Friday, 11 June 2021

Polite reminder for all visitors: the Little Tern colony at Beacon Ponds is extremely vulnerable to disturbance. PLEASE STAY WELL AWAY from the fenced area of beach which is clearly signposted, and respect the wardens on duty. Up to 60 birds are present in the colony and can be viewed well from the flood bank.

Sunny spells and a f3-5 south westerly.  Watches: 0530-1000, 1245-1515, 1800-2000.

There was maybe 3 ROSE-COLOURED STARLING again in the area, with 2 remaining together in Easington, with another south over Clubley's. The Spoonbill remained on Kilnsea wetlands and 5 Crossbill flew northwest over Church field. 

In addition to the Starling and Crossbills, there wasn't a lot on the move the best being 4 Lapwing, a Little-ringed Plover, 304 Swift, 14 Swallow, 8 House Martin and a Corn Bunting.

Other bits of note mainly around Kilnsea wetlands were 14 Gadwall, a Teal, 2 Wigeon, a Tufted Duck, a Mediterranean Gull, the first juvenile Black-headed Gull, an Arctic Tern, 3 Cuckoo, a Little Owl, 1 Short-eared Owl and a Hobby around the area.

Ringing: 3 Blue Tit pulli.

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Thursday, 10 June 2021

A bright start soon gave way to cloud with a light south westerly.  Warches: 0520-1000, 1200-1740.

It was an intriguing day with either 2 or 3 ROSE-COLOURED STARLING recorded. One was seen flying south at the Warren, then flying back north, touring Kilnsea. Later in the day various birders gardens recorded singles, then 2 together at Hillrise repeated again around the village. In the meantime a bird was seen at Westmere farm in Kilnsea, but only two were seen at once. The day also saw another push of 734 Swift, while also recorded were 3 Avocet, a Hobby, 43 Swallow, 2 Sand Martin, 16 House Martin and a Grey Wagtail, while the sea had a Red-breasted Merganser, 40 Black-headed Gull, 11 Sandwich Tern and 3 Arctic Tern.

The KIlnsea wetlands area held a Spoonbill, 1 Brent Goose, a Teal, 2 Wigeon, 7 Gadwall, 48 Mallard, 3 Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Heron, 4 Little Egret, 2 Lapwing, 2 Knot and a Mediterranesn Gull, while on the Humber 215 Bar-tailed Godwit were a surprise.

Ringing: 1 Swallow.

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Wednesday, 09 June 2021

A warm, bright sunny day with a light south westerly.  Watches: 0540-1045.

The day saw the first push of 962 Swift with hopefully some big days to come this summer, while aslo on the move were a Spoonbill, 21 Canada Geese, 2 Little Egret, 10 Cormorant, 2 Curlew, a Lapwing, 21 Ringed Plover and 3 Turnstone out east, a 2cy Glaucous Gull north over the Humber, a Hobby, 3 Sand Martin, 41 Swallow, 12 House Martin, 694 Starling and a Flava Wagtail. 

Maybe the biggest surprise was a stunning male Brambling at the Point, where the Cetti's Warbler continues in daily tour. 

Ringing: 4 House Sparrow pulli, 1 Dunnock pulli.

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Tuesday, 08 June 2021

Polite reminder for all visitors: the Little Tern colony at Beacon Ponds is extremely vulnerable to disturbance. PLEASE STAY WELL AWAY from the fenced area of beach which is clearly signposted, and respect the wardens on duty. Up to 60 birds are present in the colony and can be viewed well from the flood bank.

A hot sunny day with a light easterly.  Watches: 0535-1050.

Despite it being a fantastic spring for them, it was still hard for the vismiigers at the Warren, not to be frustrated when a Bee-eater flies south calling, but unseen. Otherwise just 22 Swift, 2 Skylark, 21 Swallow and 5 House Martin also flew south.

Other bits noted today were the Whooper Swan, a Pochard, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Avocet, a Little Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull and 3 Short-eared Owl around the Beacon ponds area, 2 Curlew Sandpiper on tthe Humber, the Cetti's Warbler still at the Point, a late Willow Warbler in Church field and a Bullfinch at Kew.

Ringing: 1 Wood Pigeon, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Reed Warbler, 7 Great Tit.

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Monday, 07 June 2021

A warm muggy day with rain on and off with a light soth easterly.  Watches: 0500-0940.

A Marsh Warbler trapped and ringed at the Warren was the highlight of the day, a typical late spring migrant. Otherwise it was what you would expect at this time of the year, with the odd bit still moving which included a Teal, 3 Tufted Duck, 51 Common Scoter, a Marsh Harrier, a few Auks, 7 Swift and 39 Swallow with 4 Arctic Tern heading out east.

The best of the rest were mainly around KIlnsea wetlands/Beacon ponds with 5 Shelduck, 7 Gadwall, a Wigeon, 2 Teal, 16 Little Egret, a Lapwing, 1 Whimbrel, a Green Sandpiper, a Little Gull, 2 Common Tern, 3 Cuckoo and a Short-eared Owl.

Ringing: 1 Marsh Warbler, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Linnet.

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Sunday, 06 June 2021

Polite reminder for all visitors: the Little Tern colony at Beacon Ponds is extremely vulnerable to disturbance. PLEASE STAY WELL AWAY from the fenced area of beach which is clearly signposted, and respect the wardens on duty. Up to 60 birds are present in the colony and can be viewed well from the flood bank.

A warm muggy day with sunny spells and a light easterly.  Watches: 0545-1115.

The spring has slowed down, but some good birds remain including the assumed reappearance of the PURPLE HERON, at Sammy's, eventually flying off towards Skeffling and seen near Patrington Haven later. It is obviously finding the numerous ditches between Spurn and Welwick to its liking. The Golden Oriole was again in the Easington area, mainly around the football pitch and maybe one of the singing Common Rosefinch from Friday was in the Warren to Kew area. 

There was little else happening with even the vismiggers struggling in the slack winds with just 2 Lapwing, 18 Swift, a Sand Martin, 11 Swallow, 7 House Martin and 26 Starling. Over the sea, the best being 76 Common and 2 Fulmar.

Other bits included a Little Gull at Beacon ponds, 2 Cuckoo arounf the area, 2 Bullfinch around Kilnsea and 2 Corn Bunting.

Ringing: 9 Great Tit, 9 Blue Tit, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Bullfinch.

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Saturday, 05 June 2021

A hot sunny day with a light easterly.  Watches: 0540-1310.

A superb 2cy male RED-FOOTED FALCON was the highlight of the morning, flying east over Easington, but not located further south, so may have headed north? A Golden Oriole flew north over Easington, a rare occurence away from the peninsula south of long bank and a Bee-eater flew south down the peninsula, continuing the remarkeable run for this species, but how many there has been is another question. A calling, Serin over Kilnsea, wasnt seen, but probably the bird seen in Easington by the gas terminal a while later, in the company os 2 Linnet The few other grounded migrants consisted of a Little-ringed Plover, 2 Cuckoo, a Short-eared Owl, 1 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, a Garden Warbler, 1 Black Redstart and a Mealy Redpoll.

Moving were a Teal, 1 Marsh Harrier, a Common Buzzard, 3 Grey Heron, 3 Little Egret, 53 Swift, 2 Kestrel, a Hobby, 4 Jackdaw, 4 Sand Martin, 70 Swallow, 18 House Martin, 8 Starling, 2 Flava Wagtail and 5 Chaffinch. Over the sea were 46 Common Scoter,2 Eider,  2 Red-throated Diver, 3 Fulmar, 3 Manx Shearwater, 13 Gannet, while heading out east 4 Brent Geese, 2 Pale-bellied Brents, 46 Ringed Plover, a Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Little Gull and a Black-headed Gull.

Other bits included 3 Canada Geese and a Golden Plover on the Humber, a Barnacle Goose blogging, the Whooper Swan on Kilnsea wetlands and the Corn Bunting visiting the Warren again.

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Friday, 04 June 2021

Polite reminder for all visitors: the Little Tern colony at Beacon Ponds is extremely vulnerable to disturbance. PLEASE STAY WELL AWAY from the fenced area of beach which is clearly signposted, and respect the wardens on duty. Up to 60 birds are present in the colony and can be viewed well from the flood bank.

It was another interesting day, with 2+ Common Rosefinch, singing the standout species (Easington, Beacon Lane, Point), while a Rose-coloured Starling flew south, maybe the bird from the previous day. There were also a flock of 21 Barnacle Geese blogging around the area and 41 Canada Geese heading south. Typically there were few migrants about with a Short-eared Owl, 1 Cuckoo, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Marsh Warbler, 6 Blackcap, 4 Song Thrush, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Mealy Redpoll. 

In addition to the Starling and Geese moving, the day also had 2 Grey Heron, a Common Buzzard, 1 Lapwing, 21 Swift, 3 Hobby, a Skylark, 41 Swallow, 8 House Martin, a Flava Wagtail and 4 Goldfinch, while some good totals heading out east with 140 Knot, 14 Black-headed Gull and 2 Little Gull.

Other sightings included the long staying Whooper Swan and a blogging Marsh Harrier.

Ringing: 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Whitethroat, 8 Blue Tit.

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Thursday, 03 June 2021

A mixed day of sea fret and blue skies in the F2-3 eaterly.  Watches: 0500-1450.

Another day and the good birds keep coming. New in today were 2 Marsh Warbler, one trapped at the Warren the most accesible, while a Rose-coloured Starling came in/off the sea at the Point, remaining around the parade ground for the rest of the day and another ringtail Montagu's Harrier flew south down the Humber, then south east out to sea at the narrows. The day also yielded 3 Bee-eater, a single which u-turned, then headed north west up the Humber and the return of the pair, (one with damaged primaries) which had entertained us a few days previously, spending a while at southfield farm, then heading north and sitting on wires north of the gas terminal. 

There was a few extra grounded migrants about including 2 Cuckoo, 2 Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff and 8 Blackcap, plus singles of Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Pipit and Mealy Redpoll, with the Cetti's Warbler still singing at the Point. There was also a small influx of Ducks onto Kilnsea wetlands with 3 Shoveler, 2 Wigeon, a Teal and 2 Tufted Duck.

It was a quieter day for movement with a Marsh Harrier, 2 Red Kite, 22 Swift, a Hobby, 141 Swallow, 28 House Martin and a Flava Wagtail, while heading out east were 2 Shelduck, 5 Grey Plover, a Curlew, 4 Kittiwake and an Arctic Skua.

Ringing: 5 Pied Wagtail, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Marsh Warbler, 2 Dunnock, 4 Blue Tit, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Gannet.

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Wednesday, 02 June 2021

Polite reminder for all visitors: the Little Tern colony at Beacon Ponds is extremely vulnerable to disturbance. PLEASE STAY WELL AWAY from the fenced area of beach which is clearly signposted, and respect the wardens on duty. Up to 60 birds are present in the colony and can be viewed well from the flood bank.

A hot and sunny day with a F2-3 easterly.  Watches: 0530-1800.

It was one of those classic late spring Spurn vismig days, with a good mix of unusual species on the move among a decent amount of commoner ones. The day began with a superb adult Rose-coloured Starling south, u-turning back north to Kilnsea, eventually heading off north west. Next up were 5 Bee-eater south during the day (and none of which included the bird with damaged primaries from yesterday), a fantastic full streamer adult Long-tailed Skua heading out east over the triangle and a ringtail Montagu's Harrier south past the Warren over the sea, heading out south east from the narrows. The day also served up a Red Kite, 1 Hobby and a Turtle Dove along with 50 Swift, 5 Jackdaw, 9 Sand Martin, 764 Swallow, 193 House Martin, 2 Flava Wagtail, a Chaffinch, 7 Linnet, 10 Goldfinch and 2 Siskin. Over the sea were a Canada Goose, 6 Tufted Duck, 29 Eider, 37 Common Scoter and 11 Fulmar, while heading out east, 26 Grey Plover, a Bartailed Godwit, 9 Redshank, 31 Kittiwake and 13 Arctic Tern.

Late grounded migrants included an Icterine Warbler singing at the Point, 4 Chiffchaff, 7 Blackcap, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, a Whinchat, 1 Mealy Redpoll and 2 Siskin, while Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff were notable from Kilnsea wetlands.

Ringing: 6 Great Tit, 5 Blue Tit, 1 Whitethroat.

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