Late Spring 1

May 30, 2023

I didnt get round to posting my photos from a recent visit to Spurn so here they are.

From the weekend of the 20/21 May.

Spring has sprung at Spurn

May 03, 2023

Spring has sprung at Spurn

My trip to Spurn this weekend started on Friday night with a nice walk around the triangle at dusk.
The obvious change since the last visit was a marked increase in the numbers of warblers around.
The ever vocal sedge warblers were singing seemingly from every piece of cover and also willow warblers were whistling their evocative tune.
A couple of deer made for a nice scene out on the Saltmarsh made for a typical dusk scene and swallows feeding over canal scrape gave a great opportunity for some backlit shots.
Saturday morning dawned dull. A quick look around Sykes Field produced more warblers including the resident and very vocal Cetti’s warbler.
A low tide around 8am meant very few waders around so I bypassed Kilnsea Wetlands and carried on to Sammy’s Point. One of the long staying wheatears remained and a couple of whimbrel were on the Humber.
After Sammy’s I made my way to canal scrape. A water rail was visible in the gloom and a lesser whitethroat was calling in the car park.
Hirundines were visible from the bank with swallows, sand martins and my first house martins of the year all on show.
Later we went for a walk around Kilnsea. By now the sun was out and it was turning into a lovely Spring day. Quite a few butterflies were on the wing mainly peacocks and small tortoiseshells a single large white and the highlight was a brimstone. Another first for the year in the form of a swift was drifting south over the triangle.
Another wander up to Sammy’s Point produced more warblers and yet another first of the year this time in the form of a cuckoo. A sprinkle of yellow wagtails added to the Springtime feel as well as a small scattering of wheatears along the rocks.
The day ended with clouds and a scattering of rain.
Sunday morning again dawned dull. I spent some time at the Warren watching migration. A trickle of linnets was the main feature but two more firsts for the year in the form of little tern and tree pipit were the highlights.
Another walk up to Sammy’s Point produced a singing grasshopper warbler as well as a barn owl and some more wheatears on the rocks.
The weekend was more about the birding than the photography with no less than 9 additions to the year list.
Easterlies forecast for the week surely they must produce something rare?

Migfest 2023

April 23, 2023

Tickets for Migfest 2023 are on sale now and as most years, they will be selling fast. If anyone has any great desires to attend the UK’s premier festival of wildlife migration, the best advice I can give is- don’t leave it too late.

Migfest is designed to coincide with the peak time for southerly migration, focussing on but not limited to the spectacle of meadow pipits flowing south . A true natural marvel and in good conditions numbers of birds travelling south can be counted in their thousands. In fact a quick glance at Andy Roadhouse’s iconic book The Birds of Spurn will tell you that the record count was 20,200-only a couple of days away from the dates for this years festival.

Migfest for me starts a few weeks before. What might turn up over the weekend ? What might be the bird of the day on each day? What will be the bird of the weekend? I’m always checking historic records to see what might turn up.

One thing is for sure, the birds never fail to impress. There is so much diversity at Spurn, a brilliant weekend can always be guaranteed.

Easterly winds (those most favourable for a “fall”) could bring common migrants such as redstarts, pied flycatcher, whinchat and wood warbler, with the possibility of something more unusual such as red-backed shrike, barred warbler or common rosefinch.

South westerlies are best for ‘visible migration’ winds push birds out to the coast then they re-orientate themselves and then head south. Any watch point around the Spurn area with an unobstructed view looking north will do. Often there are not only big numbers of birds but also a diversity of species. Any winds coming from a northerly direction means one thing-sea watching. Early September can be great with skuas, shearwaters, terns, wildfowl and waders all moving off shore sometimes in quite spectacular numbers.

Westerlies aren’t always the best for migration but Spurn can still rely on the waders on the Humber-September is one of the busiest times with flocks of knot, dunlin and grey plovers sprinkled with more unusual species such as curlew sandpiper, little stint and spotted redshank.

Some migfests have been blessed with a mixture of conditions where conditions combine over the weekend to maximise the potential for a big list.

Then there’s the true rarity.“ Birds of the Weekend “ on previous Migfests include long-billed dowitcher, Kentish plover and last year a pallid harrier first picked up over Easington cruised right over Migfest HQ giving prolonged views as it eventually doubled back and headed north-west up the Humber.

The good thing about Migfest is the army of volunteers mustered up by Spurn Bird Observatory, The British Trust for Ornithology Swarovski Optik, Yorkshire Coast Nature and a host of stallholders. Their number one aim is to ensure that everyone attending has a truly memorable time. Whether it be organised walks, findings put out over the radio network, talks, seminars and as ever the excellent catering from the ‘Spurn Ladies’.

The biggest thing that has struck me over the years is the sense of camaraderie amongst everyone there, it’s all about enjoying nature, seeing what Spurn has to offer, and marvelling at the truly spectacular natural phenomenon of migration.

Spurn is also unique on the east coast for sunrise and sunset-you see great examples of both. The sun rises in the east over the north sea and then sets in the west over the Humber. Its great to sit outside the Crown and Anchor after a great days birding watching the sun go down.

For me every Migfest has its own special memories, some of which are captured in the photos below.

The well used phrase ‘what’s not to like’ epitomises Migfest. There is literally something for everyone.

All photos taken below were during or around the Migfest weekend.