When you stop and think about it, until quite recently I had never even visited Spurn, yet I’ve now been there three times in the space of a month! At last, we’ve had a more prolonged spell of easterly winds, bringing with them a noticeable arrival of some of the autumn migrants we’ve been hoping for.
At this time of year, a decent run of easterlies is always something to get excited about, particularly along the east coast. These winds can bring migrants across the North Sea, pushing them towards our shores and, in some cases, encouraging them to drop in and stay awhile. Spurn, with its exposed position on the Yorkshire coast, is ideally placed to benefit from these arrivals.
The change in conditions became apparent at the beginning of November, initially with north-easterlies before the wind settled into a more persistent easterly and south-easterly direction. As the week progressed, the winds strengthened, accompanied by plenty of cloud cover and occasional rain. It's this combination of conditions that can make autumn birding at Spurn so exciting. Birds making the crossing from the continent can find themselves arriving on our coastline, sometimes in good numbers and occasionally bringing along something a little more unusual. The Observatory sightings certainly suggested that the change in wind direction had not gone unnoticed, with a welcome influx of some of the scarcer migrants we've been hoping to see.
As is often the case, these favourable conditions were never going to last indefinitely, and by the weekend the wind had begun to swing back towards the west. Nevertheless, for a few days at least, we finally had a taste of the sort of autumn weather that can make Spurn such a special place to visit. After so much waiting, it was good to see those easterlies finally deliver!
Friday was an exceptional day at Spurn, with the easterly winds continuing to deliver an impressive selection of scarce and rare migrants. There was plenty to keep visiting birders occupied, with two desert wheatears providing one of the main highlights. A smart new male had appeared at the Gas Terminal, joining the female that remained around the Point. The Eastern Bonelli's warbler was also confirmed by its calls, although it had apparently proved frustratingly elusive, being seen on only a couple of occasions. There was no further sign of the much-talked-about Taiga flycatcher, which had been showing well the previous day.
There was still plenty more to enjoy, including the female pied wheatear and an Amur Siberian stonechat, both around Sammy's Point, while a Hume's Warbler continued to show in the Crown & Anchor area. Three Pallas's Warblers were scattered around, with two Siberian chiffchaffs also present. Elsewhere, a rough-legged buzzard provided another exciting addition to some year lists, being mobbed at one point by five short-eared owls and a hen harrier. Eight shore larks remained at Beacon Ponds, alongside two snow buntings, while the supporting cast included woodcocks, firecrest, ring ouzels, bramblings and good numbers of redwings, fieldfares and blackbirds. It was quite a list.
With mist and fog forecast, along with a generally overcast sky, there was every chance that some of the birds might hang around for another day. With that in mind, Kev @kev07713 and I were on the road by 4.00am on Saturday morning, keen to make the most of the conditions - we had blankets of fog on the way but as we got further north this gradually disappated. Given the impressive selection of birds present, it seemed sensible to start the day at Sammy’s Point, where both the Amur Siberian stonechat and pied wheatear had been seen the previous day.
As we got out of the car and started getting ourselves organised, a familiar voice called out from behind us. Three other birders were also getting out of their car and sorting their gear when I heard, "Hi Kyle!" It was Matt Dineen @mattdenial.bsky.social, along with two of his birding mates. What a small world it is! No matter where you seem to end up in the country, there's always a good chance of bumping into someone you know from the birding world.
We set off along the track, but there was initially no sign of either the Amur stonechat or the pied wheatear. We continued scanning carefully, keeping an eye on both sides of the track, from the rocks and beach to the fields on the landward side, hoping for any sign of movement. At one point, a bird flew low over the beach and dropped onto some stones out in the water. A quick look through the scopes revealed a male black redstart. By the time we reached a small group of birders further along the track, we discovered that they had been watching the same bird on the beach by them, although it had since disappeared. We were able to let them know it had flown along the beach and out over the water, rather than remaining in the area where they had last seen it.
As we made our way along the track, a woodcock suddenly flushed from the undergrowth behind us and shot past at speed. It was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared, leaving me with barely enough time to raise the camera, let alone get a photograph.
Then news came through that the Amur stonechat had been relocated. As birders began to gather further ahead, it wasn't particularly difficult to work out where we needed to be! Joining the growing group, we soon got our views and, more importantly, our tick - a lifer for us. With the initial excitement over, we were able to spend some time enjoying the bird properly as it worked its way along the field, frequently perching on grass stems and low bushes. A fantastic start to the morning and a very welcome addition to our life lists.
This is the Amur form of Siberian stonechat, originating from the far east of Asia, and a very welcome visitor to our shores. It was a cracking-looking bird, with a distinctive dark head, orange tones to the breast and a contrasting pale collar and rump. It was a real pleasure to watch as it worked its way along the field, frequently dropping onto grass stems and low bushes, giving some excellent views as it searched for insects.
This species is a rather subtle but attractive bird in its autumn plumage. It had a warm brown crown, and a creamy-white throat contrasting nicely with the soft peachy-orange tones across the breast. The upperparts were predominantly brown, with darker centres to the feathers giving a streaked appearance, while the wings showed some lovely pale buff edging to the darker flight feathers. From behind, the warmer brown rump contrasted with the noticeably darker tail. It was a bird that rewarded a little time spent watching and studying it, particularly as it moved around the field, offering different views of its plumage.
We had moved further along the track, keeping an eye on the stonechat, when someone called out that a Richard's pipit had flown overhead, and picked up on call by Kristian Wade @kristianwade_
Eventually with the pied wheatear seemingly having moved on we decided to make our way back to the car and relocate to the Crown & Anchor and churchyard to see if we could find the Pallas's and Hume's warblers that had been seen there that morning. We joined a group of birders in the pub car park and soon saw the Pallas's warbler in the trees between the car park and the road. Beside us were Andy Stockhausen @andy-1963.bsky.social and a young birder James Dickinson @kidphotographer24.bsky.social
Pallas's warblers are incredibly active little birds, constantly working their way through the trees and dense brambles in search of food. Rarely staying in one place for more than a few seconds, they flit from branch to branch, picking tiny insects and spiders from leaves and twigs. They frequently move upside down beneath the foliage, briefly hover to inspect a leaf or make short darting flights to catch an insect. Their restless movements and frequent wing flicks make them fascinating to watch, although getting a clear view can be something of a challenge. Just as you get them in the binoculars or camera lens, they're off again, reappearing a little further along in the next tangle of branches.
After spending some time watching the bird, it gradually worked its way through the trees and we decided to leave the car park and view it from the other side of the road, where it looked as though we might get better views. This proved to be a good move, as we enjoyed some excellent views of the Pallas's warbler, along with chiffchaffs and firecrest. However, with the birds now appearing much closer than before, I was beginning to regret having the teleconverter fitted to my lens. Trying to acquire focus on these fast-moving little birds was proving quite a challenge, and just as I managed to get one in the viewfinder, it would invariably be off again, flitting through the branches!
We made a stop at Kilnsea churchyard in the hope of catching up with the Hume's warbler reported there, but there was no sign of it. We also checked the hedge on the walk back towards the Crown and Anchor but again drew a blank. With this target eluding us, we started to consider where best to head next and how to make the most of the remaining time.
Then news broke that the Eastern Bonelli's warbler had been reported at Easington. This was one of the most intriguing discoveries of the previous week at Spurn, having first been reported on Thursday. Initially logged simply as a Bonelli's warbler species, its identity was subsequently confirmed as an Eastern Bonelli's warbler following further observations and, importantly, the identification of its distinctive calls by observers. This was an exciting find, as separating Eastern from Western Bonelli's warbler is particularly challenging, especially when views are brief and inconclusive.
The bird had proved frustratingly elusive, favouring an apple tree in an Easington garden and only showing briefly on Friday. However, its calls provided the additional evidence needed to confirm its identity - hopefully this will be accepted. As is often the case with these scarce autumn migrants, locating the bird is only half the battle; actually, getting a decent view of it was going to be another challenge! With news of its continued presence, we decided it was certainly worth investigating.
We arrived at the site to find that a couple of dozen birders were already gathered, with the bird apparently showing. We quickly scanned the tree in the direction being indicated and, sure enough, there it was! A lifer for both of us, and I suspect for many of the other birders gathered there too.
In appearance, the Eastern Bonelli's warbler is a fairly subtle bird, with rather plain greyish-green upperparts contrasting beautifully with its clean, silky-white underparts. There is a slight greenish tinge to the rump and wing edges, while the face has a fine pale supercilium above the dark eye. Its overall appearance is quite understated, lacking the brighter and more obvious markings of some of our other warblers. Nevertheless, it's a smart little bird, and one where the finer details are well worth taking the time to appreciate. Another excellent addition to the weekend's growing list of birds!
The farmer had asked that nobody enter the field until the bird had been located and he had given permission, so for the time being we had to make do with views from the roadside, looking through the trees. While we were there, we caught up with Ewan Urquhart @Stormvogel99 and Tom Hines @tomhines10, who explained that it was Ewan who had originally spotted and reported the bird. Both had been there early and watching the tree, waiting to see if the bird would return.
Oli Beacock @oli_beacock then appeared, and we discovered that he had been on site from first light and had eventually been joined by Ewan and Tom, but after spending several hours looking without success, had decided to move on and try his luck elsewhere. As luck would have it, he had only left around 20 minutes before Ewan relocated the bird. Now desperate to get a proper look at the bird, he worked his way into a position where he could finally secure his tick, returning with a huge sense of relief. He certainly deserved it after all the effort he had already put in! There was also a chap enthusiastically guiding people towards the bird, giving directions based largely on its position in the apple tree and its relationship to the shed underneath.
While I was watching, Gary Watton @GaryWatton1 and his wife joined us for a chat and they too were successful in getting some good views. Thankfully, the weather was a little kinder this time, at least it wasn't raining like it had been on my last meeting with Gary at Clifford Hill CP for the American (buff-bellied) pipit, when we had both ended up absolutely soaked!
While watching the tree, we were treated to a supporting cast of other species making the most of the apples and, presumably, the insects attracted to them. Blackbirds, blackcaps and blue tits were regular visitors, along with the occasional chiffchaff, all taking advantage of what the tree had to offer.
Having spoken to Rob Hunton, we discovered that they were still having difficulty contacting the farmer to obtain permission for birders to enter the field. The plan was that, once permission had been secured, an update would be posted on the Spurn WhatsApp groups. With no immediate prospect of getting any closer views, we eventually decided to move on and head down to Bluebell, where twite had been reported flying south earlier that morning. This was another species I was particularly keen to catch up with, as I still needed it for my year list.
We arrived at the Bluebell car park and headed out towards the beach, scanning the shoreline and the sea for any signs of activity. As we turned left, we joined another birder watching a short-eared owl that had just come in off the sea and was circling high above the Sandy Beaches caravan park. It completed a couple of circuits before turning back out over the water and heading down the coast in the direction of the Warren. An unexpected bonus!
We continued our walk along the coast but decided against going all the way to the Warren and the sea watching hut. Instead, we dropped down onto the lane towards the Discovery Centre, picking up a few linnets along the way, although there was no sign of any twite amongst them. As we were making our way back towards the car, news came through that access had finally been granted to the field where the Eastern Bonelli's warbler was showing. That was enough to prompt a change of plan, and we quickly jumped back into the car and headed back to Easington in the hope of getting some better views of the bird.
This time, birders had been allowed into the field and were lined up facing the apple tree. Initially, there was no sign of the bird, and to make matters worse, the rain started to fall. We found ourselves at the end of the line, furthest away from the shelter of the tree line, so it wasn't the most comfortable of viewing positions - a few people around us were standing under their umbrellas. Gradually, a few more people joined us at our end, including Matt Dineen and his friends, as well as Pete Webster, a birder we seemed to have bumped into on each of our visits to Spurn.
The wait was a little longer than we'd hoped, but eventually the bird did the decent thing and showed itself reasonably well. It was still spending most of its time working through the tree, frequently disappearing behind leaves or only offering partially obscured views, but at least we were now closer than we had been from the roadside. Kev provided an excellent running commentary, directing everyone to the bird's position relative to a particular "pink apple". This was much appreciated by those gathered around him, as keeping track of such a mobile little bird in a busy tree was no easy task.
Although we were closer, it was still far from an ideal photographic opportunity. The combination of poor light, increasingly gloomy skies and rain made getting sharp images particularly challenging, with the need to push the ISO resulting in the inevitable risk of noisy photographs. Nevertheless, we had managed some considerably better views than earlier in the morning, and it was good to spend a little more time watching this rather special visitor.
As the rain began to ease, we took one final look around before deciding to head over to Easington Cemetery, where another Hume's warbler had been reported. We parked up and made our way down the lane, stopping to chat with another birder along the way. During the conversation, we mentioned that birders at the cemetery had told him the Hume's warbler had already departed, having flown up the lane in our direction. As it turned out, Matt and his friends were making their way towards us, presumably having also missed the bird, which seemed to have disappeared around half an hour earlier.
We finished off the day birding around Easington, but without adding anything else of particular note. Before long, it was time to call it a day, return to the car, eat our sandwiches and begin the journey home. Despite missing out on a couple of our hoped-for birds, we had enjoyed two lifers and added a couple of other species to the year list. All in all, another excellent visit to Spurn, which is finally beginning to deliver now that those much-anticipated easterly winds have arrived. Let's hope they bring a few more surprises before the autumn is over.
Year list: 307 (BUBO), 313 (mine).
