We arrived at Spurn at around 08:00 having beaten the traffic. Ominously the radio was quiet. There had been Woodchat Shrike, Pallas's Warbler and Red-flanked Bluetail the day before, but nothing on the radio today. So, we dumped our gear in the 'Obs' and decided to go for a mooch around the triangle. About half an hour later news came through that the Woodchat Shrike was showing again. This would be a British tick for both of us, so it was off to tramp down to the point. The walk itself isn't too bad except for across the soft sand of the breach. It was made more entertaining by the many Goldcrests that were showing down to a few inches in places, and a few Mealy Redpolls dotted around; the latter also a lifer for Rob.
Goldcrest
We arrived at the point after a 3/4 hr walk and headed for the Parade ground where the bird had been reported. There were several birders around who said the bird had disappeared and hadn't been seen for a while. Just then I noticed a friend and Spurn regular who was doing some ringing so caught him up for a chat and to see if he had any more info. Basically the bird was showing in a hawthorn bush, but birders consistently approached too close to it and kept spooking it. We decided to wait and see if the birders moved off and went for a mooch in the point bushes. Unfortunately about 20 minutes later the sky opened and it started pouring down, meaning birds just disappeared into the cover. So, it was back to the parade ground where we hoped the weather might have shifted a few people on. It hadn't, but those that were left were well away from the bush, sheltering themselves. Suddenly a birder picked the bird up as it flew low across the parade ground back into its favoured bush. It was really skulking and disappeared again, but 5 minutes later I picked it out again as it flew to another bush where it showed well for the next half hour or so.
Woodchat Shrike
So, after filling our boots it was a yomp back to the Obs for something to eat. After lunch we headed out to Kilnsea Wetlands. There were still a few heavy showers about, and the easterly wind was strengthening so passerines were hard to come by and we reckoned that the hide on the wetlands might be the best bet to see a few birds and remain sheltered. In the hide we met another regular and got chatting. I mentioned I'd seen a large flock of Golden Plover and he decided to go and check them through, having missed an American Golden Plover at Spurn last year in a similar flock. We sat around a bit longer watching the Greenshank (a Spurn tick for me) and then headed back to the Obs. Five minutes from the Obs a message came over the radio that he'd found a juvenile American Golden Plover, so it was a dash to the car and then off to see the bird. To be honest it wasn't the best view. The bird was distant, was back on and well hunkered down in what was a stiff wind, and it only occasionally lifted and turned its head. It was clearly smaller and greyer than the other birds, but not as distinctive as I'd expected.
Day two dawned uninspiringly. The wind was still strong, and squally showers didn't encourage us. But, we headed out towards Sammies to cover the lanes, reckoning that any migrants would be seeking the shelter behind or in the hedges and feeding on sheltered field margins. We counted a good number of Redwings, Song Thrushes, Robins and Fieldfares and then a shout came of a Radde's Warbler near Sammies car park. A lifer for Rob and a bird I've not seen in a long while. Unfortunately despite hanging around in some horizontal rain showers, and the bird being re-found, albeit away from its original spot, in a seemingly confined area, it did a disappearing act.
We headed back for some lunch, calling at Easington Cemetery en-route where we counted loads of Bramblings, a Common Redstart and multiple Robins. After lunch we headed out round the Triangle. We only got as far as the Churchyard where we spent some time as it was sheltered, when I found a Pallas's Warbler. It wasn't a new bird, but it was my first 'self found' so I was feeling pleased with myself when a couple of regulars turned up to have a look at it. Then all hell broke loose.
A radio message from Lance Degnan went something like this (whispered): "All birders, listen carefully. I've got a Siberian Accentor at the back of the old School House on Vicars Lane!" That's as much as I heard as we all just ran. I totally forgot about Rob who, never having experienced anything like this before, was, I think, quite bemused. I suddenly realised my car was a few minutes away at the Obs and, I had no idea where I was going, so I just shouted to ask Adam, a regular, for a lift. Thankfully Rob and I, plus a couple of others all managed to get in the car and raced off to see the bird. We were there within 10 minutes of the call going out and, well, WOW!
For a relative of our lowly Dunnock this bird was a stunner and very obliging, feeding down to less than 20 feet away. A second for Britain, first for the mainland, British tick for everyone there I think (don't think anyone twitched the Shetland bird) - and a lifer even for some of those who keep world lists.
Siberian Accentor
I rattled off hundreds of shots and am still going through them. There are better out there on the internet, but these will do me fine!! There was much celebrating later on in the Obs and in the Crown and Anchor!
Next morning saw Rob and I volunteering to help manage the crowds that turned up. Rob collecting donations and me parking cars to try to prevent birders causing chaos in the village. We were busy from 06:30 until about 09:30 when it seemed to calm down so we went back to the Obs for a bite to eat and a brew. I had started to come down with a cold and was really feeling it, and Kilnsea and the whole area was crawling with birders - crowds for a Firecrest and Yellow-browed Warbler sort of summed it up. I really didn't feel like spending the day dodging crowds so asked Rob if he minded leaving early. Thankfully he was ok with that, but just then a Dusky Warbler was caught and was being shown in Church Field. We went for a look, and this more than anything confirmed that I'd be leaving sooner rather than later. There must have been 200 birders queuing to see it. On the plus side it added even more funds to the Observatory coffers.
Firecrest and Yellow-browed Warbler Crowd
Its easy to get side-tracked by the rarities on a visit like this, but the commoner stuff is great too. The number of Bramblings was probably the most I've ever seen anywhere, Ring Ouzels and Shorelark as supporting cast just goes to show what an amazing place Spurn can be.
Siskin
Brambling
Song Thrush
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