This morning it was a stupid o’clock start for a trip to Spurn with the SBSG. The recent westerly winds and nice sunny weather meant that I wasn’t expecting it to be a rarity-fest, and I wasn’t wrong! The only scarce bird around was a barred warbler, which despite spending the entire day in the same patch of bushes by the Warren, was skittish and gave poor views compared with the bird seen at Flamborough two weeks ago.
I did pick up one lifer for the day, though, in the form of snow bunting, with a confiding individual putting on a good show on the coastal path. Sadly the Lapland buntings that have been there recently weren’t playing.
Snow Bunting
There was a good mix of waders on show, including whimbrel, both godwits, sanderling, golden, grey and ringed plovers, turnstone, oystercatcher and huge clouds of knot. Other birds around included whinchats and wheatears, but migrants were thin on the ground, with none of the redstarts or flycatchers I was half expecting.
Lots of knots…
Elsewhere there were red-throated divers (my first of the year), a large number of little egret (12 is a conservative estimate) and many grey seals bobbing around in the sea.
Despite the quiet nature of the day birdwise, it was still a great day out in unseasonal sunshine.
On the way home I finally saw a mammal I’ve often suspected lives on my patch but I’ve never actually seen, as a fox walked up Loxley Road in front of the car. A great animal to see.
Full list of birds from today…
Starling, House Sparrow, Mute Swan, Swallow, House Martin, Pied Wagtail, Tree Sparrow, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Redshank, Little Egret, Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlinl, Knot, Golden Plover, Curlew, Chiffchaff, Robin, Blackbird, Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Snow Bunting, Kestrel, Linnet, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit, Mallard, Shelduck, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Wren, Cormorant, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coot, Moorhen, Whimbrel, Guillemot, Turnstone, Sanderling, Red-throated Diver, Whinchat, Wheatear, Common Tern, Great Black-backed Gull, Gannet, Oystercatcher, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Little Grebe, Snipe, Barred Warbler, Feral Pigeon, Skylark [On journey - Great Spotted Woodpecker, Rook, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Pheasant].
Posted by Gill Stride on September 28, 2009 at 9:17 am
That’s a lovely pic of the snow bunting.
Posted by Roger B. on October 5, 2009 at 12:08 am
Snow bunting is my new favourite bird.