In search of Storks

A few weeks back a handful of immature Black Storks were seen up and down the East Coast including a couple in the Spurn area but I never managed to catch up with them before they moved on, there has still been one or two reported from around the country since and then this week one of the Spurn birds has been seen again in the Sunk Island area, I thought I’d try for it this morning, travelling towards Stone Creek I came across a large group of birders who pointed out where the bird had dropped in some 30 mins earlier, it was eventually decided the bird must be in a ditch and a few of us would walk out and see if we could locate it, following the line of a ditch out to where it was thought it had dropped we came upon a point where another couple of ditches came in and formed a small pool and there it was, of course as we saw it, it saw us but remarkably it just flew up into the corner of the field opposite no more than twenty feet away and pottered around for a few minutes, seemingly curious of us, it did then eventually fly off and after gaining height on a thermal appeared to drift off over the Humber. I carried on to Stone Creek where there was an impressive number of Yellow Wagtails and Whinchats then decided on the afternoon at Spurn, the imm Red Backed Shrike from yesterday remained at Sunnycliff Farm but apart from that it was just common migrants, late afternoon I ended up at Kilnsea Wetlands and with the rising tide there were big numbers of Redshanks and Little Egrets roosting there plus three Mediterranean Gulls dropped in as well. 

coming up out of the ditch it landed not too far away

flying off

Red Backed Shrike

Lesser Whitethroat

Spotted Flycatcher

Garden Warbler destroying a damson

Pied Flycatcher

a second go with the Shrike but the light was dire

being mobbed by a Willow Warbler

Redshanks and Egrets at the Wetlands

all put up

by this fella

one of the Med Gulls

imm Med Gull

Distant Terns and Diminutive Gulls

Nipped over to Hornsea Mere after work this afternoon for a juv White-winged Black Tern thats been there for the last couple of days, it was feeding right out in the middle though and fairly distant, decent enough scope views but too far for even a dodgy record shot, plenty of Little Gulls around as well as is per usual at this time of year,they were showing well.

the Black Headed's looked massive in comparison

A day of two halves at Spurn

There have been some good Easterlies over the last couple of days although they hadn’t particularly produced the goods so it wasn’t a clear cut choice of where to go Sunday morning, I opted for Spurn, it was a bit breezy to say the least but a sheltered Crown and Anchor car park held a couple of Pied Flycatchers for starters, the Triangle was hard work and I only really added Whinchat and Lesser Whitethroat, Beacon Lane was no better although a few Dragonflies were enjoying the shelter. After some lunch I tried a seawatch but the wind proved too strong so I ended up heading off to Kilnsea Wetlands, no sign of the Black Tern or Caspian Gull seen earlier but there were a handful of Waders and Egrets present as well as a few Sandwich Terns loafing around, all in all a fairly quiet morning and early afternoon and I was just contemplating leaving early when another birder mentioned that some Short Eared Owls were showing at Sammy’s Point, I thought I’d check it out, as I arrived and set off along the riverside path it soon became apparent a fall was occurring there were birds everywhere, just about every bush held at least three or four, mainly Pied Flycatchers and Willow Warblers but also a few Redstarts, Whitethroats, Spotted Flycatchers, Whinchats and Wheatears, incredible stuff a complete contrast to earlier, couldn’t find that special one though, then to round things off a Short Eared Owl got up from one of the Paddocks and had a little fly around, a nice end to the afternoon.

Walls are most common at the moment

distant Whinchats in the Triangle

a couple of Pied Flycatchers in the Crown and Anchor area

and Lesser Whitethroats

Ruddy Darter down Beacon Lane

loafing Sandwich Terns at Kilnsea Wetlands

winter Knot

and a lady Teal

a Whimbrel on the mud at Sammy's Point, prelude to

this lot

oh yes a Short Eared Owl as well