At Spurn, but missing the patch

A couple of weeks ago I decided I'd have two nights at Spurn over the bank holiday weekend. So, finishing work at lunchtime on Friday (and after a sortie to Holme Pierrepont for the Red-rumped Swallow) I headed over there. In all honesty, the birding was slightly underwhelming, with migrants thin on the ground; Saturday's highlights were a reeling Savi's Warbler (only my second) and a lovely female Dotterel. There were also a couple of Cuckoos around, and a few Yellow Wags and Wheatears, plenty of Whimbrel, and small numbers of hirundines. A bird which flew over me unseen just south of Sammy's Point, twice giving a strong, almost shrill 'sree' call had to go into the one-that-got-away bin, frustratingly... 

Savi's twitch

Distant Dotterel

Sunday, and with a strong ESE winds, I walked to the point, but migrants remained sparse and the best I could find was a colour-ringed Wheatear. Worse, the fact that Spurn was in the process of recording its third highest passage ever of Arctic Terns, was being reflected inland, with Arctic Terns, Little Terns, Little Gulls and waders being recorded all over the place... So, come 1230, I decided to cut my losses and head home; it's not often that I've been birding on the coast but wishing I was inland!

Spurn Point

Colour-ringed Wheatear

Twenty minutes away from the patch I got a text from Mark Dawson to say there was a Grey Plover on Mons Pool. After a quick check of Ferry Lane Lake (not terns), I met Mark at Mons and soon had the Grey Plover in my sights. After a bit of dashing about I added a 1st summer Little Gull on Ferry Lane Lake (both the gull and the plover having been found first thing by John Ellis, who'd also had a small party of, yes you've guessed it, Arctic Terns fly straight through). 

Little Gull

It was then back to Mons Pool for 2 Dunlin which Mark had seen drop in with 5 Ringed Plover a little earlier. These were still present, along with another new wader, this time a Bar-tailed Godwit. This was exciting - birds were raining from the skies... almost! Single Common Tern and Swift were also present, along with my first White Wagtail of the year.

Bar-wit

Bar-wit and Grey Plover

It seemed only right to have an early start at Mons Pool this morning; there were no terns on passing Ferry Lane Lake (there or back), but I was greeted by an ongoing wader-fest at Mons - the Bar-wit was still present, with now two Grey Plovers and better still, a Wood Sandpiper, as well as a Dunlin, 2 Ringos, and a Common Sand. A quality selection. A Knot, Sanderling or Turnstone would've really topped things off, but perhaps I'm just being greedy... 

Wood Sand

Grey Plover no.2

The original Grey Plover

Dunlin

So all in all, despite missing out on the tern action, it was a pretty fantastic 24 hours on the patch, with 8 new Patchwork Challenge 2017 species - Wood Sand, Bar-wit, Grey Plover, Common Sand, Dunlin, Little Gull, Common Tern and Swift. 

I also had a quick look at Girton Pits later morning, to see if the BlackTerns reported there yesterday were lingering. They weren't, but the Cattle Egret was still in the sheep field at North Pit, now looking quite smart. 

Cattle Egret