Spurn At It's Best!.......Saturday 3rd October 2015.

A free day today and determined to catch up with some good birds or find one after being at work all week,i had organised to meet up with Tim for an all day effort around the recording area....and what a day it turned out to be!.
 We began in usual fashion,starting at the Bluebell car park and as i waited for Tim to arrive i took several photos of the stunning sky and sunrise at dawn and thought to myself this north easterly wind albeit light,must turn something up.
 We began the day by heading up Beacon Lane first,with several Song Thrushes going into the notebook,including a grey eastern type bird and also a hand full of Blackbirds.As we arrived at Appletree,Marcus kindly showed us a posing Merlin that was perched near to his garden and after a short while it decided to take flight and i managed to obtain a few half decent shots as it bombed past,a nice start to the day.
 Further on and up to Beacon Ponds and the wetlands and this area provided us with several notable sightings which included a pair of Stonechat,3 Greenshank,Ruff,6 Brent Geese,a hunting Barn Owl and a Spotshank along with some good numbers of roosting waders on the high tide at the wetlands and 6 Little Egret showed well as they had their usual grumpy fall outs as to who was having the best fishing spot.A message broke over the radio that an OBP had been found near Chalk Bank by Marcus on his cycle ride down the point,but we were miles away and it was high tide as well,but it was a good omen.
 After the wetlands we decided to head up Easington straight and then down Peter Lane to Sammy's Point and to be fair we covered a lot of ground for little return,with the highlight probably going to a confiding flock of Lesser Redpoll along Humber Lane and 1 Fieldfare and 3 Redwing along the same area.
 As we neared Sammy's Point car park,a Kingfisher shot along an adjacent drain,we had heard earlier in the day that 2 Yellow-browed Warbler had been seen here and after entering the second paddock it wasn't long before i had found one of them.At first it was seen flycatching in between Umbellifer stems and long grass before it relocated to a Hawthorn where it just sat for a while as i took a zillion images of it.What a cracking little bird they are and it beggars belief that people take them for granted these days,when you think where this little bird has flown from to reach us...just amazing!.
 The remainder of Sammy's was fairly quiet apart from a Chiffchaff and a couple of Goldcrest and we then carried along the Humber shore crossing over to Pancho's Pond seeing 2 Wheatear and a couple of Rockits.
 After a chance meeting with John Hewitt and others,all hell broke lose in typical Spurn style as a message came over the radio that a Pied/Black-eared Wheatear had been found at the breach,so we all headed in that direction and we were dropped kindly by John at the Warren.
 We walked as fast as we could across the dune and breach and i had forgotten how bad it is walking on sand!!!,we eventually made it to where the bird was with a fairly big crowd already watching it and there he was below us,a cracking male Pied Wheatear.
 At first it was being pushed south sadly by the gathering crowd,but after everyone settled down the bird came back and showed very nicely as it caught several insects below us.What a corking bird he was and this individual was my first male after the female several years ago at Reighton near Filey.This bird should be on it's way to East Africa for the winter instead of being blown off course to East Yorkshire,the wonders of bird migration.
 As i watched the bird for a little longer before having to leave,Tim had to go and i decided shortly afterwards to do the same.As i was walking away Tim was some way infront and had returned shouting to me that there was a Citrine Wagtail just past where the Wheatear was....bloody hell!.I dashed back to where everyone was and it was on the same piece of beach as the Wheatear and i thought to myself only this can happen at Spurn.
 I watched the Wagtail as it sallied after flies,giving some great views of this eastern cracker and it even called several times as well with that striking buzzy call.
 Eventually time was getting on and i left the two goodies to walk back to the bluebell,but the day still wasn't over with another Yellow-browed being seen feeding in the saltmarsh vegetation and Couch Grass at the breach as i walked past and another being seen in the Warren bushes with a couple of Goldcrest.
 I eventually made it back to the car slightly worse for wear after walking at least 11.5 miles during the day,but what a day it was and i reluctantly made my way home after the best days birding of the autumn so far.

Stunning sunrise and approaching front.

Merlin,Beacon Lane.

Merlin,Beacon Lane.

Lesser Redpoll,Humber Lane.

Yellow-browed Warbler,Sammy's Point.

Yellow-browed Warbler,Sammy's Point.

Yellow-browed Warbler,Sammy's Point.

Goldcrest,Sammy's Point.

Goldcrest,Sammy's Point.

Male Pied Wheatear,Middle Camp.

Male Pied Wheatear,Middle Camp.

Male Pied Wheatear,Middle Camp.

Juvenile Citrine Wagtail,Middle Camp.

Juvenile Citrine Wagtail,Middle Camp.

Juvenile Citrine Wagtail,Middle Camp.

Yellow-browed Warbler,at the breach.

Stunning Red-foot etc....Gibralter Point NNR,Saturday 26th September 2015.

After a good forecast and the welcome prospect of seeing my first ever Juvenile Red-footed Falcon,Gib Point was my destination today.
 After paying for my days parking,a quick chat with the locals revealed the bird had only just flown from one of its favoured perches.So ensued a game of cat and mouse with regards to sightings of the bird as it frequently perched out of view after catching several dragonflies.During my observations of the bird during the day,it seemed to eat Common Darters on the wing,but perched with the larger Migrant Hawkers to devour them.
 Plumage wise,i thought the bird was striking and more so than the Juv's at Spurn earlier in the month,due to this birds more advanced moult,the flight feathers contrasting with the upperparts well even at long range and it had a more distinct white head and collar when seen head on when compared to Hobby.The contrasting upperparts,diagnostic underwings and tail pattern also where good pointers when compared to Hobby also.
 At times the bird gave crippling views as it hawked dragons at close range,most of the time too close and fast for my set up,but what a bird and a real joy to watch and typically confiding as the species always is.
 Other species observed while on site included several flocks of Pink-footed Geese logged which included south bound groups of 32,45 and 25 and also 14 loafing on Tennyson's Sands with the local 'Lag' flock.Waders also seen in the same area included 2 Spotshank,3 Greenshank,50+ Black-tailed Godwit and a single Green sand.
 Assorted passerines included Green and Great-spotted Woodpeckers and a handfull of Goldcrest,Chiffies and Siskins.
 Overhead a few raptors passed south and included 3 each of Common Buzzard and Sparrowhawk.
 A cracking day out today,with a beautiful bird to add to my experience of this enigmatic species of Falcon.

Pink-footed Geese,landing on Tennyson's Sands.

A South bound Common Buzzard.

Eastern Sprite And Black Beauty At Last!.....Sunday 13th September 2015.

Another trip to THAT peninsula in East Yorkshire again today provided myself,Tim and others with another cracking days birding and on the way home a visit to see the resident juvenile Black Stork at Sunk Island made for a memorable day out,this is how the day unfolded and what we saw.
 We began the day by parking at the Bluebell,being greeted by a juvenile Kingfisher flying around the borrow pits and then decided to walk along the road towards the Churchyard and the Crown area first.As it began to get light properly,birds began to be seen both in the bushes and overhead with Mipits,Dunnock's,Wagtails and finches steadily streaming south and a single Fieldfare called somewhere near Rose Cottage,but we never did see it,our first of the autumn.After a message over the radio we were soon gathered in Church Field to see a Grasshopper Warbler which had been trapped,being processed and released and after enjoying some privilaged views of this usually skulking species,we visited the churchyard.This was where the first goodie of the day was seen,a cracking Yellow-browed Warbler.
 The bird eventually showed nicely as it fed in the canopy of the sycamores here,but getting a decent photo was another thing with my set up.This is my earliest personal record of this stunning little siberian sprite and is no doubt the bird from the previous day.
 Also in and around the churchyard where 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker,Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warbler.
 A scan of the Humber from Cliffe Farm revealed a huge flock of Golden Plover and the first of at least 15 Med Gulls seen loafing,feeding and flying along the tide edge,followed by 6 Little Gull over the Humber.
 Overhead the first of 4 Grey Wag's passed by and along the shore and Triangle we added our first Whinchat's,Wheatear's and Redstarts.
 We stopped to chat with the lads at Numpties and at the time of us visiting,2500 Meadow Pipits had already flown south and 3 Grey Wag's had been trapped at the Warren.
 A brief diversion away from birds,saw us having a quick look around Clubley's Scrape for Dragons and Common-blue Damselfly,Migrant Hawker and Common Darter were added to the notebook.
 A well earned cuppa and bacon sarnie at the Bluebell cafe after being persuaded by Tim,then saw us heading up Beacon Lane covering this area,Beacon Ponds and Kilnsea Wetlands.
 More of the same was recorded in this area and included 15 Wigeon,Greenshank,several more Med.Gulls,Redstart and 3 Whinchat to add to the days notes when a message came over the radio that a juvenile Red-backed Shrike had been found at Grange Farm just as you walk into Kilnsea.The bird showed distantly and was thought it may be the bird from Corner Field as it was sporting some bling.A Spotted Flycatcher in the same area was our first of the day.
 At the Crown And Anchor,a very welcome sighting in the form of a Convolvulous Hawkmoth was seen roosting on a fencepost and gave some stunning views of this huge migrant species.It seems it is a record year for the species with at least 18 being recorded in the area so far this year.
 After enjoying some amazing views from a very confiding male Redstart near Sunnycliff Farm,we both made our way to Sunk Island to look for the Stork.
 On arrival the Stork was nowhere to be seen,but after a chat with the local landowner he very kindly let us walk down the side of the dyke it has been feeding in so we could see the if the bird was at the rear of the farm nearby.
 As we approached,there it was stood preening on the edge of the farm giving some nice views to about ten of us,before for no apparent reason it flew up and landed in his or her favourite dyke to feed.We then watched from a safe distance as it fed in the dyke catching what looked like several frogs.This bird is sporting a Darvic ring and was ringed as a chick in France,amazingly one of its siblings has been residing in Scotland sporting the same type darvic ring an amazing occurrance.
 What a great way to end a cracking days birding with a quality bird and we travelled home contented after another superb day out in the home county.

Grasshopper Warbler,Church Field.

There is a Yellow-browed Warbler in there honest!.

Little Egret,Kilnsea Cliff.

Whinchat,The Triangle.

Convolvulous Hawkmoth,Crown And Anchor.

Male Redstart,Sunnycliff Farm.

Male Redstart,Sunnycliff Farm.

Juvenile Black Stork,Sunk Island.

Juvenile Black Stork,Sunk Island.

Miller's Dale To Bakewell,The Monsal Trail,Sunday 6th September 2015.

With another free day together today,Trace and myself planned to walk the Monsal Trail from Miller's Dale to Bakewell and back in the beautiful Derbyshire White Peak.
 The walk is along an old railway line which was a link from Manchester to London and was closed in 1968 and was taken over by the Peak District National Park who have done a grand job in making the paths and tunnels publicly accessible.It passes through and follows the valley of the River Wye and certainly is a stunning area.
 We followed the pathway over the top of two of the tunnels,Cressbrook and Litton and enjoyed some amazing views of the valley below and limestone grassland and scenery.
 Bird,wildlife and flora sightings included a pair of Ravens,a handfull of Siskin,a Southern and Migrant Hawker and several species of Butterfly which included Meadow Brown,Wall,Speckled Wood,Comma and Green-veined White and some lovely flowers which included a new species for myself Grass Of Parnassus and other niceties in the form of Dwarf Thistle,Devils-bit Scabious,Eyebright,Tormentil and Wild Marjoram.
 After completing a blister popping 17.5 miles,we eventually returned to the car park at Miller's Dale slightly weary and travelled home after a very enjoyable visit to this superb area,one of which we will certainly be returning to.

Spurn Migfest And Seawatch,Saturday 5th September 2015.

With the prospect of another good days birding on the cards and my name down as a stand by volunteer at the Mig Fest,today saw me heading out at first light for my favourite destination Spurn.
 After parking at Canal Scrape and then making my way to the seawatch shelter in a blustery North/North West wind,i settled down with Tim,Ian Smith and others to watch the sea.
 As always with seawatching,it is the exciting anticipation of an oceanic waif passing by and today certainly was no exception with several species being seen,the best of which was a Cory's Shearwater!.
 The bird when first picked up flying in from the south was keeping low and hugging the waves and passed by at relatively close range,giving some nice views of this 'Large Shear' as it made it's way steadily north.This is my first sighting of the species for a few years and was a very welcome sighting for myself,Tim,Ian and visiting birders taking part in the Mig fest.
 Other highlights seen during the watch included 3 Long-tailed Skua,3 Pom's and good numbers of Arctic Skua,Sooty Shearwater and Gannets,with smaller numbers of Manx Shearwaters,Kittiwakes,Auks and also 4 Black Tern which flew south.
 The Sooty Shears are a personal fave species and today they gave some nice views,with some of the individuals passing by fairly closely,with that silvery underwing pattern showing well and typically powerfull flight,just superb!.
 A brief break from seawatching around lunch time saw me seeing a few land based migrants which included 3 Pied Flycatcher,2 Spotted Flycatcher,several Willow W,Chiffies and Lesser Throats and again as on my last visit,the semi-resident Juvenile Red-backed Shrike showing well again in Corner field.
 I keep saying the same statement over and over again,but where else can compare to this superb site,with a class team of birders and some amazing birding and wildlife watching to boot i will keep visiting over and over again.

Spotted Flycatcher,Cliffe Farm,Kilnsea.

Spotted Flycatcher,Cliffe Farm,Kilnsea.

Spotted Flycatcher,Cliffe Farm,Kilnsea.

The Pennines...Thursday 3rd September and Friday 4th September 2015.

Trace and myself had planned to visit Holmfirth in the heart of the Pennines on Thursday to see one of our fave bands,Embrace in concert and while over in this part of the world visited both Dove Stone Reservoir RSPB reserve in the Peak District National Park on Thursday and then on Friday visited Hardcastle Crags NT. in Upper Calderdale.The following is what we saw while visiting these lovely areas.

Thursday 3rd September.
 While driving around this picturesque area we came across by chance,Dove Stone Reservoir RSPB an area i had never visited before,which is situated on the edge of Saddleworth Moor.We decided to walk the full circle around the reservoir and never came across anything out of the unusual,but enjoyed the walk all the same.

Friday 4th September.
After a leaving our B&B at Holmfirth we travelled over to the lovely National Trust Woodland and upper riverine habitat of Hardcastle Crags near to Hebdon Bridge in Upper Calderdale.
 A few avian niceities,albeit expected,included Dipper,Grey Wagtails,Nuthatches and overhead 2 Ravens passed over 'Cronking' as they passed by.
 Insects were also apparent on our walk and included a single Common Hawker and 3 Southern Hawkers along the river,two species of Hoverfly were noted including Leucozona glaucia and Volucella pelluscens and one of the specialities of this area,Hairy Wood Ant gave some stunning views.
 The latter species were watched as two individuals had caught a Red-legged Shieldbug and i managed to obtain some record shots of this interesting piece of behaviour.

So with a couple of days away in this nice area we travelled back home to North Lincolnshire ready for our next adventure.

Dove Stone RSPB Reserve.

Lovely views around Dove Stone RSPB reserve.

The River Calder,Hardcastle Crags.

Hoverfly sp. Sericomyia silentis,Hardcastle Crags.

Hoverfly Sp. Leucozona glaucia,Hardcastle Crags.

Hairy Wood Ants with prey(Red-legged Shieldbug),Hardcastle Crags.

Hairy Wood Ants with prey(Red-legged Shieldbug),Hardcastle Crags.