To say Autumn on the East coast has got off to a slow start this year would be an understatement, but this weekend went a long way to making it better at least.
We arrived in very mild conditions on Friday and after a very nice ‘chippy tea’ I had a wander down to the Humber bank to watch the sun set.
A big bank of cloud obscured the sun bu5 the sky was quite dramatic.
Nothing of note was around and given that it was low tide, that would explain the dearth of waders on view.
However a few curlew, shellducks, a bar-tailed godwit and a few little egrets made for a tranquil scene, blissful in fact. A hunting barn owl and hundreds of pink footed geese was a nice end.
I put out the moth trap seeing as it was forecast to be mild. I was quite surprised at the amount of moths in the trap. Mainly Setaceous Hebrew Characters and Large Wainscott but a Scarce Bordered Straw was notable.
An early start at Kilnsea Wetlands, and it had a feel of Autumn about it. Pink Footed Geese, Whooper Swans and the odd flock of Redwings were a promising sign. One or two goldcrests and a few cliff-chaffs were around but with south westerly winds all week, it was no surprise there were few migrants in the bushes. A weasel in the verge was a highlight of a wander round Kilnsea
A showy Jack Snipe on Sykes Field was a nice bonus in the afternoon.
Saturday night was still mild so out went the moth trap again and the highlight this time was a black rustic.
Overnight the winds has swung easterly. There was definitely a sense that something big had happened overnight, I left the caravan at 6.30 and the air was full of the ‘peeep’ of redwings. I made my way towards the beach at Kilnsea and it was obvious there had been a big fall of thrushes. They were swirling around and lifting of the bushes-there were birds everywhere!
An hour on the beach produced a few ducks flying south as well as the odd red-throated diver and skua.
A walk back towards Spurn produced a rock pipit on the beach and at least 6 stonechats. As it got lighter more birds appeared. Flock after flock of redwings and song thrushes. Lesser amounts of fieldfares, but there were lots of finches around including a few brambling, goldcrests were flitting around in the bushes and ring ouzels were popping up amongst the redwings.
Two short eared owls came in off the sea, yet more stonechats along the canal and then news of a yellow browned warbler came on the radio. It showed well in the willows but it was against the light so not good for a photo.
The afternoon went on with more thrushes and seemingly more goldcrests- no doubt there was more. Also around were hawfinches, little bunting, arctic warbler and a very brief black-throated thrush.
So Autumn has finally arrived, it just goes to show that favourable winds make good things happen, today was definitely a sprinkling of Spurn Magic.
Little Egret at Dusk
Shellducks at Dusk
Little Egrets going to roost.
Barn Owl at Dawn
Pink Footed Geese
Whooper Swans
Whooper Swans
Whooper Swan
Greylag Geese
Jack Snipe
Jack Snipe
Jack Snipe
Jack Snipe
Common Gulls
Teal
Rock Pipit
Ring Ouzel
Ring Ouzel
Short-Eared Owl
Redwing
Song Thrush
Song Thrush
Goldcrest
Snipe
Redwings & Ring Ouzel
Redwing