[James Thomas]

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.

[Chris-Leeds]

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.

[Lawts]

Originally Posted by darrenward

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

_____________________
Daz

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!

[skink1978]

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!

[James Thomas]

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

Not Yorkshire birds are they though?

[skink1978]

Originally Posted by jtw521

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.

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

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

[Hotspur]

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)

[Dicky Ticker]

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!

[KnockerNorton]

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

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!

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....

[schiffornis]

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

[b][b][b][b]Heard Bee-eater yesterday.

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????!!!!!!!!!!......................

[Dicky Ticker]

Originally Posted by schiffornis

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!

[knocker7800]

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.

[Lawts]

Originally Posted by knocker7800

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?

[birdieboy123]

Originally Posted by Lawts

Do you know how long/well the Monty showed?

Fly over

[darrenward]

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

[Keith Dickinson]

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

[Lawts]

Originally Posted by darrenward

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

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.

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

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


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

[davidtucker]

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????

[davidtucker]

One more of the SEO

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

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

[davidtucker]

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

[James Thomas]

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.

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Originally Posted by jtw521

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...