Spurn Bird Observatory Sightings February 2025
With so many birders covering the Spurn area it is always helpful for us to get as many records submitted to us as possible. Please try to send in sightings on the same day so we can get them added to the log.
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Thursday, 27 February 2025
A dull start with some rain, cloudy and cold in the F3 north westerly. Watches 0720-1005. The day was largely doninated by sightings from around the wetlands with totals of 814 Brent Geese, 3 Pale-bellied Brents, 22 Shovelers, 9 Gadwalls, 460 Wigeon, 3 Pintails, the Scaup, 2 Goldeneyes, 169 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Stonechats while a Red Kite and Grey Wagtail flew south.
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Lesser Black-backed Gull - Harry Appleyard.
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
A bright start but heavy rain just after 9am, brightening up to a sunny afternoon with rain again later and a F4 south westerly. Watches: 0720-1005. The days highlight saw another Raven head south over the Humber the day also seeing some generally light movement with 10 Brent Geese, 960 Pink-footed Geese, a Stock Dove, 30 Black-headed Gulls, 75 Red-throated Divers, 9 Jackdaws and 218 Starlings.
The day also saw 2 Pale-bellied Brents, 898 Brent Geese, 3 Pintails, 2 Goldeneyes, 151 Black-tailed Godwits and a Short-eared Owl around the wetlands.
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Pintails - Denise Shields.
Short-eared Owls - Denise Shields.
Tuesday, 25 February 2025
A cool & cloudy start but brightened up with a F4 weserly. Watches: 07:20-10:05. There was some limited movement over both sea and land but with some quality with 3 White-fronted Geese, 132 Pink-footed Geese, 365 Red-throated Divers, a Red Kite, 2 Jackdaws, 5 Rooks and 160 Starlings, while 295 Cormorants were recorded (284 on the sea with another 11 flying south).
Other sightings saw the 2 Scaup on beacon ponds, 4 Whooper Swans on Easington straight including the 2 dark billed birds and a Pale-bellied Brent with 1000 Brents around Kilnsea plus a ringtail Hen Harrier on Holderness field.
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Whooper Swans - Denise Shields. The two dark billed Birds have been annual for the last few years lingering on both sides of the Humber.
Whooper Swans - Denise Shields.
Whooper Swans and Brent Geese - Dave Constantine.
Whooper Swans - Dave Constantine.
Monday, 24 February 2025
A mild, cloudy & dull start, brightening up to a bright with a moderate southerly. Watches: 07:30-10:00. The best of todays sightings were from the ponds area with 2 White-fronted Geese, the Black Brant and single Pale-bellied Brent, 22 Shovelers, 9 Gadwalls, a Pintail, 2 Scaup, 10 Little Grebes, 94 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Short-eared Owls while over the sea 284 Red-throated Divers was the standout count. The day aslo saw the 2 Jack Snipe both with motus tags detected around the borrow pit.
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White-fronted Goose with Greylag - Denise Shields.
Sunday, 23 February 2025
A wet and windy day with a F5 southerly. Watches 0715-1000. There was less movement overall while the 2 Scaups, Black Brant and 2 Pale-bellied Brents were still in the ponds area with Avocets increasing to 11 and both Caspian Gull and Mediterranean Gulls were present on the wetlands.
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Saturday, 22 February 2025
A mild day, some sunny spells in the morning, clouding over then a sunny afternoon & evening. Watches 07:20 - 10:05. The day saw a good selection of species on offer which included some good varied movement over both land and sea during the day with a Tufted Duck, 14 Golden Plovers, 51 Black-headed Gulls, 75 Hering Gulls, 32 Red-throated Divers, a Marsh Harrier, 4 Red Kites, 6 Jackdaws, 3 Ravens, 6 Skylarks, 20 Redwings, a Water Pipit and a Reed Bunting.
The ponds area had the Black Brant, 2 Pale-bellied Brents, a White-fronted Goose, 16 Shovelers, 10 Gadwalls, 2 Pintails, 71 Teak, a Tufted Ducks, 2 Scaups, 2 Goldeneyes, 10 Little Grebes, 8 Avocets, 141 Black-tailed Godwits and 4 Stonechats.
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Gadwall - Harry Appleyard.
Friday, 21 February 2025
A windy F7 south westerly dominated the day while remaining grey and overcast but rather mild. Watches 0720 - 1000 1030-1200. The sea showed some promise albeit with small numbers of birds with 3 Shelducks, 4 Shovelers, an Eider, 2 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Lapwings, a Little Gull, 38 Red-throated Divers and 4 Gannets.
Other sightings saw the Scaup and 2 Goldeneyes still on beacon ponds, the Coot still on canal scrape and 61 Lapwings and 159 Black-tailed Godwits in the wetlands area.
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Thursday, 20 February 2025
A much windier day with a F6 south westerly blowing but ultimately a milder day with heavy grey skies. Watches 0720-1000. The sea while not exactly buzzing with movement did produce the days best birds with a 1st calendar year Iceland Gull heading north and a Long-tailed Duck heading south.
Around the area a Coot returned to canal scrape, over 1000 Brent Geese around Kilnsea, the Scaup still on beacon ponds and 143 Black-tailed Godwits in the triangle.
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Coot with Mallard on canal scrape - Harry Appleyard.
Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Hazy sunshine feeling pleasant out if the cold F4 south easterly wind. Watches 0730-1150. Not much change with the Scaup, 2 Goldeneyes , Pintail and around 560 Wigeon in the wetlands area while 160 Black-tailed Godwits and a Woodcock were in the triangle. Elsewhere a Chiffchaff was at grange farm, a Mediterranean Gull at Sammys plus 2 Barn Owls and a Short-eared Owl hunting the area.
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Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Hazy sunshine with a cold nagging F4 south easterly wind. Watches 0730-1000. The Black Brant made an appearance yet again on Easington straight along with 3 Pale-bellied Brents among 1062 Dark-bellied Brents. Nearby the Scaup was still on beacon ponds along with 2 Goldeneyes and a Pintail and a Snow Bunting again at Easington lagoons.
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Jackdaw - Harry Appleyard.
Monday, 17 February 2025
There was plenty of blue skies and sunshine but still a cold nagging F4 south easterly wind. Watches 0730-1000. The WEBS counts today produced among a wide array of species noteable counts of the following 994 Brent Geese, 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 82 Greylag Geese, a White-fronted Goose, 18 Shelducks, 12 Shovelers, 16 Gadwalls, 379 Wigeon, 69 Mallards, 91 Pintails, 57 Teal, a Scaup, 2 Goldeneyes, 3003 Oystercatchers, 317 Grey Plovers, 111 Curlews and a Mediterranean Gull plus 5 Water Rails around the triangle.
The sea had less of just about everything with just 112 Large Auks sp, 23 Guillemots, 217 Red-throated Divers and 2 Gannets.
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Pale-bellied Brents with Curlews - Harry Appleyard.
Sunday, 16 February 2025
A day that began dull and drizzly but brightened up in the afternoon but still a cool F4 south easterly persisted. Watches 0730 -1205. It was a much better day around the area which saw a Scaup with 2 Goldeneyes on beacon ponds, single Pale-bellied Brent on the Humber, a Long-eared Owl and Short-eared Owl around Kilnsea, 5 Water Rails around the triangle and a Coal Tit in Easington.
It was also better over the sea with a Puffin, 5 Razorbills, 27 Guillemots, 613 Large Auk sp, 83 Red-throated Divers, a Black-throated Diver and 3 Gannets.
Ringing 1 Water Rail
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Brent Geese - Harry Appleyard.
Saturday, 15 February 2025
It was another grey dull day with light drizzle from time to time and cool in the F4 south easterly wind persisting. Watches 0730-1000. The best of todays sightings saw 2 Velvet Scoters and a Purple Sandpiper south over the sea and a Jack Snipe at the borrow pit. Other bits included 5 Water Rails, 9 Snipes and 2 Barn Owls around the triangle and 2 Goldeneyes on beacon ponds.
Ringing 1 Water Rail, 1 Jack Snipe.
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Lapwing and Snipe - Harry Appleyard.
Friday, 14 February 2025
Another grey dull day with light drizzle from time to time and a light south easterly wind. Watches 0730-1000. Another day of few sightings as Valentines day took its toll on observers out in the field with the ponds area producing the usuals with 10 Shovelers, 9 Gadwalls, 581 Wigeons, 62 Mallards, a Pintail, 110 Teal, 10 Little Grebes, 31 Lapwings and 101 Black-tailed Godwits.
Ringing 1 Moorhen
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Thursday, 13 February 2025
Remaining dull, grey and drizzly with overcast skies and a decreasing chilly wind F2 easterly. Watches 0730-1000. Most of todays sightings were around the wetlands area with a ringtail Hen Harrier, Mediteranean Gull and Short-eared Owl recorded along with 388 Brent Geese, 8 Shovelers, 8 Gadwalls, 424 Wigeon, a Pintail, 2 Goldeneyes, 10 Little Grebes, 94 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Stonechats.
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Wednesday, 12 February 2025
The miserable damp weather continues with persistent drizzle driven by the F4 easterly. Watch times: 07:30-10:00. Despite the weather there was a good selection of interesting sightings starting with the lingering Firecrest still in Easington, an Iceland Gull at beacon ponds, a blogging ringtail Hen Harrier and a Long-eared Owl eating a Blackbird for an hour. Sightings from around the ponds area saw 593 Brent Geese, 8 Shovelers, 8 Gadwalls, 432 Wigeon, a Pintail, 2 Goldeneyes and 139 Black-tailed Godwits while a flock of 22 Fieldfares were in Easington and 5 Stonechats at the lagoons.
The sea delivered very little again bar a Velvet Scoter, 27 Red-throated Divers and 4 Gannets.
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Tuesday, 11 February 2025
A cloudy overcast day with freuent long showers and a cold F5 easterly. Watch times: 07:30-10:00, 12:00-12:30. Not much of a nice day out and about with just 2 Jack Snipes, 13 Snipes and 11 Woodcocks on the ground with 9 Gannets over the sea the only species worth mentioning.
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Long-tailed Tit - Pete Saunders.
Monday, 10 February 2025
Cloudy again with regular showers during the day reducing offshore visibility with the continued F6 easterly. Watches: 07:30-10:00, 14:30-15:30/ THe day saw few sightings returned with the poor weather the best being the 700 Brent Geese still around Kilnsea. 90 Black-tailed Godwits on the wetlands with the sea having 4 Kittiwakes, 162 Large Auks, 43 Red-throated Divers, 26 Fulmars and 81 Gannets.
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Gadwalls - Harry Appleyard.
Sunday, 09 February 2025
The gloomy weather continues with the F4 easterly pulling in moisture making for another cloudy and misty day. There was little change bird wise as the second day of the work party continued in church field with sightings from Kilnsea producing 700 Brent Geese including the leucistic bird, 10 Shovelers, 2 Gadwalls, 415 Wigeon, a Pintail, 83 Teal, 2 Goldeneyes, 46 Lapwings and 110 Black-tailed Godwits mainly from the wetlands while 3 Jack Snipes, 13 Snipe and 3 Woodcocks in the triangle. With poor visibilty the sea produced very little.
Ringing: Jack Snipe 1.
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Jack Snipe - Charlotte Foote.
Jack Snipe - Dave Constantine.
Saturday, 08 February 2025
A rather murky day with mist and cloud with the cold F3 easterly again. There were relatively few sightings during the day with most people busy with the work party maintaining habitat in churchfield but the Firecrest will still again in Easington at greenfield bungalows but no sign of the Waxwing. Around the triangle there were 6 Water Rails, 2 Jack Snipes, 10 Snipe and 6 Woodcocks. Over the sea 2 Velvet Scoters were the pick of the sightings along with 35 Wigeons, 2 Eiders, 4 Common Scoters and 11 Gannets.
Ringing; Woodcock 1, Snipe 1, Robin 1.
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Friday, 07 February 2025
A strong F6 easterly throughout the day, with light drizzle showers in afternoon. Watch times: 07:15-12:20, 14:00-14:30. In a winter with very few sightings in the UK it was nice to get a Waxwing on the yearlist when one appeared at the Obs and then wandered Kilnsea before flying off north. The day was also noticeable for a Firecrest in Greenfield bungalows, Easington which was quite elusive.
The sea chipped in with 2 Litttle Auks heading north plus 38 Common Scoters, 6 Kittiwakes, 412 Herring Gulls, 249 Large Auks, 220 Guillemots, 18 Fulmars and 85 Gannets.
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Waxwing - Charlotte Foote.
Thursday, 06 February 2025
A lovely winters day with a slight frost to start, with hardly a breath of wind but an increasing easterly in the afternoon. Watch times: 07:30-10:00. A good total of 44 White-fronted Geese (3 triangle, 41 south) in the area today while also on the move a Marsh Harrier, single Skylark and a Pied Wagtail.
Other sightings included 76 Pintails and 45 Common Scoters on the Humber, 8 Water Rails and 2 Woodcocks in the triangle, 79 Black-tailed Godwits and a Mediterranean Gull at Kilnsea wetlands, a Merlin at Sammys, Cetti;s warbler still along the canal, 2 Stonechats in the area and a Snow Bunting at chalk bank.
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Snipe - Harry Appleyard.
Wednesday, 05 February 2025
An overnight frost but dawned to bright sunshine and light winds clouding up later on. Watches 0730-1000. The 9 White-fronted Geese remained again in the triangle and 700 Brent Geese in fields around Kilnsea while a Pintail was on kilnsea wetlands and 48 Red-throated Divers over the sea.
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Brent Geese and Curlews over the Humber - Harry Appleyard.
White-fronted Geese - Lawrence Middleton.
Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Gennerally sunny clouding over as the day progressed with a F5 southerpy. Watch times: 07:15-10:00, 10:10-12:00, 14:20-15:40. The 9 White-fronted Geese were still wandering the area visiting canal scrape and kilnsea wetlands. Otherwise there were few sihgitngs with 3 Woodcocks at sammys, still 3 Water Rails giving themselves up in the triangle and a Great Crested Grebe over the sea.
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Russian White-fronted Geese - Colin Bushell.
Russian White-fronted Geese with Greylags - Colin Bushell.
Monday, 03 February 2025
A bright start soon clouded over with a moderate F4 south westerly wind. Watches 0730-1000. The 9 White-fronted Geese remained in the Kilnsea wetlands area with 2 Pale-bellied Brents among 735 Brent Geese and a nice adult male Hen Harrier was along Easington straight. Further sightings saw a Caspian Gull over the Humber while a decent flock of 3500 Knot off Sammys, a good count of 7 Water Rails around the triangle, a Cetti's Warbler was still along the canal and the Tawny Owl was still at greenfield bungalows. .
Over the sea the highlight of a quiet seawatch was a Long-tailed Duck heading north plus 5 Shelducks, 2 Gadwalls, 8 Wigeons, 2 Eiders and 4 Common Scoters with a Siskin south overland.
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Tawny Owl - Paul French.
Tawny Owl - Paul French.
Caspian Gull (top) and Great Black-backed Gull - Harry Appleyard.
Sunday, 02 February 2025
A nice cold winters day with an overnight frost but blue skies and a F4 south westerly. Watches 0730-1000 1430-1600. There was no sign of the Tundra Bean Goose but the 9 White-fronted Geese were still present on Easington straight. Nearby a Tawny Owl was roosting in a greenfield bungalow garden. Elsewhere 21 Lapwings and 50 Black-tailed Godwits were on Kilnsea wetlands with a Little Owl nearby at grange farm.
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Tawny Owl - Paul French.
Saturday, 01 February 2025
Yet again dull and damp with lights south westerly winds. Watches 0730-1000. The first day of the month was pretty much a repeat of the last week of January with the Tundra Bean Goose and 9 White-fronted Geese among 137 Greylag Geese on Easington straight. The ponds area returned similar counts to the previous day with 550 Brent Geese, 7 Shovelers, 7 Gadwalls, 440 Wigeon, 91 Teal, 2 Goldeneyes and 10 Little Grebes. A good total of 155 Black-tailed Godwits were by the tank blocks with a Cetti's Warbler still around canal scrape and a Jack Snipe on clubleys.
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Gadwall - Harry Appleyard.
