October 2009

An all day watch from the sea-watching hut from 06.55 – 16.35. Rain at first light which cleared leaving some light drizzle and misty conditions, the sun hardly showed all day and the wind was a light SSE-SW.

It was a superb days birding and even the non vizmiggers couldn't help but be enthralled by the incredible (by Spurns standards) wildfowl passage. Three records were smashed: 2540 Wigeon (previously 1515 set in October 2005); 76 Goldneye (previously 62 in November 2000); and 46 Red-breasted Merganser (previously 19 set in October 1989), all the regular species of duck were recorded moving south except for Goosander and many also in good numbers: 303 Brent Geese, 62 Shelduck, 26 Gadwall, 1020 Teal, 9 Mallard, 26 Pintail, 20 Shoveler, 62 Pochard, 40 Tufted Duck, 1 Scaup, 32 Eider, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 184 Common Scoter, and 3 Velvet Scoter. Waders were also moving in very good numbers for the time of year: 15 Grey Plover, 460 Lapwing in and south, 338 Knot, 2 Sanderling, 1477 Dunlin, 5 Snipe, 51 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Curlew, 2 Redshank, 4 Turnstone.

There was another good arrival of thrushes with most moving off shortly after arriving: 1740 Blackbird, 70 Fieldfare, 23 Song Thrush, 3200 Redwing and 2 Mistle Thrush, while other birds coming in off or moving south were 3 Woodcock, 20 Little Gull, 186 Black-headed Gull, 1 Short-eared Owl, 61 Skylark (most in off), 7 Meadow Pipit, 2 Rock Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 3400 Starling, 98 Siskin, 23 Twite, 3 Lesser Redpoll and 2 Reed Bunting.

The highlight of the grounded birds was a Little Bunting found mid afternoon in Canal Hedge, it was last seen as it dropped down into the saltmarsh off the gate, other migrants included 7 Woodcock, 4 Jack Snipe, 1 Kingfisher, 13 Stonechat, 1 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 5 Brambling and 1 Mealy Redpoll.

An all day watch from the sea-watching hut from 06.40 – 16.35. A cool, foggy morning with visibility down to 1 mile at times, a clear spell around the middle of the day then mist moving in again in the afternoon, a force 3 SSE-SE wind all day.

There was a good southerly passage of ducks and steady flow of waders during the day giving the following totals: 12 Brent Geese, 4 Shelduck, 463 Wigeon, 475 Teal, 30 Mallard, 28 Pintail, 19 Shoveler, 12 Pochard, 8 Tufted Duck, 9 Scaup, 4 Eider, 274 Common Scoter, 25 Goldeneye, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Red-throated Diver, 6 Little Egret, 18 Golden Plover in, 74 Lapwing in, 23 Knot, 81 Dunlin, 1 Woodcock in, 5 Curlew, 2 Redshank.

There was an arrival of thrushes again this time on a smaller scale than earlier in the week but still 160 Blackbird (including two foreign controls from Holland and Germany and within 10 minutes of each other), 77 Fieldfare, 12 Song Thrush, 1430 Redwing, while other migrant totals today included 10 Woodcock, 2 Moorhen at the Point, a Woodlark at the Point early morning which flew off south, 15 Skylark S, a Tree Pipit sp at the Point early morning, 7 Rock Pipit, 1 Black Redstart, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Siberian Chiffchaff at the Point, 1 Goldcrest, 230 Starling came in off and 275 flew south, 9 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, 7 Siskin, 4 Redpoll and 1 Snow Bunting.

Other birds of note included 4 Sparrowhawk, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 3 Water Rail, 1 Jack Snipe on Canal Scrape.

Migration watches from the sea-watching hut 06.50 – 12.15, 13.30 – 15.45. A misty start but soon clearing to leave a very warm and sunny day with broken clouds, a light S-SSE wind.

It was another morning of steady southerly passage: 665 Pink-footed Geese, 1 Greylag Goose, 72 Wigeon, 47 Common Scoter, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Bonxie, 40 Stock Dove, 6 Wood Pigeon, 204 Skylark, 1 Swallow, 126 Meadow Pipit, 24 Rock Pipit, 8 Grey Wagtail, 8 alba Wagtail, 5 Rook, 315 Tree Sparrow, 65 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, 89 Greenfinch, 89 Goldfinch, 179 Siskin, 36 Linnet, 45 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Crossbill , 2 Lapland Bunting, 2 Snow Bunting, 16 Reed Bunting.

Other birds of note included 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 3 Water Rail, 2 Jack Snipe, 1 Black Redstart, 11 Stonechat, 67 Blackbird, 35 Fieldfare, 27 Redwing, 2 Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaff, the Siberian Chiffchaff again at the Point in the Black Poplars, 3 Goldcrest, a Firecrest at the Crown, 7 Long-tailed Tit, and a Brambling.

North of the area a Black Redstart was in Kilnsea.

Migration watches from the sea-watching hut and Point 06.40 – 11.25, 13.30 – 15.30. A very warm and sunny day with broken clouds, a light SW wind veered W before dropping off completely in the afternoon.

There was no sign of the Red-flanked Bluetail although that means nothing, also no sign of the Red-rumped Swallows, but the Richard's Pipit was again in the field at the north end of Beacon Lane. Grounded migrants were few and far between and included 2 Woodcock, 2 Swallow, 14 Stonechat, 90 Blackbird, 1 Ring Ouzel,120 Fieldfare, 9 Song Thrush, 90 Redwing, 1 Blackcap, 11 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, 7 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Brambling, 1 Snow Bunting.

There was a steady southerly passage of birds, mainly Skylarks (425) and finches: 420 Pink-footed Geese + 229 NW, 2 Kestrel, 5 Snipe in, 1 Stock Dove, 91 Wood Pigeon, 2 House Martin, 157 Meadow Pipit, 25 Rock Pipit, 13 alba Wagtail, 442 Starling in, 85 Tree Sparrow, 28 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, 79 Greenfinch, 129 Goldfinch, 184 Siskin, 81 Linnet, 5 Twite, 80 Lesser Redpoll, 4 Snow Bunting, 38 Reed Bunting.

Other birds of note included 2 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Peregrine, 4 Water Rail, an Avocet at Chalk Bank, 2 Jack Snipe. 12 Whooper Swans were in fields between Kilnsea and Easington and a Crossbill flew south over Easington.

An all day migration watch from various points along the peninsula, from 06.30 – 16.30. A drizzly, misty start with low cloud and a fresh SE wind to start, becoming more southerly and cloud definition noticed mid afternoon.

The Red-flanked Bluetail showed well for a few people by the heligoland trap at the Point late morning but wasn't seen in the afternoon. A nice surprise was two 1st year Red-rumped Swallows feeding around the Blue Bell late afternoon, a Siberian Chiffchaff was in the Point dunes and very vocal. The highlight of the day though was the migration of thrushes through the area which started at dawn and birds were still going over after dark. It was difficult to get accurate counts as they were coming in all the way down the peninsula and many were going straight west so the totals are very conservative ones: 4 Ring Ouzel, 1750+ Blackbird, 8500+ Fieldfare, 8300+ Redwing, 20 Song Thrush, other migrants seen included 4 Woodcock, 6 Skylark S, 1 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 25 Meadow Pipit S, 5 Rock Pipit, 4 Grey Wagtail, 20 Robin, 11 Stonechat, 1 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 64 Brambling, 1 Bullfinch, 23 Siskin, 6 Twite, 13 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Yellowhammer.

Other birds of note included 2 Pintail, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Scaup, 4 Red-breasted Merganser, 8 Red-throated Diver, 1 Shag, 2 Merlin, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Mediterranean Gull.

North of the area the Richard's Pipit was again in the field at the top of Beacon Lane, which also had Woodcock and Ring Ouzel, with 1000 Little Gulls seen in one flock off the gas terminal in the evening.

Sea/migration watch 06.40 – 11.00. Generally a cloudy day with only a brief showing of the sun, a fresh NW wind eased as the day wore on and shifted to the north by late afternoon.

The surprise of the day was finding last weeks Red-flanked Bluetail in the trapping area of the heligoland trap at the Point first thing, a week to the day since it was last seen! It was seen again mid-afternoon the the jetty side of the Point. It was a very interesting morning for birds moving, most were moving north-west along the peninsula after probably coming in somewhere south of the Warren. The most unusual were 12 Bullfinches in three flocks which left the Warren north-west, other totals of birds moving were 217 Pink-footed Geese, 20 Wigeon, 2 Teal, 2 Eider, 50 Common Scoter, 1 Goldeneye, 2 Goosander, 25 Red-throated Diver, 3 Sparrowhawk, 3 Lapwing, 1 Arctic Skua, 13 Stock Dove, 10 Wood Pigeon, 37 Skylark, 5 Swallow, 45 Meadow Pipit, 37 Rock Pipit, 8 alba Wagtail, 100+ Fieldfare, 28 Redwing, 1 Mistle Thrush, 425 Tree Sparrow, 15 Chaffinch, 16 Goldfinch, 31 Siskin, 3 Linnet, 7 Reed Bunting.

Other migrants today included 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 House Martin, 10 Stonechat, 70 Blackbird, 25 Redwing, 1 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 1 Firecrest, 3 Brambling, 2 Twite.

A Richard's Pipit was found late on at the north end of Beacon Lane and the Yellow-browed Warbler was still at the gas terminal.

Sea/migration watch 06.40 – 14.50. Broken clouds and bright for most of the day with some short sharp showers in the afternoon.

It was a good day for passage today and bird recorded (mostly going south) were: 19 Whooper Swan + 5 on the Humber and 1 on the sea, 3 Pink-footed Geese, 3 Greylag Geese, 7 Brent Geese, 20 Wigeon, 7 Teal, 1 Shoveler, 7 Common Scoter, 3 Velvet Scoter, 1 Goldeneye, 1 Goosander, 1 Great Northern Diver, 4 Cormorant, 1 Marsh Harrier +1 blogging around, 1 Hen Harrier, 1 Lapwing, 1 Snipe in, 8 Little Gull, 354 Herring Gull, 4 Stock Dove, 18 Wood Pigeon, 1 Woodlark as far as south end of Beacon Lane then lost but may have cut out, 174 Skylark, 6 Swallow, 61 Meadow Pipit, 71 Rock Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 9 alba Wagtail, 95 Starling, 450 Tree Sparrow, 22 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, 340 Goldfinch, 484 Siskin, 212 Linnet, 3 Twite, 94 Lesser Redpoll and 5 Reed Bunting.

Grounded birds included 3 Jack Snipe, 1 Redstart, 10 Redwing, 2 Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaff, 2 Firecrest (Point and Crown and Anchor), 150 Tree Sparrow, 10 Siskin.

North of the area the Yellow-browed Warbler was still at the gas site, a Long-eared and Short-eared Owl were seen in Easington and also a Black Redstart and a Wheatear.

Sea-watch 07.45 – 08.50. A cloudy day with occasional light showers but cleared in the early evening, an increasing force 2-5 SE-W wind.

The best birds were north of the area again with a Corncrake flushed just south of Beacon Ponds hide and the Yellow-browed Warbler still at the gas terminal. Highlights in the recording area were 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Merlin, 3 Jack Snipe, 3 Sandwich Tern, 1 Grey Wagtail, a Black Redstart, 14 Stonechat, a Ring Ouzel at the Point, 23 Redwing, 4 Chiffchaff, 12 Goldcrest, 3 Firecrest, 3 Brambling, 38 Siskin, 20 Lesser Redpoll and 3 Yellowhammer.

Migrants caught in the moth traps included a White Spot, a Scarce Bordered Straw, a Rush Veneer and 2 Silver Y.s.

Sea/ migration watch 07.30 – 14.00. A murky day, overcast with low cloud in a force 2-3 S wind.

The best birds today were seen at the Point, a Woodlark flew south off the Point at about 9am and a Richard's Pipit was flushed from the outer dunes and flew off north but wasn't relocated. There were at least 4 Firecrests ( 2 Church to Crown area, 1 post 59 and 1 at the Point), a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Redstart were seen north of the area at the Gas Terminal. Other migrants today included 1 Woodcock, a Tree Pipit sp but probably a Tree flew north over the gate, 1 Black Redstart in the Triangle, 23 Stonechat, 100+ Blackbird, 47 Fieldfare, 13 Song Thrush, 80 Redwing, 1 Mistle Thrush, 6 Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaff, 14 Goldcrest, 15 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, and 42 Reed Bunting.

The only birds of note moving over the sea were 8 Eider, but a good passage of finches and Skylarks started up mid-morning: 1 Snipe in, 8 Black-tailed Godwit in, 195 Skylark, 2 Sand Martin, 1 Swallow, 2 House Martin, 49 Meadow Pipit, 30 Rock Pipit, 2 Grey Wagtail, 10 alba Wagtail, 10 Tree Sparrow, 12 Chaffinch, 26 Greenfinch, 57 Goldfinch, 407 Siskin, 35 Linnet, 1 Twite, 87 Redpoll, 8 Snow Bunting, 2 Reed Bunting and 1 Corn Bunting.

Other birds of note included 2 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 4 Water Rail, 2 Jack Snipe.

Sea/ migration watch 07.30 – 10.15, 13.40 – 15.00. A largely cloudy day with some sunny periods, a light to fresh force 2-3 SE-SSE wind.

A few more migrants around than the last couple of days but little of great interest. At least 5 Firecrests were seen (Crown, Beacon Lane, Potato Fields and 2 at the Point) and the Barred Warbler was seen again briefly at the Warren. Other migrants totals were 1 Water Rail flushed from buckthorn on the peninsula + 3 along the Canal, 3 Woodcock, 73 Robin, 1 Black Redstart in the Triangle, 13 Stonechat, 190 Blackbird, 37 Fieldfare, 26 Song Thrush, 250 Redwing, 10 Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat at the Point, 10 Chiffchaff, 23 Goldcrest, 6 Chaffinch, 9 Brambling, 12 Siskin, 40 Reed Bunting and a male Lapland Bunting found dead at Middle Camp.

There were a few birds moving over the sea and overhead, mostly going south: 2 Pink-footed Geese, 22 Brent Geese, 3 Shelduck, 75 Wigeon, 1 Gadwall, 234 Teal, 2 Mallard, 3 Pintail, 2 Shoveler, 4 Pochard, 2 Tufted Duck, 13 Eider, 133 Common Scoter, 3 Goldeneye, 3 Red-throated Diver, 1 Black-throated Diver S, 1 Manx Shearwater, 416 Gannet, 1 Shag, 31 Little Gull, 18 Kittiwake, 32 auk sp, 152 Skylark + 18 in, 2 Swallow, 56 Meadow Pipit + 6 in, 26 Rock Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 alba Wagtail, 31 Fieldfare in, 53 Starling in, 9 Chaffinch, 15 Greenfinch, 48 Goldfinch, 144 Siskin, 17 Linnet, 1 Twite, 18 Redpoll + 1 in, 1 Lapland Bunting and 11 Reed Bunting.

Other birds of note included 5 Little Egret, 4 Sparrowhawk, 2 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 1 Jack Snipe while north of the area a 'Sibe type' Chiffchaff and the first Pied Flycatcher since September was at Easington Gas Terminal.

Sea-watch 07.30 – 10.00. Rain all day which was heavy at times, a fresh SE force 4 wind dropped throughout the day to almost still in the evening.

A Firecrest in the Crown car park was the highlight of the day, otherwise there was an increase in thrushes (186 Blackbird, 8 Fieldfare, 33 Song Thrush, 90 Redwing) and Starlings (5000+ went to roost in the evening), and a few more Chiffchaffs (8) and Goldcrests (12) around. Other birds of note included a very showy Jack Snipe on Canal Scrape, 5 Woodcock, 1 Short-eared Owl, 14 Stonechat, 2 Blackcap, 1 Brambling and 1 Siskin.

The sea was very quiet with just 7 Wigeon, 3 Teal, 1 Tufted Duck, 3 Eider, 4 Common Scoter, 1 Red-throated Diver, 16 Gannet, 7 auk sp., and 5 Skylark in off.

North of the area there was a Woodcock in Easington but little else, lets hope tomorrow brings a few more birds in.

Sea-watch 07.30 – 11.30. A cloudy day with a very strong force 6 gusting 7 SE wind making birding very uncomfortable.

There were hardly any migrants seen in the very blustery conditions, just small numbers of each of the common thrushes, 7 Stonechat, 1 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 11 Goldcrest and 3 Brambling.

There was some activity over the sea but that had stopped by mid-morning: 1 Eider, 28 Common Scoter, 19 Red- throated Diver, 1 Manx Shearwater, 42 Gannet, 2 Arctic Skua, 1 Bonxie, 180 Little Gull, 1 Common Tern, 1371 auk sp and 2 Puffin.

Sea/migration watch 07.15 – 13.30. A cloudy morning but clearing by mid-day to leave a warm sunny afternoon, a light SW-SSW force 3 wind.

The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was seen on the loop path at the Point at around 10 am but wasn't seen afterwards. There were few other migrants around 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 17 Stonechat, 120 Blackbird, 15 Fieldfare, 7 Song Thrush, 72 Redwing, 1 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, 18 Goldcrest and 9 Siskin.

Passage wasn't as good as expected, probably due to bad weather and north and west of us and only produced 32 Pink-footed Geese, 29 Eider, 15 Common Scoter, 99 Skylark, 28 Meadow Pipit, 46 Rock Pipit, 3 Grey Wagtail, 7 alba Wagtail, 8 Rook, 75 Starling, 11 Tree Sparrow, 24 Greenfinch, 132 Goldfinch, 32 Siskin, 9 Linnet, 22 Redpoll, 2 Reed Bunting.

North of the area a Yellow-browed Warbler was at Easington Gas Terminal and the Black Redstart was still by Easington Gas Terminal.

Sea-watch 13.50 – 14.50. A pleasant sunny day with variable cloud cover, a light force 3 W wind.

The highlight today was the confirming of a second RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL which was reported yesterday at the Point, it was seen early morning on the Parade Ground but was very elusive and disappeared for long spells, there may have even been another bird 200 yards to the south but this can't be proved. The bird was caught in the heligoland trap at the Point and shown before being released. There was no sign of the bird on the Canal today.

Other migrants included 1 Jack Snipe, 2 Woodcock, 1 Grey Wagtail, 13 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 110 Blackbird, 8 Song Thrush, 10 Fieldfare, 245 Redwing, 2 Blackcap, the Barred Warbler at the Warren, a Lesser Whitethroat at the Point, 8 Chiffchaff, 14 Goldcrest, 6 Jackdaw (3 'nordic'), 14 Brambling, and 1 Mealy Redpoll.

Some light passage south saw just 105 Pink-footed Geese, the first Little Auk of the year flew north over Chalk Bank, 48 Skylark, 27 Meadow Pipit, 3 Rock Pipit, 270 Starling + 40 in, 8 Greenfinch, 45 Siskin, 49 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Crossbill and 2 Reed Bunting. Other birds of note included 9 Little Egret, 2 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 2 Water Rail, while north of the area there were 10 Bearded Tits at Beacon Ponds, along with a Purple Sandpiper, a Twite and 6 Snow Buntings. A Black Redstart was by the Riverside Hotel.

Migration/sea-watches 07.00 – 09.00, 15.40 – 17.40. Sunny spells with variable cloud cover, a fresh force 4-5 north wind eased as the day wore on.

A superb day when Radde's Warbler was found at Kew in the morning, when it was released birders who were looking it found a RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL - the first record for the Observatory. It also found its way into a net at Kew, it was released into Little Hedge (a fenced off area of bushes in the Triangle) where it could feed without being disturbed, it was seen several times after release feeding there and was last seen about 3pm. Later in the day a day visitor reported another RED- FLANKED BLUETAIL at the Point at around the same time the other was still showing. This was proven on the Sunday morning when one was showing on the Parade Ground – is this the first site in the UK to have 2 Bluetails on the same day?

A Bullfinch in Canal Hedge was the third new bird for the obs year list bringing the total so far this year to 241, while other migrants seen were 3 Jack Snipe, 1 Woodcock, 1 Short-eared Owl at the Point, 4 Rock Pipit, 12 Stonechat, 2 Ring Ouzel, 120 Blackbird, 9 Song Thrush, 58 Fieldfare, 34 Redwing, 4 Blackcap, the Barred Warbler still at the Warren, 7 Chiffchaff, 20 Goldcrest, 4 Jackdaw (at least 1 was a 'continental' bird), 160 Tree Sparrow, 8 Brambling, 3 Siskin, 1 Mealy Redpoll, 25 Lesser Redpoll, 9 Snow Bunting.

A few birds were moving over the sea 2 Wigeon, 4 Tufted Duck, 3 Eider, 13 Common Scoter, 11 Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Diver N, 1 Red-necked Grebe N, 4 Sooty Shearwater, 8 Manx Shearwater, 230 Gannet, 1 Shag, 5 Arctic Skua, 6 Bonxie, 47 Little Gull, 576 Kittiwake, 1 Arctic Tern, 7 Razorbill N.

Sea-watches – 07.10 – 10.40, then on and off all day. A cloudy day with some sunny spells and light rain showers in a very blustery force 6-7 N wind.

It was a good mornings watch over the sea, the highlights being 1 Long-tailed Skua N, 1 Red-necked Grebe N and 1 Long-tailed Duck N, all before 9am, commoner fare were 10 Wigeon,7 Teal, 11 Pintail, 18 Eider, 81 Common Scoter, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 21 Red-throated Diver, 7 Sooty Shearwater, 14 Manx Shearwater, 513 Gannet, 2 Pomarine Skua, 32 Arctic Skua, 21 Bonxie, 9 Little Gull, 1636 Kittiwake, 1 Arctic Tern, 1393 auk sp.

The only other birds of note seen in the blustery conditions included 8 Skylark in, 1 Black Redstart by the Crown, 2 Stonechat, 120+ Blackbird, 4 Fieldfare, 6 Song Thrush, 63 Redwing, 7 Goldcrest, 5 Jackdaw in, 6 Starling in, 5 Brambling and 1 Lesser Redpoll.

A Red Swordgrass was caught overnight.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.10 – 16.00. An overcast, misty day with a glimps of the sun in the afternoon, almost still picking up to a light W which backed SE by late morning.

There were more Starlings and thrushes arriving today, although not as many as yesterday. The daily totals were 300 Blackbird, 880 Redwing, 24 Song Thrush, 12 Fieldfare and at least 2500 Starlings. It was another good day for wildfowl passage, most were coming in from the east and then turning either north or south and just a few continuing west, the totals were 21 Brent Geese, 18 Shelduck, 340 Wigeon, 28 Mallard, 129 Teal, 1 Pintail, 2 Shoveler, 2 Scaup, 4 Tufted Duck, 9 Eider, 103 Common Scoter, 5 Velvet Scoter, 7 Goldeneye, 2 Red-breasted Merganser. Other birds on the move were 7 Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 62 Gannet, 2 Snipe in, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 5 Little Gull, 14 Skylark + 14 in, 81 Meadow Pipit, 51 Rock Pipit + 7 in, 2 Grey Wagtail, 14 alba Wagtail, 2 Jackdaw in, 6 Rook, 3 Chaffinch, 3 Brambling in, 37 Greenfinch, 48 Goldfinch, 10 Siskin, 14 Linnet, 10 Redpoll, 1 Yellowhammer, 7 Reed Bunting.

A Yellow-browed Warbler was still in the Crown car park and the Barred Warbler was still at the Warren, other migrants seen today were 2 Woodcock, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 5 Rock Pipit, 1 Black Redstart, 14 Stonechat, 2 Ring Ouzel, 2 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, 14 Goldcrest, 10 Brambling.

Other birds of note included 6 Little Egret, 2 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 1 Purple Sandpiper. While north of the area a Yellow-browed Warbler was seen on Peter Lane, Easington.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.05 – 12.25, 13.40 – 15.10. An overcast, misty day with a hint of sunshine in the afternoon, still to start with a light southerly wind picking up late morning.

The main feature of the day was the immigration of thrushes and Starlings, mostly Redwings and Blackbirds with a few Fieldfares and Song Thrushes mixed in. Good numbers were coming in and feeding for a short while before carrying on, but there were still at least 1500 Redwings and 200 Blackbirds around Kilnsea in the fields late afternoon. Total estimations of thrushes were as follows 1 Ring Ouzel, 500+ Blackbird, 4900 Redwing, 60 Song Thrush, 70 Fieldfare. At least 4300 Starlings were also recorded coming in off or going south.

There was no sign of the Pallas's Warbler in the Churchyard, but there was a Yellow-browed Warbler there and one at the Point, a new Barred Warbler was seen at post 19 as well at the one by the Warren. Other migrants seen today were 4 Rock Pipit, 1 Black Redstart, 10 Stonechat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 8 Chiffchaff, 14 Goldcrest, 34 Chaffinch, 11 Brambling, 23 Reed Bunting.

There was a good passage of wildfowl in the morning: 18 Brent Geese, 17 Shelduck, 585 Wigeon, 256 Teal, 3 Pintail, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Pochard, 5 Eider, 280 Common Scoter, 13 Goldeneye, 4 Red-breasted Merganser. Other birds over the sea and land moving south were 20 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver N, 213 Gannet, 5 Grey Heron in, 2 Golden Plover in, 1 Bonxie, 1 Long-eared Owl in, 20 Skylark + 20 in, 44 Meadow Pipit, 4 Rock Pipit + 5 in, 4 Grey Wagtail, 9 alba Wagtail, 2 Brambling + 1 in, 23 Greenfinch, 29 Goldfinch, 22 Siskin, 18 Linnet, 1 Redpoll. Other birds of note included Merlin, 3 Water Rail and 1 Arctic Skua on the Humber.

However, the north of the area produced the best birds, a Red-throated Pipit flew off south from Sammy's Point in the afternoon, a Woodlark flew south over the Riding School in Easington, and there were 2 Yellow-browed Warblers in Easington.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.10 – 14.00. A murky start surrounded by mist, remained cloudy all day with just the occasional sunny spell, almost windless occasionally picking up to 1 and moved from the W in the morning to SSE in the afternoon.

The first Pallas's Warbler of the year was found early afternoon in the Churchyard and was still present at dusk, there were two Yellow-browed Warblers in the Crown to Church area, a new Barred Warbler was at the Point as well at the one by the Warren and a new Firecrest was also found at the Point. Other migrant totals for the day included 6 Rock Pipit, 15 Stonechat, 1 Ring Ouzel, 195 Blackbird, 18 Fieldfare, 20 Song Thrush, 180 Redwing, 3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff including the 'eastern type' at the Warren, 12 Goldcrest, 1 Jay over Church Field, 100+ Tree Sparrow, 24 Chaffinch, 22 Brambling, 19 Siskin, 46 Reed Bunting.

Another steady passage in the morning, with quite a good variety of birds coming in off the sea and moving south but in small numbers, all birds south unless stated: 12 Wigeon, 30 Teal, 1 Tufted Duck, 128 Common Scoter, 4 Goldeneye, 3 Red-breasted Merganser, 14 Red-throated Diver N, 1 Sooty Shearwater N, 1 Manx Shearwater N, 101 Gannet N, 1 Sparrowhawk in, 4 Golden Plover in, 2 Lapwing in, 1 Jack Snipe in, 2 Snipe in, 1 Woodcock in, 1 Bonxie, both Long-eared and Short-eared Owl in off the sea, 56 Skylark + 36 in, 3 Swallow, 126 Meadow Pipit + 16 in, 52 Rock Pipit + 5 in, 5 Grey Wagtail, 14 alba Wagtail, 8 Blackbird in, 3 Song Thrush in, 45 Redwing in, 13 Rook, 154 Starling in, 60 Tree Sparrow, 23 Brambling + 4in, 10 Greenfinch, 147 Goldfinch, 30 Siskin, 27 Linnet, 21 Redpoll, 16 Reed Bunting.

Other birds of note included 3 Merlin, 1 Water Rail, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank while north of the area there were Yellow-browed Warblers on Beacon Lane and at Sammy's Point.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.00 – 10.45, 13.10. - 14.30. Cloudy for most of the day, with some sunshine and a few sharp showers in the morning, a fresh NNW-N wind dropping as the day wore on.

A new Yellow-browed Warbler was at Chalk Bank and 1 was still in the Crown car park, there were 2 Firecrests (Blue Bell and Canal Hedge), the Barred Warbler was still at the Warren, Other migrants today included 29 Robin, 1 Black Redstart, 19 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 1 Ring Ouzel, 87 Blackbird, 8 Song Thrush, 74 Redwing, 1 Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaff including the 'eastern type' at the Warren, 1 Willow Warbler, 10 Goldcrest, 3 Brambling, 33 Chaffinch and 19 Reed Bunting.

In the morning there was a steady passage over the land and sea, totals included 6 Whooper Swan, 43 Wigeon, 22 Teal, 5 Eider, 34 Common Scoter, 2 Great Northern Diver, 28 Red-throated Diver, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Manx Shearwater, 513 Gannet, 7 Snipe in, 1 Pomarine Skua, 5 Arctic Skua, 4 Bonxie, 2 Little Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern, 2 Arctic Tern, 355 auk sp, 1 Puffin, 44 Skylark + 12 in, 3 Swallow, 33 Meadow Pipit, 8 Rock Pipit + 4 in, 2 Grey Wagtail, 8 alba Wagtail, 240 Tree Sparrow, 18 Greenfinch, 122 Goldfinch, 9 Siskin, 7 Linnet, 13 Redpoll, 9 Reed Bunting.

North of the area there were 3 Whooper Swans on Beacon Ponds.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.15 – 15.00, 16.10 – 17.10. Cloudy for most of the with occasional sunshine and a few light showers just after mid-day, the wind was a freshening W- WNW.

There appeared to be a clear out of migrants overnight, although a few new ones arrived and there was a few seen coming in off the sea. A Yellow-browed Warbler was at the Point and 1 still in the Crown car park, the Firecrest was still in Canal Hedge and the Barred Warbler was at the Warren again, Other migrants today included 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Black Redstart, 9 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 1 Ring Ouzel, 80+ Blackbird + 28 in off, 28 Song Thrush, 950+ Redwing most in off or flying south, 7 Chiffchaff including an 'eastern type' at the Warren, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Goldcrest, 5 Brambling, 17 Chaffinch, 4 Siskin.

There was a good passage in the morning, particularly finches and Tree Sparrows, passage totals included 2 Whooper Swan, 6 Pink-footed Geese, 88 Wigeon, 86 Teal, 1 Eider, 40 Common Scoter, 3 Goosander, 1 Sparrowhawk in, 1 Kestrel in, 9 Lapwing in, 1 Jack Snipe in, the first Woodcock of the autumn in, 2 Pomarine Skua, 1 Bonxie, 450 Little Gull, 89 Skylark, 6 Sand Martin, 3 Swallow, 6 House Martin, 150 Meadow Pipit, 39 Rock Pipit + 8 in, 5 Grey Wagtail, 7 alba Wagtail, 307 Starling in, 700+ Tree Sparrow, 2 Chaffinch, 60 Greenfinch, 850 Goldfinch, 40 Siskin, 50 Linnet, 13 Redpoll, 33 Reed Bunting.

North of the area there was a Greenshank at Beacon Ponds and a flock of 25 Crossbill flew west over Easington.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.05 – 10.30. Overnight rain then a cloudy day with the occasional sunny spell and a light WNW - NNW wind.

The best bird today was north of the recording area – a very elusive Radde's Warbler at Sammy's Point which was last seen in the reedy dyke bordering the horsefield. Also north of the area were 6 Yellow-browed Warblers, 1 Lapland Bunting, 3 Ring Ouzel, 1 Tree Pipit, 2 Firecrest, 500+ Redwing and smaller numbers of Blackbirds and Redwings.

A Corncrake came in off the sea very early morning and landed on Clubley's Field before typically running for cover and not seen again. The Cetti's Warbler was still singing and showing very occasionally along the Canal, the Yellow-browed Warbler was in the Crown car park and another at post 40, 5 Firecrest (2 Crown, 2 around Canal Hedge and 1 on Beacon Lane), the Barred Warbler showed again at the Warren having not been seen for five days. Thrushes were going over from first thing and some were dropping in and feeding for a while making it hard to estimate how many were involved, minimum estimates were 350 Blackbird, 3 Ring Ouzel, 2 Fieldfare, 90 Song Thrush and 300+ Redwing. Other migrants seen today included 12 Jack Snipe (a new record count), 25 Robin, 3 Redstart, 1 Whinchat, 16 Stonechat, 6 Wheatear, 4 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Goldcrest, 800 Starling, 58 Chaffinch, 6 Brambling, 12 Siskin, 1 Snow Bunting.

There were good numbers of birds coming in off the sea and turning north, south or going straight over, 2 Grey Heron, 44 Lapwing, 1 Jack Snipe, 10 Snipe, 60 Little Gull, 190 Black-headed Gull, 40 Skylark, 300 Starling, 4 Brambling, 1 Reed Bunting. While other birds moving (mostly south) were 1 Whooper Swan, 535 Wigeon, 236 Teal, 1 Gadwall, 30 Pintail, 1 Shoveler, 2 Tufted Duck, 13 Red-throated Diver, 1 Black-throated Diver N, 4 Arctic Skua, 2 Bonxie, 29 Rock Pipit, 8 Grey Wagtail, 2 Siskin, 1 Twite. Other birds of note included 1 Scaup, 4 Little Egret, 2 Merlin, 2 Peregrine, 4 Water Rail.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.00 – 10.45. A force 3-4 SE windhad picked up to a force 6 by the evening, broken clouds to begin but clouding over mid-morning.

… and todays star bird went to a singing male CETTI'S WARBLER which is only the second record for Spurn, the last one in 1988 which was only seen or heard by just a handful of birders. A Firecrest was found in Canal Hedge and the two Yellow-browed Warblers were still at the Crown and in Canal Hedge. Other migrants around were few: 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Rock Pipit, 12 Stonechat, 5 Song Thrush, 100+ Redwing, 3 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff and a Mealy Redpoll .

There was quite a lot of activity over the sea, mainly auks which totalled 3010 S, but also 5 Teal, 6 Pintail, 1 Eider, 27 Common Scoter, 4 Goldeneye, 45 Red-throated Diver, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 7 Manx Shearwater, 1800 Gannet, 2 Pomarine Skua, 9 Arctic Skua, 22 Bonxie, 5 Little Gull, 326 Kittiwake, and 3 Arctic Tern.

A few birds south during the day – 3 Barnacle Geese,1 Purple Sandpiper, 18 Skylark, 2 Swallow, and 6 Rock Pipit.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.15 – 11.10, 13.00 – 14.00. Light WNW wind which veered ENE by the evening, some clouds early on but clearing to leave a warm and sunny day.

Unfortunately the Baillon's Crake wasn't seen today, and two Yellow-browed Warblers were not enough reward for the amassed crowd of birders. One was still in the Crown car park late on as was the one in Canal Hedge. Other migrants around were 1 Tree Pipit, 5 Rock Pipit, 7 Stonechat, 12 Song Thrush, 13 Redwing, 1 locustella sp on the Canal, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff and a Snow Bunting. North of the area a Red-backed Shrike was seen by the boatyard in Easington.

Birds on the move today (mainly south) were 357 Pink-footed Geese, 25 Wigeon, 18 Teal, 1 Scaup, 118 Common Scoter, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 28 Red-throated Diver, 2 Jack Snipe in off, 5 Arctic Skua, 1 Bonxie, 1 Puffin, 38 Skylark, 9 Swallow, 40 Meadow Pipit, 7 Rock Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 32 Goldfinch, 7 Siskin, 20 Linnet and 2 Redpoll.

Other birds of note included 4 Little Egret, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 4 Water Rail.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.00 – 09.00, 15.15 – 15.45. Light NNW wind which veered NE in the afternoon, cold start but warmed up as the sun came out at times on a mainly cloudy day.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly Spurn's first BAILLON'S CRAKE, a first-winter found on the Canal late afternoon, originally only brief views but later the bird showed well in the open until dusk.

On a generally quiet day, we also had two more additions to the year list, Jay – a flock of 5 U-turned over the Triangle and 3 Bearded Tits which spent a short while on the Canal before flying off south. The sea was very quiet today with just small numbers of the regular seabirds.

Other birds of note included 320 Pink-footed Geese S, 13 Eider S, 5 Water Rail, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Jack Snipe, 1 Barn Owl, 29 Skylark S, 19 Stonechat, 13 Redwing, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 8 Chiffchaff, 1 Brambling, 1 Siskin, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 12 Snow Bunting.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.10 – 15.30. A grey murky morning with regular bouts of rain of varying strength, a few sunny spells in the afternoon and more showers in the evening, a blustery S wind veered W by the evening.

There was a steady duck passage in the morning which included 91 Wigeon, 229 Teal, 1 Mallard, 37 Pintail, 6 Shoveler, 2 Scaup, 87 Common Scoter, 1 Velvet Scoter. It was very quiet for seabirds with just 3 Red-throated Diver, 91 Gannet, 3 Arctic Skua, 6 Bonxie, 3 Kittiwake, 2 Sandwich Tern, 73 auk sp and 1 Puffin.

Some very light passage overhead saw just 9 Skylark, 3 Swallow, 68 Meadow Pipit, 21 Rock Pipit, 4 Snow Bunting and 4 Reed Bunting.

The only other birds of note showing in the blustery conditions were 2 Pink-footed Geese, 1 Merlin, 2 Water Rail, 8 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 13 Redwing, and 2 Chiffchaff.

Sea/migration-watch – 07.00 – 16.00, 18.00 – 18.35. Another pleasant day with long sunny spells, the wind was a very light SW wind to start but switched to east and picked up to force 2-3 by the afternoon.

Three very lucky people saw Spurn's first confirmed FEA'S PETREL (presumed) fly north past the sea-watching hut at 11.36. There were good numbers of other seabirds making there way back north out of the North Sea after the weekends gales and totals included: 63 Red-throated Diver, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 28 Fulmar, 2 'Blue' Fulmar, 4 Sooty Shearwater, 9 Manx Shearwater, 3 Cormorant, 2 Shag, 7 Pomarine Skua, 28 Arctic Skua, 28 Bonxie, 300 Little Gull S, 2700 Kittiwake S, 5 Sandwich Tern, 4 Common Tern, 18 auk sp, 2 Puffin.

There was some light visible passage in the morning which included 170 Pink-footed Geese, 11 Wigeon, 8 Teal, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Eider, 144 Common Scoter, 1 Velvet Scoter, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 73 Skylark, 8 Swallow, 122 Meadow Pipit, 5 Rock Pipit, 9 alba Wagtail, 18 Greenfinch, 67 Goldfinch, 78 Linnet, 2 Redpoll, 18 Twite , 1 Lapland Bunting, 25 Reed Bunting.

Migrants around today included the Barred Warbler at the Warren showing again, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Whinchat, 9 Stonechat, 30 Song Thrush, 21 Redwing, 8 Mistle Thrush, 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 8 Chiffchaff, 1 Lapland Bunting, 12 Snow Bunting, 47 Reed Bunting.

Sea/migration-watch – 06.45 – 11.30, 16.00 – 17.45. A pleasant day with long sunny spells and an easing W wind from 4 to 2.

Another quiet day, the bird of the day was a Red-necked Grebe on the sea drifting north, other birds of interest were 1 Barnacle and 2 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Scaup on the Humber, 6 Manx Shearwater N, 2 Merlin, 3 Bonxie S, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 73 Skylark S, 6 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 17 Redwing, 2 Reed Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 94 Tree Sparrow S, 70 Goldfinch S, 3 Siskin S, 32 Linnet S, 1 Lapland Bunting S, 1 Reed Bunting S.

North of the area, 1 Lapland Bunting and 7 Snow Bunting were at Beacon Ponds.

Sea-watch – 06.50 – 09.45, 12.30 – 14.15, 15.00 – 18.30. An awful day weather wise, with a very strong W wind gusting force 7, with odd showers and sunny spells.

The highlight of the day came for the few people sea-watching late afternoon, when a Glossy Ibis came in and continued south at 4.30 pm, most other birding highlights were also over the sea which included 8 Brent Geese, 1 Wigeon, 36 Common Scoter, 29 Red-throated Diver, 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 2 Manx Shearwater, 180 Gannet, 1 Shag, 1 Pomarine Skua, 8 Arctic Skua, 2 Bonxie, 165 Little Gull, 26 Lesser B.B.Gull, 600+ Herring Gull, 55 Great B.B.Gull, 140 Kittiwake, 24 Sandwich Tern, 28 Common Tern, and 70 Auk sp.

Other birds of note included 2 Pink-footed and 1 Barnacle Goose in Walker Butts, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Rock Pipit, 6 Stonechat, 2 Redwing, 2 Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff and 5 Snow Bunting.

North of the area a Short-eared Owl was at Long Bank, and 1 Mediterranean Gull, 3 Wheatear and a Lapland Bunting were at Beacon Lagoons.

Migration/sea-watch – 06.50 – 10.15, 15.00 – 18.00. A cloudy day with some light drizzle in the morning, a light force 2 WNW increased to force 4 wind in the afternoon.

The sea produced a few more sea-birds, the highlight being a fly-by Slavonian Grebe, other totals included 62 Pink-footed Geese, 50 Wigeon, 52 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Eider, 41 Common Scoter, 69 Red- throated Diver, 1 Fulmar, 2 Manx Shearwater, 3 Sooty Shearwater, 304 Gannet, 23 Arctic Skua, 7 Bonxie, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 363 Little Gull, 1845 Kittiwake, 4 Sandwich Tern, 8 Common Tern, 239 auk sp., 4 Puffin. The only birds moving overhead were 3 Jack Snipe and 1 Snipe in, 41 Skylark, 26 Meadow Pipit + 9 in, 4 Rock Pipit + 2 in, 3 Grey Wagtail, 3 Jackdaw, 2 Siskin, 12 Linnet, 5 Redpoll sp, 1 Lapland Bunting, 3 Reed Bunting in.

A Hooded Crow wandered into the recording area after being seen at Beacon Ponds and Sammy's Point, and the Hawfinch was seen in Canal Hedge in the morning. Other migrants included 1 Whinchat, 16 Stonechat, 12 Song Thrush, 56 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler at the Point, 3 Chiffchaff, 12 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, 2 Siskin, 5 Snow Bunting, 59 Reed Bunting. Other birds of note included 2 Pink-footed Geese and a Barnacle Goose in the Triangle, 1 Merlin, 1 Hobby, 2 Jack Snipe in the Triangle and a Whimbrel on the Humber.

North of the area a Common Rosefinch was seen briefly with a Linnet flock in Easington.

Migration/sea-watch – 06.50 – 11.15, 14.00 – 18.00. Generally cloudy with a few sunny periods and feeling cool in NNW-N force 4-3 wind.

A good day for sea-watching, particularly early morning and mid- to late afternoon. The watches produced 57 Pink-footed Geese, 6 Teal, 26 Common Scoter, 189 Red-throated Diver S, 2 single Black-throated Divers N, 32 Fulmar N, 47 Manx Shearwater, 27 Sooty Shearwater, 3 single Balearic Shearwaters N, 500+ Gannet, 8 Pomarine Skua (2,5,1), 26 Arctic Skua, 1 juv Long-tailed Skua N, 22 Bonxie, 452 Little Gull, 2700 Kittiwake, 2 Sandwich Tern, 10 Common Tern, 500 auk sp. Over the land there was just a trickle of passage 9 Skylark N, 32 Meadow Pipit + 46 in, 6 Rock Pipit in, 1 Grey Wagtail, 16 Linnet, 2 Redpoll.

A Hawfinch flew from the Warren to Canal Hedge where it showed well at times, a Yellow-browed Warbler in Canal Hedge was presumably the bird from the last two days. Other migrants included 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Whinchat, 12 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 8 Song Thrush, 27 Redwing, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, 11 Chaffinch, 4 Snow Bunting.