Monday, 30 April 2012

Let's have a Chat or 2, or even 150+

After yesterday's torrential rain from an easterly direction I thought Spurn might be worth a visit this morning.  Sure enough after passing the Bluebell there were Wheatears everywhere, including 7 on a single woodpile & another 2 on the one next to it.  There was a Whinchat opposite the turning to the car park from the Canal Scrape.  I took quite a few pictures from the road here, but thought it may be worth going as far as the point.  

There were 3 Wheatears in the point car park, others on the journey down & more at the point itself.   2 Fieldfare flew out of the vegetation near the car park & landed on the wires.  2 male Yellow Wagtails were in the play area opposite the Lifeboat houses, and a female Brambling calling from a danger sign.  There were 3 male Whinchats in the Parade Ground area & plenty of singing Linnets in the area too.  A singing male Lesser Whitethroat was here too - a very late 1st of the year for me.

After Spurn I went over to Sammy's Point.  Along the road down there 50+ Fieldfare flew up accompanied by at least 1 Redwing.  At Sammy's Point itself there was a single male Ring Ouzel & it was surrounded by Wheatears.  Later, a Hull RSPB chap counted 32 Wheatears in a single field.  There were 2 fighting male Yellow Wagtails in the area, singing Blackcaps & Sedge Warblers, but the bare fields seemed more productive then the areas containing bushes.

I drove back via Stone Creek, but apart from a pair of Grey Partridges near Sunk Island, and a few Yellow wagtails & scattered Wheatears there wasn't too much of interest.  The Spurn radio didn't broadcast any sightings at all when I was there, but they have just announced via twitter @Spurnbirdobs the following totals: 150 Wheatear, 5 Ring Ouzel, 5 Whinchat, a Redstart & a Hobby. The coast was the place to be today!  

Whinchat [male]
 ditto
 7 Wheatear on one Woodpile
 9 Wheatear on 2 woodpiles
 Wheatear [male]
 ditto
 Yellow Wagtail [male]
 ditto
 Fieldfare
 Fieldfare [& 1 Redwing]
 Brambling [female]
Record shot of Ring Ouzel [male]

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