Day 2

Started at the With' fishing pond, slightly later then intended as I didn't set my phone alarm correctly! Got there at 7.30. The first person I saw was Bob Mann walking his lovely female Akita. After having a chat I settled down and waited till 9. Nothing.

I returned to Holmpton and did the rounds but again nothing of note. Back to the house for a power nap!

Midday now and a text came in from Phil informing me that Tim Isherwood had rung him telling him there was a Red-breasted Flycatcher at Tunstall. You may remember that I'd tagged this village onto my elastic Patch boundary due to the scrape that exists here. So off I went.

Phil was already there with three birders from Hornsea and the bird was showing well, if fairly distantly through the gloom...

R.B.Fly (P.142) Great pose

Now then, where's that little gem? Tim Isherwood turned up and soon we were all enjoying brief but clear views...

well, not initially

Firecrest eventually (P.142)

A Spotted Flycatcher also performed typically well...

...and a couple of Grey Wagtails (P.143) flew by.

Gary Taylor turned up and told us about the number of birds that had turned up offshore in the past week. Interesting stuff. He also told us there was a Little Stint on the flash over th'ill. We decided to go and have a peep (sorry). Plenty of Dunlin but we couldn't locate the Stint. My first Stonechat (P.144) of the year was a nice bonus though...

We made our way back and Phil decided he'd had enough. I decided to hang around for a while just enjoying the fact that there were birds present!  

It paid off in spades as I obtained much better views despite the very gloomy conditions...

a definite male

Firecrests blow Yellow-broweds and Pallas's out of the water IMHO. A jewel of a bird.

The R.B.Fly also performed well acting more like a warbler than a flycatcher...

Whilst sitting in the car waiting for the birds to perform I noticed a movement at the back of the bushes. I pointed and shot...

Sparrowhawk!

Impressed with the cameras ability to take this photo through the branches. Handy for birding!

Just one more through the bushes of the Spot' Fly'...

streamline

A great session. Just wish I could have one in Holmpton. Maybe tomorrow?

Day 1

Started well...

Deer at dawn

Then a migrant...surely not!

fresh, very yellow Willow Warbler...note the dark cheek

Gave it quite a while...7 -10...but not much to show. After a spell at home which included seeing 2 Blackcaps from the lounge window feeding on an elderberry bush! I returned to the cliff to find this smart lad waiting for me...

Whinchat...just arrived?

Then a report of a Cetti's Warbler from Sammy's point. I had a brief go, but couldn't find the spot so I returned to the car park were this fine raptor blasted through the fog...

Peregrine (S.109)

Quite a few Wheatears present in the Horse Paddocks.

Back to Holmpton. I'd just pulled up on School lane when I received a text from Gavin informing me an Osprey had just flown over him in Withernsea and was heading my way! A 25 minute vigil on the clifftop produced nothing...I was used to that!

I then received a call off Phil revealing it had visited the seafront pond 3 times to take fish. 10 minutes later I'd joined him.

Who'd have thought it?

Bob Mann another Withernsea birder was also present working on a new fence...

So, two birders who were at work had seen an Osprey (and a Hobby) and yours truly who had the day off hadn't! Phil also had what was almost certainly the same falcon at the sewage works...

Nice one pal

The Osprey was a no (further) show.

MEGA alert!!! LANCEOLATED WARBLER reported from Bempton. "Reported" always casts seeds of doubt (at least with me) but I had to go... I only got the other side of With' when doubts were confirmed with "no further sign". Who knows?

Gavin had a Garden Warbler back at Holmpton late in the day. 2 Yellow-broweds at Grimston just up the road.

Must look harder tomorrow...after I try for the Osprey first thing.

SIX Days in September

Last day today...then 6 off. Time to get down to business. (weak) Easterlies prevail...but so does the fog! Some people are never happy especially as the (far) easterly airflow is forecast to be blocked by Friday...

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So much for theories and forecasts. Birds don't read them anyway!

Fact is birds are moving and birds get lost. You have to be available to see them. For the next 6 days, I am.

The intention is to add to my Village list whilst resisting the lure of the chocolate factory down the road. I will undoubtedly succumb on occasions. Let's face it ...who can resist chocolate?

P.S. Just noticed Edouard out there in the Atlantic. First Hurricane of the season...sign of BIRDS to come?

More detail

Water Rail still present this morning. Gavin connected before I got down there. A Holmpton lifer for him as well! VERY foggy. Not surprisingly nothing else of note seen. I blame the fog!

Here are a few more shots...

Poor weather gives me the opportunity to rest up (I'm on last bus tonight). Back to yesterday morning...

Whilst wallowing in my Water Rail discovery I (foolishly) took my eye off Bud who proceeded to introduce himself to next doors dog...which bit him. Hence the trip to the Vet. Bit sensitive on this one following my eldest lad's dog biting him a year or so ago...£900!! It's not the cost...well? He also lost some flesh and got an infection. Anyway, no stitches this time and touch wood, he seems OK, just a puncture wound.

Once we'd returned from the Vet. I dropped him off at home and popped down to Spurn for an hour. What follows is another example of the magic of the place...

I parked in the Crown and Anchor and joined a small group searching for a Wood Warbler...always worth seeing. After around 20 minutes it showed well (P.138, S.102). Followed closely by my first Yellow-browed Warbler (P.139, S.103). News then came through that the Great Grey Shrike was showing on Beacon Lane. I made my way down but it'd moved on. Then news of a Honey Buzzard circling over Sammy's Point and moving out over the Humber. Back to the C&A...too late, the bird had disappeared into the mist.

Not bad for 15 minutes!

I haven't forgotten about my promised Buzzard tale. Just need more time between rest and Birding. It is the best time of year after all...

Significant sighting

Too late in the day for the full story BUT a quality Holmpton tick was achieved this morning albeit under fraught circumstances!

I arrived at the cliff around 7. For some reason I decided to check out the ever dwindling pond/puddle. There shuffling around the mud was this...

Water Rail P.137, H.95 (courtesy of Phil Jones)

Than Bud met another dog...and I ended up at the vets! Bedtime...

Another local!

Things started promisingly this morning when the first bird I saw was this Wheatear...

7.05am

...much appreciated!

A small group of Golden Plover flew north...

...wonder if there's a Dotterel in there?!

I then noticed another car on the clifftop. I presumed (you should never do this apparently) it was a dog walker. It turned out to be another local birder...Gavin from Withernsea! We chatted for a good while and exchanged numbers. He informed me that he'd watched Holmpton for a good few years with (not surprisingly) modest success! He also said he'd been the assistant warden at Spurn for a year under Barry Spence.

We will persevere. A SIBERIAN RUBYTHROAT would ease the pain!!!

I have another Buzzard saga to relay. More tomorrow...

Brid' cruise

My mate Phil Jones went on the Brid trip today...

1 Black Tern
2 Sooty Shearwaters

1 Manx Shearwater
1 Great Skua
1 Arctic Skua
6 Puffins

He also connected with the Black Guillimot in Filey Bay (an excellent Yorkshire tick) as did my pal Haydn (I've got more than one!).

Plenty of stuff at Spurn today. I'll be out on the cliff at dawn tomorrow...Holmpton that is!

VERY early Yellow-browed

Guess where? Yep Spurn! More here

I'll find one here tomorrow...yeah right!

Weather for the next week...in theory...looks great? 

Afternoon shifts till next Thursday (except tomorrow) ...then 6 glorious days off.

BRING IT ON!

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Tawny Owl - YES!

The earlier post was constructed in Starbuck's this am during an enforced break at work...Bijou!

After leaving the depot at 6.30 I shot home for Bud and headed for Snakey lane to enjoy the remainder of the sunshine. Decent numbers of Starlings had gathered pre-roost. No amazing formations I'm afraid...

Relaxing,misty sunset...feeling chilled now...

Tesco beckons! Grabbed a few bits. Might as well go through Hollym on the way home. Got there around 7.40...and waited. Maybe I'll get lucky, although I feared it had changed it's routine...it hadn't...

7.49

As stated on probably/certainly too many occasions, I'm not a photographer, I'm a birder (or at least I think I am) who takes pics for my humble Blog. It never ceases to amaze me what these modern cameras can produce. As you can see from this picture it was pretty dark. The bird was approx 50 yds away...and yet it produced this...

7.55

Not bad I reckon

Barred Warbler

Forgot!

Yesterday I did manage a brief view of the Barred Warbler near Beacon Ponds. It briefly perched in view then flew 30 yards, disappeared and I didn't see it again...

The 2 Little Stints were still present on Kilnsea Wetlands near the car park.

Plenty of Pied Fly's at Spurn...still haven't connected here?

Catch up.

Day off today, so time for a review and a general catch up.

First the morning fun. I was in position, sat in the Texas chair seawatching at 8. Quiet...very quiet! Beautiful still sunny morning though with a molten sea. No wind, well hardly. Ah, that's why it's quiet!!

Around 9 a few Gannets started to drift north. Then a few Scoter flocks. A couple of Fulmars. Almost exciting. It was nearly 10 now and time for a change of scene. One last scan. Coming in from the north...a Shag (P.134, H.92). Then 3 Arctic Skuas (P.135, H.93) cruised south. This is more like it! Finally, the icing on the cake. A superb Pomarine Skua (P.136, H.94) on display for 15 minutes chasing the terns. Great stuff!

So, there we are, a decent seawatch.

I've updated my lists. Specific species can be viewed by clicking the tabs above...if you're at a lose end!

Controversy in Cornwall with an EASTERN PHEOBE being claimed by my pal Mark Halliday. Seems now that the consensus is Spotted Flycatcher. It's a brave call when confronted with a possible MEGA. Damned if you do...damned if you don't. I'd love to have the dilemma...I think?

Hot off the press...ALDER FLYCATCHER in Cornwall accepted. No good to me though. Hopefully the Blakeney Point bird will follow?

Mixed results

Bad luck with the Tawny Owl. got in position early. Waited. Turns out it popped out on the telegraph pole BEHIND us!! Phil was there also and he informed us later.

I've been lucky with Marsh Harrier sightings lately. One flew over our house yesterday...

Maybe a lingering bird?

90 mins on the cliff clump this morning produced nothing. I will persevere...

Tawny Owl twitch!

The last four nights I've been on the 7.50 to Hull...lucky me! Each night I've seen a Tawny Owl on the overhead wires at Hollym. My mate Phil went last night and had poor views in heavy rain.

Tonight it's my turn. So, on our way to the Indian in Otringham (thoroughly recommended) we'll be stopping off for a while. Weather looks good so I'm hoping to get a pic. Any Owl encounter is a good day/night.

We went for a walk along the beach this afternoon. Nothing of note seen but junior had a great time...

Curlew Sandpiper

All quiet on the Holmpton front again this morning...never mind!

Spent an hour scanning the mud at Skeffling, hoping for a Curlew Sand'. No joy. So.I popped down to Kilnsea Wetlands and finally connected with a moulting adult (P.131, S.87)...

Head down

True to my word I was out in the village from 6.30 this morning.

I worked my way from home to the cliff with nothing of note seen. A further spell wandering around the bushes continued to draw a blank. Stick with it...stick with it! Messages started coming through from Spurn. Wryneck, Barred Warbler...Stick with it!!

What's that?

Huzzah!!!

Whinchat (H.89)

Flocks at Spurn...but this one is mine!

Buoyed by this sighting I decided to hang around a while. I checked out what's left of the pond. A movement...Reed Warbler! (H.90). My first for the village. There ARE birds here!

Maybe I just haven't looked hard/long enough.

The locals were also present...

A distant Curlew flew calling through the mist...

Great stuff. If your a Patch worker you'll know the satisfaction felt this morning. If you're not, you might want to give it a go?

After a coffee back at the ranch with Louise I made my way down to Spurn. It was around 10 now and I decided to try for the Little Stints at Kilnsea Wetlands. A birder stood on top of the embankment didn't bode well! I diplomatically passed him and made my way to the hide. Plenty of Gulls loafing...I wonder?

Med' Gulls (S.85)

Time to leave for home now. The coast was clear on the way back to the car so I had a scan for the Stints. A few waders had gathered on the scrape. Dunlin, Dunlin, Dunlin. Maybe a Curlew Sand'? No luck there but after a short while this little jewel scampered into view...

P.130, S.86

A wonderful morning...

...and so it begins...

Tried hard from 8 (planned on 6.30 but didn't make it!) in the village but saw nowt. So, by 10 I'd succumbed to the messages trickling through from you know where.

First stop was Cliff farm were a Wryneck had been seen. I gave it 45 mins then drifted off down the canal. I bumped into a couple of young birders who said they'd seen it on the beach...but I still couldn't locate it.

I'd just past the hide when a message came over the radio saying the/a Wryneck was showing on the scrape! Nobody in the hide and not many around? Still no luck but a nice close Redshank was dapper...

A distant and overdue Pied Fly' (P.129, S.85) was much appreciated also...

It was time to think about returning home and work...unfortunately. As I walked up towards the Blue Bell a black car and I face I recognised...Rich Willison. At that exact moment another message over the radio..."Wryneck trapped at the Warren". Maybe I would see one after all? I jumped (well bundled) into Richard's car and off we went the short distance to the Warren.

Adam Hutt soon did the necessaries then emerged with the bird to show the admiring crowd...

Cheating I know...but what a bird! My second of the year.

My Autumn has started...albeit slowly!

Sloooooow morning after the family visit and intensive bedroom decorating yesterday (had to be done before winter).

Clifftop constitutional produced a couple of long overdue Med' Gulls (H.88, P.127) amongst the thousands.

First on the water...

Then in the air...

A (very) brief drive around Kilnsea produced the hoped for Whinchat (S.84, P.128)...

Still entertaining

Got lucky this morning when I caught one feeding...