A good day at Spurn

Classic weather conditions for drift migrants this weekend and Saturday and particularly Sunday had seen some big arrivals along the East Coast particularly of Wrynecks, 27 at Spurn alone on the Sunday, I was out with Mark on the Bank Holiday Monday and anywhere on the East Coast would have been OK but we decided on Spurn. Upon arrival we thought we’d do a seawatch but it was surprisingly quiet considering the easterly blow, a few Duck flocks and a couple of Arctic Skua's were about it so when news came over of a Subalpine Warbler at Sammy’s it didn’t take much to spur us into action, there were a good few common migrants around including Redstarts, Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Whinchats and Wheatears but the Subalpine Warbler proved rather elusive and we only managed fleeting glimpses of the bird, we gave it a while but with news of Wrynecks and Icterine Warblers etc filtering through we were soon heading back to Spurn. A small group of people gathered along the road between the Church and the Bluebell Cafe alerted us to a rather obliging Wryneck which was dropping out of the hedge and onto the path giving incredible views then after dash up to Canal Head looking for a Common Rosefinch that had done a bunk it was back to that road where an Icterine Warbler was performing very nicely in bushes near Sunnycliffe Farm. Next up it was down the point to post 61 where a very smart Red Breasted Flycatcher was feeding in the bushes there and another Icterine showed well, we didn't linger on the point as it was very busy with day trippers, we headed back out to the Triangle area where we caught up with the juv Common Rosefinch that was feeding on thistle heads in one of the fields, then after refreshments at the Bluebell Cafe we went on to check out Kilnsea Wetlands as there had been Little Stint and Curlew Sandpipers there recently but at that stage of the afternoon the tide was out so there wasn’t many waders at all, there were several Little Egrets about and a juv Little Tern remained on Beacon Ponds although when an adult went over calling it was off, we ended the day back at Sammy’s where we got the Red Backed Shrike we’d missed in the morning but there had been no further news on the Subalp. 

even though the Subalpine didn't show well a few Butterflies did

a very obliging Wryneck

and Icterine Warbler although difficult to photograph amongst the leaves

RB Fly kept its distance

as did the RB Shrike

last bird of the day as we got back to the car