Filey Field Trip

Birding has been very thin on the ground in recent times, I'm not going to lie. Work, Church and a variety of other things have meant that birding has had to take a back seat. However, on Friday, as part of the course, we went on a field trip to Filey to do some rock-pooling. The idea was to collect data on species in rock pools given the size of the rock pool, but really it just turned into a days rock-pooling fun.

We caught some pretty decent stuff, such as a small Butterfish, and a giant Sea Scorpion as well as seeing some Rocklings and a number of blennys. We also had innumerable Hermit Crabs as well as a jellyfish and a couple of other bits and pieces.

-Sea Scorpion

-Butterfish

-Sea Scorpion

Sadly there were a few things that did escape our nets and we were unable to relocate them. 

On the bird front there were good numbers of Rock Pipit around, as well as a few waders along the shore. Of the waders the Turnstones were the highlight, but there were also Redshank, Oystercatcher and a solitary Dunlin. There were decent numbers of gulls too, though nothing unusual, and there were 3 Cormorants at the end of the Brigg.

The only downside was that when I returned home I discovered that a rough-legged buzzard had come in off the sea around lunchtime and given its description must have flown straight over me and I had not seen it, which would have been a lifer. That was a bit of a pain, but never mind.

Species List:

Filey Beach: Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Long-Tailed Tit, Turnstone, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Cormorant, 

Spurn NGB Weekend Day 3

Final Day with the NGBs at Spurn. I decided I would head up to Kilnsea Wetlands since it was so close to where I was camping. There was still a little fog around but the light was glorious out there. There were a few birds on the marsh already, mainly Curlew, Dunlin, Lapwing and Redshank. There were a few other bits around too including Skylarks and a couple of Black-Headed Gulls.
After a bit 3 Swans came in off the ponds. 2 were presumably the local Mute Swans from the ponds but a Whooper Swan had joined them from somewhere. The 3 Swans remained on the wetlands for at least as long as I did, gradually coming closer to the hide until they were right in front of it and I could get some reasonable shots of the Whooper. In the morning light all 3 birds looked fantastic.

-Whooper Swan

The only other change in the bird fauna was when a Merlin flew over the wetlands sending all the waders up. I then moved round onto the ponds but they were pretty quiet with only a few ducks on, It was nice to see the site again though after not having worked there for a couple of months now.

I made my way down Beacon Lane and then to Numpties to see the others. Along Beacon Lane there was not much really, a couple of Goldcrests. Along the walk down to the warren there was also not much, a couple of Stonechats on the fences near the Borrow Pits being the only real birds of note.

Once I arrived at Numpties it was already about 10.00. Passage was pretty quiet, and had been all morning apparently. There were a few geese moving through though. I spent pretty much the rest of the day up there counting the geese with some impressive Skeins going through, including one of 500 birds. There were also a few other bits and pieces, including Rock Pipits, of which Tim was trying to Spring trap some along the top of the path. He succeeded too, as we caught 2 birds in total.

-Pink-Footed Goose

There were some birds moving, but the highest count was only 105 Goldfinch. As a result it was a slow afternoon. I did spurn tick Brambling though, and got to get a record shot of Harbor Porpoise at last, as 2 spent the majority of the afternoon just chilling offshore.

-Harbor Porpoise

By late afternoon, Daniel Wade and I decided to try Canal Scrape to see if there were any jack snipe. There were not, and not many birds at all really. It was rewarding though as the limpy Redshank flew in while we were there. Having not seen it yesterday I had wondered if it had been eaten, especially since I saw a cat on the scrape but it appears that is not the case as yet.

After about half an hour in the hide we moved on. Since there were no birds about really we decided to go and have a look for the yellow-browed warbler that had been seen in the Crown car park. We did not see it or anything else there really. As a result I decided to head off and take my tent down in preparation for leaving.

However, on my way up it all kicked off. I got a text from Oli Simms telling me about a Grey Phalarope up near Easington. I knew it was a trek but decided I had nothing else to do and so prepared myself for the walk along long bank. Had I done this I would have been one of the first to arrive at a much rarer bird, but I was rescued this and offered a lift up to the Phalarope. Once there it took us some time to work out where it had gone as it had apparently moved up the beach. It was here that I also learned about a Raddes Warbler on long bank...

I had not brought my scope but kindly got to borrow Steve's and got a reasonable view of the Phalarope. It was clear to tell what it was, as it fed in the surf along the edge of the sea. It was another much needed lifer. But since it was so far away we did not stay long but moved on to the Raddes. Steve gave me a lift there and we were soon at the site where it was.

It was very skulky and not showing unless flushed. Tim organised a flush for when everyone had arrived before trying to get the bird out. We did manage to get it out but it flew and then went straight back down, making it difficult to get good views of. The colour was easy to appreciate but that was pretty much the only feature that we could make out. We flushed again but the bird dived back in immediately this time too. After the second flush I decided to call it quits, as did many others. The light was going and I though it would probably be right to let the bird settle down rather than to go chasing it round. Either way, its another nice lifer from the weekend!

The light had pretty much gone by the time I had my tent down and we spent most of the journey home in the dark. It has been a great weekend, met some more NGB's, got another 4 lifers, seen a whale and counted a lot of birds. It does not get much better than that.

Species List:

Kilnsea Wetlands: Lapwing, Curlew, Little Egret, Skylark, Dunlin, Black-Headed Gull, Redshank, Whooper Swan, Mute Swan, Wigeon, Teal, Knot, Mallard, Magpie, Brent Geese, Shelduck, Merlin, Grey Plover, Stonechat,

Vis-Migging: Brambling, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Linnet, Kestrel, Common Buzzard, Wigeon, Teal, Pink-Footed Goose, Rook, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon,

Mooching About: Redshank, Swallow, Goldcrest, Grey Phalarope, Whooper Swan, Brent Goose, Mediterranean Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Raddes Warbler 

Spurn NGB Weekend Day 2

As I was the only NGB camping at Westmere farm it meant I would have more of a trek to get down to numpties to start the day with others. On the way down I got the most ridiculous Spurn Tick in the form of Lapwing, as they had not been moving while I was there.

There were already a flock of about 30 Whooper Swans on the Humber for when I arrived at numpties and joined the small gathering of NGB's around the watchpoint. The passage was much reduced from yesterday, though we still had a few Rock Pipits and Grey Wagtails, as well as an Eider that went south.

Tim was up at numpties and his radio was to hand, so we could follow all of what was progressing across the reserve. A lot of the NGB guys were busy ringing for most of the morning, and one of the first things they caught was a lovely male Stonechat which was a smashing bird to see in the hand.

-Stonechat

After an other half an hour or so up at Numpties news came through that Martin had found a Yellow-Browed Warbler down at the warren. We arrived but it had already dived into the bushes. It was Re-found by Sarah about 5mins later though, having moved round the warren from the ringing lab. It was difficult to assemble a crowd, but we were near to the site where it was and so I was finally able to get my own YB Warbler record shots. It was difficult to track and it was not long until it was lost again.

-Yellow-Browed Warbler

This time though it had moved along the bank to the bushes where I had seen one on my previous trip. It was difficult to track here too but on the whole we were reasonably successful and some of the guys managed to get a few shots of it.

However, news had come through of a Firecrest up by Driftwood Caravan Site, and Scott offered to take me up since it was a lifer, and a badly needed one. We raced up but the bird had been lost and was not showing. As a result after about 10 mins Scott headed off to check out Sammies. I decided to stay to see if the Firecrest would return. After a while a couple of birders further up the path called that they had it. I arrived in time to see the bird right out in the open on a hawthorn tree across the road. It spent all the time out in the open, the only downside being that the afore mentioned time was not very long, only around 30 seconds, and as such I did not have time to get any pictures, which was disappointing given how incredible the views were. But fortunately the bird was all I had hoped, looking stunning. It moved across the road but we lost it there, and despite sticking around I did not find it again, though it was seen by a couple of other guys later in the day in the same area, suggesting it was doing some kind of circuit.

I wandered back down to the warren to catch up on the ringing and the passage. Not much had happened since I had left which is always comforting. However, soon after I returned things became more exciting again. We were all stood at numpties and a few of us commented that we thought we had heard a Jay alarm calling. However, not much happened in the immediate aftermath and so we though no more of it. About a minuet later Tim came on the radio with news that a Jay had been caught and was about to be ringed.

We headed down to watch the bird be processed and then displayed. I had a lot of fight in it, savaging Tims finger whenever it got the chance,but still more than happy to sit still for a photo providing the other hand was not too close. Its a different perspective to have on a bird that I would consider myself familiar with, the magic of Spurn!

-Jay

It was not the only bird caught while I was down there. All morning the YBW had been around the nets, and had even fallen out of one I hear. However, by late morning it had finally been caught. It was brought out to a pretty decent sized crowd, mainly consisting on NGB's. It sat very well, though I did not manage to get any really good photos.

-Yellow Browed Warbler

The time with the YBW was cut short when news of a richards pipit coming south was broadcast over the radio. As such we all raced up to numpties in the hope of catching a glimpse of it as it went over. That never happened, the bird had dropped down into the churchfield but we remained at numpties anyway in the hope that something else may come down.

We had Jack Snipe, Merlin and a Skein of 70 Pink Footed Geese come down during the early part of the afternoon. By 2.00 though it had started to rain and as such we took to sitting in the warren waiting for it to pass. While we waited another smart bird was caught, though this time it was more of a rescue from gulls as an apparently injured Guillemot had been found down the point.

The guys that found it brought it up and we were able to have a good look at it. Paul came down to see if the bird was ringable but decided there was not enough fat on it and that it was probably a gonner. Tim took it down to the sea and placed it back, where it probably stood its best chance of getting back to any form of health.

-Guillemot

We then did a walk through the saltmarsh to try and see what we could flush. The only thing we managed though was a Roe Deer, which I had called a minuet or so before. At the top of the canal bank I said I would head back since I was already half way to my tent. This was a big mistake as the others then found a grass snake and flushed a woodcock.

That was it for the day really, the weather did not really let up so the birding was limited. I tried again for the firecrest but it was not showing.

Species List:

Vis-Migging: Lapwing, Mallard, Wren, Reed Bunting, Whooper Swan, Eider, Tree Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Rock Pipit, Skylark, Stonechat, Goldcrest,

Warren: Goldcrest, Great Tit, Wren, Song Thrush, Merlin, Teal, Snipe, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Jack Snipe, Pink-Foot Goose, Guillemot,

Spurn NGB Weekend Day 1

The first day of the NGB weekend of Spurn, but without many NGB's. There were 4 of us at Numpties in the morning; Martin, Jonnie, Tim and me. Together we had a good time, clocking an incredible passerine passage. The species of the day was Tree Sparrow, of which there were 2285 birds going south, the second highest ever Spurn count and only 40 off the record. There were also 312 House Sparrows and 701 Skylarks, which were also both notable counts and the best for some time. There were other finches moving too; 84 Chaffinch, 106 Greenfinch, 876 Goldfinch, 5 Siskin, 1047 Linnet, 1347 Meadow Pipit, 91 Rock Pipit, all of which made for an impressive mornings spectacle.

There were other goodies among the birds moving south, including a Jay which came south and then banked and turned round north. The highlight of the moving birds was a Lapland Bunting which Tim picked out. I grabbed a photo in of it as it turned back north and though it is a poor attempt you can clearly make out the fact that it is a Lapland Bunting, a Lifer for me.

-Lapland Bunting

We also had a small flock of Whooper Swans fly over the triangle and down the Humber. They were quite distant but that was my tarts tick for the year gone, which is a relief. They were also the first of the autumn for Spurn, There were other wildfowl going too, including Brent Geese and Pinkfeet as well as a couple of duck species, but these were mainly moving over the triangle and not going south. 

-Whooper Swan

-Pink Footed Geese

There were also good numbers of Hirundines moving. Considering before today I had only seen 3 'October swallows' it was great to see 574 going south, including 80 House Martin, which are the first time I have ever seen the species so late into the year.

-Hirundines-Swallows and House Martin

But there was an undoubted highlight of the morning. As we were all counting at numpties there came Steve's calls from the seawatching hide. His cry was of 'Whale, Whale Whale'. I have never seen a whale so I, along with all the others present turned our eyes straight to the sea. Steve had picked it up quite south but its breaches were irregular and difficult to follow. I only pick it up the once but the view included Spray and the Fin, all that you could realistically hope for. That was fantastic, made all the better for the fact that it was so unexpected. Steve said he had spent 2500 hours watching the sea since his last whale, so to be there for this was a privilege. There were birders all along the Spurn coast that had heard the message, and they followed its progress as it moved up north. As to its identity, we remain unsure. Based on the spray it may have been a humpback,but Minkie seems to be the most common thoughts about it based on peoples previous experiences with the species, and that is what most people have put it down as.

That was early morning so left me buzzing for the rest of the day. By early afternoon the passage had dried up so I headed over to Canal Scrape to see if there was anything about on there. There was not a lot, in fact the only bird was Long-John Silver the redshank. who is somehow still alive despite having only half of one of its legs. Considering he was there when I left my job back in September it has done remarkably well for itself. 

Since it was so quiet I went back for an afternoon kip. Turns out a woodcock was caught at kew but I did not hear about it, which was a big blow. The evening was spent back up at Numpties seeing what was moving. There was much less than the morning counts, the highlight being a few Whooper Swans that came down and landed on the sea, and a few large Skeins of Pink-footed Geese with a single Graylag in tow.

-Whooper Swans

-Pink Footed Geese

In the pub later on I met some more NGBs, which was great, a chance to get together with other birders my own age. It had been a good start to the weekend, with a bird lifer and a Whale, can you ask for much more.

Species List:

Vis-Migging: Siskin, Merlin, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Brent Goose, Teal, House Martin, Swallow, Jay, Pink-Footed Goose, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Mallard, Reed Bunting, Rook, Skylark, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Linnet, Feral Pigeon, Goldfinch, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Greenfinch, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Tree Sparrow, Lapland Bunting, House Sparrow, Whooper Swan, Little Egret, Cormorant, Knot, Whimbrel, Minke Whale, 

Vis-Migging: Red-Throated Diver, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, House Martin, Whooper Swan, Pink-Footed Goose, Kestrel, Little Egret, Knot, Curlew, Pintail, Brent Goose,

Orgreave Lakes

Went for a trip down to Orgreave today with the intention of putting my new camera to the test. However, that did not happen, and I took no photos over the course of the morning. There large numbers of Pochard and Tufted Duck, which was nice. There were also 2 Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, though I only saw one, the other I heard calling. The real highlight were 3 Swallows that flew south over the site, which are my first inland October swallows.
I met Mark Reader there for the first time, who is something of a local legend, and regularly patches Orgreave. We got chatting about the site, and I learned some of the incredible things that have been seen there before, e.g. Leaches Petrel. As we were wandering back he picked out the Rock Pipit that had been around on the bank of the small pool, allowing me to see my first inland Rock Pipit. I tried to get some photos but it dropped before I was fully able to.

Species List:
Orgreave Lakes: Starling, Woodpigeon, Tufted Duck, Magpie, Mallard, Carrion Crow, Coot, Black-Headed Gull, Gadwall, Feral Pigeon, Pochard, Swallow, Mute Swan, Goldfinch, Cormorant, Meadow Pipit, Great-Crested Grebe, Chiff-Chaff, Lapwing, Kestrel, Oystercatcher, Great Tit, Skylark, Great-Spotted Woodpecker, Canada Goose, Pied Wagtail, Graylag Goose, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Dunlin, Linnet, Rook, Rock Pipit,

Spurn - Completion of the Masked Shrike Twitch

  After yesterdays excursions I slept in a little, though still I was up and about by 6.30. I headed up for to the seawatching hut to have a look round and see if there was much moving. There were very impressive numbers of Red-Throated Diver, probably about 100 moving south over the course of the morning. There were also a few Barnacle Geese coming in, as well as a couple of duck species moving, including Pintail, Wigeon and Shellduck. There were also a few Sooty Shearwaters moving, including one that I found,n testament to how much my seawatching has improved over the summer.
  Once the sea had slowed down I moved onto the Numpties Watchpoint with Tim and a couple of other guys. There were good numbers of birds moving, and none birds too; a weasel was running round clubleys chasing the Meadow Pipits. I got a Spurn Tick when a few Red-Breasted Merganser flew past, as well as a Rock Pipit flew overhead, and then a few Brent Geese, including a Pale-Bellied (Iceland) bird. Other nice birds around included Ruff, Greenshank and Goldcrest.
  By late morning it had already slowed down so I headed round for a mooch around the site, namely to go back and check the Shrike, since it could well be that I do not see another in this country in my lifetime. It was still there, though it was still distant and difficult to get a good view off, just like yesterdays initial view. It still showed well though, fly-catching from the fence. I spent quite a bit of time at the Shrike field but also wandered around Kilnsea trying to find a RBF but ultimately did not manage it. I did find a Greater-Spotted Woodpecker in the Bluebell Car Park which was nice. I spoke to Rob and he said that he had seen one come in off the sea in the that area, so it could well be the same bird.
  I spent the rest of the afternoon at Seawatching again with Rob. There continued to be a stream of Red-Throated Divers moving south. There were also a couple of Porpoise and a Great Skua. The real highlight was a Sparrowhawk that came in off the sea. It was interesting to see it as we tracked it coming in from the sea. It then landed on the beach for a bit, sat there obviously out of puff.
  It was there that I arranged to get a lift home and so did not have to worry about public transport that I had done on the way there. It concluded a great couple of days, possibly one of the best birding days I have ever had over the last couple of days.

Species List:
Seawatching: Sooty Shearwater, Red-Throated Diver, Gannet, Little Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Dunlin, Common Scoter, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Common Tern, Common Gull, Common Teal, Barnacle Goose, Swallow, Kestrel, Pintail, Shelduck, Wigeon, Wheatear, Weasel
Vis-Migging: Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Chiff-Chaff, Brent Goose, Red-Breasted Merganser, Ruff, Wheatear, Tree Sparrow, Goldcrest, Reed Bunting, Rock Pipit, Red-Throated Diver, Cormorant, Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk,
Mooching About: Snipe, Stonechat, Masked Shrike, Common Buzzard, Tree Sparrow, Barnacle Goose, Chiff-Chaff, Great-Spotted Woodpecker,
Seawatching: Sparrowhawk, Common Scoter, Great Skua, Common Teal, Wheatear, Red-Throated Diver, Porpoise 

Spurn - Twitching Masked Shrike

I had a rotten weekend. I had just arrived back at uni and was on my way back from town after re-seeing the sights when the local grapevine sent me a text informing me of a Masked Shrike at spurn. I had spent 7 weeks there and now, 2 weeks later, possibly the rarest bird of the year has turned up. Needless to say, my day way ruined.

That was Saturday. It stayed until Sunday, and as such I began to make preparations for a twitch up there. On Monday I began the biggest twitch of my birding career. I decided that no risks could be taken, and as such I went for the first train of the day; 5.30. This meant a 4.30 start, not what I am used to that's for sure.

I arrived in Hull for 7.15, just as the bus was pulling out. Not a disaster but did mean an hour wait for the next one. I spent my time chilling and drawing masked shrikes. I knew that I was to contact Paul when I arrived in Patrington, who had kindly offered to pick me up, and as such I had shaved plenty of time off my potential journey. Once I made it onto the bus it all ran smoothly and I arrived at Spurn itself for around 11.

Paul said that he would drop me off at the Shrike as soon as I arrived, avoiding the risk that I might miss it. I therefore arrived with all my gear but incredibly optimistic as Paul had informed me that the bird was still there. I struggled to pick it up at first it was so far away, so far I could not pick out any of the key features on the bird. I spent about an hour watching the bird, but I failed to pick out any features that allowed me to identify it as a Masked simply because it was so far away. Obviously my camera is broken, but I would have been unable to photograph it anyway.

What I saw was obviously a shrike but only when it was in flight could you really see the lack of colour on the bird that made it not a woodchat. After about an hour though I decided to leave and come back hoping the bird would have come closer. Do not get me wrong, having seen the bird I was over the moon, and I was so relieved given all I gone through to get there. 

I headed to the warren to dump my gear and have a breather (and lunch). After a short break I wandered up to numpties watchpoint to have a look. Rob was there and as such I got to chat to a familiar face, while eavesdropping his radio.

I was not there long before his radio buzzed that there was a Yellow-Browed Warbler at the warren. I could see Nathan down by the roadside, so assumed that's where it was, so rushed down there. When I arrived I was informed that the bird had been lost but that it was still in there. It did not take long for it to make an appearance. Through the scope I got simply incredible views, though its movements were irregular and it was difficult to keep track of. 

I was even more embittered about the whole camera situation now, the second lifer, as this one was more photograph-able than the previous. However, there was a photographer there who I spoke to and kindly let me borrow his, so here are a few photos of the Yellow-Browed Warbler.

I have to say, that I was possibly more pleased about this than the shrike, possibly because it was more unexpected and possibly because it was so much closer so I could identify it for myself. It was a simply stunning bird, and is hopefully the first of many.

-Yellow-Browed Warbler (Not my photos)

The warbler remained hit and miss, so after a spell of extended showing I decided to go back to the Masked Shrike to see what it was doing. This was a good decision, as it had moved significantly closer, possibly due to the change in wind direction. What this meant was that the bird was now on the northern line of the hedge as opposed to the eastern side. It was soon so close that the scope was no longer required and all the features could be made out with bins alone.

It was simply stunning, a really beauty. It was interesting to note that it had a pink flush, but only on one side. All the other features were equally as beautiful, the complexion of its plumage simply sublime. I was so grateful that it had come closer so I could fully appreciate it. Initially I was a little disappointed it was so far away, but now all my work had paid off.

Alas for my lack of camera, so as a result I have gathered the best photos of the bird from the internet. If I have upset anyone by doing this drop me a line and I will amend my mistake, but I would hate for the bird to only be remembered by memories, even if its not actually through my photos.

-Masked Shrike (Not my photos)

It soon stopped coming closer and began to move further away from the watchpoint. It would fly from the fence onto the floor with lovely fluttering and diving before coming back to the fence either closer of further away depending on what it had been doing.

Since it was moving off I too made that call and headed back. I had hoped to pick up red-breasted flycatcher in the churchyard. While I was there one bloke claimed to have one, but I checked out the same bird and it was pied, though I think some of the people there may have taken his word for it. Sadly I did not pick up RBF today.

I next headed to Canal Scrape where there was meant to be a Jack Snipe showing right in front of the hide. I arrived but could not see it. I got scoffs of discontent when I asked, but arrogance is their problem I guess. I was directed to a patch of grass but it still took a while to pick it up, remarkable given how close it was to us. As soon as it started bobbing though I managed to see it. In all the ticks of the day I failed to mention that I had now surpassed my life list at the start of the year in 2014 alone, and that Jack Snipe was my 202nd species of the year, the shrike being the 200th.

The Snipe showed incredibly well, the best views of the species I have ever had, the previous being only flushed birds. Now the lack of camera was a real issue, but since it was so close I decided to try with the compact. Not great but at least you can tell what it is, and that is an improvement on anything else I have had. It was a little stunner and photos are not necessary to remember that.

-Jack Snipe

The evenings seawatch was not what it had been during my time working, but there were a couple of flocks of Barnacle Geese that came in off the sea. They flew right over us and up the Humber giving great views. It was just so nice to be back after being away, seeing old faces, re-seeing the sights and seeing new great birds, what a day and what a trip. It did wear me out, and I was in bed by 9.30.

Species List:

Spurn YWT: Swallow, Redstart, Masked Shrike, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Song Thrush, Whinchat, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Pied Flycatcher, Chiff-Chaff, Yellow-Browed Warbler, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Carrion Crow, Little Egret, Jack Snipe, Arctic Skua,

Soil Hill

Today

Meadow Pipit - 27 Summit, ~50 Marsh 

Carrion Crow - 5

Woodpigeon - 1

Wheatear - 1 Summit

Snipe - 2 Flushed Summit

Dunlin - 1 Flushed With Snipe

Skylark - 4 Summit, 13 MarshSn

Goldfinch - 2

Pheasant - 1

Kestrel - 1

Magpie - 1

Pied Wagtail - 1 (North)

Common Gull - 1 (South)

Also of note was a Stoat that sat up not 2 meters from me near the marsh on the north side. 

On the way down from the hill I spotted a Barnacle Goose feeding in a flock of 10 Canada Geese across the road from the house. I assume it would be the same bird that has been at Fly Flatts grazing? Its not a bad garden tick! 

Barnacle Goose (Garden Tick!)

Yesterday

Black Headed Gull - 5

Common Gull - 1

Goldfinch ~50 (At least!)

Carrion Crow - 12

Feral Pigeon - 2 (South)

Meadow Pipit - 4

Swallow - 9 (South)

Skylark - 3

Magpie - 2

Thursday

Herring Gull - 1 (Juv)

Black-Headed Gull - 1

Carrion Crow - 7

Meadow Pipit - 9

Skylark - 3

Mistle Thrush - 2

Also of note were 2 Small Copper, 2 Common Hawker (Both Male) and a Common Darter (Also Male

Spurn Day 60

It seems bizarre but today is my final day at Spurn. After getting back to my tent at 1.00 in the morning after spending the night at the pub, I was not looking forward to my 6.00 start, but I managed to power through. 

The ringing started much quicker than it had done the previous morning. We caught Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler and the usual Meadow Pipits. We also caught a few Garden Birds in the Kew garden including a Blue Tit and a Blackbird. There were other birds about in Churchfield too, including a Redstart, a few Pied Flycatcher and a Spotted Flycatcher.

At 8.00 after showing off a few birds we got a radio message that a lesser golden plover had been heard down at the warren. Tim and I rushed off down there getting a lift with Pete. When we arrived a crowd had already assembled. The bird had been heard calling with a flock of Golden Plover, but then 2 birds had broken off and landed on the Humber. It was understood that one of these birds was the bird in question, but once on the Humber it could not be found. One bird was thought to be the bird, but after much discussion it was decided that it was in fact a normal Golden Plover with a more spangly back. As a result the lesser golden was never found and we returned to churchfield to continue ringing.

It felt like late morning, though it was only half 9 when the real highlight of the day turned up. I was loitering round the ringing hut while Tim and Paul checked the nets, when the radio came on with Tim's voice saying a Sparrowhawk had been caught. I had looked through the Spurn Portfolio and seen a Sparrowhawk in the hand and had decided then that this was the one bird I wanted to see in the hand. As a result I was overjoyed that now, on the last day, one had been caught that I would be able to see. 

When the bird was shown off there was a substantial crowd but I was able to get a few photos of it in the hand, including one really good one. It was a young male, and was really quite placid during its moment of fame. It squawked a little, but did not flap or bit, just sat there looking around. It really was outstanding to look at, one of the undoubted highlights of my time at Spurn.

-Sparrowhawk

Birds continued to be caught, but not many and by 12.00 we decided to call it quits on the ringing. I then went down to warren to find Pete and ask for a lift to Hull. On the way I spotted a few Whinchat sat on the fences. These will undoubtedly be the last I see this year, so it was a nice farewell.

Once all that was finished I headed up to westmere farm to hear a talk about satellite tagged monties, which was absolutely fascinating. This was followed by a bird skinning demonstration and a talk about NGB. It was a productive and interesting to spend the afternoon. 

For my final Spurn birding I went to the pub car park to see if the siberian lesser whitethroat that had been reported was still around. It was not despite a crowd looking. There was a normal Lesser Whitethroat, Pied Flycatchers and a few other birds around, so it was a nice way to finish off.

And then I left, my last 2 months at Spurn ended and I got a lift to Sheffield and then caught the train home. It felt weird seeing things like Pylons on the way home, something I have not seen for so long, just like woods, and large buildings...

Species List:

Churchfield: Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Sparrowhawk, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Little Egret, Blackbird, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Herring Gull,

Spurn Day 59

The festival kicks off properly today and as bouncer/general odd jobs man in Churchfield ringing area I had the joy of helping Paul and Tim with their ringing while also fetching drinks and snacks. 

The day started slowly, with no birds being caught. As a result at around 8.00 Paul decided to open up the feeding station nets and as such we caught loads of Greenfinches, but also a Tree Sparrow too. The numbers were beginning to look up and it meant that we had some birds to show the people that were coming. 

In terms of birds not being caught we had plenty of stuff, including Mediterranean Gulls flying over, as well as the odd wader. The real highlight though was my first ever September Swift, a long awaited sight. It flew over the pub and was lost to us though about 10 mins later we saw it or another swift flying south. I have long wanted a September swift so it was great to finally see one.

The longer the morning went on the more we caught, including a lovely Spotted Flycatcher and plenty of Meadow Pipits from the house trap, as well as a couple of other bits and pieces. Numbers of people were steady but certainly not excessive, with no more than 10 people at any one time viewing the field and the birds we had caught.

That all changed at 12.30 when Paul re-caught the Barred Warbler from yesterday. All of a sudden there was a massive crowd of perhaps 50 people all lined up to see the bird. I had the thankless task of checking tickets for the people coming in, but it was difficult to keep up with the numbers, though I did somehow manage it.

Then the bird was revealed and taken around the circle to show everyone. I had hoped to improve on yesterdays less than satisfactory photos, but alas it did not turn out like that as my viewing of the bird was only brief to avoid stressing the bird out, which is fair enough. Other people certainly enjoyed seeing it, and that is what is most important about the festival.

-Barred Warbler

That was without doubt the most exciting bird we caught all day, but seeing so many species in the hand gave me a different perspective on a lot of species, and as such I was able to pick up on key features I can hopefully use in the field in future.

By mid afternoon the birds and visitors had dried up and as such we called it quits for the day. I spent the afternoon browsing the stalls and displays in the main marquee, talking to lots of interesting people about all kinds of things.

In the evening it was Mike Dilgers talk in the main arena with Hog Roast. Thanks to Nick I was the only volunteer allowed hog roast, but since I was on collecting of the hog roast tickets I managed to collect about 150 tickets for it, so I could have easily helped myself if I had wanted to!

The talk itself was very interesting and very entertaining. It was refreshing to hear his enthusiasm for wildlife and to share his experiences that got him to where he is today. He was even more fun in the Pub after. I came and sat with the NGB's, which was great fun, finally getting to meet them. Then Mike came and sat with us and started chatting with us, it was incredible just how normal he was, just an average bloke having banter with young birders. I got ripped to pieces about how short my life list was, and the fact that I had seen trumpeter finch before garden warbler. All in good nature, he went round calling me 220 for the the rest of the evening. Only at Spurn could something like that happen, it was one of the best evenings of my birding career.

Species List:

Churchfield: Swift, Greenfinch, Curlew, Golden Plover, Mediterranean Gull, Dunlin, Feral Pigeon, Meadow Pipit, Magpie, Greenshank, Grey Wagtail, Woodpigeon, Willow Warbler, Snipe, Black-Tailed Godwit, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Swallow, Common Gull, Black-Headed Gull, House Martin, Starling, Little Egret, Yellow Wagtail, Kestrel, Barred Warbler,