Birding highlights at Spurn during July 2001

July is traditionally a quite month in the Spurn birder’s calender although it can often throw up a few surprises. The month started well with an unseasonal ‘ring-tailed’ Hen Harrier south on the 1st and a Black Redstart at the point the following day. The first of many Yellow-legged Gull sightings was made on the 5th when an adult was on the Humber until the 9th. Single adults were also reported on the 20th, 23rd, 27th and 29th with two adults on the 15th and 21st, a third-summer on the 8th and a second-summer on the 9th and 21st. The 6th saw a Spotted Redshank on the Humber and another Black Redstart at the point, remaining until the 8th.

The highpoint of the month occurred on the 7th when Yorkshire’s third ever Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans) was found, mid-morning, on the Humber shore, just off the warren. Although initial views were poor this second-summer bird showed well over the next few days on the falling high tide. The last reliable report was in the early-afternoon of the 10th.

The 7th also produced an adult Long-tailed Skua offshore, whilst the following day a female Crossbill was at the narrows, a first-summer Mediterranean Gull (until the 9th) and 75 Little Gulls were on the Humber and 3000 Swifts flew south. The next few days were generally quiet with little of note, apart for an impressive 11,000 Swifts moving south on the 11th. Both a ‘ring-tailed’ Montagu’s Harrier and a Hobby headed south on the 14th, when a Great Spotted Woodpecker was at the narrows. Another Spotted Redshank was on the Humber on the 15th, with a female Crossbill on the peninsula.

Over the 17th and 18th the wind picked up to a force 6 south-easterly, swinging to easterly force 7 mid-afternoon on the 17th, and then through north-easterly force 6, to northerly force 6 on the 18th. These strong winds produced some good seawatching with a Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 58 Fulmars, 152 Manx Shearwaters, 452 Gannets, 119 Common Scoter, 19 Arctic Skuas, 375 Kittiwakes, 450 Sandwich Terns and 373 Guillemots past on the 17th. Then 2 Great Crested Grebe, 36 Fulmar, 113 Gannets, 124 Common Scoter, a Velvet Scoter, a Pomarine Skua, 2 Great Skuas, 206 Kittiwakes and 930 Sandwich Terns past on the 18th. A few seabirds were still moving on the 19th with a Scaup south and a Black Tern out east.

The first Curlew Sandpipers of the autumn (two on the Humber) were found on the 20th, with a Spotted Redshank and an adult Mediterranean Gull also on the Humber, and a male Crossbill north over the warren. The Mediterranean Gull was still present on the Humber the following day, along with 5 Curlew Sandpipers and a juvenile Little Egret, which spent half-an-hour on the shore before flying off south. The 21st also saw a Kingfisher put in a brief appearance on the canal. Another 2 juvenile Little Egrets were seen on the 22nd; one flew south past the narrows early-morning and the second flew in from the north mid-afternoon, u-turned over the triangle, before heading back north. All three of these egrets were thought to be different birds, probably juveniles dispersing from the near continent.

The next four days were a bit uneventful, although the number of Curlew Sandpipers on the Humber increased to 6 (on the 24th) and a Velvet Scoter flew south. The number of Curlew Sandpipers increased again on the 27th when 7 were on the Humber along with a Spotted Redshank. Two Hobbys were also seen on the 27th but best of all was a Marsh Tit seen briefly at the narrows mid-morning - only Spurn’s ninth ever record and following hotly on the heels of the eighth record on the 30th June (see ‘Birding Highlights…June 2001’).

The 28th was a good day by any standards with a Merlin south, 2 Black Terns out east, a Wood Sandpiper over the triangle, a Pomarine Skua south in the evening, a Great Spotted Woodpecker at the narrows and warren and a juvenile Long-eared Owl at the narrows. The LEO remained until the 30th hunting along the peninsula and often roosting in view at the warren. The 29th was the last interesting day of the month and was dominated by visible passage. A total of 2500 Swifts and 1500 Swallows moved south, with 17 Kestrels noted (including 8 south) and 7 Curlew Sandpipers still on the Humber.           

Paul Massey, Observatory Warden.