With a full day to ourselves,Chris and myself made the decision to make the journey over to the Spurn area today,after favourable weather overnight and the possibility there maybe a movement on the sea,as on the previous day.So after arriving in freezing conditions and a blowy north-north east wind we sheltered behind the seawatching hut at the Warren and began to look on the sea.If you didn't know what time of year it was,you would think this was a seawatch in October,as we logged a singles of Bonxie and Manx Shearwater,4 Red-throated Diver,39 Common Scoter,40 plus Gannet and a hand full of Kittiwakes and Fulmars all moving north,a pretty impressive sight for the end of May.We also managed to see a few Sandwich Terns passing north and south,our first of the year.As the sea passage quietened down,we returned to the car and had a look at the build up of roosting waders near to the warren gate.This was a very impressive sight,with hundreds of summer plumaged Grey Plover,Bar-tailed Godwits,Knot,Dunlin and Ringed Plover.After this wader fest,we drove the short distance to the car park at the Bluebell and then spent the next 3 or 4 hours covering all the area between Beacon Lane,Kilnsea Wetlands and Sammy's Point seeing some pretty good birds.The highlights included 3 Red-backed Shrike(2 females at Sammy's and a male at the wetlands) and my first spring Common Rosefinch at Sammy's.The Shrikes were pretty mobile to say the least,but we managed some cracking views eventually and the Rosefinch showed very nicely as it sat in a hedge at Sammy's.Another female Red-backed Shrike was seen along the roadside near to the Bluebell later on and showed very well,albeit briefly.Other sightings seen while we covered these areas included a single Ring Ouzel at Sammy's,male Cuckoo,female Marsh Harrier and 3 Common Sand.Other interesting sightings during the day included a single Garden Warbler and 2 Spotted Flycatcher from the Canal scrape hide and the spectacular sight of a female Kestrel catching a Common Lizard at Beacon Ponds.A superb day,with some good banter with our mates Binnsy and Will,thanks to Chris for driving and a big thanks to John for the lift back from Sammy's.
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| Dark-bellied Brent Geese,at the Warren Gate. |
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| Roosting waders at the Warren Gate. |
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| Female Red-backed Shrike,Sammy's Point. |
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| Female Red-backed Shrike,Sammy's Point. |
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| Female/immature Common Rosefinch,Sammy's Point. |
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| Female Kestrel,Beacon Ponds. |
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| Female Kestrel,with Common Lizard,Beacon Ponds. |
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