Shearwater cruise aboard Yorkshire Belle

On the 17th of September we went on one of the RSPB's Shearwater cruises from Bridlington Harbour aboard the Yorkshire Belle. As the cruise was at 3:00 pm we had a day around Bridlington first. It was cloudy with a cold windy and the tide was out when we arrived and we walked around the harbour, me mainly birdwatching. I was pleasantly surprised that the Barnacle Goose that lives there with some mallards is not pinioned as I previously thought and is very able to fly. Turnstones, Redshank and various gulls were feeding on the mud. At least 25 Great Black-backed gulls, adults and juveniles, were under the pier where the fish is processed. There was a fight between some of them, while others did the long call, with a much lower pitch than Herring Gull's and displayed together. What an utterly awesome spectacle!

 After lunch, we walked along the pier. A handful of Purple sandpipers fed on some mussel-covered rocks exposed in the low tide, with Turnstones and a pair of Oystercatchers.

The view of the North beach from the pier with Flamborough in the horizon.

Purple Sandpiper.

Purple Sandpiper.

A few Kittiwakes sitting on the outside of the harbour wall. The little shelf provides enough space for them to nest and roost.

Adult Herring gull atop the pirate ship ticket office.

 And then it was time! The Yorkshire Belle arrived in the harbour (above) and soon we were settled and ready to go. There was a running commentary of birds seen from the deck.  Sandwich and Common terns were fishing not far from the shore. The first exciting moment was to watch Arctic Skuas chasing and mobbing terns into releasing their catch. Flocks of Scoters passed by. At some point a crew member started to drop some fish to the sea to attract shearwaters. We had some distant views of a Manx Shearwater, a first for me. The highlight was a Great Skua or Bonxie (top shot), who fed quite close to the boat with Herring Gulls and Great black-backed gulls.
I am quite awful at sea with seasickness, but still enjoyed the trip very much.

Common Scoter

Arctic Skuas

Arctic Skua.

Gulls gathering behind the boat.

The Great Skua was squabbling with some gulls here.

As we returned to Bridlington, more Kittiwakes had congregated to roost on the harbour wall.

More information

RSPB shearwater cruises with the Yorkshire Belle. Website.

Alkbrough Flats Spoonbills

I went to Alkborough Flats with Robert Jaques in the hope of ticking the Purple Swamphen that has been there for a couple of weeks. In the end, we weren't lucky with the swamphen, but the visit was quite worthwhile as there were so many birds at the site and we had some great views of many species. We walked to the low hide overlooking the lagoon. There was a large flock of Avocets mixed with Shoveler and Shelduck feeding, and just by the shore a Spoonbill preening with a few others feeding nearby. In all, at some point 13 Spoonbills were visible from the hide, and at least four individuals were colour-ringed. A few Pintail fed on the distance. Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Ruff, Avocet and various ducks sat on the mudflats. The pinging calls of a group of Bearded tits were heard and they appeared briefly.

One of the trip highlights was watching a couple of young Water Rails on a shallow ditch by the hide. We had heard their calls, and eventually they showed, relatively well, although quite nervously: a tiny noise from the hide was followed by a rail diving into the reeds.
 When leaving the hide a group of Chub were very visible on a ditch. Many common darters and some hawkers I couldn't identify were also about.
We moved onto the path by the hillside, where some birdwatchers awaited pointing with their telescopes into a distant pool where the Purple Swamphen had previously been seen. None had seen it today, so after a little while we moved onto a sweltering tower hide for lunch. A Marsh Harrier, the only one of the day, quartered over the reedbeds, followed by mobbing Lapwing. This took the day tally to 47 species.
A selection of Spoonbill photos:

Two colour ringed Spoonbills.

Feeding Spoonbills.

Spoonbill and Avocet

Many Ruff in the reserve, this is one of three that walked past the hide.

Curlew.

Reed Bunting.

A male Bearded Tit, part of a small group that fed on the reeds.

Pintail

One of the young Water Rails.

Group of Chub, Squalius cephalus, in a dich by the hide, a new fish for me.

Male Common Darter

Devil's Coach Horse, Ocypus olens, displaying.

A small toad, found crossing the path.

View of the reserve from the path.

One of two Small Coppers settled after a long fight with another. Other than the Small Copper, we saw Speckled Wood, Comma, and Red Admiral around the reserve.

Spurn trip: Day 3. Kilnsea saltmarsh invertebrates

After the long walk yesterday, today we take it more leisurely and we head out of Westmere Farm B&B towards the sea across a couple of fields at the back of the farm. By the beach, where the clay cliff is very low, there is a thin strip of dunes (top shot). The sun is shining on blue skies, there is the lightest breeze and it's low tide. While the kids play on the beach, I watch insects on the dunes. Fleabane, sow thistle and ragwort are blooming in profusion. Butterflies are aplenty, including very fresh looking Small Tortoiseshells, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Peacock, Small White, Common Blue and a Small Heath.
 There are also many active bees, including a Sea Aster bee, Colletes halophilus, a first for me.

Small Tortoiseshell.

Many Small Whites

Peacock, here with Small Tortoiseshell on ragwort.

Red admiral on saw-thistle

Painted lady on ragwort

And a patrolling male common blue that briefly landed on a flower bud

Another Peacock on fleabane

Female Sea Aster bee, Colletes halophilus collecting pollen on Sea Aster. It's hot and the bee is very skittish, almost jumping between flowers. It's a female completely covered in aster pollen.

A close up of the Sea Aster Bee.

One of a few stands of Sea Aster where the bee was feeding.

One of many Dune Robberflies, Philonicus albiceps with fly prey.

Eristalis tenax, on saw-thistle

The spotty-eyed hoverfly, Eristalinus aeneus on fleabane. 

Helophilus pendulus

Many 11 spot ladybirds on reeds, these mating (you can see an aphid on the bottom left hand corner), also 7 spots.

There are also plenty of crickets and grasshoppers about, according to the kids, that are totally astounded I am unable to hear them sing. I was pleased to find a female Short-winged conehead resting on a fence.

A Lesser marsh grasshopper grooming its antennae

Short-winged conehead

Just before leaving Spurn, we stop for a drink at the Blue Bell Cafe and by the beach, we spot two more butterflies for the day.

Painted lady on mayweed.

Small Heath on mayweed