NB: for those of you tuning in for an update on the events of the last few days, check back in soon - I'm desperately trying to keep it chronological!
(Click on images to enlarge)
There's been a notable Twite influx in the UK - particular on east-facing coasts - towards the end of October, and I was hoping to cash in back at Filey while patrolling the clifftops and surrounding areas for freshly-arrived migrants on 29th.
After inwardly cursing dog-walkers for flushing two birds which dropped onto the path on Carr Naze, and then clocking a flock of ten heading south, that may very well have been it....
Returning to the car for a lunch break, three small finches were hopping around between parked vehicles. Goldfinches, or (more likely) Linnets, surely? Not so - three of the tamest Twite I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying, practically immovable, despite humans, dogs and engines.
In the spirit of trying to be more comprehensive on these here pages (especially during migration periods), here's the first of a run of posts from coastal birding exploits during the late October / early November window - kicking off with two recent sessions at Filey.
A solid four hours plus on the morning of the 29th before plans back in York were sunny and clear, and steady at best as a consequence - small numbers of thrushes, finches, buntings, good numbers of Skylarks, plus a scattering of Robins and Chiffs in the bushes; large, vocal flocks of Pink-footed Geese (totalling 360, above) and a substantial, noisy flock of Whooper Swans early on (below) were a joy....
.... as were at least 15 Twite - two on Carr Naze, ten south, and then three absurdly tame birds which warrant their own post (to be uploaded shortly).
Another few hours sneaked in before commitments on 31st were of a similar ilk, although more Redwings, Starlings, Meadow Pipits, Blackbirds and Skylarks were incoming, 14 Grey Partridges were in the Rocket Pole Field, and a flock of ten Long-tailed Tits flew high out to sea....
... before eventually thinking better of it and u-turning back onto Carr Naze.
As November beckoned, as did genuine time off and northerlies swinging into easterlies - but would they provide? Stay tuned....
Below - Blackcap in Top Scrub, Grey Partridges in the Rocket Pole Field
Continental Robin, Bluethroat and Chiffchaff feeding together in the same small ditch - classic Spurn!Click on images to enlarge
(For places on my upcoming Spurn Migration Specials, please see HERE)
Another manic, entertaining, bird- and memory-filled week guiding at Spurn - my third week there this year (a poor showing - back up to the usual five next year!) - just as the prevailing blustery south-westerlies call a unceremonious halt to the circus of migration we've enjoyed on the Yorkshire coast in recent days.
Short-eared Owl - one of many during the week, most of which arrived in off the sea
So, you could say the timing of my week there (pre-booked well over a year ago) was impeccable, just like my week there in September; crappy low pressures and south-westerlies before and after, but a dominant easterly airflow for me and my clients (a different team every day, many of whom travelled from far and wide especially for their day with me - no pressure then....).
Wonderfully tame male Snow Bunting at the Warren
Setting off from York in the dark on the early morning of the 19th, the day held much promise, with the wind suddenly but firmly in the eastern half of the compass, where it remain for much of the week; arriving in Kilnsea as dawn broke, there were already very positive signs, as Redwings tsseeeped overhead and Blackbirds bounded along hedgerows in loose, unruly gangs.
Dark-bellied Brent Geese at the breach
It was a day - and a week - of arrivals, in terms of abundance, variety, and quality, of species that you'd hope for on the east coast at this time of year, if the winds are favourable. On that first day, Redwings, Song Thrushes and (especially) Blackbirds arrived in their droves, Tomato-soupy Robins were absolutely everywhere, Russian White-fronted Geese were on the move (and seen every day), Chiffs, Blackcaps, 'crests and other hardy little passerines occupied cover....
Stoat at the Warren
.. while above us, visible migration was often impressive; as well as the thrushes, Skylarks, Bramblings, Siskins, Redpolls, Goldfinches, Meadow Pipits, Reed Buntings, multitudes of Starlings and much more, the incomparable sight of Short-eared Owls arriving in off the sea was a memorable feature of several days (and kickstarted the week's guiding literally as I was gathering the team on the first morning at the Bluebell car park).
Woodcocks - a genuine rival to the owls in terms of iconic incomers over the waves - were also a memorable feature of most days, with birds either careening in over the waves or exploding out of cover on many occasions.
One of god knows how many European Robins seen and heard through the week - most were classic tomato-soupy continental birds
Each day was of course different, in every sense - conditions, species dynamics and abundance, people on the team (six different intrepid souls awaiting their fate every morning) - which not only makes every one of my Spurn Migration Specials unique, it also keeps it more than interesting for me. Reading the weather, and the room, keeps me on alert and hopefully at the top of my guiding game.
Caught in the middle of my Here's-why-Spurn-is-so-great-for-migration sand art lecture on the beach (thanks Penny!)
Keener birders will know there were plenty of rarities and scarcities in the area, and along the coast, throughout the week. Did we chase after them? Of course not! (Well, with one honourable exception - see below). While I fully understand the attraction - and indeed why other groups, with different priorities, would choose to do so - it's generally not for me, and more pertinently, it's generally not what makes my YCN days special for the teams involved.
We welcome a pleasingly broad spectrum of birders - from absolute beginners to seasoned pros, and everywhere in between - and my focus for my groups is on making the day as much of a holistic adventure in the joys of bird migration as I possibly can. This can, and does, involve finding and/or enjoying rarer and scarcer birds, of course; but only if they fit into the jigsaw of a rich and varied day in the field.
Have some more Bluethroat
My emphasis is (and always will be) on delivering as many flavours of the magic of bird migration as I can, without dragging my teams around all over the shop; indeed, my Spurn Specials, like most of my other YCN Birding Discovery Days, are entirely on foot. We meet at the Bluebell carpark on the very edge of the coastline (convenient not only as a meeting place and base, but also for the aformentioned arriving owls, Woodcocks and more), and from there, it's a bespoke day of various hotspots, habitats, places and birds.
We have a great relationship with the good people of Spurn Bird Observatory (and donate a percentage of our Spurn guiding takings to the Obs every year), which also means we have free access to all the best, hidden corners of the area, as well as the privilege of enjoying the ringing at several spots. Paul, Rob and a whole host of helpful locals (you know who you are!) contribute greatly to the enjoyment and wonder experienced by my teams, and i'm very grateful to all of you for your always warm welcome and sharing your knowledge and passion!
Snow Bunting
So, back to the birding. As mentioned, each day is different - and it's a testement to how wonderful the landbird migration was throughout the week that, for the first time ever (and that's a lot of Spurn guiding weeks), I didn't even make it to the wetlands...! The Kilnsea area was more than enough, with various combinations of all the hotspots in the Triangle, as well as the coastal stretch, the Warren, the peninsula, the Obs and of course the mighty Humber estuary occupying our days.
Shortie
As well as the glorious spectrum of commoner migratory species enjoyed, we also bumped into plenty of scarcities: Siberian Chiffchaff, Barred, Dusky and Yellow-browed Warblers spring to mind, and less common treats included Long-eared Owl, Snow Buntings, White-fronted and Tundra Bean Geese, Ring Ouzel, Jack Snipe and more. For many, though, the bird of the week was a fabulous Bluethroat in Corner Field, which we found on the afternoon of day one - and which happily stayed for several days, entertaining four of my groups (and apparently hundreds of others!) throughout the week.
Speaking of jazzy little chats with fancy gullets, we did make an exception on day four... as news came through on the radio of a certain Ruby-throated banger more than halfway down the peninsula, I contextualised the situation, and circumstances, to my hastily assembled team for the day. Unusually - the normal approach being that of a benevolant dictatorship (!) - I offered all alternatives, and put it to the vote. Everybody was up for it, and so off we marched, down the beach and through the dunes....
No Siberian jewel for us (nor for all the other hopefuls who made the effort!), but it mattered not; we had a glorious few hours of big, bird-filled Spurn skies, loads of highlights (three Short-eared Owls in off the sea, a point-blank White-fronted Goose, droves of finches and thrushes gunning down the peninsula, Goldcrests and Robins practically on our shoes, etc). And that, in a nutshell, is why I think all my days at Spurn are special - all unique, and all magical.
And this is all against the hypnotising, beautiful backdrop of the swirling masses of waders on the Humber - Golden Plovers, Knot, Grey Plovers, Dunlins, Ringed Plovers, Black- and Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlews, Redshanks, Oystercatchers and more in their mesmerising multitudes; which anywhere else would be enough on their own.
Ok, so I might've made a three-minute detour on the way home to see this beautiful beast.....)
Thank you Spurn (and your good people and great birds!) - see you in the spring.
I'll try and cut straight to it (got to pack, then up at an ungodly hour to drive to Spurn, and guiding there all week)... so, the forecast for today looked very promising, with a northerly / north-north-easterly airflow and a high pressure more than clipping Scandinavia as the day progressed; otherwise windy, showery with sunny intervals. Mid-October? Game on (hopefully).....
LEO!
I drove to the coast in the dark and made it to Filey well before dawn, with enough light to make out if there'd been a major arrival or not; anticlimactically, there hadn't, but for good numbers of Blackbirds on the edge of the Top Scrub. Carr Naze was bereft of landbirds but for a few hardy Meadow Pipits, but I slowly checked all possible nooks and crannies just in case.
Two Mealy Redpolls dropped in by the pond (but not long enough to pose for pics), four Twite arrived later, Starlings were arriving in flocks, a few Bramblings, Chaffinches and Skylarks were doing likewise; just a trickle at best, however, and not a thrush in sight....
Never mind - the sea looked instantly busy, with flocks of ducks on the move, streams of Kittiwakes and plenty more out there; but for a break for lunch and to check the bushes after several hours, pretty much the whole day was taken up with the action over the waves. The first of no fewer than four Short-eared Owls arrived in off the sea soon after, and it's always such a thrill to watch them battling in from hours navigating over the ocean.
Next up, a dark, lolloping shape low over the water and struggling towards the tip of Carr Naze - a Long-eared Owl - its first sight of land this side of the North Sea, and exactly where I was positioned. Closer it came, a picture of determination against a wind trying to drive it further south, and we locked eyes for a good few seconds as it approached, spiralled over the edge of the cliffs, and made its way silently inland. What a bird, and what a joy to witness its successful arrival.
Short-eared Owl, arriving from a long way out...
The hours flew by, and the highlights were many - Sabine's Gull, Little Auk, two each of Pomarine and Long-tailed Skuas, Black-throated Diver, lots of Little Gulls, excellent wildfowl passage and more - but despite the high quality seabird action, ultimately, the owls stole the show.
NB: for those of you tuning in for an update on the events of the last few days, check back in soon - I'm desperately trying to keep it chronological! 
After inwardly cursing dog-walkers for flushing two birds which dropped onto the path on Carr Naze, and then clocking a flock of ten heading south, that may very well have been it....
