Spurn Bird Observatory Sightings September 2024
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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Sunday, 08 September 2024
The last day of #migfest continued as the previous days with lots of birds with todays highlights being an Ortolan Bunting at chalky point, a Dotterel which flew over the riverside later headed south while late in the day a pale juvenile Honey Buzzard flew south. The day aslo had the male Red-breasted Flycatcher at Kew, the juvenile Red-backed Shrike in north field, Wood Warbler in church field and 3+ Wrynecks around the area.
The Pallid Harrier was at Welwick in the evening.
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Saturday, 07 September 2024
It was another busy day #MIGFEST with plenty good birds for everyone the female Pallid Harrier again around in the morning, our earliest ever Yellow-browed Warbler at the narrows, a Wood Warbler in Kilnsea with the male Red-breasted Flycatcher still entertaiining, 2 Quails in/off the sea (warren, Easington), the Red-backed Shrike still in north field and Wrynecks in sykes field and obs garden.
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Friday, 06 September 2024
The F5 north easterly continued to feed in warm damp air with fog all day but sunny overhead. The first day of #MIGFEST got off to an amazing start with arrivals of migrants, a good passage over the sea and good birds galore. The pick of the day so far saw a female PALLID HARRIER wandering the area in the morning last seen flying west, a showy Bee-eater on wires on Easington straight which is the latest by 3 weeks and a dapper male Red-breasted Flycatcher in the crown carpark. The Greenish Warbler was still around Kew and church field, an Icterine Warbler found at chalk bank, 3 Wrynecks included one by the #migfest marquee, the Red-backed Shrike by the camping area in north field, 2 Barred Warblers (middle camp, triangle) while among the commoner migrants totals of 12 Willow Warblers, 10 Garden Warblers, 6 Leseer Whitethroats, 43 Spotted Flycatchers, 28 Pied Flycatchers, 32 Redstarts, 8 Whinchats, 75 Wheatears and 12 Tree Pipits. .
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Thursday, 05 September 2024
Fog of varying density during the day particularly poor visibility in the afternoon clearer after 6pm with a moderate northerly. The vocal Greenish Warbler remained around church field, the Barred Warbler at middle camp and the Red-backed Shrike still in the triangle while an Osprey flew south.
The sea was quite busy despite occasional poor visibilty with totals of 30 Wigeon, 138 Teal, a Red-necked Grebe, 2 Roseate Terns, 1244 Kittiwakes, 53 Arctic Skuas, a Long-tailed Skua, 2 Great Skuas, 10 Puffins, 5 Red-throated Divers, 26 Fulmars, 50 Sooty Shearwaters, 148 Manx Shearwaters and 4 Balearic Shearwaters.
Ringing: Woodpigeon 1, Willow Warbler 1, House Sparrow 3. 5/3 Watch times: 06:10-12:00, 18:00-20:00
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Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Long sunny spells the wind increasing from a F3 north westerly to F5 northerly. The vocal Greenish Warbler remained around the Kew to church field area while both the Wryneck and Red-backed Shrike were still in the triangle. Counts of other grounded migrants were lower today with just 8 Willow Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Whitethroats, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Pied Flycatchers, a Whinchat and 8 Wheatears.
An interesting Harrier sp flew south which appears to be a Hen x Pallid hybrid while over the sea 2 Black Terns, 8 Arctic Skuas, a dark phase Pomarine Skua, single Sooty Shearwater, 24 Manx Shearwaters, 250 Gannets and a Shag were the highlights. The ponds area chipped in with 568 Redshanks, 2 Spotted Redshanks, 50 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Greenshanks, 4 Curlew Sandpipers, 5 Little Gulls and a Caspian Gull.
Ringing: Tree Sparrow 24, Willow Warbler 5, Whitethroat 1, Reed Warbler 2, Cetti's Warbler 2, Spotted Flycatcher 1, Wren 1, Dunnock 1, House Sparrow 2, Greenfinch 1, Pied Flycatcher 1, Stock Dove 2 (P). 43/12 Watch times: 06:15-10:00, 17:45-20:00
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Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Cloudy with early morning showers clearing later with a light north westerly. There was a noticeable clearout of migrants with possibly some new arrivals with counts of 2 Greenish Warblers (church field and new bird by the gas terminal), 2 Wrynecks gas (terminal rocks, triangle), 2 Red-backed Shrikes (gas terminal, triangle), the Barred Warbler still at middle camp, a Red-breasted Flycatcher at pancho pond, 21 Willow Warblers, 3 Garden Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 11 Whitethroats, 6 Spotted Flycatchers, 13 Pied Flycatchers, 13 Redstarts, a Whinchat, 17 Wheatears, 20 Yellow Wagtails and 4 Tree Pipits.
A juvenile Honey Buzzard was the vismig highlight south over the Humber to the point with also a Sparrowhawk, 2 Marsh Harriers and 5 Common Buzzards moving along with 450 Swallows. 140 House Martins and 22 Sand Martins. Over the sea a Cory's Shearwater headed north plus 6 Arctic Skuas, 3 Pomarine Skuas and 3 Great Skuas.
Ringing: 4 Willow Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Cormorant, 3 Swallow, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Redstart, 1 Robin, 1 Chaffinch. 23/15. Watches: 06:30 - 09:30
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Monday, 02 September 2024
Thundery heavy overnight rain with light winds led to misty conditions in the morning and rather hot and humid. It was another busy day around the area with seeminly new birds arriiving the highlight a rather elusive but vocal Greenish Warbler in church field with back up in the form of a female Grey-headed Wagtail at the point, 3 Wrynecks, a Barred Warbler at middle camp and both the Red-backed Shrike (triangle) and Common Rosefinch (point) still present. Counts of grounded migrants were still good with 25 Willow Warblers, 5 Reed Warblers, 6 Garden Warblers, 7 Lesser Whitethroats, 32 Whitethroats, 15 Spotted Flycatchers, 30 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Black Redstarts, 41 Redstarts, 23 Whinchats, a Stonechat, 23 Wheatears and 4 Tree Pipits.
The ponds area typically had plenty of interest with 10 Wigeon, 2 Pintails, 77 Teal, 33 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Common Sandpipers, a Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshanks, 4 Ruff, 3 Curlew Sandpipers and a Little Stint. A Great White Egret flew south whoile also moving 10 Shovelers, 7 Wigeon, 4 Pintails and 183 Teal the evening roost movement chiping in with a Roseate Tern along 1090 Common Terns.
Ringing: Pied Flycatcher 4, Redstart 4, Willow Warbler 8, Chiffchaff 1, Blackcap 4, Garden Warbler 4, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Whitethroat 1, Reed Warbler 1, Wren 1, Dunnock 2, Robin 2, Blackbird 1, Goldfinch 1, Whinchat 1. 37/15
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Sunday, 01 September 2024
Early morning cloud with spots of rain cleared to a hazy sunshine for much of the day along with a F4 easterly. A fantastic arrival of 'drift' migrants brought some good totals along with some good birds thrown in. There was a Common Rosefinch at the point, single Red-breasted Flycatcher here also, 3 Wrynecks (point, triangle, old boat house) and a juvenile Red-backed Shrike around canal scrape along with 28 Willow Warblers, 8 Reed Warblers, a Grasshopper Warbler, 4 Garden Warblers, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, 24 Whitethroats, 26 Spotted Flycatchers, 24 Robins, 52 Pied Flycatchers, 38 Redstarts, 27 Whinchats, 2 Stonechats, 116 Wheatears and 10 Tree Pipits. (During the day an Woodchat Shrike and a couple of possible Barred Warblers were reported but no information).
The sea had some good attention and some nice rewards with a Cory's Shearwater south, juvenile Sabines Gull south close inshore and a Storm Petrel close in which succumbed to being swamped by a series of waves plus 2 Brent Geese, 393 Teal, 5 Pintails, 3 Tufted Ducks, a Little Tern, 17 Arctic Skuas, a Pomarine Skua, 3 Great Skuas, 13 Fulmars, 5 Sooty Shearwaters and 20 Manx Shearwaters. Full counts on Trektellen.
Ringing: Moorhen 1, Willow Warbler 12, Whitethroat 3, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Garden Warbler 3, Blackcap 2, Blackbird 1, Redstart 6, Robin 2, Pied Fly 9, Spotted Flycatcher 2, Reed Warbler 1, Blue Tit 2, Chaffinch 1, Reed Bunting 2, Goldfinch 1. 52/16 Watch times: 06:10-10:00, 18:00-20:00
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