Falling out of the Mist

The mist and a weather front bringing drizzle forced a large number of Scandinavian migrants to land on Spurn this morning.  Before I arrived there had already been reports of over 1,400 Bramblings, and thousands of Redwings, Fieldfare, Blackbirds, plus hundreds of Song Thrushes, dozens of Ring Ouzels, and at least 1 Hawfinch.  

I stayed behind a mound of marram grass for over an hour to try & get pictures of the 200+ Bramblings near Post 20.  The mist made it very difficult, but it was possible to get something in the end.  At one stage dozens of Bramblings were feeding alongside a single Turnstone, whilst other Turnstones were sharing their beach with Redwings!

Early indications from @Spurnbirdobs on twitter are:

Conservative totals are:

Fieldfare 10,000+

Redwing 21,000+

Song Thrush 900+

Robin 700+

Ring Ouzel 57

Hawfinch 1

Although these figures haven't been stated yet I suspect there were will have been well in excess of 10,000 Blackbirds & 2000 Bramblings.

Bramblings

 Ditto

 Ditto in flight

 Ditto

 Ditto

 Redwing & Turnstone

The End of the Rings

Yesterday saw our final scheduled ringing sessions at Spurn.  The morning was fairly quiet because of the strong winds with just an adult Song Thrush seen and a very dull Lesser Redpoll.  John Wint was on duty to explain in details the ringing process.  The afternoon group saw 3 Bramblings after ringing, and marvelled at the yellow patch under the wing.  Both groups saw the Black Redstart around the ex-lifeboat houses, but it posed better and for longer in the morning.  At the high tide we saw the usual waders, but the strong winds almost forced the Brent Geese to stall as they passed the hide.  This is the first time I remember being close enough to catch the glint in their eye as they flew past.

The afternoon group happened to be on site when the moth trap was emptied, so they saw a few species of moth too.  

Overall, our visits this Autumn raised exactly £320 for the Spurn Bird Observatory Trust.  That's enough for 4 new mist nests, which doesn't seem much when put like that, but every little helps!

Lesser Redpoll

 Ditto

One ringed earlier - with no red on its poll or anywhere else!

 Black Redstart

 Brambling - showing yellow underwing

 Brent Geese

 ditto

 ditto

 ditto

 Song Thrush

 ditto

 Tree Sparrow

 Common Darter

 Broom Moth Caterpillar?

 Angle Shades

 Lunar Underwing

 A Moth

Conclusion of Robert Fuller's Summer Exhibition

Sunday saw the final 2 events running in conjunction with Roberts Fuller’s Summer Exhibition.  The morning walk took place near an Ancient Monument.  All but one person turned up at the Gallery in good time, we waited for the 1 late comer, but she failed to show.  We therefore wasted 15 minutes before setting off.  On the way to the final venue we saw a Kestrel perched over the road, a really bright Yellowhammer, and a few scattered Swallows, but we didn’t come close to killing nearly as many Red-legged Partridges as last week.  There was a lot more room in the car park this time, and again Yellowhammers could be heard in the distance, but today other birds to be heard here including a Song Thrush, a Blackcap and a Blackbird.  On the walk down the valley a Yellowhammer was perched on the left hand side of a telegraph post, whilst a pair of Linnets disappeared into the bare field on its right, and then landed briefly on the hedgerow underneath the Yellowhammer.  A Common Whitethroat perched very briefly on a tiny hawthorn bush, whilst a Blackcap sang nearby.  There were more Willow Warblers singing than last week, but our previous visit had been in an afternoon.

Redstart (at the same location 3 years ago)

We went through a couple of gates and were almost immediately rewarded with views of a male Redstart constantly feeding its young brood in a very distinctive nest-hole.  He was definitely more obvious than the female this time.  A Great Tit was also busy just outside the nest hole, so it may also have been nesting nearby.  As we watched the Redstart there was a sneeze near at hand, and a Marsh Tit flew into the trees behind us.  Unfortunately, it didn’t hang around for a decent view.   The only other bird in this area was a Goldfinch which landed on the wires above our head.  We were just about to walk back through the gate when the Wakefield lady spotted the male Redstart sitting the nearest it had been to us all morning.  When we had returned to the site of the old railway line one chap had to retire to his car with an aching hip.

 Record shot of a Yellowhammer

 Comma

Here, a Chiffchaff sang briefly & distantly, but not long enough for me to point it out to the group.  Those near the front saw a female Blackcap collecting insects, but the male was harder to see, though he was singing strongly.  An Orange-tip passed us a few times round here, and one participant spotted a Comma.  It was near here that we encountered a family of Long-tailed Tits, but we could only snatch decent views of the adults.  A Bullfinch flew into the hedge, allowing us only to catch a view of a white rump, but its plaintive ‘pue’ call was heard by all.  Another Marsh Tit sneezed as it flew along the thick hedgerow, but it remained a blur, and failed to perch in the open.  The lady from Wakefield spotted a Hare on the hillside, which ran past a Magpie before disappearing over the brow of the hill.  In a bush on the hilltop a lovely red-breasted Linnet was drying itself after having a bath.   

Comma

 Record shot of an Orange-Tip in Flight

We came to some redundant buildings and this is where at least 4 of the party disappeared for several minutes as they reminisced about their previous uses.  Meanwhile we heard our first & only Garden Warbler, of which we managed to obtain glimpses as he sang among some fresh Ash leaves.  A Curlew sang out, so presumably they breed on the hillsides in this area.  We also heard our first proper Chiffchaff of the day, and nearly everyone saw it flitting high among the Ash leaves.  We returned the way we had come, and didn’t add any new species, but we climbed the hill with alacrity, as the dark clouds seemed to be massing for an attack, but we managed to reach the car park with only a few drops trying to soak us.  There was chaos in the car park as several people were trying to park with no available spaces.  One of our party almost had his car pranged, but eventually he was allowed to reverse from his space, so one of the newcomers could take his place. 

Ear Fungus

The afternoon session saw a similar situation arise, but this time we were the newcomers.  The car park at the new location was already brimming over, and our arrival came at a difficult time.  In the end a few of us managed to squeeze into the car park, whilst at least 3 had to abandon their cars outside the usual parking area.  We walked down the hill, and I could hear a distant Whitethroat, but we never actually caught up with this particular bird.  A pair of Red-legged Partridge heads could just be spotted in some long grass – the male poking his head up that bit higher than the browsing female.  We were much luckier with a Willow Warbler which came to suss us out, and everyone managed to get decent views, and one lady even managed to take a photo.  A large bird flying distantly looked reminiscent of a raptor, but on closer investigation proved to be only a Lesser Black-backed Gull.  We were luckier when someone spotted a Buzzard soaring over an area of conifers.  It then began to hover clumsily before it disappeared over a large deciduous woodland.   

Red-legged Partridge

 Willow Warbler

 Singing Willow Warbler

    Despite the best efforts of the Sunday afternoon traffic we eventually made it to the pond, and this was the most prolific area for the numbers of species seen well.  A pair of Whitethroats were active around the metal gate and could be seen collecting insects around the umbels of the Cow Parsley.  A Yellowhammer was heard singing, and this was eventually seen clearly.  A Treecreeper was singing nearby, and then one lady spotted it clinging to the side of a mature Ash tree.  There was another Marsh Tit in this area, but again it didn’t stay long enough for everyone to get decent views.  We went a bit further, where the lady with the camera toppled over, but luckily the camera (& the lady) were apparently undamaged.  We walked to where there had been a Tree Pipit a few years ago, but the bushes had been burnt in this area, and there was no sign of this locally scarce species.  However, we went a little further and were lucky enough to encounter a Meadow Pipit indulging in its ever-popular parachuting song-flight.  The Meadow Pipit plunged down to our side of the hill & into a gorse bush, but it was soon seen off by another male.   It was at this point that we heard the best song of a Skylark of the day.   

We returned to the pond area, but this had been taken over by paddlers, so apart from a Moorhen there were no new sightings there.  We walked a little further along the road, but the only decent sighting was of a Willow Warbler plucking flies from a barbed wire fence.  On the return journey to the car park I pointed out some ear fungus & was able to regale the group with some of the folklore and culinary qualities of this unique fungi.  We were able to return to the cars without further incident.

Magical Mystery Workout

The only event this week was our first visit to a far-flung woodland.  Unfortunately, we’d been warned that because of major roadworks in Malton there were massive delays, so several people either set off early to cope with these, or set off early to go round by a much longer route.  Today because of the school holidays there were no delays in Malton!  When I arrived after almost a 2 hour journey everyone had been waiting in the car park for what seemed like hours.  Immediately, there were Siskins flying over the car park, and these were probably visiting the feeders at the visitor centre.  

Treecreeper

 Yellowhammer (c) 2012 Richard Whateley

 Tree Pipit (c) 2012 Richard Whateley

We eventually found a new gravel path which meandered its way to the reserve through a pleasant heathland habitat studded with young conifers and birches.  We travelled in a cloud which was hanging over the crag we were walking on, but there was plenty of birdsong, including: Willow Warbler, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat & a Song Thrush.  However, the definite highlight here was a Tree Pipit.  Its pleasant canary-like notes drifted towards us, and it could be seen perched on the top of a young conifer.  On the way back, Sally saw it parachuting down.  There was a Kestrel hovering in the mist and we flushed a couple of Linnets up from the ground at our feet.  Other birds around here included plenty of Chaffinches and a single carrion Crow.  

Hoof Fungus

We turned right when we reached a broader path and found ourselves at the same height  as the trees full of Blue Tit fledglings.  We then arrived at a steep narrow path plunging down to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve.   It had rained heavily overnight and we made our way carefully down the muddy and slippery terrain.  Unfortunately, we are used to even paths on the flat here in East Yorkshire and several people didn’t fancy the climb down to the lake at the bottom and turned back.  We could hear our first Chiffchaffs, Swallows were twittering above us but couldn’t be seen because of the tree cover.  A Willow Tit sang out, plus Coal Tits and a little later a whole family of Long-tailed Tits.  On a fallen log last Autumn’s ear fungus was still intact, but had gone past the edible stage.  Sally correctly identified the song of a Blackcap – it seems it is possible to identify song birds after repeated exposure to the same species! 

Froghopper (bit of Cuckoo Spit visible under the leaf)

 Cardinal Beetle

 ditto

As we made our way down to the lake we could hear the ‘pic pic’ calls of a distant Great Spotted Woodpecker, and an even further off Cuckoo.  However, as we descended into the abyss the Cuckoo became easier to hear & Eileen could pick it out – gone are the days when she lived on Thorne Moors & she was the 1^st to hear one every year!  On the lake there was a pair of Tufted Ducks and several Mute Swans, but little else.  We did a circuit of the lake where we encountered a Treecreeper, Blue Tit fledglings, another singing Tree Pipit and Sparrowhawks calling from deep within the wood.

The way back up the hill wasn’t as bad as everyone feared & the only new creatures encountered were the Froghopper (manufacturers of Cuckoo Spit).  They were out in force & it was clear that their manufacturing had only just began, so they were about to get very busy – they are very late this year – delayed by the cold or the relatively dry spring?  Although the trek up the hill wasn't too bad, many of the attendees were red in the face & either dripping with sweat, or soaked with rain.  Some attendees went on to the visitor centre where Siskins and Coal Tits could be seen on the feeders.  

 Siskin (c) 2012 Richard Whateley

 Coal Tit [& Siskin] (c) 2012 Richard Whateley

 Siskin [female] & Collared Dove (c) 2012 Richard Whateley

Algebra or Logarithms?

Bullfinch

Today was our first visit to a brand new venue.  Unfortunately, some participants found it quite a difficult location to find.  In the car park as soon as I arrived a Wren, Linnet, and Greenfinch were all perched in a bare young tree.  When the others arrived there were also House Martins & Swifts flying on the field around us.  In the afternoon most of these birds had gone, but a pair of House Sparrows had moved in instead – not sure if this was an adequate compensation! We set off trying to to avoid the frequent dumpings of dog mess – although it still wasn’t quite as bad as Allerthorpe Woods.  

Maureen correctly identified a Whitebeam, while it was Ellen who did the same in the afternoon.  As we climbed the incline Anthony discerned a distant Skylark singing over the fields. As we walked along the Poplar Avenue Miles spotted a pair of bullfinches. The male cleaned himself in the centre of a Willow bush long enough for everyone, even Maxine to observe him.  While we observed him a Great Spotted Woodpecker made its ‘pic, pic’ sounds, and a Chiffchaff sang nearby.  We couldn’t find the bullfinches in the afternoon, but there was a family of Long-tailed Tits here instead.  Behind us on the playing field there were plenty of corvids, including many Rooks, several Carrion Crows, a pair of Magpies and a single Jackdaw.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t spot a Jay and there was no sign of a Raven or Chough – otherwise every member of the Crow family was represented.  

Rook

 We approached an area which has been scraped for a pond and here we had a Whitethroat, and a Chiffchaff, whilst a small, almost black vole was running through the grass.  There were various Linnets flying over which became more numerous as we approached the area which had previously held greenhouses.  Our first Willow Warbler was in this area too.  A Sparrowhawk plunged through a row of trees, and later another was seen chasing a small passerine, which managed to escape.  We examined a map near the entrance to work out which route we had actually taken & what wildlife we were likely to see.  There were several Linnets and a Greenfinch on some wires.

Linnet

We left the reserve & watched the wildlife which could be seen from a bridge over Holderness Drain.  Here we saw Whitethroat, a Song Thrush and perched Goldfinches.  2 Mistle Thrushes flew into a single tree & then set off across a field towards the drain.  However, the best bird here was a Great Spotted Woodpecker which fluttered down towards the bottom of the drain bank.  It flew off a few minutes later with its beak stuffed with food.  In the afternoon there were fewer birds seen in this area, but Barbara spotted something swimming across the drain, which by colour & the way it swam seemed to be a Water Vole.  

 Song Thrush

 While walking along the drain a Sparrowhawk carrying prey flew towards us, and passed relatively near to where we were standing.  Only a few minutes later Anthony & Miles saw a bird leave the golf course.  It flew over the drain and into cover right in front of us, although it failed to utter a sound of any sort.  It was probably a female Cuckoo – this was a first for Maxine, but I think she’d have preferred it to have been a calling male.  All these birds were absent in the afternoon, but were replaced with a Chiffchaff and a panicky Coot on the drain.   On the return journey there were fewer Rooks on the playing field, but one allowed its picture to be taken. 

Sparrowhawk carrying Blackbird/Starling?

 Peacock

 Blackcap

 ditto

 Chiffchaff

 Whitethroat

 The afternoon was a lot quieter from the bird point of view, although the sunshine brought out the butterflies in profusion.  There were several Brimstones, a couple of Speckled Woods, a Small Tortoiseshell, and plenty of Orange-tips, Peacocks, & both Green-veined and Small Whites.  We had good views of a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, and the silhouette of a Willow Warbler, but I could sense a growing sense of unrest.  The unrest was dispelled by a pair of Stock Doves, which flew out of a Sycamore on Poplar Avenue.  The simmering mutiny was only finally vanquished in the dying moments when I managed to track down a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Male Bullfinch.

Bullfinch

 Bullfinch (with something on its bill?)

 Speedwell