What A Weekend!

October 25, 2022

I was watching Twitter nervously on Thursday with rare bird after race bird along with hundreds of common migrants being reported at Spurn.

I was able to cash in one of my floating holidays for the Friday and just hoped that some of the birds would stay.

I arrived just after 7 to the sound of robins and gold rests and a sense of magic was in the air.

No sooner had I set up the caravan, the radio crackled with the news that the previous days red-flanked bluetail was still present in Easington.

Within a minute of arriving there it was hopping around on the driveway of the old school.

Soon after news of a singing Pallas’s warbler on the track on the south side of the gas terminal came over the airwaves. After a couple of attempts it showed very nicely and at times was in full song- something that I’ve never heard before.

A wander down Beacon Lane produced lots of crests and the air was thick with the seeeep of redwings flying overhead and diving in and out of the bushes. Along the cliff top we’re at least 3 black redstarts and a lovely male stonechat.

A look in Crown and Anchor car park produced an all-too-brief eastern type lesser white throat. Church Field produced very brief views of a Mealey redpoll.

A ride back up to Easington in the afternoon produced nice views of a second Pallas’s warbler on Vicars Lane.

News of the little bunting at the Southend of the breach had me heading south.

It was a long trek over the sand but didn’t take long to locate the bunting and at times was as close as about 8ft.it was fascinating to watch it scurrying beneath the grasses in search of seeds coming out into full view only occasionally.

I managed to beat the rain back to the car and so day 1 came to an end.

Saturday dawned bright and breezy and I suspected that a lot of the birds may have moved on- wrong! All of the scarce birds were still present.

We had lovely views of a redwing from the caravan as well as plenty of crests and robins in the garden

We decided to have a wander down to the point. The most obvious feature of the morning was the visible migration. Wave after wave of finches, skylarks and meadow pipits were all streaming south.

We saw lots of goldcrests and chaff inches on the way down and there were even more birds at the point.

The best bird was a distant great grey shrike and the parade ground held a black redstart, fieldfares, redwings and song thrush.

A few late swallows were heading south accompanied by a house Martin. The highlight of the walk back was a great white egret flying south over the narrows.

I had a trip up to Easington in the afternoon and managed more views of the red-flanked bluetail and brief views of the Pallas’s warbler. I spent the last hour looking for the red-flanked bluetail at the football pitch but to no avail.

We watched the sun go down back at the caravan listening to a classic Autumn chorus of robins, blackbirds and redwings. A fox crept close to the caravan in the last rays of light.

Sunday morning was overcast and it was apparent that a lot of birds had moved out.

I looked again for the RFB at the football pitch and again it was a no-show.

I headed back to Kilnsea for a wander down Beacon Lane. Just a few thrushes but the walk back along the cliff top produced a couple of black redstarts and a stonechat.

There were still lots of birds around including good numbers of bramblings.

I got back for breakfast just in time to beat the rain, it didn’t put off a very mobile stoat giving great views as it made its way through the garden.

I went to canal scrape hide to sit out a torrential downpour that lasted nearly 3 hours. Despite the rain it was quite busy with brief and distant views of a jack snipe as well as a ring ouzel, black and bar-tailed godwits and a nice grey wagtail sometimes giving great views.

The day finished in glorious sunshine and a nice yellow-browned warbler in the Crown and Anchor car parkas well as lots of goldcrests.

At last Autumn has properly arrived creating classic east coast conditions. With great numbers of common migrants as well as a good few scarcities.

Spurn proved yet again that it is the premier location for watching wildlife in the UK.

The Kilnsea Barred Warbler

October 02, 2022

I had another nice trip out to Spurn this weekend.

Arriving in torrential rain and gale force winds, it wasn’t much fun to set up the caravan, however 15 minutes later I was sat with a brew enjoying being undercover and warm.

Not much to see in the fading light but a couple of curlew battling against the wind as well as a hare that came in front of the van.

The rain eased overnight but the wind kept on blowing.

My first port of call was canal scrape in the hope of a jack snipe. There wasn’t much doing apart from a few wigeon and teal as well as a lone dunlin.

A hawfinch was shouted out flying round church field so I made my way there. The hedges are just starting to turn golden yellow and the berries are bright red. The colours looked even more stunning in the early morning light.

I went through north field and saw the hawfinch flying towards the churchyard. A fleeting view of a yellow-browed warbler and more of the same in the churchyard proved to be the highlights.

I had a drive up to see the long staying barred warbler and it popped out a couple of times but with lightning speed it went back in the cover of the hawthorns. I had a wander back to the car stopping briefly at the screen looking on to Kilnsea wetlands. A little stint was making its way towards me along the edge of the bank when it suddenly took flight and flew out of view.

getting a photo of any description was proving difficult!

I went to have a look for another yellow-browed warbler in Sykes Field and although it was calling, it didnt appear.

There was a small ‘twitch’ of around 15 birders looking to see a mealy redpoll. It was staying faithful to a single tree surrounded by scrub and after being out of view periodically, when it flew back in, it was making its was to the ground to feed, again being obscured by branches or long grass.

News of a jack snipe on canal scrape came over the airwaves. I had a ride down there and surprise surprise, the jack snipe was sat right at the back mostly obscured by reeds.

It was time to go for a brew!

A nice non-birding walk round Kilnsea in the afternoon had a lovely Autumn feel- the colours of the leaves and fruit were stunning. There were a few small whites around as well as a red-admiral.

Sunday morning dawned clear and thankfully the wind had eased. It was a beautiful morning.

I made my way straight to Beacon Ponds in the hope of some photo opportunities against the sunrise. It was fairly quiet as the tide was still down, although a spoonbilll was feeding distantly in the early morning sunshine.

I went back to listening dish hedge in the hope that the barred warbler would show. After some time, it eventually did the right thing feeding out in the open, giving some nice photo opportunities.

Bird-wise it continued ina quiet them-a couple of yellow-browed warblers around Kilnsea were the best of it.

The War on Nature

September 27, 2022

Anyone who has read my blog regularly over the years will remember the campaign to ensure that the Visitor Centre at Spurn did not impact on the delicate eco systems around the Humber. Thankfully the legislation in place at the time around protecting wildlife ensured that the potential for damage by that scheme was minimised and suitable measures were put in place as mitigation.

Unfortunately Spurn and indeed anywhere that has designations to protect wildlife is again under threat.

Last Friday Uk Government effectively waged open warfare on our wildlife.

The introduction of investment zones with relaxation of planning regulations leaves some of our most important sites wide open for developers.

You can read the release on the UK Government website here

The most powerful legislation (The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations) are under threat.

Some of East Yorkshires most treasured wildlife areas are protected by the strongest legislation available. The Humber is internationally recognised and has RAMSAR, Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area for Conservation (SAC) status. The Humber also has National recognition in the form of Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Natural Nature Reserve at Spurn.

The coastal areas around Flamborough and Filey both have SPA and SAC accreditations and the seas directly off East Yorkshire are protected by nationally recognised Marine Conservation Zones. See the tweet below from The RSPB.

As both a sea angler and wildlife photographer I have seen first hand the benefits that these protections provide.

I have been an avid sea angler for the best part of 50 years and the angling on the East Yorkshire Coast is as good as I have ever known it. Not only the numbers of fish but the diversity of species is just amazing. Great days can be had during any month of the year. Smoothound, rays and bass can be caught throughout the summer months with cod and whiting the main target during winter. The abundance of fish and diversity of species creates its own wealth with local business owners benefitting from the abundance of anglers flocking to the coast all year round in search of some of the best angling in the UK.

Similarly the wildlife around East Yorkshire is superb with the Humber offering wildlife spectacles all year round and the cliffs around Bempton attracting huge numbers of wildlife tourists all year round.

All of what we know and love is under threat.

There is one reason that both sea angling and wildlife watching is so good around East Yorkshire and that is down to the levels of protection put in place to protect it.

The Uk Government announced on Friday that it proposes to introduce investment zones around the UK.

It promises to ‘cut back unnecessary bureaucratic requirements and processes and red tape’ and ‘when proposals come forward for Investment Zones, they will benefit from a liberalised planning process’ also ‘reduce lengthy consultation with statutory bodies’ and relax key national and local policy requirements.

‘Key planning policies to ensure developments are well designed, maintain national policy on the Green belt, protect our heritage and address flood risk, highway and other safety matters-along with building regulations will continue to apply’.

“The planning System will not stand in the way of investment and development’.

THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE WORD THAT SUGGESTS WILDLIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT WILL BE PROTECTED DURING THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING AN INVESTMENT ZONE.

The Government set out its plans in November 2021 with the release of The Environment Act. The Minister for the Environment at the time said: “The Environment Act will deliver the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth.”

The link to the press release hailing the release of The Environment Act is here.

Another extract from the press release is below. I am waiting with baited breath for news of the plan which should be out this month.

Friday’s announcement regarding Investment Zones demonstrates a clear u-turn on that promise. How can we be embarking on the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth when the plans on IZ’s clearly demonstrate the will to drive a bulldozer through any regulation and then pour tonnes of concrete over it?

Somewhat embarrassing after the UK held the COP26 summit only a year ago don’t you think?

The news has been met with derision and despair from the normally apolitical RSPB. They have come out and openly condemned the governments plans. It would appear that on the back of that, other organisations including The Wildlife Trusts, The Woodland Trust, The Rivers Trust and the National Trust to name but a few have all come out to condemn the policy around IZ’s. It has been estimated that organisations with membership approaching 15 million people have come out in opposition to the Governments approach.

I have tweeted The Angling Trust asking them to confirm their position

So what does it mean for East Yorkshire?

Well, the first thing to think about is that, if there is a good enough case and indeed enough money from a developer, they can pretty much do as they like. Schemes that support either commercial or housing or both are more likely to get a green light than they normally would. More caravan parks on the coast for example equals more traffic on the roads and a bigger threat from recreational disturbance.

Uncontrolled discharge of effluent equals poisioning of aquatic life in our rivers, estuaries and beaches.

Industrial development in the Humber equals a squeeze on an already busy estuary. More importantly The Habitats regulations called for significant mitigations if the scheme was of national importance (the current scheme at Welwick is a prime example of the Habitats Regulations at work).

INVESTMENT ZONES WOULD BE EXEMPT OF THE NEED FOR NEW COMPENSATORY HABITATS.

That is to say, protected habitat could be built upon with no obligation from the developer to build anything in mitigation. Developers will be given a licence to literally destroy our wildlife with no repercussion.

Planning laws also control discharges into the seas (and that includes sewerage). A relaxation of planning laws to any development with a nearby waterway (river or sea) has the potential to allow uncontrolled discharges. It has already been documented that excessive amounts of raw sewerage have already been made around the coasts of the UK. The latest proposals on IZ’s would do nothing to reverse that.

Make no mistake, the policy announcement by UK Government is all out warfare on the environment and our wildlife.

I have written to my MP Graham Stuart

His response is below

Apologies for the small print, however it would appear that Mr Stuart has copied and pasted the wrong standard response-my query was about Investment Zones and not the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) to which he appears to have responded.

Quite simply the attack on our wildlife cannot be allowed to happen. The UK is already one of the worlds most depleted countries in terms of wildlife. Its obvious that our Government does not care about the impacts of its relentless and seemingly desparate pursuance of ‘growth’ to the detriment and indeed destruction of our natural world.

If you feel the same way as I do, there is action you can take. The RSPB have put together an action plan that can be accessed via their website the link is here.

Thanks for reading.

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What A Weekend!

The Kilnsea Barred Warbler

The War on Nature