Tuesday 15 September 2015

Eastern Sprite And Black Beauty At Last!.....Sunday 13th September 2015.

Another trip to THAT peninsula in East Yorkshire again today provided myself,Tim and others with another cracking days birding and on the way home a visit to see the resident juvenile Black Stork at Sunk Island made for a memorable day out,this is how the day unfolded and what we saw.
 We began the day by parking at the Bluebell,being greeted by a juvenile Kingfisher flying around the borrow pits and then decided to walk along the road towards the Churchyard and the Crown area first.As it began to get light properly,birds began to be seen both in the bushes and overhead with Mipits,Dunnock's,Wagtails and finches steadily streaming south and a single Fieldfare called somewhere near Rose Cottage,but we never did see it,our first of the autumn.After a message over the radio we were soon gathered in Church Field to see a Grasshopper Warbler which had been trapped,being processed and released and after enjoying some privilaged views of this usually skulking species,we visited the churchyard.This was where the first goodie of the day was seen,a cracking Yellow-browed Warbler.
 The bird eventually showed nicely as it fed in the canopy of the sycamores here,but getting a decent photo was another thing with my set up.This is my earliest personal record of this stunning little siberian sprite and is no doubt the bird from the previous day.
 Also in and around the churchyard where 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker,Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warbler.
 A scan of the Humber from Cliffe Farm revealed a huge flock of Golden Plover and the first of at least 15 Med Gulls seen loafing,feeding and flying along the tide edge,followed by 6 Little Gull over the Humber.
 Overhead the first of 4 Grey Wag's passed by and along the shore and Triangle we added our first Whinchat's,Wheatear's and Redstarts.
 We stopped to chat with the lads at Numpties and at the time of us visiting,2500 Meadow Pipits had already flown south and 3 Grey Wag's had been trapped at the Warren.
 A brief diversion away from birds,saw us having a quick look around Clubley's Scrape for Dragons and Common-blue Damselfly,Migrant Hawker and Common Darter were added to the notebook.
 A well earned cuppa and bacon sarnie at the Bluebell cafe after being persuaded by Tim,then saw us heading up Beacon Lane covering this area,Beacon Ponds and Kilnsea Wetlands.
 More of the same was recorded in this area and included 15 Wigeon,Greenshank,several more Med.Gulls,Redstart and 3 Whinchat to add to the days notes when a message came over the radio that a juvenile Red-backed Shrike had been found at Grange Farm just as you walk into Kilnsea.The bird showed distantly and was thought it may be the bird from Corner Field as it was sporting some bling.A Spotted Flycatcher in the same area was our first of the day.
 At the Crown And Anchor,a very welcome sighting in the form of a Convolvulous Hawkmoth was seen roosting on a fencepost and gave some stunning views of this huge migrant species.It seems it is a record year for the species with at least 18 being recorded in the area so far this year.
 After enjoying some amazing views from a very confiding male Redstart near Sunnycliff Farm,we both made our way to Sunk Island to look for the Stork.
 On arrival the Stork was nowhere to be seen,but after a chat with the local landowner he very kindly let us walk down the side of the dyke it has been feeding in so we could see the if the bird was at the rear of the farm nearby.
 As we approached,there it was stood preening on the edge of the farm giving some nice views to about ten of us,before for no apparent reason it flew up and landed in his or her favourite dyke to feed.We then watched from a safe distance as it fed in the dyke catching what looked like several frogs.This bird is sporting a Darvic ring and was ringed as a chick in France,amazingly one of its siblings has been residing in Scotland sporting the same type darvic ring an amazing occurrance.
 What a great way to end a cracking days birding with a quality bird and we travelled home contented after another superb day out in the home county.
Grasshopper Warbler,Church Field.


There is a Yellow-browed Warbler in there honest!.

Little Egret,Kilnsea Cliff.

Whinchat,The Triangle.

Convolvulous Hawkmoth,Crown And Anchor.

Male Redstart,Sunnycliff Farm.

Male Redstart,Sunnycliff Farm.

Juvenile Black Stork,Sunk Island.

Juvenile Black Stork,Sunk Island.

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