Waderful weekend

Not often I get the chance of a full weekends birding so it was typical the winds would swing into the wrong direction, out with Mark on Saturday and it was back to the East Coast for him to catch up with Yellow Browed Warbler, we started at Bempton where there were still three or four around but being very windy they proved very elusive, we more heard than saw them. We eventually headed off for Flamborough calling at Buckton Pond which hosted three Dunlin and a Greenshank then Thornwick Pools where another three Dunlin and two winter plumaged Knot were showing well in front of the hide, at the headland it was much the same as at Bempton with several Yellow Browed Warblers still around but were being very elusive although we eventually got some satisfactory if brief views, on the plus side a Taiga Bean Goose that had been seen late Friday evening had been relocated with a flock of Greylags in fields between North Marsh and Lighthouse Road, after that we dropped down to South Landing which was rather blowy, not many Waders present but a dark phase Arctic Skua flew past quite close in. 

winter Knot

plus Dunlin

On the Sunday we were joined by Stuart and Darren from Leeds and we thought Spurn would be as good as anywhere but didn’t really expect much with the strong winds still blowing in the wrong direction, still two Great White Egrets over Easington Gas Terminals then flying North was a good start. We called in at the Crown and Anchor car park where a Yellow Browed Warbler was heard but again proved rather elusive but most of the morning was taken up with social banter with a fair few familiar faces around, good to catch up with Martin Q and the Rochdale crew, when we finally got back to the birding we headed back to Kilnsea Wetlands with the tide being in, there was a good selection of Waders present including Grey Plover, Bar Tailed Godwit and a couple of Curlew Sandpipers plus two 1st winter Med Gulls. We went back to the Canal Scrape next where a Jack Snipe was showing well from a very packed hide then had a look at a very pale female Red Crested Pochard on Borrow Pits before another futile attempt to see Yellow Browed Warbler at the Warren, we ended the day at Sammy’s Point where we added Wheatear and Whimbrel to the day list but otherwise it was fairly quiet.

the Great White Egrets, photo courtesy of Darren

1st winter Med Gull

Bar Tailed Godwit

in contrast to Saturdays birds some of the Knot were still quite colourful

Curlew Sandpiper

and Grey Plover

posing Little Egret

the showy Jack Snipe

and its more common cousin

well marked Wheatear at Sammy's