SPURN MIGRATION FESTIVAL!!

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SPURN MIGRATION FESTIVAL!!

(adult female Pallid Harrier flyover)

 (Black Redstart)

(Common Redstart)

(Willow Warbler)

(juvenile female Eurasian Sparrowhawk)

(Pale-bellied Brent Goose)



(about a dozen distant Common Scoter) 

We arrived at Spurn YWT at 6:00am and parked in North Field, for Spurn Migration Festival (aka Migfest). We got a lift to the Seawatching Hide and did a seawatch. It was fairly quiet with a few Red-throated Diver flying north. Then a flock of around a dozen Common Scoter landed close in on the sea, making for some brilliant digiscoped images of them and incredible views, before heading north. Soon after, a huge flock of  Little Gulls landed on the sea and fed over the sea, like butterflies erratically flying up and down. We then got word that the ringing team had caught a female Sparrowhawk so we rushed down to see it. It was very similar to what happened at Global Birdfair, when their ringing team also caught a female Sparrowhawk, with the only difference being that the one at bird fair was an adult and this one was a juvenile. They then opened up one of the bags revealing a female Common Redstart, a bird I have wanted to see for ages and something I had dipped at Padley Gorge and White Moss Car Park. We also enjoyed them ringing a Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipit and Robin.

We then went back up to the seawatch and met a man called Gary (aka The Biking Birder) who was doing a competitive year list, without burning fossil fuels, and he was in second place. He cycled to all of his birds. He ended up being like a guide to use and was remarkably inspiring. As I was seawatching, a man named Tony Hull alerted me about a Pale-bellied Brent Goose which he had just seen. He directed it to me and I a got a very brief glimpse of it, before it disappeared behind a truck. I then ran down to see it, yet was unsuccessful. Gary then guided us towards the Canal footpath to get a better view of the Pale-bellied Brent Goose, a lifer for me, when something was reported on the radio. "ringtail hen harrier on Kilnsea Wetlands," and then in a more shocking tone, "It's either a Montagu's or Pallid, not a Hen Harrier." We all got excited as it flew over North Field, just out of our view. I then got a brief view of it between two buildings before it flew right over my head and towards The Humber. From there, it swooped down into the flocks of waders and chased them making it a spectacle worth seeing. At first we were unsure what it was but after a while it was confirmed a Pallid Harrier, the highlight of the day and a most excellent tick.

We then got news of an Icterine Warbler, on the point, so we made the agonising walk through the beach and on the path to Spurn Point. We saw a Redstart as soon as we arrived, yet no Icterine Warbler or Black Redstart. As we went to the place it was last seen. Gary came over and called me saying he's got the Black Redstart. I legged it and got incredible views of it with David. After a while of sitting in the picnic area, we had officially dipped the Icterine. On the way back, we got great views of Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Tern, Sanderling from a hide all on the mud in front of us. Gary also pointed out a Peregrine fly past, and it was  quite close to us as well as a flock of Grey and Golden Plover as they flew over our head. After resting up my aching legs, we did a short seawatch, with Gary, on the beach in front of Sandy Beaches Holiday Park, in hopes of seeing Black Tern. Gary then pointed out a lifer Purple Sandpiper, as it zipped past us, close in with the Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Sanderling. He then said "Black Tern past the substation...NOW!!" and I got my eyes on it and followed it, until it was out of view. He mentioned that it wasn't likely we would have seen that and we were very lucky we did. Overall, a brilliant day  with a phenomenal man....that left me exhausted.
Location: Spurn National Nature Reserve, Spurn Discovery Centre Spurn Head, south of, Kilnsea, Hull HU12 0UH, UK

Comments

  1. Chauffeur12 September 2022 at 23:02

    Warning This may offend serious Birders. I am the chauffeur for juvenile birder.
    No one does the blog, but him.
    Gary is an absolute Legend and in honor of him, spending 13 hrs with us, I thought I would cameo my blog.
    2am wake up, get ready, wake up boy 2.25am; out of house 2.30am. Arrive at mcdonalds 4.30am; eat knowing this is likely the only meal we will have. Boy is hard core birder, no bathroom breaks, no eating unless moving, no missing a moment when a tick could be had.
    Sea watching is another level of boredom, that I did not know I could reach. I quickly get itchy feet and start walking. When I return someone has taken my seat... a blessing it seems. I stand watching everyone else watching birds. When a man approaches me...this does not often happen. If you've seen me it makes sense. I tell the man that I'm a victim of birding and he gets his notepad and writes it down.
    The man is easy to speak with and he finds my manner entertaining.
    Man shows boy a sparrow hawk being Ringed, boy happy. Then the boy does what the boy does best and blows the crowd away with his intellect and questions, the person answering starts taking him more seriously and his responses get more detailed and satisfying for the boy.
    Man introduces himself as biking birder I check and we don't follow him. I agree to follow him if he does us. ...still waiting.
    Gary says he is doing a competition for biking to bird but no burning of fossil fuels.
    Gary says he'll show us some bird. I wonder how long he will last. I have an uncontrollable moronic laugh that gets set off without warning and I have no volume control only loud.
    Gary is an absolute pleasure to be with; he was a primary and secondary school teacher, who speaks so warmly of his late wife. I tell him my entire life, not much of a story and the birds are constantly being brought into conversation by the obsessive birder that I have somehow given birth to.
    Everyone gets very excited about the Pallid I try to get excited but can't differentiate it from anything else in the sky. Get my bins on something no idea what it is; so decide to give up and just look at the people going crazy. They are all soooo happy. It's nice to be part of that.
    Boy then wants to go see icterine at the point, a tick for Gary. The last time he did this walk he was exhausted but his passion is bigger than his strength; we try and get a car there but that would be 1.30 mins wait, and as any Twitcher worth his salt knows, time is everything so we begin the walk. Boy is tired and in pain but he is too big to carry now. We get to destination and the boy and Gary go on their goose hunt. I guard the equipment. They see nothing. Boy then wants the black Redstart he's not leaving until he's seen it, I'm worried poor Gary doesn't know what he's in for.
    Thankfully Dave finds it and boy is happy. I get a buzz watching the boy be happy. I set my bins on it, just a brown bird bit of red, if I remember correctly. Nice little bird. Then we got to the picnic tables. Gary has foul mouth but great manners and suggests that we be very quiet, I'm very loud so I do my best to look at the sky and just relax. They see nothing.
    We then go back to the car and Gary does a 1 on 1 sea watch with boy. Boy is excelling and Gary seems not bothered by our quirky characteristics, definitely marmite we are.
    Gary is a living legend who is kind to everyone but himself. He lives off a teachers pension and gives away everything he has of value, to those less fortunate. He takes no charity and hates capitalism, so won't get sponsorship. He has high ambitions and is dedicated to making a difference. He is phenomenal. I said to him I don't think I've ever done anything aspirational and he says, simply being not white in birding places was making a huge difference. I laughed I definitely nailed being brown from birth I say.
    You'll be glad to know there will be no other blogs and this is done in honour of Gary, a man with no fear or regard for himself.

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