Juvenile Woodchat Shrike, Sammy's Point.
Short-toed Lark, Spurn point
Spotted Flycatcher, Sammy's Point
Redstart, Sammy's Point
Male Redstart with Spot Fly
Red-backed Shrike, Spurn point
Female Pied Flycatcher, Kilnsea
Lesser Whitethroat, Kilnseaxxxx
Saturday morning, 6am, and I am pounding along the M62 heading for Flamborough Head. On arrival I was excited, wondering what was going to turn up. Given the rarities that had been appearing for the last few days, surely something good would be there. As it turned out, Flamborough was a disappointment. Nice weather conditions – just short on good birds. Even the regulars were going around with that “you should have been here yesterday” attitude.
Xxx
In the end I spent a couple of hours staring at a large bowl-shaped patch of brambles. At least 14 Stonechats (mostly juveniles) were flitting around the place with a Whitethroat and 2 Lesser Whitethroats. Plenty of hirundines and Meadow Pipits and a flock of around 200 Linnets ensured at least common species were around. Out at sea the numerous Gannets and odd Fulmar were joined by a couple of Red-throated Divers, a Shag and two Little Gulls. A mist prevented viewing of any sort of distance. A Barred Warbler had been reported in the brambles just before I got there so I was soon joined by other birders. After a couple of hours the finder turned up again and directed us to a distant patch of brambles several hundred yards away – nowhere near the reported spot. In typically Barred Warbler fashion it was spending most of its time skulking out of sight. I then decided sod this for a game of soldiers and headed off to Spurn.
Xxx
On arrival at Spurn I found that an Icterine Warbler had been trapped and was due to be released at the point. I’m not a fan of in-the-hand ticks, however I have never seen an Icky so I headed off hoping to at least get some ID tips. Typically I arrived just as the assembled birders were heading away and with the Icky safely tucked out of sight in some bushes. At that point Lee Evans (didn’t know who he was at the time) gave me some tips including the presence of a Short-toed Lark. I headed off to the beach and found a group of birders already watching the lark. It was showing nicely though a little distant – everyone was being careful not to flush the bird. It was difficult to digiscope the bird as it was constantly on the move and kept disappearing behind tufts of grass or the assorted detritus on the beach. Suddenly it was up, high and away, and off out to sea. I felt sorry for the next group of birders that were trudging along the beach towards us.
Xxxx
If I found one thing this weekend it is that, at Spurn, timing and luck are extremely important. Anyway I headed back towards the bushes around the heliogoland trap hoping to pick up something interesting. I spotted a few birds on top of the trap, as did some other birders and we quickly focussed on the Lapland Bunting and a couple of Linnets. The longspur was present only for about a minute or so before again flying off high. I then spent the next hour or so wandering around these bushes and not seeing much – certainly fewer birds than I saw here with Jonathan last year. I then walked around a bend and found some birders watching the Red-backed Shrike.
Xxx
The shrike was showing very well and I was bloody annoyed that my digiscoping camera decided to start playing up with the focussing – I never really got it sorted again for the next day or so. The shrike was doing the vertical launches at insects typical of the species – eventually it flew towards me and perched in the back side of a bush right in front of me! Problem was I couldn’t see it and couldn’t move without flushing it. Eventually it flew out and disappeared. After another quiet wander around with just a Spotted Flycatcher of note and then I left the point.
Xxx
The next stop was the pub at Kilnsea – I walked into the car park and watched two female Pied Flycatchers flitting around on the wires. Again other birders were present (you can’t go anywhere in the area without bumping into birders) and suddenly the stonking Red-breasted Flycatcher appeared on the wires. He still had plenty of red on his breast – lovely bird. He showed for a minute or so, disappeared and then showed briefly again 20 minutes later in a bush. This definitely made my day though I do feel like a kid in a sweet shop at Spurn.
Xxxx
I then headed back down in to Spurn and went for a wander around the back of the bushes between posts 62 and 63. Lots of birders – no birds with no sign of the Wryneck or Barred Warbler seen there earlier. I later found that the Wryneck had been flushed by some over-eager people and the Barred Warbler came out to play five minutes after I left. I did a bit of sea watching from here and picked up a Curlew Sandpiper on the beach in amongst the various waders. Nothing much else was showing around this area so I then headed back out towards Sammy’s Point around tea time.
Xxx
At Sammy’s the juvenile Woodchat Shrike was showing insanely well. Typically my camera battery now decided to pack in. At least 4 Redstarts and a very showy Spotted Flycatcher were flitting around in a nearby horse paddock. I spent an enjoyable hour watching the shrike and his supporting cast before heading off to Hull and my digs for the night.
Xxx
Early the next morning and I was back on the way to Spurn. A very pale Barn Owl flew across the road in front of me and a Roe Deer watched from the roadside. Cracking views of the deer, however there wasn’t enough light to take photos. I arrived at Spurn to slight disaster – it was high tide and the road was flooded –reserve closed for now but would re-open shortly. I got this shortly and soon spiel several times from 7am onwards – it was nearly 11am when the road was opened. I went for a wander along the canal bank at Kilnsea – plenty of common birds around. A female Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, at least 6 Willow Warblers and several Reed Buntings and Skylarks were around.
Xxx
News came through of a Rosefinch at the end of the canal – only five minutes from me. I arrived there to find other birders already present – no one had seen the Rosefinch. A greenshank flew over calling and later I picked out a Med Gull from a flock of overflying gulls. A Sparrowhawk also flew in off the sea. I then went back to Sammy’s to have another look at the Woodchat Shrike – the Spot Fly and the Redstarts were also still there. At least three Whinchats were also flitting around on fences and a Wheatear appeared in the paddock which was, incidentally, where the shrike had moved to.
Xxx
I found that the Richard’s Pipit was feeding in a field nearby so I walked over to see around 50 birders putting up there scopes – the pipit by now high in the sky and heading for the moon! Later I had another stab at the Barred Warbler. One guy had it when I was just thirty feet away – by the time I had walked to his spot it was gone again! I then spent more time watching the beach at the back of the dunes – the following were there:
Xxx
4000+ Knot
3000+ Dunlin
45+ Bar-tailed Godwit
400+ Redshank
110+ Golden Plover
3 Grey Plover
60+ Sanderling
55+ Turnstone
4 Little Egret
Xxx
And that was that – time to go home. Overall it was very enjoyable – I had five very good birds and some good supporting ones so even though I missed a few it didn’t bother me. I also learned a lot more about the area and the different types of habitat so next time I hope to be more focused. Loved every minute of it!
Saturday morning, 6am, and I am pounding along the M62 heading for Flamborough Head. On arrival I was excited, wondering what was going to turn up. Given the rarities that had been appearing for the last few days, surely something good would be there. As it turned out, Flamborough was a disappointment. Nice weather conditions – just short on good birds. Even the regulars were going around with that “you should have been here yesterday” attitude.
Xxx
In the end I spent a couple of hours staring at a large bowl-shaped patch of brambles. At least 14 Stonechats (mostly juveniles) were flitting around the place with a Whitethroat and 2 Lesser Whitethroats. Plenty of hirundines and Meadow Pipits and a flock of around 200 Linnets ensured at least common species were around. Out at sea the numerous Gannets and odd Fulmar were joined by a couple of Red-throated Divers, a Shag and two Little Gulls. A mist prevented viewing of any sort of distance. A Barred Warbler had been reported in the brambles just before I got there so I was soon joined by other birders. After a couple of hours the finder turned up again and directed us to a distant patch of brambles several hundred yards away – nowhere near the reported spot. In typically Barred Warbler fashion it was spending most of its time skulking out of sight. I then decided sod this for a game of soldiers and headed off to Spurn.
Xxx
On arrival at Spurn I found that an Icterine Warbler had been trapped and was due to be released at the point. I’m not a fan of in-the-hand ticks, however I have never seen an Icky so I headed off hoping to at least get some ID tips. Typically I arrived just as the assembled birders were heading away and with the Icky safely tucked out of sight in some bushes. At that point Lee Evans (didn’t know who he was at the time) gave me some tips including the presence of a Short-toed Lark. I headed off to the beach and found a group of birders already watching the lark. It was showing nicely though a little distant – everyone was being careful not to flush the bird. It was difficult to digiscope the bird as it was constantly on the move and kept disappearing behind tufts of grass or the assorted detritus on the beach. Suddenly it was up, high and away, and off out to sea. I felt sorry for the next group of birders that were trudging along the beach towards us.
Xxxx
If I found one thing this weekend it is that, at Spurn, timing and luck are extremely important. Anyway I headed back towards the bushes around the heliogoland trap hoping to pick up something interesting. I spotted a few birds on top of the trap, as did some other birders and we quickly focussed on the Lapland Bunting and a couple of Linnets. The longspur was present only for about a minute or so before again flying off high. I then spent the next hour or so wandering around these bushes and not seeing much – certainly fewer birds than I saw here with Jonathan last year. I then walked around a bend and found some birders watching the Red-backed Shrike.
Xxx
The shrike was showing very well and I was bloody annoyed that my digiscoping camera decided to start playing up with the focussing – I never really got it sorted again for the next day or so. The shrike was doing the vertical launches at insects typical of the species – eventually it flew towards me and perched in the back side of a bush right in front of me! Problem was I couldn’t see it and couldn’t move without flushing it. Eventually it flew out and disappeared. After another quiet wander around with just a Spotted Flycatcher of note and then I left the point.
Xxx
The next stop was the pub at Kilnsea – I walked into the car park and watched two female Pied Flycatchers flitting around on the wires. Again other birders were present (you can’t go anywhere in the area without bumping into birders) and suddenly the stonking Red-breasted Flycatcher appeared on the wires. He still had plenty of red on his breast – lovely bird. He showed for a minute or so, disappeared and then showed briefly again 20 minutes later in a bush. This definitely made my day though I do feel like a kid in a sweet shop at Spurn.
Xxxx
I then headed back down in to Spurn and went for a wander around the back of the bushes between posts 62 and 63. Lots of birders – no birds with no sign of the Wryneck or Barred Warbler seen there earlier. I later found that the Wryneck had been flushed by some over-eager people and the Barred Warbler came out to play five minutes after I left. I did a bit of sea watching from here and picked up a Curlew Sandpiper on the beach in amongst the various waders. Nothing much else was showing around this area so I then headed back out towards Sammy’s Point around tea time.
Xxx
At Sammy’s the juvenile Woodchat Shrike was showing insanely well. Typically my camera battery now decided to pack in. At least 4 Redstarts and a very showy Spotted Flycatcher were flitting around in a nearby horse paddock. I spent an enjoyable hour watching the shrike and his supporting cast before heading off to Hull and my digs for the night.
Xxx
Early the next morning and I was back on the way to Spurn. A very pale Barn Owl flew across the road in front of me and a Roe Deer watched from the roadside. Cracking views of the deer, however there wasn’t enough light to take photos. I arrived at Spurn to slight disaster – it was high tide and the road was flooded –reserve closed for now but would re-open shortly. I got this shortly and soon spiel several times from 7am onwards – it was nearly 11am when the road was opened. I went for a wander along the canal bank at Kilnsea – plenty of common birds around. A female Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, at least 6 Willow Warblers and several Reed Buntings and Skylarks were around.
Xxx
News came through of a Rosefinch at the end of the canal – only five minutes from me. I arrived there to find other birders already present – no one had seen the Rosefinch. A greenshank flew over calling and later I picked out a Med Gull from a flock of overflying gulls. A Sparrowhawk also flew in off the sea. I then went back to Sammy’s to have another look at the Woodchat Shrike – the Spot Fly and the Redstarts were also still there. At least three Whinchats were also flitting around on fences and a Wheatear appeared in the paddock which was, incidentally, where the shrike had moved to.
Xxx
I found that the Richard’s Pipit was feeding in a field nearby so I walked over to see around 50 birders putting up there scopes – the pipit by now high in the sky and heading for the moon! Later I had another stab at the Barred Warbler. One guy had it when I was just thirty feet away – by the time I had walked to his spot it was gone again! I then spent more time watching the beach at the back of the dunes – the following were there:
Xxx
4000+ Knot
3000+ Dunlin
45+ Bar-tailed Godwit
400+ Redshank
110+ Golden Plover
3 Grey Plover
60+ Sanderling
55+ Turnstone
4 Little Egret
Xxx
And that was that – time to go home. Overall it was very enjoyable – I had five very good birds and some good supporting ones so even though I missed a few it didn’t bother me. I also learned a lot more about the area and the different types of habitat so next time I hope to be more focused. Loved every minute of it!
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