Spurn Day 12 - LIFER ALERT

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

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

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

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

-Arctic Skua

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

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

-Kittywake

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

-Yellow Legged Gull

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

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

-Marsh Harrier

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

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

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

-Curlew Sandpiper (Middle Bird)

-Curlew Sandpiper (Central Bird)

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

-Summer Plumaged Sanderling

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

-Wall Brown

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Arctic Skua Mobbing

-Arctic Skua

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

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

-Sanderling

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

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

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

The Daily Oystercatcher

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

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

-Oystercatcher (With Photobombing Little Egret)

Species List:

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

Spurn Day 11

So today started with a bang. Quite literally, by 1.30 in the morning the sky was flashing due to an incredible thunderstorm. There were lightning flashes at least every 10 seconds, natures very own light show. It was certainly the most spectacular night so far, that’s for certain.

Morning came very quiet, with most things probably put down by the storm. No fox again, so I’m obviously doing my job right as it’s not posed a problem for me yet. I did not stay long after daybreak as I also had the day-shift to deal with, so needed to get back and get some rest. As a result what little was still around was not studied vigorously.

As I said, I returned for the dayshift at around half 1, immediately having to start asking people to move, such is the joys of the dayshift. It does mean though that I can see the birds I’m meant to be monitoring. On the Little Tern front I counted 9 juveniles along the shore but the haze was making it difficult and there could have been more. I failed to see the oystercatchers, but the heat had probably put them down, and one adult bird was resting on one of the crab pots, so the chicks might have been there. 2 Little Egrets flew over at one point, and I found one fishing while checking for some other birds. There were good numbers of        Dunlin along the shoreline, at least 1000, but certainly more.  The real highlight from this afternoon was that the first of the Avocet chicks hatched. I was sat trying to count terns through the haze when I spotted an Avocet swimming behind with a tiny chick swimming behind. They reached the shore but out of view and I failed to re-find them before the fret set in.

I called it quits early as a result of the fret, as I could hardly see most of the terns. After dinner I decided to go for a walk around the Warren to see what was about. The highlight was a singing Dunnock, my first for the sight, but it did not stay around for a picture. As a result, in order to find something to photograph, I photographed a lovely male linnet that was singing atop some gorse.

-Linnet

So, on the bird front it was a quiet day again, but the weather made for some excitement, as it often does in this country. So here is today’s brief species list and even briefer daily oystercatcher…

The Daily Oystercatcher

As I mentioned in the main post I failed to see the chicks today, but I was so rough this morning and this afternoon it was so hot its hardly a surprise. I did see a few oyks having a scrap though, not either of the families but four adults, which made for entertaining viewing. With my 5.00 start tomorrow I will hopefully be able to track them down again, and hopefully grab some pictures.

Species List:

Beacon Pools: Little Tern, Avocet, Knot, Ringed Plover, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern, Little Egret, Lesser Black-Backed Gull,

Warren Walk: Dunnock, Linnet, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Common Gull, Sandwich Tern, Whimbrel, Dunlin, Black-Headed Gull, Shelduck, Grey Seal, 

Spurn Day 10

It was another quiet night, the quietist there has been so far in fairness. Day broke to a pretty sparse Beacon Pool, not much was around. There was a Brown Hare that needed seeing off and 5 Swifts up high but screaming, and of course the usual suspects.

Today was a really quiet day for me, though not so much on other fronts as corys shearwater had been recorded while I was asleep. There had also been an apparent little stint, but accounts of this find seemed to suggest it would be difficult to track down.

I awoke later than usual, at around 2.00. I decided after much lounging to do some Seawatching for a bit since there obviously seemed to be some movement. Unfortunately for my 2 hour stint there was no movement, the only real note was a flock of some 30 Common Scoters going south. There were a few Gannets moving south too and some Sandwich terns hunting but otherwise it was very slow.

Since I needed some stuff groceries wise Paul drove me into Withernsea in order to gather some stuff. On the way I had the best spot all day when I spotted a Barn Owl sat on a roadside post. I got very excited about this as it’s obviously not something I see every day, obviously Paul thought I was a little too over-excited about it. We also drove past the spot where the Little Owl had been and it was still there, though this time it looked awake rather than asleep.

And to be honest that is about it. There really was not much else happening. I arrived at my shift in order see what was around, only for after 5 mins a dog ran into the area and needed dealing with. I had to chase the damn thing all the way round area A and then up the beach. The owner was almost at the northern end of the beach so what she was letting her dog do I have no idea.

By the time I had finally got rid of the dog it was almost dark and I could not make out anything on the edge of the pond. I did hear a couple of Common Sandpipers though, which counts for something.

The Daily Oystercatcher

Both chicks were fine this morning, busying themselves along the edge of the pool. There were no other waders in so they had the whole beach to themselves. I got to watch one of the adults feed the chicks was looked like some kind of shellfish. All was well when I left them.

When I arrived in the evening I had hoped to watch them for a bit but as things took a canine turn. All four birds, adults and 2 chicks were perched on the edge of the water when I arrived but were promptly scared away by the dog and it was too dark to re-find them when I made it back.

Species List:

Beacon Pools: Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Sandwich Tern, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Whimbrel, Black-Headed Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Swift, Linnet, Brown Hare,

Seawatching: Swallow, Common Scoter, Sandwich Tern, Oystercatcher, Gannet, Meadow Pipit, Curlew, Sand Martin, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Grey Seal,

Driving: Barn Owl, Little Owl, Rook, House Martin, Blackbird, House Sparrow,

Beacon Pools: Oystercatcher, Cormorant, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Ringed Plover, Mute Swan, Dunlin, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, 

Spurn Day 9

Once more the days story begins at the ungodly hour of 00.00. But also keeping with the trend there was nothing to report until around 4.30; the fox not making an appearance again. The sunrise was simply stunning again, though it may be the last as the weather is due to change for the worse. But I can now include photos from the last few sunrises as I managed to read my SD card, so here are a few pics of what the end of my shift looks like…

-Sunrise

There were hardly any birds on the pools either, most probably having been flushed by my imaginary fox checking. The Little Terns were still around as were a few Oystercatchers and Dunlin but besides them there was very little. There was also nothing to report from the walk back either, which is just as well, as I was feeling very rough.

I awoke at around four, cloudy and very windy was the day’s outlook at this point, so much for hottest day of the year. I decided to go up for the gropper again but it was too windy and they were not singing. It was fairly quiet all round, though there were good numbers of Dunlin on the Humber and a family of Roe Deer: Stag, Doe and Fawn all together in one of the roadside fields.

As you have probably guessed by now, today was not the most hectic day’s birding ever. As a result I started trying to photograph commoner things for the blog, and the lovely families of Swallows that are around, that I really should have photographed earlier, fitted the bill quite nicely. I did not get many great shots, but they were very cute and were being well attended by the adults.

-Swallows

I was back by around half 3 in the afternoon, ready to spend the remainder of the day lounging around the warren. But by half 4 I had done enough lounging and so headed up to the Seawatching hide for a bit, see if there was anything around. I had a decent half an hour spell, recording quite a few Gannets, Kittywake and 5 Manx Shearwaters. The weather turning has probably been the cause for the improvement in the Seawatching.

Next on the agenda was of course my shift. Even walking to that was quiet, I recorded no dunlin on the beach at all, and their numbers were very sparse around the pool. There were improved numbers of Sandwich Tern in though and I spent a good while watching these birds until the light failed. Once more the fox has failed to make and appearance. I am beginning to doubt the existence of said fox…

The Daily Oystercatcher

Though it had been a quiet day on the most part there was high drama here. When checking the birds at first light I noticed that only one of the Oystercatcher chicks was there, and this was the case for the whole morning. As I have become so attached to them I did a rigorous search for the other chick but found no evidence. I began to fear the worst. I mentioned it to Kieran when he took over but seemed confident that it would be ok.

So I headed to my evening shift a little concerned for my Oyks, and desperately hopeful that they had not fallen fowl between the shifts, or worse my 3.00 am nap. My worst fears were realised when I turned up to still find only one chick being attended to by a parent.

However, it was not the case, as round the corner was another oystercatcher chick being attended to by another adult. This chick though seemed older and as a result I was initially unsure if it was my chick. Fortunately the 2 halves of the family joined up and one of the adults headed off, so it’s a case of a false alarm, for which I am very grateful.

The chicks then spent the rest of the light causing havoc with the Sandwich terns, running through the roost leaving startled birds in their wake, while the remaining adult decided to take on the terns rather than just frustrating them.

Species List:

Beacon Pools: Dunlin, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Little Tern, Brown Hare,

Sammies Point: Sandwich Tern, Dunlin, Little Egret, Linnet, Black-Headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Swallow, House Sparrow, Oystercatcher, Whimbrel, Redshank, Mallard, Whitethroat, Curlew, Mute Swan, Magpie, Feral Pigeon, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, House Martin, Carrion Crow, Sedge Warbler, Roe Deer

Seawatching: Gannet, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Carrion Crow, Manx Shearwater, Kittywake,

Beacon Pools: Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Swallow, Arctic Tern, Little Tern, Gannet, Oystercatcher, Mute Swan, Cormorant

Spurn Day 8

The nightshift wore on and no fox appeared. There was quite some disturbance at 3.00 but nothing could be found. The day broke to another glorious sunrise revealing those birds that had remained overnight; the usual cast of Grey Plover, Little Tern, Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Oystercatcher.

Walking back in the early hours, nearly at the warren, I spotted a Yellow Wagtail alight on the wires alongside the road. Sadly no camera so no pictures. But what was better than one Yellow Wagtail would be more than 1, and in the field below the original bird there were an additional 3 more birds. My lives total of Yellow Wagtails more than doubled in the space of a few seconds. The birds in the field were keeping a very low profile, though, and could only be seen when in flight. 

I made it to bed and awoke at 13.00 for an afternoons birding. Although previous days had been quite relaxed, today was different. I had received a tip off about a couple of reeling grasshopper warblers up at ‘Sammies Point’, which is just north of the triangle. That was todays plan of action.

On the way up to Sammies I encountered very little outside of the regulars, the highlight being Whimbrel on the mudflats. Sammies was very similar to Canalside but the fields are more crop than livestock based. There were also a few more trees, providing ample cover for frustrating grasshopper warblers.

It was the namesake of these warblers that were making the majority of the din on my arrival. There were loads of Grasshoppers singing from the grass. It took a while but I eventually tracked down a vocal Grasshopper Warbler, singing from a field below the bank. I snuck in trying to locate the bird while keeping a low profile. I did see a small brown bird fly between the bushes and the call followed it, so I am assuming that this was a Gropper but I deem the view untickable based on the evidence I had. Of course, it was also at this point that the bird shut up, and skulked away from the tree where it had been. Alas, he got away.

I decided to head to the corner of the field and await the bird singing again. No sooner did I arrive than did my fortunes change for the better. I immediately spotted a falcon flying above the trees, the antics of which instantly indicated hobby. I tried to get a good view through the bins but struggled due to the fact that all I saw was the silhouette. I then tried the camera, but I could not view the photos because of the light reflecting off the screen.  It was pretty clear though that despite the lack of evidence it was definitely a Hobby. I got to watch the bird swoop and dive for a good 5 mins before it headed off north away from the trees, a lovely sighting and a wonderful bird.

-Hobby

The Warbler was still not playing ball so I decided to continue walking up to see if I could find anything else. I could not with the exception of a few Little Gulls. Also, walking back to the gropper field I spotted the Hobby coming back towards me from a southern direction heading north. How and when it went back past me going south I do not know!

The gropper did not sing again until I decided to leave, as it usually the case. Despite attempts to track one down I failed to do so, though I did flush 2 brown birds which appeared to have fan tails, though a lack of evidence again prevents me from ticking it. I decided to call it a day when the bird called briefly from the far end of the field, obviously skulking away from me.

On the way back to the warren I decided to call in at Churchfields to see if there were any dragonflies about. I was in luck. There were not massive numbers like there had been before but there was more diversity, with Black-Tailed Skimmers, Emperors, Four Spot Chasers and Ruddy Darter all showing well.

There was also a fifth species that presented itself as a bit more of an enigma. It was clearly a hawker dragonfly of some description, but it was obviously a young individual. Because of its small size my first thoughts were that it might be a hairy dragonfly, but having looked it up I have refined my identification into a Common Hawker

--Two days later and I casually announced this find to Paul and a few others to shocks and gasps. Apparently common hawker has never been seen at Spurn before and as such the photo was brought up and the discussions began to run. After about 10 mins of deliberating it was decided that it is actually a Migrant Hawker, but a very early one. This does fit in with the small size of the dragonfly, and it being freshly emerged fits in with the lack of a number of features. Its only my second time seeing this species so in other circumstances it would be a reason to rejoice, but having made another mistake, and the fact that its not a first for spurn, it does not quite feel like that right now--

-Common Hawker Migrant Hawker

I mentioned the Ruddy Darters and there was a very showy male by the pond that allowed me to get excellent shots of this species which I do not see very frequently. The pale background of the photos really makes the red colour stand out.

-Ruddy Darter

I wandered back by the coast but there was nothing to see that way. I also made a short stop at Clubleys to see if there was anything there but there was not, so I made it back to the Warren in good time.

And so the nightshift came on again. But fortunately I was treated again, as on the way out of the warren I found a flock of maybe 10 Golden Plover along the edge of the Humber. About half of these were in Summer Plumage too, a feature I see a disappointing amount of given that they breed on the moors. There was also a Common Sandpiper in among them, another species that’s a little out of the ordinary here, but a familiarity of home.

Back on Beacon ponds and the wader roost was topped up nicely, with ample Grey Plover, Dunlin, Knot and Redshank in. There were 2 summer plumaged Grey Plovers, as well as plenty of Red Knot among the crowd. And it is with that view that the night drew in and the day finished…

The Daily Oystercatcher

I failed to find the chicks this evening but the light was very poor when I arrived. However, they were up at the crack of dawn this morning as my first glance through the morning crowd revealed both chicks feeding along the near shoreline. They have become far more independent, staying away from their parents and hunting for themselves which is obviously a positive sign. They are doing just fine!

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Little Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Yellow Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Grey Plover, Cormorant, Common Tern, Dunlin, Redshank,

Sammies Point: Mute Swan, Swallow, Swift, Redshank, Black-Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Whimbrel, Sand Martin, Little Egret, Feral Pigeon, Cormorant, Collard Dove, Oystercatcher, Linnet, Skylark, Sandwich Tern, Woodpigeon, Hobby, Shelduck, Magpie, Little Gull, Whitethroat, Yellow Wagtail, Emperor Dragonfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Meadow Brown, Large White, Small Skipper, Gatekeeper, Small Heath, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Small Copper, Common Blue, Red Admiral,

Churchfields: Ruddy Darter, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Four-Spot Chaser, Emperor Dragonfly, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Gatekeeper,

Beacon Ponds: Golden Plover, Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Redshank, Woodpigeon, Linnet, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Sandwich Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Little Tern, Turnstone, Mallard, Mute Swan, Southern Hawker, Roe Deer,

Spurn Day 7

It’s hard to believe but I have now been working at Spurn for an entire week. Time flies when you’re having fun. Fun though, is not a word I regularly associate with night-shifts. Fortunately we I had no bother thought the oystercatchers did kick up a fuss ay 3.00, though I could not find anything. You get very paranoid doing this job, so any sort of fuss and you want to check the birds are alright. Only when your there do you remember what it would be like if there really was a predator, as their attention quickly turns to you.

Dawn broke to the most incredible sunrise which turned the whole horizon red. I have some great photos but my laptop does not want to read my SD card, so they will have to wait for another time.

In the meantime I enjoyed the delights of the mornings birdlife. Once more there was a Greenshank behind the hut, it flew in at around half 4. But besides that it was the regular cast; Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Grey Plover, Cormorant, Mute Swan etc.

This was the first shift I had made it the whole way without nodding off. As a result when I made it to bed I did not leave until around 13.00. It was a nice but breezy day that I awoke to, and although most of it had passed I seemed to lack the energy to make the most of what remained. Since it had been so dead yesterday I decided to conserve my energy and stay around the warren. And that meant Clubleys Scrape again to see if any RV Darters were showing.

Today I was in luck as there was one male flying around the edge of the pond, and whats more he was even landing on the bank. However, landing is one thing, allowing me to approach is another and I have now placed RV Darter at the bottom of my ‘most approachable dragonfly’ list. I managed some record shots but they were not what I was after. It was unfortunate then that the dragonfly chose this moment to scarper.

I spent the next 15mins or so hunting for him before I found him again. In the meantime I was able to enjoy the other sights and sounds. Once more I heard the coot or moorhen calling from the reeds, but once again I failed to see it and so this mysterious birds identity will remain unknown. Other dragonflies consisted of the usual cast; Emperor Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer and Common Darter. There were also Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly and Common Emerald Damselfly, the latter of which I took some more photos of as a means of waiting for the RV to re-appear.

-Common Emerald Damselfly

But as I hinted at before, I did refind the RV Darter. To my joy this time he decided to play ball. Not as well as his relatives have done for me in the past but the photos I got here were a vast improvement on what I have got previously. I am very happy with my results, showing all the characters from reasonably close quarters. Since these are effectively my record shots there are quite a few. Enjoy!

-Red-Veined Darter

After a good while watching and photographing the dragonfly as it moved around the pond I decided to head back. Once more it had been quiet on the bird front and I could see no point in staying out much longer.

However, after a short while inside I decided to do a little sea-watching to see if there was anything. Of course there was not, a group of about 10 Whimbrel going south being the only birds of note. I did find a none bird of note though, as a Painted Lady settled outside the hide, the first time I have seen one since the day I started uni. Sadly the angle was well against me so my photo is nothing short of atrocious, but it does the job.

-Painted Lady

I left the Seawatching hide and found Steve and Paul doing some vis-migging, so decided to join them for a little while to see what was about. Despite the fact that it was a reasonably quiet day we still counted in excess of 500 swifts and 50 Sand Martins, so not a bad total. We also had a Little Egret over the triangle and a Yellow Wagtail over our heads. Obviously the latter is not a species I see very often so I was very pleased when Paul pointed this one out, a nice addition my growing Spurn List.

I left the guys to it at around 18.00 as I headed in to cook ahead of my nights work. I set off to a glorious sunset in front of me, and a great rain cloud with a full rainbow behind me. To say it was a stunning evening would be an understatement.

But it was not just the weather that was glorious. As I headed up Beacon Lane I spotted an owl form over the fields to my left. My first thought was SEO as, but it was too small. Though the view was fleeting, through the bins the silhouette I had seen became the pale form of a Barn Owl. But my view was fleeting as it flew over a hedge a matter of seconds after this identification. But it does mean that my dip at Old Moor will haunt me no more, and though a better view would be appreciated, it does mean I now have 176 species on my list this year.

The rest of the walk was busy but relaxing, with a Pheasant in the tree, a seal at sea and around 2000 Dunlin on the beach I needed to pass being among the characters I encountered on my way to the hut. Once at the hut it was already very poor light but the usual suspects were in, with a vast increase in Knot numbers I note. The Greenshank was already in too, the first time I have seen it in an evening.

So that ends day 7, the darkness drew in and only the constant chatter of the dunlins reminded me of the fact I was surrounded by birds. Once more the fox did not make an appearance on this side of the night, and I have had plenty of productive avian revision sessions.

Daily Oystercatcher

So though my job is a little tern warden there are other birds on the pools, namely 2 pairs of Oystercatchers. One pair has one well grown chick but the other pair has 2, less well grown chicks and tends to stay down this end. As you know they are the same birds every day that you watch them you begin to grow more and more attached to them, so I decided to write a little feature on their progress every day.

In the morning it’s always a bit of a worry that I may have missed something during the night and that one of the chicks may have been taken. At first it’s difficult to judge as the birds are often roosting or difficult to find first thing. So as the sun broke I had a look but could only see one adult Oystercatcher, though it looked relatively big, so I made the assumption that the chicks must be under it.

I was right, and about 15mins later the adult bird stood up and unceremoniously dumped the 2 chicks onto the sand. They looked a little dazed for a few mins before joining their adult, I assume mother, on the morning forage. One of the chicks found a sizeable worm which it ran off with, looking rather comical with the worm dangling from its beak.

In the evening I only saw one chick. That chick was marching through the wader roost sending Knot and Dunlin scurrying out of its way.

Species List:

Beacon Pools: Dunlin, Mute Swan, Little Tern, Ringed Plover, Cormorant, Greenshank, Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Common Tern,

Clubleys Scrape: Sedge Warbler, Swift, Sand Martin, Swallow, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, Red-Veined Darter, Common Darter, Emperor Dragonfly ,Four-Spot Chaser, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Common Emerald Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White,

Warren Vis-Migging: Yellow Wagtail, Little Egret, Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshank, Sandwich Tern, Sand Martin, Swallow, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Swift, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Kestrel, Whitethroat, Black-Tailed Godwit, Skylark, Common Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Roe Deer, Painted Lady,

Beacon Pools: Barn Owl, Whitethroat, Pheasant, Greenshank, Little Tern, Oystercatcher, Knot, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Turnstone, Cormorant, Common Tern, Mute Swan, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Roe Deer, Grey Seal, Meadow Brown, Large White

Spurn Day 6

Again, Day 6 started at bang on midnight. But since it was completely dark I failed to register any birds until around 4.00 in the morning. There were only a few Dunlin still around, as well as the Little Tern, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher that I have become so familiar with over the last few days. I was delighted to see that the Oyk family with 2 chicks were still doing fine, as they were feeding along the shoreline. When you can see a family like this, know they are the same birds you’re watching day after day you become very attached to them, and they have been one of the highlights of my time here so far.

As the time wore on to the end of my shift I started to notice a few other birds around. A few Whimbrel were moving down the coast, in occasional small groups, but it’s the first time I have seen them up at the ponds so that was nice. There was also a Greenshank behind the hide, but I saw it the same moment it saw me and so my views of it were fleeting. There were also 4 summer plumaged Little Gull that went north over the hut in the morning too, always lovely birds to see.

On the way back to the warren, a worn and weary me spotted a lovely buck Roe Deer feeding on a hawthorn tree by the roadside. It was incredibly approachable, before it ambled off into the fields as I tried to pass.

I awoke again at 12.00, but found myself locked into the warren so did not get out until around 13.00. I went up behind the warren to join Paul and Steve but it had been a quiet morning apparently, and my stay there of around half an hour yielded very little, the highlight being a male Linnet that was singing from a gatepost.

Since it was so dead Paul offered to take me shopping early, but before he went to check his nets and found 3 young Swallows in them, so I got to watch him ring them before we set off. They were mixed ages, some clearly very young, but one seemed much older.

On the way into Withernsea we had some pretty nice birds. By the side of the road was a female Sparrowhawk that flew into a tree as we passed by. A fleeting but nice view of the bird. Next up was Little Owl. Paul mentioned a nest in a farm complex, but we failed to spot the bird as we drove past. No wonder, as round the corner the bird was easy to see sleeping in a tree.

Once we arrived back it was clear to see that it was still pretty dead in terms of birds, probably due to the lack of wind. As a consequence I once more headed to Clubleys ponds behind the warren to see if there were any RV Darters around. There were not, but remained good numbers of Emperors, of which I saw a 3 way fight, and Black Tailed Skimmers. 

-Black-Tailed Skimmer

Since I had all afternoon I decided to do the Triangle walk, which was basically the same walk I had done over the past few days. I headed off up Canalbank first to see what was about but there was not much. There was a Reed Warbler calling from the canal scrape, and more Whimbrel on the estuary, thought the tide was out and they were not close.

-Whimbrel

I carried on without much further happening besides flyovers and brief views of commoner birds. Along the road I got a nice treat though as I spotted a Roe Deer buck, probably the same as the morning, feeding very placidly side by side with a Brown Hare in one of the fields. I got some great views of it as it wandered around in the open seemingly completely uncaring that it was so obvious. The hare on the other had was quick to bolt, and was not particularly showy even when it was there, so I managed no photos of that.

-Roe Deer

So the afternoon wore on and evening came, and the joys of the nightshift came at me again. This side of the night was very successful, with nothing happening and plenty of birds to see while it was still light. The highlight of this was a Common Sandpiper feeding along the edge of the sea. Apparently, or so I understand, they are not overly common around here, but we shall see tomorrow when I submit it. Other birds were an excess of around 2000 Dunlin along the beach and pool edge, and incredible sight. Red Knot and Grey Plover were joining them.

But it was not just the birds, as there was a young female Grey Seal hauled out on the beach. It let me walk past within a few feet without batting an eyelid. It was bizarre only seeing one seal, and yet it still being so uncaring about my being there. Sadly I left my big camera at home to save luggage, and as such my photos are not exceptional, but still show just how close I got while walking past it. The photos will follow as my laptop does not want to read my compact cameras SD card!

  The rest of the evening passed without incident, and little else to report except for a couple of Little Egrets hunting the pool. And with that I will sign out for today with the species list.

Species List:

Beacon Pools: Dunlin, Little Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Mute Swan, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Little Gull, Shelduck, Common Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Swift, Grey Plover, Woodpigeon, Greenfinch, Roe Deer,  

Warren Viewpoint: Common Gull, Swallow, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Grey Seal,

Driving: Sparrowhawk, Little Owl, House Sparrow, House Martin, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Rook,

Clubleys Scrape: Sandwich Tern, Meadow Pipit, Swallow, Magpie, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Common Emerald Damselfly, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown,

Triangle: Whimbrel, Woodpigeon, Curlew, Mute Swan, Swallow, Mallard, Reed Warbler, Coot, Common Gull, Magpie, Pied Wagtail, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Starling, Whitethroat, House Martin, Linnet, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Sandwich Tern, Black-Headed Gull,

Beacon Pools: Black-Tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, Sandwich Tern, Avocet, Common Gull, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Dunlin, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Knot, Grey Plover, Little Egret, Grey Seal, 

Spurn Day 5

Well day 5 started at 00.00 for me, but there were not many birds to see at this point as I'm sure you can imagine. It was a very quiet night, but since it was my first time I made sure everything was checked. There were Oystercatchers calling occasionally but whenever I checked I could not see any predators. I did however send the roosting Dunlin flying, so much so that by morning there were none left. While scanning with the torch I also found the Ringed Plovers roosting on the shoreline, but they were none too pleased by this.

The sun finally appeared around 4, revealing the Little Terns and a pair of Mute Swans on the lake. At 5.00 I was relieved of my duty, a successful night with no casualties. I know I fell asleep at least once, but apparently this is allowed because the birds will wake you should there be any bother.

On the way back I found numerous Woodpigeons along Beacon Lane. Near the bottom of the lane a Cuckoo flew over me. In any other mood this would have been great but by this point all I wanted was bed. A Cuckoo is still a great record though, and an excellent find.

I awoke from my slumber at 13.00 to an absolutely glorious day. As a consequence I decided to spend my afternoon hunting for red-veined darters. On Clubleys scrape there were two darter dragonflies but they did not land and I frequently lost them and did not re-find them, so their identity will remain unknown. The Emperor Dragonflies showed well and there continued to be ample Black-Tailed Skimmers. Since I was there I also decided to finally take some photos of the Emerald Damselflies, but they were quite difficult to approach so my efforts were not overly exceptional.

-Emerald Damselfly

-Black-Tailed Skimmer

I next headed along Canalside to Churchfields, along the way picking up only off bits, like Sedge Warbler. Work was being done at Churchfields so I decided not to enter. I headed back to Clubleys but the darters were still not showing so went back to the warren to chill, as I was feeling pretty knackered!

After a short while at the Warren, Paul came round telling me to come look at the Swifts going over. There were good numbers. I spent about 2 hours up there with a few birders and we counted around 1500 Swifts going over. Paul and Tim were trying to catch them for ringing but were unable to catch any. 2 did get clobbered by the net though, but did not fall into it.

It was a different experience for me, vis-migging. But a very enjoyable one. Not only were there good numbers of Swift but also Whimbrel, Sand Martin, Knot, Bar-Tailed Godwit and the highlight 3 Man Shearwaters, my 176th bird this year. Tim spotted them and I could see from watching these birds that the birds I had pondered earlier in the week were defiantly guillemots. They were not too far out so could clearly see them banking and changing as their colour moved from black to white and back again. A great addition to the day. At 7.00 I left the vis-migging to get some dinner, in prep for my shift. And that is where we will leave it for now.

Species List:

Clubleys Ponds: Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Woodpigeon, Linnet, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Emerald Damselfly, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Heath,

Canalside: Sedge Warbler, Curlew, Woodpigeon, Swallow, Sand Martin, House Martin, Large White, Meadow Brown,

Vis-Migging: Starling, Oystercatcher, Great Tit, Whimbrel, Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin, Manx Shearwater, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Woodpigeon, Black-Headed Gull, Knot, Redshank, Cormorant, Gannet, Curlew, Collard Dove, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Dunlin,