Spurn and The Humber

October 16, 2023

Just got round to posting about a cracking weekend around the Humber.
On Friday it was raining all day and I arrived at the van at around 4.30.
I could see clear skies in the west so I thought I’d get the last hour at Welwick seeing as there had been a few reports of good numbers of short-eared owls.
I took the bumpy ride down to the new car park and by the time I got there the rain had stopped.and it looked like a spectacular sunset might be on the cards.
The first bird I saw was a distant short-eared owl and straight away another. Even more distantly were 3 marsh harriers. A great start. I made my way down the flooded track and another short-eared owl took flight. A kestrel was hunting in great light but too distant for a shot. I took up an elevated position and waited. The sky was changing colour before my eyes. Flocks of curlew, black-tailed godwit and little egrets were flying across the sky as they made their way to roost, the evening was capped off by hundreds of pink footed geese and a close flyby from a great white egret. All of this in under 2 hours.
The next morning I was at my other Humber venue before dawn. High tide had just passed and birds (mainly gulls, waders and wildfowl) were on the move. Flocks of redshank and dunlin were passing close by with the odd knot and greenshank amongst them. Wildfowl were more distant (no doubt cautious of the shooters lines up on the bank). Mainly teal and pintail with mallard and wigeon thrown in. As the tide ebbed further golden plover took to the air and flocks were passing up and down the Humber at both high and low level.
Once the tide left the salt marsh it sped out at a rate of knots. Time to pack up and go for some breakfast. On the way back in a kingfisher was perched up at the head of a drain outfall but soon darted off over the flood bank.
News of a long-tailed duck on Kilnsea Wetlands had me calling in for a look. It was distant from the hide and slightly less distant from the floodbank so no stunning photos, but very nice to see all the same. A quick look in Listening Dish Hedge produced a few tree sparrows and a goldcrest, but nothing more.
After breakfast I had a wander round Kilnsea including a look over the sea produced very little in the way of seabirds or migrants. My plan was to go back to Welwick in the afternoon. There was already a small crowd there when I arrived so as is customary for me I made my way to the farthest point away. The light was good and the wind not too strong. The first decent birds I saw were a couple of marsh harriers and a very distant buzzard. There were some waders constantly getting flushed by the distant incoming tide and a few curlew and finches passing overhead offered some interest.
I picked out a small harrier hunting over the salt marsh and a glimpse of its white rump confirmed my suspicion- a hen harrier!
More marsh harriers and a barn owl kept me focussed then the hen harrier came out of nowhere and it was heading purposefully westwards. I managed a few shots in nice light and to my surprise it was being followed by another much paler bird.
A huge movement of waders as the tide approached the salt marsh was created by a peregrine falcon. It was strafing and diving for around 5 minutes sending flocks of waders everywhere. The sight of the flocks rippling in bright sunlight was a sight to behold. It eventually passed overhead unsuccessful in its hunt.
The sun eventually set and this time there was a no show from the short eared owls but I went away a very happy customer.
I was up early on Sunday this time in search of seabirds. I spent an hour at Goodwin battery on the cliff top, but it was rather quiet with only a few gulls passing by. I made my way north along the beach and a mixed flock of sanderling, ringed plover and dunlin were feeding along the timeline and made for some nice photo opportunities in the nice light. I walked back down Beacon Lane and through Sykes Field but there was an absolute dearth of birds in the bushes.
The Spurn airwaves were very quiet so I made my way home late morning.
A memorable trip and some great weather for photos. Spurn and the Humber remain fairly and squarely the best place for watching wildlife in the UK.

Marvel Of The Day

October 10, 2023

Some might say ‘Its just a moth’ and to be fair that’s exactly what it is. Just a moth.

On Sunday night I put out the moth trap in the garden in the hope of catching one of Autumn’s specialities. A Merville Du Jour. On Monday morning I looked in the trap in near darkness and thought-that was a waste of time, and went back inside to finish my brew.

After about 20 minutes, I went back out and the light had improved slightly. Another peak into the moth trap and I thought, theres a couple in here that I didnt see earlier and I knew straight away that I had caught my firs Merville Du Jour. A couple of quick photos and a check over the inside of the trap left me satisfied that there were no more moths left.

I was just packing the leads away and notice another moth on the outside of the trap. It was another Merville Du Jour!

Now dont get me wrong MDJ’s are not rare. However to see one in real life, close up and in near mint condition, they are something to behold. Whilst I’d heard of a Merville Du Jour before and seen plenty of photos, I’d never thought much more of them other than-’I’d love to see one’.

Looking up the English translation was even more enlightening (and apologies to anyone thinking have you only just worked that out) Merville Du Jour’s literal translation is Marvel of the Day.

Marvel of the day-what a great name. The natural world is full of Marvels of the day. Deer in the fields on the way to work. Cobwebs in Autumn bejewelled with morning dew. Small shots of joy that are quickly lost to the demands of work and everyday life. Our connection with nature is quickly restored on the way home, a beautiful sunset. A barn owl hunting along the roadside.A robin singing in the back garden in last light of the day.

Today is World Mental Health Day, and maybe a present from Mother nature something that helps us reconnect in the form of a Marvel of the Day.

I was at Spurn at the weekend and had the absolute pleasure of seeing some of the reported 28,000 redwings that had arrived from Scandinavia. They were only redwings. yet being there to see them and hear them was a privilege. I was witnessing a Marvel of the Day and didnt even realise it. It was invigorating, special and memorable.

Next time I see a Merville Du Jour, I can guarantee that it will be my Marvel of the Day, even though its just a moth.

Thanks for reading.

Spurn Magic

October 09, 2023

To say Autumn on the East coast has got off to a slow start this year would be an understatement, but this weekend went a long way to making it better at least.

We arrived in very mild conditions on Friday and after a very nice ‘chippy tea’ I had a wander down to the Humber bank to watch the sun set.

A big bank of cloud obscured the sun bu5 the sky was quite dramatic.

Nothing of note was around and given that it was low tide, that would explain the dearth of waders on view.

However a few curlew, shellducks, a bar-tailed godwit and a few little egrets made for a tranquil scene, blissful in fact. A hunting barn owl and hundreds of pink footed geese was a nice end.

I put out the moth trap seeing as it was forecast to be mild. I was quite surprised at the amount of moths in the trap. Mainly Setaceous Hebrew Characters and Large Wainscott but a Scarce Bordered Straw was notable.

An early start at Kilnsea Wetlands, and it had a feel of Autumn about it. Pink Footed Geese, Whooper Swans and the odd flock of Redwings were a promising sign. One or two goldcrests and a few cliff-chaffs were around but with south westerly winds all week, it was no surprise there were few migrants in the bushes. A weasel in the verge was a highlight of a wander round Kilnsea

A showy Jack Snipe on Sykes Field was a nice bonus in the afternoon.

Saturday night was still mild so out went the moth trap again and the highlight this time was a black rustic.

Overnight the winds has swung easterly. There was definitely a sense that something big had happened overnight, I left the caravan at 6.30 and the air was full of the ‘peeep’ of redwings. I made my way towards the beach at Kilnsea and it was obvious there had been a big fall of thrushes. They were swirling around and lifting of the bushes-there were birds everywhere!

An hour on the beach produced a few ducks flying south as well as the odd red-throated diver and skua.

A walk back towards Spurn produced a rock pipit on the beach and at least 6 stonechats. As it got lighter more birds appeared. Flock after flock of redwings and song thrushes. Lesser amounts of fieldfares, but there were lots of finches around including a few brambling, goldcrests were flitting around in the bushes and ring ouzels were popping up amongst the redwings.

Two short eared owls came in off the sea, yet more stonechats along the canal and then news of a yellow browned warbler came on the radio. It showed well in the willows but it was against the light so not good for a photo.

The afternoon went on with more thrushes and seemingly more goldcrests- no doubt there was more. Also around were hawfinches, little bunting, arctic warbler and a very brief black-throated thrush.

So Autumn has finally arrived, it just goes to show that favourable winds make good things happen, today was definitely a sprinkling of Spurn Magic.

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Spurn and The Humber

Marvel Of The Day

Spurn Magic