Crestfallen (Day one)

With some good Easterlies over the weekend and into this week I decided to take advantage and booked Monday off so I could have a couple of days birding at Spurn. Day one Sunday 11th, I started at Kilnsea Wetlands to try for the American Golden Plovers seen the day before but there was no sign of either of them that morning so I soon moved on to the Crown and Anchor car park, it soon became obvious a massive fall was occurring, mainly Goldcrests but also smaller numbers of Bramblings and Thrushes etc, news came over that a Richard’s Pipit was showing down the road in a field opposite Westmere Farm so I went down and got reasonable views of its head and shoulders as it picked its way through the long grass, also two or three Ring Ouzels were seen there, nearby a Firecrest was found amongst Goldcrests in a Sycamore but could I hell as get on it, tried for several more through the day and missed them as well, they are becoming a real bogey bird this Autumn. While milling around news filtered through of a Pallas’s Warbler near Easington Cemetery, as I returned to get my car I passed two stakeouts back along the road, one for a putative “Ehrenburg’s” Redstart and the other for Black Redstart but neither were showing as I passed, neither was the Pallas’s which hadn’t been seen since the original sighting, I headed back to the Warren and after another failed Firecrest attempt I was pleased to get some good views of a Merlin hunting over the Humber foreshore, first time I have observed one in active pursuit I think, I walked back through the Canal Bushes that were dripping with Goldcrests and came across a group watching a Siberian Chiffchaff, it showed very well, a classic “grey” individual that also called a few times for good measure then ended up back at the Crown and Anchor where I was informed one of the American Golden Plovers had been relocated in a field back towards Easington, I shot off and came across a couple of birders scanning a very distant Golden Plover flock that was also into the sun and deeming it an impossible task I turned to go, as I did I caught sight of a single Plover drop down into the field on the other side of the road, it immediately struck me of being small and very slim I alerted the others to get their scopes on it and it was soon confirmed as being the bird, it eventually settled down and ended up giving us all fairly good views, I ended the day at Sammy’s Point with loads more Goldcrests, some landing just feet away, and a superb Short Eared Owl as I walked back. 

Willow Warblers

and Goldcrests

Richard's Pipit wasn't easy to pick out

it came a little closer but looking into the light

Merlin after just catching a Meadow Pipit, crap light though

I moved round to the other side, the light was better but it was more distant

Siberian Chiffchaff

the lone juv American Golden Plover

a good end to the day with this Shortie

Blacktoft Jack

Out after work, it was a miserable wet afternoon and with nothing in particular to go for I opted for Blacktoft Sands, at least there were hides, as expected it was fairly quiet but I was pleased to find a Jack Snipe bobbing away out in front of the Ousefleet hide, other waders included a single Spotted Redshank and a fair size flock of Ruff that dropped in at Singleton early evening.

spent a bit of time with this little fella but he just wouldn't come right out into the open

just a single Marsh Harrier out hunting

Ruff and Lapwing

Another good day at Spurn

I was joined by Mark and Paz on Sunday and we were prompted back to Spurn after a few good birds had been seen on the Saturday, unfortunately the main target, Pied Wheatear, had disappeared overnight but the juv Citrine Wagtail remained and although it had initially flown off as we arrived it soon returned to the Canal Scrape where it showed well on and off throughout the day. Most of the day was spent walking round scrutinizing the bushes etc and there were a good few Yellow Browed Warblers on offer still but Firecrests eluded us yet again, late morning news came over that another Arctic Warbler had been trapped at Kew Villa, it was shown then released in Church Field but understandably dived straight into the nearest bush and stayed put, then early afternoon a Little Bunting was trapped at the Warren but again was seen in the hand but not after release. A couple of small skeins of Pinkfeet went over during the day and the Autumns first Redwings dropped in then late afternoon the Arctic Warbler started showing again in Church Field, it was not as good as last weeks bird though and we only got a couple of brief views and upon hearing a Jack Snipe had turned up on Canal Scrape we headed there and ended the day with that, all in all another good day.

an increasingly more commonplace sighting these days

Bird of the day, juv Citrine

having a stretch

lots of these little fella's

Little Bunting in the hand

never got to grips with these this week, they were so active it was hard to keep up with them

well hidden Jack Snipe

A better than expected day at Spurn

I was out with Pete Watson today and we thought we’d do Spurn, there had been a couple of Yellow Browed Warblers yesterday and Easterlies forecast although it was going to be a nice day so we didn't expect anything great, it was a foggy start but had cleared by the time we got there, we started at Canal Scrape looking for a couple of Jack Snipe but they had hunkered themselves down and we couldn’t find them, thought we’d try again later. We went off to the Warren for our first Yellow Browed Warbler, a bit distant but it showed well, a second bird was trapped while we were there but happy with our views of the first one we went back to walk the triangle, a handful of common migrants were seen then our second Yellow Browed was in the Garden on the corner and across the road in the Crown and Anchor car park, while watching that we were informed a Red Breasted Flycatcher had been found along Beacon Lane, we high tailed it down there but found the bird had become rather elusive however as the crowd thinned out and after a patient wait it started showing well again, a nearby radio crackled Arctic Warbler at Driftwood Caravan site so off we went, smart bird showed well, a lifer for Pete, also our third Yellow Browed nearby and a Med Gull flew over. Mid-afternoon found us back at Canal Scrape, still no sign of any Jack Snipe but a Redstart and another Red Breasted Flycatcher were in the bushes there, it was on to Kilnsea Wetlands next where we enjoyed the spectacle of hundreds of Redshanks coming in to roost accompanied by smaller numbers of several other Wader species plus Little Egrets, last count was an impressive 28 birds, we ended the day at Sammy’s Point where a Barred Warbler eventually gave itself up, a fitting end to a really good better than expected day. 

Mute Swan

Wigeon

Little Grebe, but no sign of Jack Snipe on Canal Scrape

distant Yellow Browed near the Warren

some superb Migrant Hawkers around

Red Breasted Flycatcher down Beacon Lane

Out of the blue, Arctic Warbler

plus yet another Yellow Browed

23 of the 28 Little Egrets

Barred Warbler at Sammies

a fitting end to the day