(Part 2) The Moment we had been waiting for - Spurn Bird Observatory - 6th - 7th September 201814/9/2018 Day 4: Today was an odd but interesting day to say the least. And started off with a load of Meadow Pipits heading south over head as well as a flock of 7 Siskin heading South with one appearing to drop in to the Crown and Anchor Carpark. Bringing up the first of the Autumn. We then headed to Cliff Farm to see what we could dig out but a Spot Fly was the only Passerine that we could dig out at first. Above: Spotted Flycatcher We then continued down towards Beacon Lane picking out 3 Garden Warbler, a Male Blackcap, a Common Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat and a few commoner species as well as a Goldcrest which was also the first for the Autumn from the dense cover. Above: Willow Warbler Below: Golden Plover Above: Male Blackcap Below: (Although not a bird) It is a Typhoon Above: Common Blue We then headed down beacon lane where Swallows , House Martin’s, Linnet and Meadow Pipits flew over. It was completely quiet until we got down to the very end of the bushes where here a Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and a Whitethroat. Otherwise there wasn’t anything else. A few Dunnock, Robins and Wrens also flicked about but that was all. We then headed back to the Obs briefly before heading down to the point. We headed through Canal Bank where the Wheatear was still about feeding elusively in the rock amour along with 3 Whinchat otherwise it was migrant less. Above: Whimbrel Below: Redshank Above: Wheatear Below: Peregrine circling the obs Above: Wheatear Below: Small Heath We headed along to the Breach where a Merlin was sat after having had it’s dinner taken off it by a Great Black-backed Gull. A Kestrel was sat on some debris while it was joined by another briefly. The point was however migrant less until we got to Chalk Bank where a Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and a Common Whitethroat. While 120 Oystercatcher roosted in front of the hide. Above: Merlin Below: Kestrel Above: Reed Bunting We then headed down to the point via an interesting encounter with a sheltering Song Thrush rushing out of a nearby bush being chased by a Sparrowhawk. We then headed to the point where a 2 hour search gave us 2 Whinchat, a Redstart, a Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler and 4 Common Whitethroat which was an improvement on recent days, but not quite up to the spurn standard yet! Above: Whinchat Below: Small Heath Above: Sanderling Below: Spotted Flycatcher Above: Roe Deer and Rabbits We then headed back after the rain storm had passed and in Potato Fields it was obvious that migrants had dropped in with 2 Whinchat and 2 Spotted Flycatchers now flycatching in the rain and looking rather soggy. At Chalk Bank one bush held a Spot Fly, Pied Fly and 3 Lesser Whitethroat which was awesome to see and a Rainbow on the north sea was awesome sight and was slight consolation for the soaking that we had just been given. Above: Whinchat Below: Snails Above: What I think is a Leopard Slug... Above: Merlin Below: Whinchat We then headed to the Warren where a Willow Warbler and an interesting warbler sp were on show and a Whitethroat and a few Reed Bunting where about. I then headed back via two Pied Flycatchers at Cliff Farm before calling it a night. Above: Robin Below: Meadow Pipits Above: Reed Bunting Below: This is unidentified purely because it made a very throaty call which I haven't heard a Reed Warbler perform. My suspicion is that it is either just a Reed or possibly a Marsh Warbler. It was quite dark when I saw it so sorry for the poor photo's. Day 5: The final day had dawned at Spurn and a slow start saw George, Daniel and I head out to see what was about. The crisp clear skies over night had lead to it being a rather chilly 4 degrees and when coupled with the 40 mph wind gusts, boy was it cold. The conditions weren’t favourable for migrants to have arrived and thus when we saw literally nothing in the hedges at Cliff Farm our worst fear was coming true with an obvious clear out having undergone after yesterday evening’s promise. We continued down to Beacon Lane but only the locals could be found with a few Great Tit and Blue Tits in the hedges. We then headed along Beacon Lane and although we could see birders in the distance checking the hedges we decided to persist with our search. At first we saw nothing as per usual but just after about 30 meters of passing the gate a warbler flicked out of the right hand bush and dived into cover on the left about 20 meters away and upon closer inspection we could see that it was in fact a Common Whitethroat. A Willow Warbler soon did a similar thing but landing on top of the bush and showing extremely well. Whilst I was watching the Willow George all of a sudden said that there was a Common Rosefinch showing in the same bush and sure enough there was a Juvenile Grotfinch. It was literally about 10 meters in front of us and was feasting on Blackberries not taking any notice of us at all. We then radioed the news out just as it decided to take flight and it flew North towards the Northern Edge of the Breach. About a minute or two later and it flew back over heading towards Church Field followed by a Sparrowhawk. Honestly that bird alone was worth getting out of bed for this morning, however I am not too sure it will be refound anytime soon. It’s also interesting to think what can pop out even when an area is well watched and the fact that 2 or 3 people were ahead of us and didn’t see it shows that it could have just crept over from the other side of the hedge. It was a truly magical moment and something I have been waiting this whole trip for. It was also a lifer for all 3 of us which made it even better. It was a true Spurn moment and just like London Buses over the weekend although our Rosefinch wasn't re-found two others were with one showing well near the Discovery centre and another appearing briefly at the point. Above: Common Rosefinch We carried on with this new found hope however we only managed to dig up 2 Blackcap in Beacon Lane before heading back to the Church Cliff Farm area where 2 Pied Flycatcher were seen and a Willow Warbler meaning that I have now seen a Pied Flycatcher everyday for the last 5 days which is crazy when you think that I hadn’t seen one prior to this. Above: Ringed Pied Flycatcher The rest of my time was spent packing and sorting out my sightings for log later on in the day. I also took a quick trip to the Triangle where 2 Whinchat were still about however I didn’t see much more than that. I then headed back along Beacon Lane where the search was continuing, but with nothing cropping up I decided to head to Kilnsea Wetlands. While I was here I had almost 170 Greylag Geese, a few newly arrived Wigeon and Pintail as well as Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwits and Greenshank right up close to the hide. After this brief stop I headed back to the Obs for some final preparations Whilst I was getting ready to go to Easington it came over the radio that a Purple Sandpiper had been seen on the Humber. We rushed over the road only to see that the wader flock it was supposed to be in had been put up by a Peregrine. A bonus Red-throated Diver flew past heading towards the North Sea as a bit of a consolation prize. Above: Whinchat Above: Painted Lady Below: Dunlin Above: Greenshank Below: Black-tailed Godwit Above: Greylags with a Canadalag (Hybrid Canada Goose * Greylag Goose) Below: Dunlin Above: Black-tailed Godwit Below: Greylags Above: Typhoons I then walked up to Easington with George and Daniel scanning through the Gull flocks that littered the field a as we went. We picked up Common Gulls, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gulls, and Both Black-backed Gulls as well as at least 5 Med Gulls. U then said my goodbyes as I boarded the bus and started the beginning of a very long winded journey back with two buses and two trains being needed to get me safely home. A final look at the spurn recording area saw a Ringtail Harrier Sp being mobbed by around c15 Carrion Crow between Skeffling and Weeton, but without a better look it’s hard to tell whether it was a Hen Harrier or something better! And so this rounds off what has been an amazing trip with migrants and also it has been great to catch up with people again. I also must say thank you to all the staff and volunteers at the observatory for allowing me to stay and also for producing another unforgettable experience. I will be back for yet another Spurn moment!
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AuthorI have been a birder since I was 8 however only really started to be able to go out to places by myself in Summer 2016 (Blame the parents) My blogs will be from all over the place, but mainly from RSPB Rainham Marshes and Totteridge Valley! Photography done by Samuel Levy aged 18. ArchivesCategories |