Friday 28 June 2013

Late June produces the goods........

Late June is producing a few good birds including this stunning drake Surf Scoter loafing in Filey Bay and still off the Brigg this morning.

Rich Willison
 Other birds this week include a lingering Purple Heron at Tophill, a Pec' Sand' at Kilnsea, a drake Ring-necked Duck in North Yorks' and a one-evening Night Heron at Old Moor RSPB.

Rich Willison

Wednesday 12 June 2013

swift response!

After a quiet weekend Spurn went into overload today when a Pacific Swift made its way south at around 08.45. Just a handful of observers gathered at 'Numpties' were able to witness it as it passed eventually through not too far from the net - Deja vu! It was the first real day of Swift passage this year with several thousand moving through. If this was the same Pacific Swift that has been seen there before then it is a little early, about a year to be precise as there seemed to have been a pattern of every three years forming prior to this. Later in the day a Spoonbill flew south and a  Red-necked Phalarope made a brief visit to the pools in Holderness Fields.

Below are a selection of Ian Smith's shots of 'the swift' - try to enjoy!




Monday 10 June 2013

The Woodchat at Spurn Friday - Rich Willison
The weekend was a bit of an anti climax with most of the birds seen earlier in the week having moved on and there was little new to replace them. A few bits remained at Spurn on the Saturday including a Red backed Shrike and the Nightjar whilst a Common Rosefinch made itself heard in Easington. The only Long-tailed Skua reported flew past Sunk Island, not your average sea watchers most frequent stake out and the nearest we got to the predicted Bee Eater was belated news of one reported near Goole Hospital. Sickening!

Request for photos of Wykeham Honey Buzzards The Honey Buzzards have been showing over the last week or so at Wykeham. If anyone gets any reasonable shots of any HBs please could you send them
to John Harwood, (Scarborough) at johnharwood@orange.net. All photos will be gratefully received and will help with ongoing studies of this species there. Visitors will also have a chance of seeing Goshawk, Turtle Dove, Crossbill during the day and Nighjars can be heard at dusk.

Male Honey Buzzard at Wykehan - Dave Mansell

Friday 7 June 2013

Red hot June at Spurn?

With the nice weather last weekend came the nice birds, the most popular of which was the Thrush Nightingale that settled in at Sammies Point, Easington. It sang regular, but typically frustrated, by only showing occasionally and usually poorly to most of the gathered throng. That said, some observers did get lucky and it did manage to find its way onto several Yorkshire lists. Sprosser apart, it was mostly Marsh Warblers, Red backed Shrikes and the odd Common Rosefinch, though Flamborough managed a Red-spotted Bluethroat and Filey three Common Cranes. The Sprosser appeared to depart Sunday, but then mysteriously showed up (or should that be sung up?) again Thursday so there will be a few people hopeful of a repeat performance this weekend. As the week progressed the weather and the birds took a dip, but as soon as it picked up again the drift migrants reappeared and by Thursday it was red hot, particularly at Spurn where a fire at the obs’ meant it has had to be closed until further notice. 
 Things are looking up - this Spoonbills looking up
  at a passing Osprey at Denaby Ings this week
 - Justin Carr

Following the recent influx of Long-tailed Skuas, sea-watching at Flamborough in recent days is proving that there are plenty still out there so there might be a few eyes to sea this weekend too. What is presumably the same Great White Egret blogging up and down the coast appeared at Hornsea Mere yesterday and several Spoonbills were seen including the immature has been residing in the Lower Dearne Valley for more than a month. And so on to today and its shaping up to be an interesting weekend with a Woodchat Shrike already on the peninsula at Spurn. So what might we expect - surely a Bee Eater at the very least? Watch this space........

Another shot of the immature Spoonbill at Denaby Ings
  - Justin Carr