The mist hung low over the Humber Bridge as I scooted over the estuary towards Spurn.
With the outlaws still slumbering in Immingham, I'd decided to "borrow" Mrs D's car and give the marvellous old sandspit a bash.
My plan was to get a bit of seawatching in, but as I headed south through all the little villages early doors, I wondered if I might get some passerine action too - it was calm and the mist wasn't budging.
Once at Spurn it quickly became clear that no one had told the birds about August migration....a single Wheatear, hordes of Swallows, a few Mipits and Linnets, Whitethroats and Willow Warblers were all that presented themselves, as bright sun and blue skies moved in.
Back to Plan A, and I headed to the sea watching hide.
The mist out over the North Sea limited visibility, but plenty of terns were feeding on the rising tide - and that meant skuas.
Lots of 'em.
Really good bit of revision this, as it was surprising how the misty morning light made Arctics look really big - I had a few "Pom" moments, especially with birds heading away from me, but all the skuas I had - light phases, dark phases, intermediates - were Arctics.
No Pom would ever waste as many wingbeats as an Arctic.
Frequently they dropped onto the sea to wait for passing terns to present an easy meal, while Gannets cruised further out in the mist.
A fine morning.
Spurn seawatch, 10/08/12, 0910-1100:
Arctic Tern 2
Little Gull 1
Common Scoter 25
Sandwich Tern - many
Gannet - many
Guillemot - many
Arctic Skua 19
Common Tern - many
Teal 4
Kittiwake - many
Little Tern 3
Fulmar 1
plus Harbour Porpoise, Grey Seal
Not bad in less than ideal conditions.
The rest of the point was comparatively quiet, apart from the large Humber wader roost, which held Greenshanks, Barwits, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel etc etc.
A Green Sandpiper was still on the Canal Scrape, where the stiffening northerly breeze made it hard to follow the Emperors and Black Tailed Skimmers there.
Left in bright sunshine mid afternoon as a Marsh Harrier drifted out over the North Sea and into the banks of mist, and a few more Arctic Skuas came ripping through.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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New Spurn Obs website - check it out.
Cheers Dave...the existing link to Spurn on the Birdblog takes you to the spiffing new website, then click on "home" and you're hot to trot.
Hi John, hope the east is treating you and Mrs D well.
I was chattin with Mr Bunting yesterday and we had a look at the Lancs records of Chocolate Tip moth (see previous entry) and found that it was (as Pete Marsh predicted)a 3rd for Lancs! The other 2 records came from Pennington and Astley (both of which I'd call Manchester!)
Well done.
Er Neill.
Good views of adult Pectoral Sandpiper, found Fri afternoon by Clarko, throughout Saturday. Juv Kingfisher at Sandgrounders' Hide. 2 juv Ruffs with (now scabby old male) present all summer; could this be a very rare breeding record on the west coast? We'll never know, I guess.
Hi John, Crossens Inner early evening. Fox in the long grass. Also 50+ Goldfinches feeding on Thistle. Mike.
Watched a Hobby catching dragonflies for about an hour at Risley Moss, Sunday afternoon.
Half a dozen Swifts screeched south towards Liverpool from Chez Kev : that's probably the last I'll see of them until next year. Lots and lots of Swallows around skimming the fields near Mawdesley - the most I've seen for a while. Notable absentees from the fields were Yellowhammer this weekend. I heard a single Corn Bunting around Hoscar but all in all it was pretty quiet. Back at home the feeders continue to be decimated with a welcome visit from one of the local Great Spotted Woodpeckers attacking the peanuts.
2 Med Gulls on the fields at Otterspool today. They got chased off by the kite flyers after the rain stopped.