Migration at its Best – Spurn Point

Spurn Point lies on the English Coast of East Yorkshire, on the northern side of the humber estuary. It is renowned to be one of, if not the best, UK mainland Bird Observatory and migration watch point. Spurn has a great history of recording rare birds and insects and when migration is in full swing, many hundreds of migrants find land-fall in the area. Such was an occasion on Sunday 25th August 2013. Weather conditions on Saturday 24th and over-night were perfect for Drift Migration.

We arrived at Easington just to the north of Spurn and quickly located Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, a very brief and fleeting view of what was almost certainly a Nightingale and finally a Wryneck. It was quiet windy as a North Easterly was blowing off the sea but very warm & sunny. We later found Common Redstart, Common Whitethroat and several more Willow Warbler. 

We decided to head off to work the areas of Sammy's Point, Kilnsea, The Canal Bank, Spurn Point and Green Lane. The highlights during the day were as follows – We had remarkable views of Wryneck, one bird in particular allowed close approach and was not alarmed or afraid of the numerous birders, often at close quarters, allowing a unique opportunity for photographing this stunning species, (we saw 7 birds during the day) an Icterine Warbler at Sammys Point, a Juvenile Red-backed Shrike at Green Lane, around 20+ Whinchat, 6 Common Redstart, 5 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Common Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Greenshank and 13 species of Butterfly, including numerous immigrant Painted Lady and several Wall Brown. The year list moves on to 223.

The famous Old Spurn Lighthouse at the point. – Tony Davison©

The Lighthouse from the "Parade Ground", Spurn Point – Tony Davison©

Bird of the Day – A remarkably tame Wryneck at Kilnsea, taken at 5:30pm when everyone had gone home  – Tony Davison©

Wryneck – Kilnsea – Tony Davison – More photos below of this stunning bird – Tony Davison©

Above two images – Icterine Warbler – Sammy's Point – Tony Davison©

Above two – Willow Warbler – Sammy's Point – Tony Davison©

Whinchat – Sammy's Point – well over 70 in the area of Spurn today, we saw around 20 – Tony Davison©

Northern Wheatear – Sammy's Point – You can't beat a bit of old rusty barbed wire – Tony Davison©

Spotted Flycatcher – Sammy's Point – plenty of Pied Fly's with a few Spotted Fly's mixed in – Tony Davison©

Several hundred Golden Plover were moving about the estuary – Tony Davison©

Spurn Point looking back towards the Control Tower. – Tony Davison©

The Beach at Spurn Point – Tony Davison©

The Lifeboat Station at The Point – Tony Davison©

Red Admiral – Spurn Point – Tony Davison©

Small Tortoiseshell – Sammy's Point – Tony Davison©

Above three images – Painted Lady – lots of these migrant butterflies across the whole area of Spurn – Tony Davison©

Common Blue – male – Sammy's Point – Tony Davison©

Migrant Hawker – Green Lane – Tony Davison©

Above 12 images – Wryneck – Kilnsea – Tony Davison©