July 2009

Sea/migration watches 07.20 – 09.05, 17.00 – 21.00. A fine, dry and sunny morning with light winds from the SE, cloud building during the day and the wind moderating.

Most activity was over the sea and included (birds moving south unless stated) 36 Common Scoter + 24 N, 6 Manx Shearwater N, 1 Marsh Harrier in off, 100 Oystercatcher, 38 Knot, 96 Whimbrel, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and a few other common waders in single figures; 1 Arctic Skua passed and in the tern roost movement there were 2 Little Tern, 687 Sandwich Tern, 2132 Common Tern and 12 Arctic Tern. 1 Swift, 36 Sand Martin and 4 House Martins were the only other birds moving south. 2 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Stonechat, a Wheatear, single Sedge, Reed and Garden Warblers were all at the Warren and 8 Willow Warblers were in the area. 1 Curlew Sandpiper was on the Humber with large numbers of Knot and Dunlin.

There was a large invasion of hoverflies well into the thousands and also butterflies were out in good numbers including 300 Painted Ladies and 400 Peacocks.

A blustery day with regular heavy showers and a force 4+ westerly for most of the day with some thunder thrown in for good measure.

Most of the action was south at sea with 7 Wigeon, 13 Teal, 1 Tufted Duck, 10 Eider N, 128 Common Scoter (91 S), 1 Goosander, a Great Crested Grebe on the sea, 31 Fulmar (25 S), 125 Manx Shearwater (110 S), 229 Gannet (190 S), 44 Oystercatcher, 76 Knot, 195 Sanderling, 315 Dunlin, a Ruff came in, 1 Snipe, 98 Black-tailed Godwit, 11 Bar-tailed Godwit, 78 Whimbrel, 42 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 38 Turnstone, 4 Arctic Skua, a juvenile Med Gull blogging, tern count south was 9 Little, 1 Black, 370 Sandwich, 2300 Common, 1 Roseate and 53 Arctic Tern.

Other sightings of note were a Cuckoo (Warren), 367 Swift and 40 Sand Martin S, 3 Yellow Wagtail, single Sedge, Garden and Wood Warbler at the Warren, 5 Willow Warbler and a Treecreeper at the Point.

A dull day weather wise with constant heavy showers and poor visibility saying that most of the action was over the sea with 2 Teal, 1 Mallard, 11 Tufted Duck, 128 Common Scoter, a Balearic Shearwater N at 13.00, all waders south with 89 Oystercatcher, 140 Knot, 33 Sanderling, 18 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Whimbrel plus 7 in, 8 Redshank, 15 Turnstone, 5 Arctic Skua were blogging 3 chased a Lapwing that was coming in and tried to knock it into the sea, a Med Gull S, 1050 Sandwich Tern, 773 Common Tern.

Elsewhere of note were a Little Egret, a Spotted Redshank, (Humber), 2 Greenshank (Clubley’s), 773 Swift, 14 Sand Martin and 100 Swallow S and a Willow Warbler at the Warren.

Sunny spells to start with then full cloud cover and rain with a stiff SW wind, a good count of terns in the evening plus a few arrivals about.

Heading south today were 25 Oystercatcher, 7 Knot, 38 Dunlin, 17 Whimbrel plus 1 in, 3 Arctic Skua, 2 juvenile Med Gull, 4 LBB Gull, 3 Kittiwake, 1014 Sandwich Tern, 755 Common Tern, 7 Arctic Tern, 116 Swift, 28 Sand Martin, 7 House Martin. Elsewhere of note were a Little Egret (Humber), 2 Curlew Sandpiper (Chalk Bank), a Cuckoo (Wire Dump), 100 House Martin (Triangle), a Sedge Warbler (Church Field), a Reed Warbler (Point), a Willow Warbler (Church Field).

Migrant moths in the MV’s were 5 Diamond-back Moth and 95 Silver Y.

Light rain most of the morning then clearing with just the odd torrential thunderstorm, not ideal for bird watching.

Of note today was 3 Teal S, a Tufted Duck N, 32 Common Scoter a CORY’S SHEARWATER N ay 08.15,158 Gannet, a Marsh Harrier S, 21 Oystercatcher S, 20 Sanderling S, 6 Black-tailed Godwit and 24 Whimbrel S, 5 Arctic Skua, 2 juvenile Med Gull S, a Cuckoo (Chalk Bank), 61 Swift S, 57 Sand Martin and 65 Swallow S, 4 Yellow Wagtail, a Wheatear (Beacon Lane), 4 Willow Warbler.

Moths of note were 2 Diamond-back Moth, 1 Willow Ermine and 53 Silver Y

A cloudy day with rain by late afternoon and a fresh SW wind, some more wader passage at sea but little else of note.

On the move south was 3 Teal, a Hobby, 538 Oystercatcher, 212 Knot, 94 Sanderling, 123 Dunlin, 122 Whimbrel plus 2 in, 64 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 31 Turnstone, 34 Swift and 200 Swallow. Elsewhere of note 85 Common Scoter (80 N, 5 S), 17 Manx Shearwater (14 N), 7 Kestrel, 220 Sanderling and a Curlew Sandpiper (Chalk Bank), 2 Arctic Skua, an adult Med Gull (Humber), 421 Common Tern S, 80 Swallow, 4 Yellow Wagtail and 8 Willow Warbler.

Today saw the 1st Brown Argus of the year in Church Field and immigrant moths in the traps were 6 Diamond-back Moth, 4 Willow Ermine, 1 Evergestis extimalis and 74 Silver Y.

A week of thundery showers and mainly SW winds producing some good numbers of birds heading south mainly waders and hirundines. The 19th saw thundery showers and a force 4 SW with southerly movement being 15 Shelduck, 2 Tufted Duck, a Marsh Harrier, 40 Oystercatcher, 11 Lapwing plus 1 in, 98 Knot plus 130 in, 52 Sanderling plus 13 in, 78 Dunlin plus 7 in, 74 Whimbrel plus 13 in, 9 Redshank plus 14 in, a Greenshank in, a Snipe in, a Green Sandpiper in, 7 Turnstone, 64 Swift plus 12 N, 50 Sand Martin, 1 Flava Wagtail. Elsewhere of note were 15 Manx Shearwater N, 2500 Knot, 3 Curlew Sandpiper, 3500 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 30 Whimbrel, 400 Redshank on the Humber, 2 Common Sandpiper all over the Triangle area, an Arctic Skua blogging, an adult Med and Yellow-legged Gull (Humber), a Black Redstart (Point), 3 Crossbill (Kew).

A brighter day on the 20th after some showers had cleared, on the move south were 1 Shoveler, 20 Oystercatcher, 65 Knot, 25 Sanderling, 61 Dunlin, 63 Whimbrel, 3 Turnstone, 131 Swift, 350 Sand Martin and 11 Starling. Elsewhere of note were a Little Egret (Humber), a Black-tailed Godwit came in, a Curlew Sandpiper, 3000 Dunlin, 18 Whimbrel and 2 Greenshank (Humber), a Common Sandpiper (Chalk Bank), a Arctic Skua S, a Kingfisher (Beacon Lane), 5 Yellow Wagtail blogging, 2 Willow Warbler, a Siskin u-turned back N.

The 21st was a day that started bright but soon clouded up giving showers in a stiffening SE wind of note today were 3 Tufted Duck S, 5 Manx Shearwater, 392 Gannet (321 N), a Water Rail (Canal Scrape), 21 Oystercatcher, 42 Knot and 34 Sanderling S, a Snipe, 2 Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper (Humber), 2 Little Gull blogging, 62 Common Tern, 12 Arctic Tern S, 7 Swift (5 S), 95 Sand Martin and 62 Swallow S, a Tree Pipit (Warren), 8 Flava Wagtail (4 S), 2 Black Redstart (Point/Warren) both juveniles, a Grasshopper Warbler (Chalk Bank) and a Reed Warbler (Church Field).

Wednesday the 22nd saw more showers and sunny spells in a stiff SW more southerly passage with 18 Teal, 4 Tufted Duck, 129 Common Scoter plus 16 N, 374 Oystercatcher including a ringed albino bird, 227 Knot plus 104 in, 259 Whimbrel plus 39 in, 41 Curlew, 2 Greenshank, 41 Turnstone, 776 Swift, 131 Sand Martin, 5 Swallow, 1 Yellow Wagtail. Of notable sightings were single Curlew Sandpiper and Greenshank (Humber), a Tree Pipit (Point), a Black Redstart (Warren), a Willow Warbler (Church field).

Less showers on Thursday 23rd and more birds south with a Great Crested Grebe, 12 Manx Shearwater, 23 Oystercatcher, 3 Grey Plover, 536 Knot plus 42 in, 211 Sanderling, 263 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 118 Whimbrel, 104 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 49 Turnstone, 28 Little Tern, 500 Sandwich Tern, 200 Common Tern, 35 Arctic Tern, 662 Swift, 1681 Sand Martin, 193 Swallow, 5 Meadow Pipit, 7 Flava Wagtail. Also of note were 2 Little Egret (Humber), 4 Kestrel, a Curlew Sandpiper and 40 Little Tern (Chalk Bank), a Black Redstart (Point), a Reed Warbler (Church Field), a Chiffchaff (Point), 2 Willow Warbler (Warren) and a Corn Bunting u-turned back N.

On 24th thunder and lightening in the afternoon after plenty of morning sunshine and a gusty SW windless southerly passage with a Marsh Harrier, 56 Oystercatcher, 90 Knot, 52 Sanderling, 17 Whimbrel plus 12 in, 21 Redshank, 3 Common Sandpiper, 10 Turnstone, 37 Swift, 1670 Sand Martin, 105 Swallow, 11 House Martin, 3 Yellow and 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Corn Bunting. Other note worthy sightings were 2 Little Egret (Humber), 6500 Knot, 3 Curlew Sandpiper (Chalk Bank), 150 Swift, 60 Swallow, 2 Yellow Wagtail all blogging, a Reed Warbler (Church Field), a Willow Warbler (Warren).

Saturday 25th dawned mostly sunny with just a few clouds about with a decreasing swinging wind, notable sightings were 2 Little Egret (Humber), 7 Kestrel, a Merlin blogging, a Peregrine S, 63 Oystercatcher S, 9000 Knot, 310 Sanderling, 3 Curlew Sandpiper, 4000 Dunlin and a Greenshank (Humber), a Green Sandpiper blogging, 430 Sandwich Tern, 2 juvenile Cuckoo (Wire Dump/Warren), 150 Swallow S plus 80 blogging, 4 Stonechat (Point), migrant warblers were 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 8 Willow Warbler whilst late on group of 18 Crossbill were seen flying up river.

This week’s moth news started with a late record from the 16th with a 2nd for Yorkshire of an Acrolpiopsis betulella the other record was 1885. the rest of the news were of the usual suspects apart from a Dewick’s Plusia on 19th, with the best counts of immagrants being 147 Silver Y (20th), a 1st for Spurn with Cnephasia genitalana 36 Diamond-back Moth and 494 Silver Y (21st), 38 Diamond-back Moth and 222 Silver Y (22nd), single Willow Ermine, Rush Veneer and Dark Sword Grass and 131 Silver Y (24th).

This week mainly featured wader movements with a few oddities keeping interest going. A breezy week with plenty of showers some rather heavy. Sunday began with a few waders heading S including 38 Oystercatcher, 18 Dunlin, 15 Whimbrel whilst on the Humber a Curlew Sandpiper was at Chalk Bank but late in the evening a partially summer plumaged Grey Phalarope was seen off the New Road, also of note was a Puffin N and 450 Swift S.

Monday was rather quiet with 2 Curlew Sandpiper and 81 Little Tern (Chalk Bank), 4000 Dunlin, a Greenshank and a Med Gull on the Humber. A better day on Tuesday with S passage being 35 Teal, 58 Common Scoter, 35 Knot, 5 Whimbrel, 8 Curlew, 47 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 85 Swift, 513 Sand Martin, 1 Tree Pipit, 6 Yellow Wagtail whilst a Med Gull and 2 Yellow-legged Gull were on the Humber.

Wednesday was probably the best day of the week with S passage producing 28 Shelduck, 1 Gadwall, 64 Teal, 1 Pochard, 10 Tufted Duck, 193 Common Scoter plus 61 N, 19 Manx Shearwater plus 5 N, 19 Oystercatcher, 2 Lapwing plus 2 in, 729 Knot plus 67 in, 229 Sanderling, a Purple Sandpiper, 520 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 115 Whimbrel, 24 Curlew, 457 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 21 Turnstone, 4 Arctic Tern, 888 Swift, 406 Sand Martin, 3 Flava Wagtail and 2 Jackdaw. Other notable sightings were a Hobby blogging, 80 Curlew, 600 Redshank and 2 Greenshank (Humber), a Med Gull, 4 Little Gull came in, 104 House Martin (Triangle).

Thursday numbers dropped of with the highlight being 2 Storm Petrel trapped in the early hours, a Brent Goose (Chalk Bank), a Little Egret (Humber), 1200 Golden Plover, 71 Whimbrel (28 S, 30 in), the Med Gull (Humber), a Turtle Dove (Gate), 162 Sand Martin S, 6 Yellow Wagtail S, 4 Stonechat (Point), a Wheatear (Middle Camp) and a Chiffchaff (Point). Still some light passage on Friday with 1 Teal, 9 Tufted Duck, 93 Oystercatcher, 56 Knot plus 48 in, 76 Whimbrel plus 11 in, a Wood Sandpiper came in, 199 Swift, 8 Sand Martin and 15 Swallow. Other birds of note were an Arctic Skua S, 3 Yellow Wagtail, a Grasshopper Warbler (Chalk Bank), single Chiffchaff and the 1st juvenile Willow Warbler of the autumn.

Saturday saw more passage at sea with a Cory's Shearwater N at 11.20 being the obvious bird of the week, movers S were a Wigeon, 30 Teal, 21 Manx Shearwater plus 13 N, 680 Gannet, 345 Oystercatcher, 280 Knot, 127 Sanderling, 64 Dunlin, 444 Whimbrel, 28 Turnstone, 4 Arctic Skua, 75 Sandwich Tern, 39 Common Tern, 17 Arctic Tern, 70 Swift. Other sightings were a Little Egret, 3 Curlew Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper (Humber), 2 Wheatear (Chalk Bank), 3 juvenile Grasshopper Warbler (Canal Zone), 2 Crossbill at Kew

This weeks insect news concerns a large influx of White butterflies on the 16th with 900 Small and 500 Large both counts being an underestimation, migrant moths in the MV’s included on the 13th 8 Diamond-back Moth, a Bird-cherry Ermine, 2 Dark Sword Grass and 56 Silver Y, on the 15th an Oak Nycteoline the 4th record for Spurn. 56 Diamond-back Moth, 52 Silver Y on 16th, an Evergestis extimalis and 21 Silver Y on 17th, whilst the 18th saw a large increase with 80 Diamond-back Moth, 2 Rush Veneer, a Mere Wainscot, a Dark Sword Grass and 1148 Silver Y. Late micro news a Coleophora coracipennella on the 2nd was new for Spurn and VC 61, a Goniodoma limoniella on the 4th was a 2nd record for Spurn and on the 8th Batrachedra pinicolella was new for VC 61.

With the wind coming from the NW most of the week it was no surprise it was rather quiet, with the highlights on the 5th being a Storm Petrel trapped overnight, a few waders S with 6 Whimbrel, 28 Redshank and a Wood Sandpiper, 3 Med Gulls were on the Humber along with 40 Little Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull, 1400 Swift S, a Great Spotted Woodpecker blogging, 158 Sand Martin and 14 House Martin S and a Willow Warbler (Point).

The 6th saw more wader passage with 62 Oystercatcher, 5 Dunlin, 8 Whimbrel, 5 Curlew, 31 Redshank all S, whilst elsewhere of note a Teal came in, 7 Lapwing, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank (Humber) and a Green Sandpiper blogging, an Arctic Tern went out, 1465 Swift S, the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Kew), 168 Sand Martin, 5 Yellow Wagtail (3 S), a Blackcap (Warren).

The 8th saw very little with a Med Gull and 2 Yellow-legged Gull (Humber), 2 Grey Wagtail (Crown) and 2 Stonechat (Point)

More sea watching on the 9th with 21 Common Scoter, 8 Fulmar 33 Manx Shearwater (32 N), a Storm Petrel N, 646 Gannet (542 N), 28 Oystercatcher, 9 Whimbrel and 2 Common Sandpiper S, single Arctic Skua and Bonxie N, 214 Kittiwake N, 2 Puffin N, elsewhere 41 Swift S, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Kew), 4 Yellow Wagtail, a Grey Wagtail S, a Chiffchaff (Warren) and a Crossbill at the Blue Bell.

The 10th saw wader numbers building with 3000 Dunlin and 204 Redshank (Humber), a Bonxie went N, a Willow Warbler (Church Field) and Crossbill numbers went up to 7 with 6 at Kew before heading of N and yesterdays bird near the Blue Bell.

Saturday the 11th was rather quiet with a pale-bellied Brent Goose (Chalk Bank), a Little Egret (Humber), 140 Golden Plover, 3600 Dunlin, 19 Whimbrel, a Yellow-legged Gull (Humber), a Cuckoo (Warren), 3 Yellow Wagtail (1 S), a Grey Wagtail S, 3 juvenile Stonechat (Point), 2 Wheatear (Middle Camp), and the Crossbill was at South Field Farm

Migrant moths were in force early on in the week with 625 Diamond-back Moth, 6 Bird-cherry Ermine, 2 Spindle Ermine, 2 Willow Ermine, a Gold Spangle, a Delicate and 11 Silver Y on the 5th, the numbers dropped after that with 211 Diamond-back Moth, 2 Bird-cherry Ermine, a Dark Sword Grass and 5 Silver Y on the 6th. 31 Silver Y on the 7th was notable which grew to 83 Silver Y, 24 Diamond-back Moth and 2 Dark Sword Grass on the 8th, with more again on the 9th with 159 Diamond-back Moth, 1 Bird-cherry Ermine, 1 Dark Sword Grass and 58 Silver Y