Passage Wader's & Local Spooner,22nd & 28th April 2019.

A couple of cracking visits to the local patch recently and spring migration is really getting into full swing.Over the two visits i managed to add another 11 species to the growing year list,including a whopping 10 on the 22nd!.
 The following is what i encountered in a summary form again with a selection of photos.

22nd April 2019

The easterly air flow continued today,but had switched around to the south east,with warmer temperatures.It certainly brought the birds in that was for sure.
 Around Winter's it was total warbler song,with 3 Reed Warbler,2 Lesser Whitethroat,2 Blackcap and the resident male Cetti's Warbler all bidding to find a mate,with 2 new in Sedge Warbler singing away also.
 On the shore,3 Whimbrel showed nicely through the scope and 2 Common Sandpiper 'Teetered' along the flood bank being new for the year.
 Another new for the year species,came in the form of a cracking male Wheatear ,on the flooded rough field near the car as i returned to dump my scope and the presumed feral Barnacle Goose showed nicely with the local 'Lags'.
 I walked down the side of the mitigation site and this proved a good decision,with first a pair of Little-ringed Plover dropping in and then a cracking Wood Sandpiper,with 2 Greenshank for good measure.The Wood Sand is the first i have seen down here for ages and was a real welcome sighting.
 At last,the mitigation site is finally attracting some passage waders,albeit in two small areas of water,imagine if the whole site was covered in water!.
 A good walk around the Skitter area and along the beck,saw my first Whitethroat's of the year being seen,with their scolding 'Churr' calls from their little patches of brambles and nettles,one male watched nest building.
 Along the beck,that beautiful local ghost,a Barn Owl hunted and passed by me without a care in the world,what a cracking bird.
 As i walked along Chapel Field Road,a species was added to the year list i really struggle to see locally,Red-legged Partridge.Not the most exciting species i know,but they all count in the year listing business.
 More of the same species were recorded up to Goxhill Haven and after seeing another male Wheatear here a look on the Humber over the dropping tide,saw 3 flocks of Arctic Terns heading out east,with 2 Little Gulls in amongst one of the flocks.Local patch birding at its best today,i thought to myself.
 The rest of the visit included more of the same species as already seen,Whitethroat,Willow Warbler,Chiffchaff etc. until a lovely male Cuckoo was found flying along the fence posts near to ruins pond.This was my first of the year and the 10th species added to the year list on today's visit,what a brilliant day out local patching.

28th April 2019

A very different day weather wise,with a freezing northerly airflow and rain showers on and off,until the weather cleared in the afternoon.
 An early morning walk along the mitigation site and surrounding fields revealed a single Wheatear in the same field as on my previous visit,this time being a female which was nice to see and a few Whimbrel scattered around,including 8 on Winter's first thing.A single Lapwing chick seen briefly on the mitigation site was encouraging.
 The first broods of Greylag goslings on Winter's included an 8 and 2 and the Barnacle Goose was still in residence also.
 The rain and cold eventually got to me and i decided to drive onto the flood bank at the Skitter and watch the river.This proved a master stroke as my first ever patch record of a Spoonbill,saw an immature fly past me at close range,allowing me to get some pleasing images of the bird.This bird could well have been the one seen flying south at Spurn earlier in the morning.
 After what seemed ages of watching buggar all moving on the river,apart from the Spooner earlier i drove back to Winter's now it had stopped raining and had brightened up.
 I decided to walk the square along Skitter Road and then back along the flood bank towards Winter's,with a few nice sighting's entering the notebook.This included a whopping flock of 210 Stock Dove along one of the fields along the approach road to Winter's and also a nice flock of 15 Whimbrel feeding in a meadow along here.
 At the Skitter 3 pairs of Avocet showed nicely and a single Greenshank 'Tu tu tued' it's way along the haven after i got too close.Some cracking views of a single Whimbrel here,allowed some photo opportunities.

Well what a couple of brilliant visits to this superb local area,with the year list on 125 now and only 15 species of last years total,onwards and upwards.

Dawn At Winter's Pond On The 22nd.

One Of The Two Common Sandpipers,Near Winter's On The 22nd.

Male Wheatear,Near To Winter's On The 22nd.

One Of The 2 Little-ringed Plover On The 22nd.

Wood Sandpiper On The 22nd.

Greenshank & Wood Sandpiper On The 22nd.

Roe Deer On The 22nd.

Male Whitethroat,Goxhill Haven On The 22nd.

Arctic Terns & Little Gulls,Goxhill Haven,On The 22nd.

Female Wheatear Near To Winter's On The 28th.

Barnacle Goose,Winter's Pond On The 28th.

2nd Calendar Year Spoonbill,East Halton Skitter,On The 28th.

2nd Calendar Year Spoonbill,East Halton Skitter,On The 28th.

Whimbrel,East Halton Skitter On The 28th.

Part Of The Stock Dove Flock On The 28th.

Male Reed Bunting On The 28th.

Local Lambs On The 28th.

Greenshank,East Halton Skitter,On The 28th.

Avocets,East Halton Skitter,On The 28th.