A forecast of Northerly wind and sunny skies quickly convinced me Spurn was the place to head to. The northerlies were relentless, but it was a very bright day with sunny spells. The tide was quite low as I arrived in the Blue Bell car park. I noticed that the recent rain had made some impact on the crumbling cliff, with deep cracks on the boulder clay as I followed the path north to the Warren. At the warren a Yellow-browed Warbler was flitting on some sycamores. The light was not great and I only had fleeting views. I walked around the beach before turning round towards the Blue Bell. There were plenty of birdwatchers about today, even an organised group. As I was arriving to the Blue Bell, a bird flew into the hedge. A robin chased it and the bird showed: I thought it was a pied flycatcher, until I saw the plain brown wings and the white side patches on its short tail: a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a lifer! I beckoned a birder who was coming down the road, it was also a lifer for him. I starting drawing a sketch of the bird, thinking it wouldn't appear again, but it did, and I was able to take a few shots. After a little while with no more appearances I left the scene. By then, a small crowd had formed looking for the bird and I later found out that a few others saw it.
After a celebratory expresso in the Blue Bell, I headed to the churchyard, where a Pied Flycatcher had been seen. I had some fleeting views and a poor record shot. I moved onto the Crown and Anchor and just opposite a Spotted Flycatcher gave very good views as it sat on the sun occasionally darting after an insect, the third flycatcher species of the day.
Despite the mild temperature and sunny spells, the wind made it a hard day for insects. In a few sheltered spots there were Migrant Hawkers and Common Darter dragonflies. A Silver Y fed on Red Clover in Beacon Lane. The best insect by far was a nesting aggregation of Sea Aster mining bees, very close to the visitor centre under construction.
As I returned from the salt marsh, a Swift passed over, lingering overhead as it flew against the wind for a while. I hope is not the last one I see this year.
Low tide.
Common Gulls resting on the beach.
Meadow Pipit.
Silver Y feeding on red clover.
Spotted Flycatcher.
Curlew.
Saltmarsh with the spit and lighthouse in the distance.
Aster bee, Colletes helophilus coming out of her nest.
Sea Aster mining bee, Colletes helophilus
A nesting aggregation of Sea Aster mining bees on a sandy beach by the saltmarsh, near the new visitor centre.
Sea Aster mining bee feeding on Sea Aster.
Male Common Darter.
Pair of crows dropping shells. I went where they were afterwards, but couldn't find what they were dropping and eating on the shingle spit.
No comments:
Post a Comment