Spurn on Point

 Spurn on Point

We arrived at around 6:40am and started the day by walking along the canal, hoping to see an Icterine Warbler and any other migrants. Halfway along the canal footpath, I spotted a juvenile Red-backed Shrike, sat in a bush, before it flew on the other side of the canal and landed on a post. We then reached the end of the canal footpath, so we checked the Crown & Anchor car park before entering Churchfield.

We didn't see many birds in Churchfield, but I did see a Gatekeeper. We then noticed a warden opening a moth trap. I was looking to see if there were any new moths for me in the trap, so I asked him about all the moths I spotted which looked interesting. The first new moth I saw was a Dusky Sallow as well as a Common Plume (both pictured). I then saw the only two new underwing moths in the trap, a Copper Underwing as well as a Pearly Underwing (a scarce migrant moth). The other new moths I saw in the trap were Dingy Footman, White Point, Common Yellow Conch, Setaceous Hebrew Character & Small Square-spot. 

We then drove down to Kilnsea Wetlands and walked down to the hide. When we arrived, we noticed a lot of Little Egrets as well as waders such as Ringed Plovers and Dunlin. We started searching for a Black Tern that dropped in front of the hide, however we failed to see it. We then walked up to the viewing screen, where a man showed me a Curlew Sandpiper through his scope. I then manage to find it in my camera before taking a record shot of it. We then walked up to the viewpoint at Beacon Ponds, where we met John who showed me two Little Stints and a Garganey through his scope.

We then drove back to Spurn and started the trek to the point. Along the way, I was trying to track down Roesel's Bush-Crickets by listening out for their call and then following that call before trying to see them. While doing this, I was a in the long grass, searching for one when a large spider with yellow and black markings caught my eye. I thought it was a Wasp Spider, but I knew that they were very rare this far North, so I got some images and managed to get some experts to confirm it. It was indeed a Wasp Spider. I immediately messaged a warden about it before then continuing the trek.

After failing a countless amount of times trying to see this cricket, my perseverance finally paid off when I managed to spot a Roesel's Bush-Cricket briefly walking along a blade of grass before it disappeared. I then managed to spot quite a few more, including one that posed on a leaf for ages, allowing me to get a record shot of it.  

When we reached the point, I immediately spotted a Whinchat perched on a stick, followed by another on a barbed wire as well as a few Linnets.

We then walked along the paths around the point, seeing a few more Linnets but not much else. We then stopped for a break at the a few picnic tables when I spotted a Pied Flycatcher flitting around in a tree, I followed it, trying to get better views of it when a flash of red caught my eye. A Redstart had just flown into the edge of the tree, posing, allowing me to get a record shot.

Realising we were out on water supplies, we were tired and thirsty, however we pushed ourselves and made our way to the seawatching hut for an evening seawatch. Along the way, I spotted a showy Purple Sandpiper that came up to just a few feet away on the breach, so I got a record shot and told one of the wardens about it, and he mentioned that it was the first one of the Autumn. We then did an evening seawatch, seeing mainly terns, with Common, Arctic & Sandwich being the main ones, but also a few Black Terns being seen, with most far out but a few close in. We then got told about Jason and a few other ringers ringing terns, so we went over to find they had caught two Common Terns. We got good views of them in the hand before heading back home after a long day.

Overall, a great trip with a few more new inverts and year ticks.