Yes I did. Not strictly ethical I know, but not doing any damage all the same.

Flamborough today... http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.ph...&postcount=128

Between Flamborough and Spurn today there are seven species which would be lifers for me. Tent and sleeping bag are in the car already. Roll on 5PM tomorrow.

There are very few reports away from the most watched places - a massive gap from Flamborough to Easington - obviously the places with reports are the biggest migrant traps, but there's got to be a great prospect of a self-found lifer somewhere along the coast between those points. And with it being weekday have even Danes Dyke and obvious places been scoured?

Not having much luck with campsites at the south end - Withernsea Sands Holiday Park is the only place that will take little one-man tents with birders in. May start at the top with a Seaways Farm camp site on lighthouse road in Flamborough. Anyone know it? Could get a Marsh Warbler in the dawn chorus!

Forecast is clear overnight Friday night - not having experience of falls like this in the past what are the chances of everything clearing off that night? I guess if these birds have been held up by the weather they'll be seriously itching to move on by then?

Graham

Graham it was busy but there looked to be a few plots empty on the North Cliff camp site at Filey, would imagine it will fill up by the weekend.

Went there today for a family trip. Sneaked off for the Red Backed Shrike at the tip, a belting male, lifer for me and my first UK shrike, got some nice pics to process. Met James there and had a quick chat, phoned him later to send him to Flamborough for the great reed warbler. Quite a few goodies reported there late afternoon.

Graham I urge you to try Holmpton if you are looking for your own birds. I have been three times and found black red, 3 firecrest, 2 ybw, woodcock and leo. I have been the only birder each time. I tend to work the coastal bushes and the small pond and then work the bigger decidous trees. The rub ... there is so much good habitat good birds can disappear. It is perfect for day two/three of fall - look at it on google earth its the best bit of habitat for miles.
Edit: park at the end of school lane walk north and then work in blocks. You have coastal scrub, a small pond, hedgerows, reeds, set aside fields, gardens with fruit trees and mature decidous trees. It's where I would go if I wasn't moving house - bad timing!

All the best Graham - In terms of stuff sticking, it just depends. Some will move on the clear night, but I guarantee a reasonable spread of good birds along the east coast this weekend, especially with more observers.

Some birds disappeared even during the 27-28th e.g. Subalpine at Filey, so even at the height of the bad weather some will go, and equally even after it has improved some will stck.

Good examples of quality birds sticking for a few days even in good weather - Spectacled Warbler, Filey, Taiga Flycatcher, Flamborough.

Fingers crossed. May even bump into you.

Mark - Birdguides revealing it is indeed still present today - may even have been you?

Got out today for a few hours before my night shift. Met Jim at the RB Shrike at Filey. Went on to old fall where i heard MArsh Warbler, found Nightingale and Golden Oriole (female - just like a small Green Woodie). A Savi's was reeling but I was just too late to hear that and the GRW had bugged out. All in all 2 lifers, 2 year birds tres good.

No Lawts unfortunately not! My wife's birthday yesterday so not a good evening for birding! Will go this evening I hope. Took me ages to find the place last time with it being half a mile out of Catton and it was getting dark by the time I got there - should hopefully be there much earlier this evening

A couple of pictures of the Filey tip bird to tidy up ...

Plan to work the East Coast tomorrow.Starting at Spurn, will be in the Crown & Anchor car park at 10.00am and from there where ever the pager indicates the birds.......would like Red Backed Shrike, Icky, RBF and anything else

Me too, looking forward to that Orange Bucket @ Sammy's:-O

_____________________
Daz

What's at the orange bucket??? Have I missed something?

Its an Ortolan Bunting, ..... Dear Liza, Dear Liza

Also Bee Eater and Marsh Warbler

Thanks for the tip, Marcus. Will be pitching my tent at a little camp site in Holmpton around seven tonight and then seeing what I can before dark - may burn down to Sammy's Point first. Then up at dawn for a self-found Rosefinch, at least.

Graham

So, who's looking after West Yorks this weekend? Will the East Coast roads be jammed? More good birds this weekend no doubt but will it be due to more lookers or are the birds still arriving.

Thinking of sneaking back for a long day this weekend.

It's a bit late to wish you luck Graham but good luck anyway. I've a week off work to look forward to and I'm planning a visit to Bolton Abbey, so if anyone has any tips they will be gratefully accepted. I think if I do as I did last year then I should be OK for the pied flys but seeing as I've not seen redstart for more than 20 years, then that would be good.
Cheers,
Chris.

Yes, I'm looking forward to ticking the orange bucket. If I can get a pass for this weekend, I'm going to let you guys do all the finding tomorrow, then decide on the best location, and clean up on Sunday.

If I can't get a pass, then I'll not doubt be doing some cleaning up or tidying up in any event, minus the birds.

In fact, cunning plan....I'll wash the car but I need a "new" bucket!

I must be mad. All these migrants about and what do I do?- Plan to head down to Essex then Dorset.

Really hope you guys get some good birds this weekend. I'm off reptile hunting after my own megas in the form of Smooth Snake and Sand Lizard. Also hope to get a few bird lifers such as Dartford Warbler.

I nearly took a detour to Filey for the Rosefinch this PM but a collison with a bus in Scarborough forced me to change my plans!!! My vans a mess but thats another story!

You could squeeze in Beachy Head en route to Dorset
River Warbler
Bee-eater
Rose-coloured Starling

Not Yorkshire birds are they though?

I don't think Sarah would be too impressed with the River Warbler, although the other two look nice!

But like you said, the're not in God's Own.

If the river warbler is singing it can be pretty cool...Was able to cycle to the wigan one in the 90's

If anyone is out and about on Sunday and fancies some company give me a bell - im stuck without transport but a free day (as it stands)

If I ever start to practice what I preech, the strategy for Spurn (unless it's a real rarity) must be not to chase, and to work a patch. The reality is even with all that list, you may be 2-3 hours just waiting for an Icky. I think you need to pick your birds, decide what you want to see and stay put. In my case it was Icky, (haven't seen one for a few years) and I should have staked a site out.

Golden rule of Spurn - "no plan survives contact with the enemy" - it always reads easier on the pager.



Spot on advice! I have been there 4 days Tuesday-Friday (not staying over as only from Hull) and spent a lot of time chasing shadows like many people over the lst week who as aresult saw very little, particularly Marsh Warblers and Ickys. Had brief views of 1 Icky in Crown car park Tuesday on arrival and a possible Marsh with it and good views of 2 Marsh Warblers, behind Cliff Farm Tuesday and the showy one at Sammy's Friday (still there today). Had good week in bagging male Red-spotted Bluethroat, Golden Oriole in flight several times most days, Ortolan, mostly in flight, 4 male Red-backed Shrikes, 2 Grey-headed Wags, Pied Fly and numerous Spotted Flys, etc, etc. Dipped on RB Fly, no chance of Rosefinch or Serin but cracking Spring birding nevertheless. Heard Bee-eater yesterday.

One local birder I know there just wanders the Point on his own regardless of whats found (no doubt with some exception) and found 2 Bluethroats (one on road driving down!) Thrush Nightingale at Chalk Bank, Quail, to name but a few. I definitely think he has the best system! ;)

Word of warning, those Brown-tail Moth caterpillars really do give you grief, I have a neck like Carlos Tevez at the moment and itch virtually everywhere imaginable. The drizzle on Tuesday prevented their hairs from flying around but now things have dried up, not so! :C

Rule of thumb I always follow - when you see a crowd, walk the other way. i remember at Spurn years ago, in a crowd waiting for a Golden Oriole to pop up. Stood there for about an hour. Nobody noticed the RF Falcon meandering about overhead....

I heard a 'rumour' that there was no Bee-eater at Spurn yesterday, just a Marsh Warbler showing off its mimicry skills!!!! Possibly quite well????!!!!!!!!!!......................

Deffo was Bee-eater overhead! Was there when heard and when that was suggested and was quickly ruled out as the Marsh Warbler wasn't singing when the Bee-eater was heard if I recall correctly. The Bee-eater was definitely overhead when heard above the low cloud, hence not seen. One was also heard only a few hours earlier well away from the Marsh Warbler!

Seems every man and his dog is congregating on spurn. Spent a productive afternoon there, getting most of my target birds. Decided before i went which areas i would cover. Got marsh warbler thanks to the keen eyed/eared crowd. (dipped ortolan). missed two night jars that had been flushed by ten and one minute respectively. Got RB shrikes near canal scrape. (been bombing round the field for several days). Got lucky with the oriole at post 61. got a cheeky whinchat and little tern on way back to car. And finished with a good walk around the point. lots of birds but only a possible fleeting glimpse of a yellow backside as i tried to dodge all the hairy caterpillars. (looked like some might be garden tiger moths - wooley bears). great day had.

mark.

Do you know how long/well the Monty showed?

Fly over

Spurn
 

Well great views of a very showy Marsh Warbler @ Sammy’s, best I seen since the breeding pair at Burniston in’99. Good male Hen Harrier at Peter’s Lane, distant female Montagu’s Harrier from Sammy’s (but the more pointed hand & structure well noted) Nice Osprey over the ‘Crown’ Spotted fly’s, female Black Red & plenty of Yellow Wagtails. 3 Harrier day with a male Marsh between Goole & North Cave from the car on the way in…

_____________________________
Daz

Must admit to being more than a tad jealous of you lucky beggar's at Spurn and neighbourhood today.

Osprey! - Close to 40 Yorkshire records now this Spring (per Birdguides) - would have loved that. Still a much quieter day than of late, and I'm left thinking do I go tomorrow or not? If the Marsh Warbler comes through I may give it a blast, but effectively that's the only draw.

I was on stand-by car keys at the ready for a blast up to North Gare for the Great Snipe this afty, but nothing materialised.

[quote=Lawts;1210770]Osprey![quote]


You shoulda been here ten minutes ago... that's how close I was.

Spent time at Spurn yesterday with Julie AKA "Jay Jay", met Jim AKA jtw521, and Birdy Boy AKA John. 1st Target was the "Orange Bucket" and the Marsh Warbler. Marsh Warblers are fantastic mimicks, kept hearing Bee Eaters!!! No sign of the Golden Oriole, so we wandered back too the Crown & Anchor where John headed off to Beacon Ponds, and Julie, Angie (wife) and myself headed down the Canal. Angie and Julie got views of a calling Cuckoo, and a Short Eared Owl was spotted on the Humber side of the Canal. Followed the SEO and got good views whilst it was sat on the shore, unfortunatly it was mobbed by a crow, and took off, last viewed heading south.

Lunch, was the next target, so we headed to the Blue Bell cafe, on route I managed to catch up with a bird that I have been hoping to capture with the camera "A Sedge Warbler" I appreciate they are not rare/scare but I keep missing them.......Bingo mission accomplished.

Following Lunch we sat outside the Blue Bell Cafe waiting for Angie and a Monty's flew over, then we headed back to Sammies Point to see if the Golden Oriole was there (no a sniff) however we did connect with a female Redstart. Whilst watching the Marsh Warbler, a Osprey Flew over.

It was soon time to call it a day, a report of a Turtle Dove was reported at Rose Cottage, so we headed back to the Crown & Anchor, Angie and myself said our goodbys to Julie and headed home.

Bird count for the day, 48 (ish) can not remember but Julie kept the list...Did you get the Turtle Dove????

One more of the SEO

Seems I chose the wrong day for Spurn, much more about today.

Headed back to Spurn as Nightingale Thrush & Redbacked Shrikes reported. No sign of Nightingale Thrush, Red Backed Shrikes distance, managed a few record shots.

Still aching after yesterday, still I got many year ticks and a number of lifers, Marsh, Hen and Montys Harriers, LEO, Little Terns in courtship display, Cuckoos, Spotted Flys, black redstart,no caterpillar rash and a large stone containing a cluster of ammonites. Rarity find of the day was a 1989 United biscuits calendar perfectly preserved by lamination. Rounded off a good week.

Anyone going should try make some time for the waders from the hide at Clhalk bank, loads there at high tide, most in the full range of colours.

What about the terek sandpiper? I see it is still being supressed...