Autumn arrivals at Spurn

Brambling 

Spurn Lighthouse

Bearded Tit

 Song Thrush

 Greater Spotted Woodpecker

 Brambling

 Brambling

 Redwing landing off the sea

 Redwing

Siberian Lesser Whitethroat

 Redwing in the hand

With some easterly winds finally in the forecast I headed up to Spurn on Saturday with Mrs D. The 5.30am alarm call wasn't great but as soon as we past the Kilsea Wetlands you knew you in a great spot for some Autumn magic.  I headed to Numpties to do some sea watching whilst Mrs D headed off to walk to the point and back. 

I thought there may be more movement but I still recorded the following during the session :- 60+ Common Scoter, 6 Red-throated Diver, 2 Arctic Skua, 1 Pommarine Skua, 1 Great Skua, 30 Wigeon, large number of Little Gull 20 Tern sp, 2 Great Crested Grebes and a Scaup on the Humber.

Watching from where I did enabled me to also watch the ringing in action. The Redwing, fresh in off the sea, was simply stunning whilst most interest involved a Siberean Lesser Whitethroat. 

After an enjoyable lunch in the visitor centre (took this option as food in pub was VERY average on last visit) overlooking the humber we then did some birding around the traingle. Our first finds were six Bearded Tits in the canal reed bed, a first me at Spurn, patience was required as they were up and down very quickly. Out on the Humber large number of Dunlin, Golden Plover & Knot were feeding. Up above us I picked up a Short-eared Owl that looked at one stage like it was heading towards us before heading towards Beacon Lane.

Ten minutes in the observatory garden produced two Yellow-browed Warblers a real Autum favourite.  There were Song Thrushes coming in all the time whilst a couple of female Redstarts were having their last feed before heading south. Our final find of a very enjoyable day were 3 Brambling feeding up on Beacon Lane. 

On the way home we stopped in at Loughbrough to see Gussy at his University. We picked a chinese up as we were truly shattered. Already looking forward to our next visit to Spurn.