Spurn Never Disapoints!

Yesterday morning we set of to go to Spurn. The drive was about one hour and a half, we arrived at Spurn at around 7:30am. On our way to Spurn we saw a really nice Yellow Wagtail sitting up on a line, this was the first of the year for me.

Firstly we decided to have a look around Kilnsea Wetlands. In the car park we had great views several Wheatear, one in particular showed much better than the others.

Wheatear

 

Once we were in the hide we were straight away onto two pairs of Pintail, most of the time they were asleep but at one point they got up and moved around. Other birds outside the hide included Dunlin, Redshank, Oystercatchers and Teal. Afterwards we moved onto Beacon ponds. On the way we had a look through a viewing platform to see a big group of Whimbrel drop in. Next to Beacon ponds there was a small bit of water in a field around the water there was Greylag Geese, Oystercatchers, Redshank and lots of Hares, a little while later a Dark Bellied Brent Goose dropped in amongst the Greylag flock. In the bushes behind us there was also quite a few Whitethroats about.

 

Pintail with Redshank and Dunlin

Hares

Dark Bellied Brent Goose with Greylag

Whitethroat

 

After we moved on to Beacon ponds were we saw our first Terns of the year. They were Little Terns! I was also really pleased because this was a lifer for me. Most of the time they were quite distant but 2 came really close. There was about 15 all together. Some other birds on Beacon ponds included Tufted Ducks, Mute Swans and Shelducks.

 

Little Terns

 

After that we went to the Canal Scrape. Pretty much as soon as we arrived we heard a Sedge Warbler singing in a bush just outside the hide, we were trying quite hard to find it but we couldn't see it. After we went in the hide were the only birds we could see were Mute Swans, a Coot and 2 Swallows sitting on poles. On our way out of the hide we once again tried to find the Sedge Warbler and this time he showed much better, he was sat right at the top of the bush. After it had went down in the bushes I turned around to start looking through some other bushes just behind us, while I was looking through I saw something big out of the corner of my eye, I then had a good look at it and then shouted "Short Eared Owl"! This was a very nice surprise!

 

Sedge Warbler

Short Eared Owl

 

After that great moment we headed of to the Warren, we had a look at the sightings board but much had been sighted. We then moved up to the sea watching hut where we saw several people looking into a field just beside it, we asked a man to see if he could see anything and he pointed out a Whimbrel in the field. The man was actually someone I know of Twitter called Martin Garner. He then said there was some Pale Bellied Brent Geese and a Hybrid on the Humber so we went to have a look. A few mins after arriving my Dad picked out one of the cracking Pale Bellied Brents in the middle of some Dark Bellied Brents. A few seconds later a huge flock of Waders lifted up and then landed in amongst the Brent flock, there was Grey Plover, Knot, Sanderling and Dunlin.

  

Pale Bellied Brent with Dark Bellied Brent

Grey Plover

 

After we had a little walk down to the point. We didn't see much apart from Linnets and lots of Wheatear. One male Wheatear showed really well, it came within a couple of metres at one point.

 

Wheatear

 

Afterwards we went to Sammy's point in Easington in hope of finding the Firecrest but despite a long hard look we couldn't find him but we did see more Whitethroats. On the way back home we saw another Yellow Wagtail, it showed really well.

 

Yellow Wagtail