deep yellow and even looked orange at some points. I think its safe to say they did not disappoint me.

Sadly the afternoon did not live up to the billing of the butterflies. The 3 Little Grebe had remained on the pond, while an adult summer plumaged Grey Plover had added to the cast too, as well as a Turnstone. The real highlights were the Little Terns. Today I found one of the really young chicks, probably the last one. It was little more than a brown blob of fluff, but my time spent watching it was sadly cut short by an oncoming thunderstorm.

I could see it building on the horizon but when it hit it hard. There were numerous lightening flashes and thunder rolls, making for a spectacular change in scenery. The first storm was followed by a small second storm, what a way to finish the shift off. While the sky was so dark I decided to try and photograph some white birds against the dark background. I got some reasonable success when a Common Gull flew past.

-Common Gull

And that just about wraps up today. The walk home yielded very little but that is hardly surprising given the caliber of storms that had just gone over. I called it a night early due to the fact that I am just so tired, so no sea-watching tonight.

The Daily Oystercatcher

I was interested to see how the oystercatchers would react to the thunderstorm but I could not find them before it started to throw it down. I heard oystercatchers alarming during the storm but it was not the family I had been following. After the storm I had a another look and found them in the top corner. There was still thunder rolling but they did not seem bothered at all, with two birds sleeping and another two feeding during the whole thing.

Species List:
Beacon Ponds: Little Egret, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Swallow, Sand Martin, Arctic Skua, Gannet, Common Tern, Black-Tailed Godwit, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Mute Swan, Black-Headed Gull, Common Gull, Woodpigeon, Little Grebe, Grey Plover, Cormorant, Sanderling, Redshank, Whitethroat, Willow warbler, Blackbird, Great Tit, House Martin, House Sparrow, Sedge Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, Common Teal, Greenshank, Herring Gull, Turnstone, Grey Heron, Grey Seal, Common Lizard, Clouded Yellow, Large White, Small White, Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Wall Brown, Meadow Brown, Emperor,

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 25

The night passed without incident. I did see another Shooting Star though, while I was out to see if the fox was around. I left early this morning in order to gather my sleep for the buffer shift, since I have now finished nights and have moved back onto days.

The buffer shift was quiet, as the ponds usually are in the afternoon. The majority of waders were on the Humber, but there were still a few around. Notably the Curlew Sandpiper has stuck around and spent the afternoon on the ponds, giving me the chance to see it again. It spent its time out over the far side, so I could not take any worthwhile photos, not that they are needed.

Also on was a Black-Tailed Godwit, which is a bit different, and a few Red Knot, some of which flew straight over me, giving me a chance to get a different perspective on them. Other birds were a bit thin on the ground. I got to watch some Gannets diving out to sea though, which is not something I thought I would see once I knew I was not going to Scotland, so that was nice. There were also the usual Sandwich Terns moving around in good numbers, which often get photographed when there is nothing else…

-Gannet

-Sandwich Tern

Walking back down Beacon Lane there was an incredible number of Wall Brown butterflies, they were resting on the path, but as I had to walk down the path I sent them all up. There were at least 6 or 7 in the air around my feet at some points, which was pretty nice to see, given that I no longer seem to catch up with this species at home.

On the way back I called in at Canal Scrape, but it was pretty much dead. The swallows were still in though, and today I saw two tiny gaping mouths out over the edge of the nest. It would seem then that the birds were not sitting yesterday possibly because the eggs were hatching, as the chicks there today were clearly very young, eyes not even open yet. It will be fun to watch their development though.

And that pretty much draws us to a close for today. But since it’s been quiet, I will put up a few pics of what I do in order to keep myself busy on the nightshift, in case anyone was wondering. It also means should my efforts ever get lost I can have them on here as a permanent record.

-Evening Entertainment

The Daily Oystercatcher

The oystercatchers have become very hard to follow now, as they have increased their movement so much since they learned to fly. I spotted an adult bird kipping at one point, possibly one of our adults. The chicks have started to keep to themselves and can often be found wandering alone around the edges of the pond. I did not see them early morning as I left before it was fully light, but during my fox checks I did see them a couple of times, standing in the water near their Crab Pot island. Its served them well has that island, though its getting to a stage where 3 Oystercatchers will no longer fit on it.

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Black-Tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Knot, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Little Egret, Swallow, Sand Martin, Cormorant, Black-Headed Gull, Curlew Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Meadow Pipit, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Gannet,

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 23

The game has changed. At 2.00 this morning I decided to investigate a lone oystercatcher calling. I knew there would be nothing of it, but figured it probably best checking. But there, at the far end of the pond was something shining in the torchlight. Initially I thought it must just be a can or something, but then it began to move. I therefore, moved closer to it in order to get a better view. Whatever it was it decided to clear off without a trace, no sign of it round the corner. Of course it was the long elusive fox, but why had only one Oyk been calling, and why, when I reached the site, was there still a Ringed Plover (Capable of flight) chilling on the shoreline? And where had the fox gone, it can’t have run that fast?

At 3.00 the same thing happened, only this time I remembered to check for tracks. After some searching I found one fresh paw print from a fox. But again, there were few birds calling and no obvious sign of distress from anything…

Besides that the shift passed without incident, though obviously the fox is a pretty big incident. There were not many birds around in the morning, probably because I had scared them all off. The walk back also produced nothing of any real note.

At 11 my slumber was broken by the reports that a clouded yellow was on beacon lane. Oh, how nearly I made it out of bed, but not quite and the next thing I know it was 2.00 in the afternoon. For the day I decided to head along the coast, to beacon lane, round to Kilnsea wetlands and then back down Canalside. It was dead, very dead indeed. Along Beacon Lane I got a few butterflies but nothing much. I recorded Speckled Wood, which is my first time here, and a few Wall Brown and a Painted Lady in full colour. Nothing out of the ordinary though.

-Speckled Wood

-Wall Brown

Along the walk to Kilnsea I had a bit more luck, with Avocet on one of the small ponds, also a Ruddy Darter along the path, but it was still very quiet. Not as quiet as actually on the wetlands. Below I have included a photo with all the birds on the wetlands in…

-Juv Lesser Black-Backed Gull

As if it needs stating, not much time was spent in there. I continued round to Canalside where there was little again. On the estuary I picked up Whimbrel, Black-Headed Gull and Dunlin, the latter being in small numbers as the tide was well, well out.

I returned to the warren having not really got much at all. Shopping and dinner followed but after that I headed up to the Seawatch hide to see what was about. It was a decent showing, but very on and off. There was decent passage of Sandwich and Common Terns, as well as a few far out Arctic Skuas, 2 of which were mobbing a Sandwich Tern. There was also Gannet movement out to sea, so a little more to get excited about. A weather front had moved in and so the Seawatching quickly dried up, the air becoming very humid with the odd rain shower. 

As a consequence the ponds were very quiet, and there was little on the way there. The cloud cover also made it feel very dark, meaning none of the waders could be identified, though there were obviously some dunlin and the Oyks out there.

The Daily Oystercatcher

This morning our Oyks spent most of their time calling at me as I checked relentlessly for the fox. It caused the young to frequently fly though, which they are getting good at now, and is pleasing to see. At one point the adult took them down onto the beach in order to try and get them away from me, but I came back round the beach in order to prevent disturbance to other birds, so that did not work too well.

In the evening it was too murky to really get them, but they could be seen snoozing on their little Crab Pot island. Snoozing that is until I disturbed them with my checking. Its going to be a long night for them I feel.

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Little Egret, Mute Swan, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Black-Headed Gull, Sanderling, Fox, Migrant Hawker

Walk: Avocet, Mute Swan, Mallard, Linnet, Herring Gull, Pied Wagtail, Black-Headed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Blackbird, House Sparrow, House Martin, Dunlin, Whimbrel, Snipe, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Wall Brown, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Large White, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Ruddy Darter, Migrant Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly

Seawatching: Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Skua, Common Gull, Linnet, Swallow, Grey Seal,