A Stormy Day.....But What A Day!...27.10.12.

Male Snow Bunting.

Approaching Hail storm.

Stormy sea.

With the forecast looking good and heavy rain and a north easterly wind overnight,Dave and myself headed for the Spurn area again,what a great decision as we had a fantastic days birding.We started proceedings looking at the sea,talk about windy,as there was no room in the hide,we sheltered behind the quickly disappearing cliff below the Warren and had to endure several rain and hail showers,but it was well worth it.The main highlights seen were at least 13 Little Auk,battling their way back north and this included a party of five birds passing by just over the breakers,allowing us to enjoy some cracking views of this arctic waif.This is one of the commonest birds in the world and is always affected after strong northerly winds and pushed into the north sea.Other notable birds seen during our seawatch included a pair of Scaup north,23 Eider north,single Red-breasted Merg,south,a Short-eared Owl in off the sea,Arctic and Great Skuas south and hundreds of Kittiwakes moving south also.Nearby and as we walked away from our seawatching spot,a male Snow Bunting gave superb,close views,a cracking little bird.After enjoying the Snow Bunt,we went to look to see if the Jack-Snipe was showing on Canal Scrape,but after a good look we didn't see it,but enjoyed nice views of a 1st winter Ring Ouzel.As often happens at Spurn a report came over the radio that a Short-toed Lark had been found down the point near post 52,so we walked down as quick as we could as the road had been closed due to a breach of the road the night before.As i suspected,we got to the area were the bird had been seen and there was not only no bird to be seen,but no one else looking...buggar.Birds seen in the area and on the walk back included another 1st winter type Ring Ouzel,several flocks of freshly arriving Fieldfares and Redwings,2 Little Auk flying off the Humber side of the peninsula and back onto the sea and a male Stonechat watched battling against the wind,spending most of his time foraging on the ground,as the species often does.So after a knackering yomp,we went back to the Canal scrape for a rest and something to eat and this time enjoyed stunning views of a Jack-Snipe feeding close to the hide and in the open.It was great to study the cryptic plumage of this Scandinavian visitor,as majority of the views birders normally gain of this species are as they fly away from your feet,a very nice bird.We then travelled the short distance over to Kilnsea cliff to look for the Purple Sand i had seen on Thursday and there it was with it's Turnstone cousins allowing great views,but this was cut short as another stinging hailstone shower passed over,a feature of today on several occasions.After hearing that the Great-grey Shrike had been seen at nearby Easington we decided to go and have a look,en route stopping at Easington churchyard to enjoy some nice views of a male and female Black Redstart watched feeding on the rooftop of an adjacent ruined building.Also here,was a single male Brambling watched feeding on the ground nearby,also showing well.All of a sudden,in typical Spurn fashion as earlier,a message came over the radio that an Olive-backed Pipit had just been found at nearby Sammy's Point,we dashed to the car and travelled as quick as we could to the car park.On arrival and after hearing off the local guys,it quickly transpired that there were 2 birds.Over the next hour or so we got flight views of firstly one bird and then 2 together on several occasions,amazing stuff and we eventually got cracking views of one bird perched in a hawthorn fantastic!!.Also seen in the area was a single female Ring Ouzel and an unidentified Acro warbler which i flushed from a ditch.With the sun starting to go down we finished the day watching the superb Great-grey Shrike as it perched in a hawthorn,before it disappeared into the middle of the hawthorn to no doubt roost.What a great end to an excellent day,with some great company and a big thanks to Dave for driving.

'The Big Fall'......Kilnsea,25.10.12.

Angle Shades.

Angle Shades.

After a frustrating 4 days at work and one of the biggest falls of common migrants for some years,i finished  my nights this morning and was dying to get out,so i went home,got changed and drove to the Spurn area.Perhaps a crazy decision after a twelve hour night shift,but you have to make the effort when this sort of phenomena occurs.The last mile or so was all roadside Redwings,Fieldfare,Blackbirds and even a Ring Ouzel!,things were looking promising.My whole day from 8.00 am until 4.00 pm was spent in the 'Triangle' and Kilnsea Cliff area and provided me with a cracking days birding.After speaking to some of the locals,the migrant numbers had dropped down,but it was still impressive,with hundreds of birds present.The commonest species involved were Redwing and Brambling and as a rain cloud passed over,birds dropped out of the sky into the hedge next to were i was stood.This included a superb flock of 40 Brambling and smaller numbers of Redwing,Fieldfare and Blackbirds.In one bush alongside the Triangle a flock of 6 Ring Ouzel gave superb views,which included 2 adult males,2 females and 2 1st winters,the latter being particularly appealing with their scaly plumage.The Ouzels were to feature all day,with more excellent sightings from the Canal scrape hide as birds came down to drink.Other notable sightings in the Triangle area included 2 roadside Mealy Redpoll,watched feeding on Rosebay willowherb heads,2 Snow Bunting over,heading west,a Merlin over the fields and a roosting Tawny Owl in Kilnsea churchyard.Bird of the day was found mid-afternoon,a stonking Olive-backed Pipit,it had been inadvertently flushed from cover at 'Pallas's pond',but after what seemed a life time was relocated on the borrow pits area and gave very nice views as it preened and bathed on the edge of the pool.It then flew and headed towards were it had first been seen,it then flew again over our heads and landed in 'Big Hedge' and that was that.It was also heard to call on 3 occasions with a distinct 'Spiz' which was a bonus,being similar to Tree's call.After getting a tip off about a female Black Redstart,which showed admirably along the beach near the Riverside Hotel,i found a very pale Chiffie,which i i'ded as a Sibe Chiffchaff.It showed all the features,Pale grey/brown uppers,buffy flanks,black legs and bill and a hint of a wingbar.It was also sporting a ring and i wondered if it was the bird that had been trapped at Kew a few days before.I watched the bird for about ten minutes as it fed in low vegetation giving superb views,before it flew into a graden and i lost it.Also along the beach here,was a nice Purple Sandpiper watched feeding along the shoreline,the first i have seen on the deck at Spurn/Kilnsea.The only diversion away from birds today was a cracking Angle Shades Moth found roosting on a fence at Sunnycliff farm.So what a fantastic day and i know it won't be long before iam back again at this superb area for birding.

Alkborough......a fine day!.

Lacewing sp. Chrysopa carnea.

Devil's-coach Horse Beetle.

Devil's-coach Horse Beetle.

Pleated Inkcap.

An early start today,saw Dave and myself heading for the excellent Alkborough Flats to see what the avian world had to offer.After parking up near the church we made our way down to the main hide to see what was about.En-route to the hide,a Kingfisher was seen briefly as it flew along the small drainage dyke adjacent to the hide and hundreds of Teal were giving superb views in a flooded field nearby and 6 Bearded Tit exploded from a nearby reedbed,gradually gaining height until we lost them over the hillside towards the village.This is the first time i have seen the species gain such height when using this type of 'Irruptive' behaviour.From the hide,the highlights included 6 Spotted Redshank roosting on the edge of the main area of water,giving some nice views and 283 Black-tailed Godwit,29 Ruff,1 Grey Plover and a huge flock of at least 6000 Golden Plover provided a fantastic spectacle as they whirled around,almost turning the sky black.A return visit later in the day saw a very brief view of the juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher as it flew onto the main water area adjacent to the main hide,preened briefly and was then immediately flushed and flew with the Black-tailed Godwit flock,but i could not relocate it.It flew in from the next pool to the north and most probably went back to the same place again.After a visit to the superb 'Paddock's' Cafe for a full english,we decided to walk around to the hide overlooking Trent Falls and the fields and woodland areas to the southern end of the reserve.Highlights around this area of the reserve included a couple of Lesser Redpoll,one watched feeding on thistle heads with a small group of Goldfinch giving some nice views and a single female Brambling watched nearby in a Sycamore tree,giving away its presence with it's distinctive 'Eheep' call,a lovely surprise and species to see.Other highlights included 2 Jay,at least 7 Marsh Harrier which included 2 adult males and a Grey Wagtail in the small waterworks compound near the car park.Insect sighting highlights today were provided by 15 Common Darter,2 Migrant Hawker and a Devils-coach Horse Beetle.The only mammal sighting of note went to a single Roe Deer,early morning.

Misty Barton.....

Female Neriene montana and Nettle-ground Bug.

Guelder Rose.

Centipede sp. Haplophilus subterraneus.

After waiting for another foggy morning to break,I decided to travel over to Barton and have a walk around the pits to the west of the bridge.I started by walking around Barton Reedbed reserve and then covering Bridge Plantation and walking all the way up to Chowder Ness and back along the Humber bank to the visitor centre.The best bird today,was the now resident female Red-crested Pochard and she was found loafing on the furthest west of the pits before you reach Chowder Ness,sitting on the grass bank,preening.She was then watched on the pit itself,aggressively interacting with the Gadwall also present on the pit,pecking and chasing a couple of individuals!.Its difficult to ascertain were this bird has originated from,but she is fully winged,so who knows.A few birds were seen passing overhead today,with a handfull of Siskin and Lesser Redpolls both moving west,227 Pink-footed Geese also followed in the same direction,a real joy to hear and see.In the bushes,at least 8 Goldcrest were seen in several 'Tit Flocks' around the pits and gave the usual superb views of this diminutive little cracker!.On the Humber a decent mixture of wildfowl and waders were present off Chowder Ness,with a couple of hundred Wigeon and smaller numbers of Teal,with a few Curlew,Bar-tailed Godwit and Redshank.Not a bad few hours,but fairly quiet to say the least.

Worlaby Carrs.......

Male Migrant Hawker.

Male Migrant Hawker.

Male Migrant Hawker.

With the morning free today,i decided to have a look at Worlaby,walking from the village to the river and back.On arrival at the patch,the weather was overcast,but things slowly improved.No real surprises were seen today,but the best consisted of my first Fieldfares of the autumn and a hunting Peregrine at the river.The Fieldfares contained 2 flocks of 13 and 6 respectively,with both groups eventually heading west after filling up on hawthorn berries.This species is usually recorded in some good numbers down the Carrs,so i look forward to more of their 'Chacking' calls overhead in the coming months.The Perg,a Juv male,put on a fine performance chasing the local Wood Pigs between the railway crossing and the river,making several attempts at catching one,but he was unsuccessful while i watched,but it made for superb viewing as this powerfull Falcon showed his aerial prowess.Other highlights saw a cracking Kingfisher watched perched along the small drainage dyke alongside the soak drain and later along the soak drain itself,giving some nice views.Overhead,at least 6 Common Buzzard were seen,53 Pink's flew south and 15 Lesser Redpoll flew over near to the village and a male Marsh Harrier hunted the pasture field.Commoner fare included 1 Treecreeper,2 female Bullfinch,150 Goldfinch and at least 50 Skylark.Insect highlights today consisted of 3 Migrant Hawker and a single Common Darter.A nice walk along the patch.

Patch visit,cut short........

Flesh Fly.

Earwig sp. Forficula auricularia.

Male Common Darter.

Tree-damsel Bug.

With the plan to visit the local patch at Worlaby again this aft,it was pretty much cut short after a torrential down pour,thankfully Mick was on hand to give me a lift back to my car,cheers mate.For the 2 and a half hours i was on site,i managed 2 Marsh Harrier(Ad female and Juv) which were watched hunting the pasture field and a distant Perg watched playing havoc with the local Wood Pigeons and Plover flocks down at the river.Decent numbers of Common Buzzards were again on the wing,with several birds giving superb views as they hunted and rode the thermals and 87 Pink-footed Geese passed over to the south.The only notable passerines were 3 Goldcrest and a single Bullfinch.Non bird sightings included at least 15 Common Darter,2 Migrant Hawker and a single Tree-damsel Bug.A Stoat was the only notable mammal sighting today.A decent few hours.

Alkborough return and 'The Patch'....13.10.2012.

Bonby Carrs.

Bonby Carrs.

Mirid Bug sp. Phytocoris dimidiata.

With the prospect of a full day out today and after much consternation about were to go,Chris and myself decided to firstly visit Alkborough for the LBD and then spend the rest of the day on my patch at Bonby/Worlaby Carrs,it proved to be a good choice.On arriving at Alkborough,i decided to park at the northern end of the reserve,as on my previous visit,the Dowitcher was very flighty and i thought that it would be a good vantage point to look from the hillside.How wrong i was,as the bird was in front of the main hide.On arrival at the main hide we were then treated to some good views of the bird as it was watched feeding,sleeping and loafing,loosely associating with the other wader species present,but receiving some unwanted attention form several Blackwits.These views were a vast improvement on last weekends efforts and at least we could study this juv/1st winters plumage and i.d. features.Highlights also seen from the hide while we were watching the Dowitcher were 3 smart Curlew Sandpiper,at least 11 Spotshank,36 Ruff and at least 3 Marsh Harrier,the Spotshanks being particularly nice to watch as they caught several fish,lovely birds.After all this wader action,a well earned 'Full English' at 'The paddocks' was quickly demolished before travelling over to Bonby.As the weather looked pretty good,we decided to do the full patch taking in both Bonby and Worlaby Carrs and it was pretty good for my much beloved raptors with us recording at least 20 plus Common Buzzard,several Kestrel,Sparrowhawk,3 Marsh Harrier(Adult female type,Juv and adult male) and the cream of the crop,a stunning male Hen Harrier.The 'Hen' was watched hunting down at the river and gave amazing views,coming within 50 feet of us at one point,what a cracking bird and the best views i have ever had of a male Hen Harrier in 26 years birding!.It was interesting to note that on this male,he was showing some signs of immaturity still,with brownish feathering to the crown,dark trailing edge to the secondaries and fine barring to the tail feathers which was only seen when he changed direction and fanned his tail.All these identification points ageing the bird as a 3rd calendar year bird.Other nice sightings apart from the raptor fest,included 11 Lesser Redpoll,a pair of Stonechat in the pasture field at Worlaby,7 Song Thrush and a patch rarity,a Willow Tit near the railway bridge.So another superb days local birding was enjoyed and thanks for the company and brekkie Chris ;-).

The Northern Wolds and Barton Pits....07.10.12.

Comma,Barton Pits.

Hedge Bindweed,Barton Pits.

Dark Dagger larva,Barton Pits.

Bonby church and the Ancholme Valley.

The Ancholme Valley.

The Ancholme Valley.

An early start this a.m. to visit the patch and look for raptors,quickly changed as the cold air overnight had formed a large blanket of fog over the valley,so it was up to the wold top above Saxby and Bonby for some scenery pics and stunning it was too.After the photo session,i then drove the short distance over to Barton.A walk around the pits and up to chowder ness provided a great mornings birding and weather,with the main highlight being a single female/1st winter Red-crested Pochard on the pits across the road from the old visitor centre.The bird showed nicely as it fed on the profusion of water weed growing in this pit,a smart bird and a nice surprise.There was a small passage of birds overhead also,with at least 20 Siskin moving west in small flocks,a nice flock of 72 Pink's(South),4 Redwing moving west and 3 Redpoll,following the Redwing.Back to the pits and the only other highlight was a Kingfisher seen on a couple of occasions.A few insect sightings were provided today by a single Comma,a cracking Dark Dagger caterpillar,2 Common Darter and 3 Migrant Hawker.A nice few hours out and about again.

LBD And HB........

After finishing a long 12 hour night shift and after a brief hours kip,i headed over to Alkborough Flats to look for ND's Long-billed Dowitcher he had found on Thursday evening(Another quality find).With several of us spread over the site,it thankfully wasn't that long before all hell broke loose,with a quick phone call from GPC to say a Juv. Honey Buzzard was flying over head and that they had just found the Dowitcher at the other end of the reserve.I quickly got onto the Buzzard,watching it flying along the hillside and then soaring over the church before disappearing over the village,a great start.I then walked to the other end of the reserve and up the hillside,which was knackering to say the least and narrowly missed views of it as it flew with a 'Jumpy' Golden Plover flock.This scenario continued for the majority of the time we viewed the bird,but it eventually settled down for a while,feeding at distance with a couple of Redshank.This brought memories back of the Saltfleet bird several years back,which also associated with a flock of Redshank.This constituted my first record of this 'Yank' wader for the Scunthorpe recording area and my second in Lincolnshire.Other niceties seen included a single Curlew Sandpiper,9 Bearded Tit,1 Green Sand,2 cracking Grey Wagtail and 4 Spotshank,but the overall scene of hundreds of waders and superb weather,made for an excellent mornings birding.