Spurn / Kilnsea – 7th October

Yesterday,16 of us met up at Kilnsea Wetlands for the club trip to the Spurn area. We arrived after high tide but the water was still covering the estuary, so we started at the wetlands to look for roosting waders. There were plenty of redshank and, amongst them three greenshank, a few dunlin, some Curlew, Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits. Scanning the duck, of which there were several species, we picked up the American Wigeon that had been reported. Then up to the bank overlooking Beacon Ponds, we found a Grey Plover and a couple of Little Stints, there was also unusually a Garganey present presumably a 1CY bird. There were also passing flocks of Golden Plover and Pink-footed Geese.

We moved on to the Triangle and spent some time trying to find a barred warbler that had been reported by the Bluebell. This didn’t show, so we walked the Triangle stopping at the Crown and Anchor to try for a Yellow-browed Warbler that had been reported. Some of us heard it, but it proved elusive and didn’t show. We did get good views of a Whinchat on the fence alongside Stonechats for comparison, and we saw a Spotted Flycatcher. In the bushes by the Discovery Centre, there were plenty of Goldcrests. After a lunch break, we tried again for the Barred Warbler, this time it showed really well and gave excellent close views as it moved through the hedgerows. We then explored the bushes again to see if anything had come in with the Goldcrests; some of us spotted a very pale looking Chiffchaff but that didn’t give itself up for any more than a glimpse or two. After searching the Warren for migrants, some of us called it a day, while others moved on to Sammy’s Point though that proved very quiet. A flock of Common Scoter with one Velvet among them flew past the seawatching hut.

By this time the four of us left decided to try out Welwick Saltmarsh YWT Reserve (this is a site not visited before by the club and has recently been re-landscaped as part of an estuary realignment project). Here we picked up Barn Owl, three Great White Egrets, two Buzzards and a Short-eared Owl in fading light – it looks to have great potential. A great end to the day and taking the species count to over 60.

Rob and Jane Chapman