Spurn Migrants

I've been fortunate enough to get down to Spurn on the last 3 days and it is fair to say that migration id in full swing with any number of common migrants prevalent on each visit.

Saturday was a bit disappointing as the east wind and rain failed to deliver especially as this was preceeded by a nagging southerly wind keeping everything hunkered down.

The best bird from a photographic perspective was a pied flycatcher at sammy's Point, the only other bird of note for me was the Yellow-browed warbler.

Sunday was an altogether different affair.Calm winds and clear skies.I started off at the Crown and Anchor and walked south along the river bank.It was obvious that there was a significant movement occurring as meadow pipits passed overhead, swallows moved over the humber and grey wagtails were evident overhead and along the shoreline.First grounded migrant was a redstart followed by willow warblers and wheatears.

I walked past canal bushes and there were a number of new birds including gold crests more redstarts and whinchats on the grasses by the humber.

I stopped off at the gate and as the tide ebbed I thought I would try for some wader flight shots.redshank, dunlin, knot as well as the odd whimbrel and curlew (one carrying a crab) kept me busy.Some whinchats landed nearby and posed nicely and then one profiteer in the name of a sparrow hawk dropped in not 20 yards away and I reeled off a series of shots as it carried an unfortunate whinchat away.

I retraced my steps and had another encounter with the (or another ) sparrow hawk. Nothing more of note until I reached the churchyard where a pied flycatcher and yellow browed warbler showed quite well.

I had another trip on Monday morning and there was more fog (but no wind) I headed for the gate and as soon as I got out of the car an osprey drifted slowly south.Not a lot around the canal and churchyard save for the odd redstart and pied flycatcher.Even rain on the back of an easterly wind didn't make a big difference.

A golden plover posed nicely just south of Cliff Farm.

I had a walk up to Sammy's Point and spent most of the afternoon there.Three redstarts, a pied flycatcher a spotted flycatcher and a couple of willow warblers and wheatears provided photographic opportunities at least.

Back to Kilnsea for a distant red-backed shrike and finished up watching a redstart, pied flycatcher and spotted flycatcher in Cliff Farm.

All in all avery nice few days, hopefully the winds and rain might bring something new for the weekend.

Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher

Knot

Redshank

Grey Plover

Curlew with crab

Whinchat

Sparrowhawk

Grey Wagtail

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Wheatear

Spotted Flycatcher

Willow Warbler

Redstart

Redstart

Migfest & Migrants

This weekend it was the Migfest at Spurn and also Freedomfest in Hull (for me it was a bit like FestFest!)

Anyway having been to the Freedom Festival on Friday (which was brilliant) it was mid-afternoon before I got to Spurn.

First stop was Westmere Farm for my ticket for Sunday and to collect 2 books from the brilliant Challenge Series by Martin Garner.

After looking around some of the other excellent stands and seeing some superb moths,I thought I would look for some birds.

The sea watch earlier had been excellent but died off by mid afternoon so I went to see if I could se the red-backed shrike. It performed nicely despite the strong north-westerly winds and I managed to get some decent shots.

There were a few common migrants about but nothing new so I headed off to spend the last hour at Stone Creek. There was no sign of the black stork but another red-backed shrike showed quite well.

I headed back for Spurn this morning and arrived before first light with the intention of doing some sea-watching.It wasn't as good as yesterday, however I saw a sooty shearwater, arctic skua, bonxie, fulmar and red throated divers.

It was a bit slow so news of a barred warbler had me heading down Beacon Lane and it showed quite well amongst photogenic red berries.

I went back up to Westmere for a bacon and egg sarnie which was very nice and apart from a spotted flycatcher I saw very little else.

I called in for the reported red-necked phalarope at Hornsea Mere but that had vanished.

All in all the migfest was a wonderful event and will definitely be back next year.

Morning, Night (but not Noon)

I had a couple of trips to Pat Haven on Sunday, the first trip was for the early morning high tide and the second was for the evening high tide (low tide at Pat Haven is all but pointless).

I arrived for about 5.45am and the air was still but some low cloud kept the sun out.

I took up position at my usual spot and almost immediately flocks of waders were whizzing in literally get from where I was.

The first decent bird was a ruff on the pool accompanied by redshank and dunlin. A wary greenshank stopped over fleetingly as did a little egret and then the rising tide had me making a hasty retreat closer to the bank.Some lovely light and a flat calm lagoon made for great photographic opportunities and it was as the tide pushed the waders in a juvenile peregrine flew into the flocks causing mayhem but did not make a kill.

Dunlin and ringed plovers were joined by good numbers of knot and a single bar tailed god wit.All wanting to get some sleep, but the tide kept coming in until the whole flock took flight and disappeared. It was time to head for home-I was back in the house before 9am.

I went back again on the night to the outer pool and again redshank, greenshank and dunlin were the main quarry a single grey plover in summer plumage would not come any closer than 50m.

Again as the tide rose I made my way closer to the bank a single green sandpiper joined the roost but I didn't see anything more interesting.

A cracking place that has just come back into form, hopefully something special might turn up before the summer is out.