Sunday 28 October 2018

A Week at Kilnsea

This week every session was held at Kilnsea.  We'd been hanging on for an easterly wind during the whole of the term, but our wait was in vain.  This was our last chance to go to the coast before November, and much colder weather and then fewer migrant birds. Every day had a highlight.  Tuesday's was an immature female Merlin.  There are more pics down the blog.  Wednesday's was the first Waxwing of the area, again pics down the page.  On Thursday the best bird was a bobbing Jack Snipe.  On Friday there was a proliferation of Woodcock arriving throughout the day, and a Ring Ouzel drinking, which appeared to have the same facial marks as the one 8 days earlier.
Merlin
 Fieldfare
 Snipe
 Stonechat
 Roe Deer
 Roe Deer
 Snipe (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
 Ditto
 Water Rail
 ditto
 ditto
 ditto
 Ditto
 Ring Ouzel
 Bar-tailed Godwit
 Black-tailed Godwit
 ditto
 ditto
 Curlew 
Curlew (c) 2018 Aileen Urquhart

Kestrel (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
Kestrel (c) 2018 Aileen Urquhart
 Kestrel (c) 2018 Tony Robinson
 Ditto
Brent Geese (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
Brent Geese (c) 2018 Tony Robinson
Stonechat
 ditto
 Swallow
 Turnstone
Towards the end of the session Maggie located the first Waxwing seen in the Spurn recording area this season.  It was on the wires outside the Sandy Beaches Caravan Park.  Maggie caught it as it was about to drop down onto some hawthorn bushes for the berries.  
Waxwing (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
Here's the best focussed one I managed in the hedge...
Waxwing
In the afternoon the Waxwing was above Kew Villa trilling loudly.  It was seen by every participant, and was a "lifer" for some.
 ditto
After the class had finished Maggie continued along Beacon Lane, and managed to take this beautiful portrait of this cute but deadly Weasel.  
Weasel (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
Weasel's Feet (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
Fieldfare (c) 2018 Tony Robinson
 Goldcrest (c) 2018 Tony Robinson
 Whooper Swan (c) 2018 Tony Robinson
 Record shot of Merlin (c) 2018 Tony Robinson

On Thursday we followed the same route.  We found a Pheasant sunbathing in "big hedge", which quickly woke up as we approached. 
 Pheasant
 Ditto 
 Ditto
 Record shot of Jack Snipe
 Ditto
 Water Rail
 Whooper Swans
 Turnstone
 Dunlin
 Kestrel
 Ditto
 Wink, wink, nudge, nudge
 Redwing
2 Drake Mallards fighting
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
Friday was pretty much a rerun of all the other days this week, although we did start with a high tide for the first time.  One of the first birds was a Whooper Swan, which flew towards us as we walked along the seashore.  
Whooper Swan
 Whooper Swan (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Brent Goose
 Brent Goose & Unmentionable 
 ditto
 Taking Off (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 In flight
 Little Egret (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 ditto
 Little Grebe & Unmentionable (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Little Grebe - diving (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Magpies (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Magpie's Tail (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
On Friday we saw 2 Woodocks in the morning and then at least another two in the afternoon.  None of the photographers were quick enough to manage a Woodcock this time, so here's one taken along the Canal Zone a few years ago.
 Woodcock
Redwing (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Red - Wing (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Redwing
 Roe Deer
 Buch Roe Deer (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Doe (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Turnstone (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Turnstones (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
Curlews (c) 2018 Jane Robinson 
Redwing (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Common Seal
 Ring Ouzel
 Ring Ouzel
 House Sparrows (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Roe Deer in a Garden
 Pintail at Kilnsea Wetlands 
Meanwhile, at Burton Bushes on Tuesday...
Parasol