Collared Flycatcher At Spurn

May 06, 2024

Well what another fantastic weekend at Spurn that was.

I arrived on Friday evening and had a wander around Kilnsea just before the rain set in. I managed to get a fleeting glimpse of the collared flycatcher that had arrived earlier in the day.

The rain was pretty solid all night so I had high hopes of it hanging around, and so it did, showing well all day but remained faithful to the same place around 100 metres away.

It was a lovely Spring day and as you might expect at this time of year there were a few bits of interest around. Starting with my first cuckoo of the year calling around Sykes Field then did a flypast as we were watching the flycatcher.

Then a rough-legged buzzard flew south high overhead.

I had a wander down Beacon Lane and Church Field and was heartened to see some decent numbers of butterflies around-notably orange tips of which there was at least 20.

There was some good numbers of common migrants around including a showy blackcap, garden warbler, lesser whitethroat and pied flycatcher all in canal bushes.

I had an early night on Saturday night in readiness for an early start on Sunday. The alarm went off at 4.15 but I had already been awoken by a very close cuckoo that was calling in near pitch black. A shadowy badger in the garden soon moved off as it realised I was there, but I was up and out by 4.40 and the sunrise was magnificent.

The resident barn owl was around the car park as usual, as well as some avocets, oystercatchers and mute swans all posing nicely in the morning sunlight. A couple of spoonbills took flight and went on a round circuit, returning 5 minutes late. I hoped to photograph waders in the morning sunlight but the tide was too early and had started receding by the time I got there.

Instead I had a wander along the canal bank. I could only marvel at the birdsong, curlews, skylarks and warblers mainly but the orchestra of the dawn chorus was a sound to behold.

Mainly sedge warblers and reed warblers on the canal, another barn owl and nice to see swallow and sand martin numbers building.

The bushes were again full of warblers, the most vocal was a blackcap supported by whitethroat, willow warbler, chiffchaff, lesser whitehroat and a garden warbler.

A smart pied flycatcher popped out of the bushes for a short while-all of this before seven o’clock!

I had a ride along Easington straight in the hope of seeing a yellow wagtail and I wasnt disappointed 3 were sat out nicely in the ealy morning sunshine.

With warmer temperatures, bird numbers up and insects on the wing, this trip most definitely had a feel good factor about it-then again, isnt that always the case when you visit Spurn?

Spurn in Spring

April 16, 2024

Well what a fabulous weekend at Spurn that was. Nothing rare but just nice to get out and experience the diversity of the wildlife on offer at Spurn.

I started at Kilnsea Wetlands on Friday evening and almost straight away was treat to sme fantastic views of the spoonbill that arrived earlier in the day. 3 Pink-footed geese flew over then landed for a short while and then a flock of waders flew close to the hide, mainly redshank but included a single greenshank and 5 black-tailed godwits in various stages of summer finery.

The resident barn owl gave an obligatory fly-by before it was time for tea.

I have bought a new moth trap and despite the windy conditions I thought I’d give it a try-while setting it up a fox meandered its way between the highland cattle as dusk approached.

I was up early on Saturday and checked the moth trap-the grand total of two hebrew characters was somewhat underwhelming so I made my way back to Long Bank Marsh. First bird was a wheatear on top of the hide-first one of the year-it was fairly quiet but I did manage distant views of the green-winged teal and a ring ouzel that had dropped into a hedgerow before making its way towards Sammy’s Point. The barn owl was out patrolling the boundaries of Long Bank Marsh and a few common waders were feeding over the exposed mud.

I headed out to Sammy’s Point which was also quiet but then went to the north end of the gas terminal at Easington. There was a rather spectacular sight of 29 wheatear feeding on the rocks and a small group of sand martins flying south over the sea.

A small copse held a surprising number of birds including some vocal willow warblers and another first for the year in the form of a whitethroat.

I made my way back for a spot of breakfast. I had a wander around Kilnsea in the afternoon and whilst conditions were not great for butterflies I still managed two peacocks, a small tortoiseshell, a green-veined white and a speckled wood.

Overnight I set up the trail camera which produced two badgers and a woodmouse in our caravan garden.

I was up early again on Sunday morning and again headed to a very windy Kilnsea Wetlands. The spoonbill was there briefly before flying high south. A marsh harrier was hunting over Long Bank Marsh and a peregrine flew over Kilnsea Wetlands whilst a distant short eared owl was at the east end of Kilnsea Wetlands. News of a bearded tit had me heading towards the canal and whilst the windy conditions didnt help I had quite a few flight views.

I finished the morning with some waders over the humber from the gate.

I finished the trip with yet another first for the year-an orange tip on the outskirts of Easington as I drove out.

So ended another fantastic trip to the wildlife watching Mecca that is Spurn.

Until next time, thanks for reading.