A day of westerlies at Kilnsea and Spurn Triangle

It's a good time of the year for a trip to the coast, especially to Spurn, where migration is in full swing. Although the forecast was of cloud, the sunny spells were plentiful and in the afternoon it was balmy at the lee of the westerly wind.

Kilnsea Wetlands
I started at the hide at Kilnsea. Three Brent and a drake Pintail were the highlights. There is not much water left and the birds were mostly distant. A pair of Rock Pipits were feeding by the scrape in front of the hide.

Drake Pintail in between Brent Geese.

Redshank.

Triangle
I drove to the Blue Bell car park and walked up the front of the Sandy Beaches caravan park. On the rocks by the breaking waves there was a Purple Sandpiper, a site tick for me. Off sea, a lone Common Scoter flew south.

Pied Wagtail.

There was not much down the beach and I returned by the road to the visitor centre.

Some birdwatchers were looking at a Whinchat, which was very mobile. I missed this species last year and it was nice to connect with it.

Canal Scrape
A Jack Snipe had been seen at Canal Scrape, but I missed it. A Snipe and a Dunlin were close to the hide. Three Little Grebes were about, one of them spent some time standing on the edge of the water. Two House Martins flew south. Blackbirds, Redwings and Fieldfares fed in the hawthorns.

Dunlin

Little Grebe with fish.

Shelduck.

A Little Grebe standing, not something you see every day.

Fieldfares

Tree Sparrow.

After a stop at the visitor centre, where I was pleased to see a few Tree Sparrows, I walked to the Warren and turned back by the beach. The only bird of notice a Wheatear which flew to the clifftop. 

Wheatear.

On Beacon lane I had my first Brambling of the season.

Brambling.

Invertebrates
In Beacon Ln and by the dunes off Beacon ponds, and in other spots sheltered from the wind, there were many invertebrates to be found. Quite a few Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters, the two late dragonfly species, were about. On the dunes by Beacon Ponds (top shot), a Silver Y moth and a Eupeodes luniger hoverfly fed on sea rocket. No sea aster bees today, most of the sea aster I saw was on seed.

Male Common Darter

Male Common Darter.

Migrant Hawker resting in the brambles. 

Migrant Hawkers tend to be very approachable when at rest and this one let me get very close to take a shot at its eyes.

Silver Y moth on Sea Rocket.

Eupeodes luniger.

Small Tortoiseshell

The only mammal today was a Grey Seal on the sea just off Beacon Ponds.

 Although I missed many exciting migrants, including a Red-flanked Bluetail by the Lighthouse, migration was very noticeable today and the mild weather and invertebrates made it for a very pleasant autumn walk around Spurn. 

A sunny day at Filey Brigg

Despite the sunny conditions, it was cold and windy, with a cutting NW wind. Filey Bay was balmy though, and in the ravines and sheltered areas, there were still a number of active insects. The tide was ebbing and we walked towards the Brigg from the beach, the path just passable. A flock of Oystercatchers with a few Redshank and a few Dunlin fed on the exposed rocks.

The wooded ravine from the country park to the Sailing Club.

A very battered Speckled Wood.

The crumbling till cliff atop the hard Upper Jurasic gritstone (Birdsall Grit) that forms the backbone of the Brigg.

A Redshank and two Oystercatchers feeding on the ebbing tide.

Shag.

Two drake Common Scoters.

Cormorants and Shags with Filey as a backdrop.

Cormorants drying their wings .

The swell at the Brigg.

Looking towards Brigg End.

Grey Seals loafing on the lee side of the brigg.

Grey Seals.

This young seal had a cut on a flipper, but looked otherwise in good condition.

Moulting Grey Seal Pup.

Another group of seals.

Gannets over the breakers.

Good visibility, with Scarborough on the background.

Oystercatcher.

Drake Common Scoter.

A very confiding Kestrel hunting from the cliff.