cliftonbirding: Glorious Easterlies with a double Spurn delight

Easterlies all week with plenty of quality birds on the East Coast, I was out with Mark and Paz on Saturday and we thought we'd see what Spurn had to offer bearing in mind that a Red Flanked Bluetail at Easington Cemetery on the Friday would be a lifer for Paz, unfortunately there was negative news on it that morning so we carried on to Sammy’s Point, there were birds everywhere mainly Robins, Goldcrests, Bramblings and Thrushes including a couple of smart male Ring Ouzels, also a Great Grey Shrike briefly before it flew off across a field although we saw it again a bit later on a distant hedge, most intriguing sighting was of a “Locustella” species sat deep in a bush that eventually revealed itself to be just a Grasshopper Warbler. We moved back to Easington with news of a Bluethroat and Red Breasted Flycatchers at the Cemetery and an Olive Backed Pipit by the Gas Terminal down Vicar Lane but there had been no further sign of the Bluethroat, the Flycatchers had become elusive and the Pipit had been flushed so when news filtered through of a Woodcock out in the open by Cliff Farm we went to have a look at that. We carried on along the Canal watching Redstarts and Whinchats etc when we heard that Little and Lapland Buntings were showing by the breach at Spurn so we trudged out there, no sign of the Little but the Lapland showed well, back by the Warren a Lesser Whitethroat thought to be of the “Siberian” race showed by the gate and a Short Eared Owl was over Clubley’s field briefly, we moved on to the Crown and Anchor area where Yellow Browed Warbler remained in the car park then while in Church Field hoping the Rustic Bunting might put in an appearance we heard the Olive Backed Pipit had reappeared down Vicar Lane, a very bright individual showing extremely well just a shame we had photograph it through the security fence. With the afternoon getting on we finished off nearby behind the White Horse Pub in the village where a Red Breasted Flycatcher was flitting around a large Sycamore, a really good day we thought we shall return tomorrow.

smart Ring Ouzel in the first Paddock at Sammy's

A large flock of mainly Black Headed Gulls got up out of a field and looked quite impressive against the dark clouds

Blackcaps

Goldcrests

Wheatears

and lots of Robins

initial views of the Woodcock hunkered down amongst the rocks

it showed better a bit later

Lapland Bunting

Redwings feeding up

still a few Yellow Browed Warblers about, this one in the Crown and Anchor car park

the showy Olive Backed Pipit shame about the security fence

On Sunday me and Mark joined Dave and Bob from Rochdale for another trip to Spurn, we started at Easington Churchyard where a Pallas’s Warbler had been reported but it wasn’t easy viewing as most of the birds remained high in the trees, a Yellow Browed Warbler was picked out but there was no sign of Pallas’s, we eventually moved to the area behind the White Horse Pub where another two Yellow Browed Warblers were showing then incredibly the Pallas’s Warbler turned up, we got some good views but it was very mobile and soon moved on. We carried on to Easington Cemetery where a Red Breasted Flycatcher teased and tantalized in the tops of the trees and a Firecrest played hard to get in a nearby hedge, after getting reasonable views of them both we headed off to Spurn dropping in at Church Field to try for the Rustic Bunting that had been seen again earlier in the morning, no sign of it since though just loads of Goldcrests moving through and a nice male Brambling attending the feeders. Then news filtered through of a possible Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler at the point, Dave and Bob were keen to walk out there on the offchance it was and showed again, me and Mark didn't fancy the long slog out there on such scant info and went back to Easington Cemetery to have another session with the Red Breasted Flycatcher which although remained high up was at least showing better, when Dave and Bob returned from their unsuccessful jaunt we headed out to Green Lane where the Great Grey Shrike had been reported, still distant but a bit closer than Saturday, headed back into Easington to see if the Pallas’s Warbler was showing again, chased down the lane after a couple of “Northern” Bullfinch were reported never found them but we were informed the Olive Backed Pipit was showing well down Vicar Lane again so we ended the day with this little stunner, a bit better session with it this time.