Migfest 2023

Tickets for Migfest 2023 are on sale now and as most years, they will be selling fast. If anyone has any great desires to attend the UK’s premier festival of wildlife migration, the best advice I can give is- don’t leave it too late.

Migfest is designed to coincide with the peak time for southerly migration, focussing on but not limited to the spectacle of meadow pipits flowing south . A true natural marvel and in good conditions numbers of birds travelling south can be counted in their thousands. In fact a quick glance at Andy Roadhouse’s iconic book The Birds of Spurn will tell you that the record count was 20,200-only a couple of days away from the dates for this years festival.

Migfest for me starts a few weeks before. What might turn up over the weekend ? What might be the bird of the day on each day? What will be the bird of the weekend? I’m always checking historic records to see what might turn up.

One thing is for sure, the birds never fail to impress. There is so much diversity at Spurn, a brilliant weekend can always be guaranteed.

Easterly winds (those most favourable for a “fall”) could bring common migrants such as redstarts, pied flycatcher, whinchat and wood warbler, with the possibility of something more unusual such as red-backed shrike, barred warbler or common rosefinch. 

South westerlies are best for ‘visible migration’ winds push birds out to the coast then they re-orientate themselves and then head south. Any watch point around the Spurn area with an unobstructed view looking north will do. Often there are not only big numbers of birds but also a diversity of species. Any winds coming from a northerly direction means one thing-sea watching. Early September can be great with skuas, shearwaters, terns, wildfowl and waders all moving off shore sometimes in quite spectacular numbers.

Westerlies aren’t always the best for migration but Spurn can still rely on the waders on the Humber-September is one of the busiest times with flocks of knot, dunlin and grey plovers sprinkled with more unusual species such as curlew sandpiper, little stint and spotted redshank.

Some migfests have been blessed with a mixture of conditions where conditions combine over the weekend to maximise the potential for a big list.

Then there’s the true rarity.“ Birds of the Weekend “ on previous Migfests include long-billed dowitcher, Kentish plover and last year a pallid harrier first picked up over Easington cruised right over Migfest HQ giving prolonged views as it eventually doubled back and headed north-west up the Humber.

The good thing about Migfest is the army of volunteers mustered up by Spurn Bird Observatory, The British Trust for Ornithology Swarovski Optik, Yorkshire Coast Nature and a host of stallholders. Their number one aim is to ensure that everyone attending has a truly memorable time. Whether it be organised walks, findings put out over the radio network, talks, seminars and as ever the excellent catering from the ‘Spurn Ladies’.

The biggest thing that has struck me over the years is the sense of camaraderie amongst everyone there, it’s all about enjoying nature, seeing what Spurn has to offer, and marvelling at the truly spectacular natural phenomenon of migration.

Spurn is also unique on the east coast for sunrise and sunset-you see great examples of both. The sun rises in the east over the north sea and then sets in the west over the Humber. Its great to sit outside the Crown and Anchor after a great days birding watching the sun go down.

For me every Migfest has its own special memories, some of which are captured in the photos below.

The well used phrase ‘what’s not to like’ epitomises Migfest. There is literally something for everyone. 

All photos taken below were during or around the Migfest weekend.

Kentish Plover

Long-billed Dowitcher

Icterine Warbler

Great Snipe

Red-backed Shrike

Barred Warbler

Whinchats

Pied Flycatcher

Redstart

Wryneck

Spoonbills at sunset (taken at Migfest 2022)

Little egrets at sunset (taken at Migfest 2022)

Wood sandpiper (taken at Migfest 2022)

Red-necked Phalarope (taken at Migfest 2022)

Feeding frenzy (taken at Migfest 2022)

Citrine wagtail (taken at Migfest 2022)

Water Rail

Terns flying north at sunrise

Terns flying north at sunrise

Kilnsea, Spring and Light

Well I spent a couple of days at the caravan over Easter and what a great couple of days it was.

I arrived in rain on Thursday night and not to be deterred I went out for a drive in the hope of finding some inspiration. Unfortunately the rain steadily got heavier. After around half an hour I reluctantly made my way back to the van. just as I opened the gate I saw a small bird flick up to catch a fly and bingo! the first bird I set eyes on was a firecrest!

The rain was easing slightly so I parked up and had a walk round Sykes Field a drumming snipe was a nice sound on what was becoming a quite atmospheric evening. Next a barn owl flushed from a fence post and the resident cettis warbler was sat out on a branch posing nicely.

I wnet for my camera as the sky was clearing and as I watched from Wozza’s bench I was treated to the most wonderful sunset. two hares ran off into the distance and I saw the first bat of the year-all within an hour of arriving and all within 100 yards of the van.

The next morning I was out early hoping for some shots of the full moon. easier said than done-there were hardly any birds over the Humber so I set off to Kilnsea Wetlands. There were a few curlew in flight and I managed one flying beneath the moon-not reallly what I was after but never mind. The water was very still with nice light and some wildfowl made for interesting photos.

Next a barn owl flew past and was hunting at the east end so I set off for the hide. The sun still hadn’t risen by this time. Some deer posed nicely as the first rays of the sun lit up the land scape. The barn owl came back along the bank nicely backlit.

The etlands were pretty quiet so I headed off towards the tank blocks. I spent the rest of the morning hunting firecrests and whilst two of them gave nice views around canal bushes, theye were not the easiest to photograph.

I had a break in the afternoon and went back out on the evening. The resident cettis warbler posed nicely in the evening sun. The sunset wasn’t as spectacular as the night before.

I was up early again the next morning-the sky was clear and there was no wind-perfect conditions.

The highlight of the morning was the barn owl hunting in the early morning sunshine.

There wasnt much doing on the migrant front-a green woodpecker created some mild excitement on an otherwise quiet morning.

This weekend was all about the light-it was as good as it gets and combined with the mixed song of common birds, it made for a memorable trip.

Until next time….

Aviemore in the snow

We’d had a trip to Aviemore planned for a few months and based our booking around a) availability and b) the best chance of snow.

Well we certainl werent disappointed! The first sign of snow was on Monday afternoon when light flurries were streaming in on bitter northerly winds. Monday evening saw about 3 inches deposited in Aviemore and even more the further up you went.

6inches in Rothirmurchus Forest and at least a foot on the top of cairngorm Mountain.

I’d booked into a hide in the hope of photographing red squirrels but the cold snap proved too much and they chose the comfort of their drey instead. Common woodland birds as well as the enigmatic crested tits more than made up for the squirrel no-show.

Plenty of mountain hare tracks on view on Cairngorm Mountain but no actual hares. The snow buntings posed nicely in the car park.

The undoubted wildlife highlight was a perched golden eagle no more than 50m from the railway track, which took flight as we passed. We only saw it for a matter of seconds but wow what a bird!