Birding highlights at Spurn – March 2002

 

Main movements and falls, etc. ( with race and unusual species in bold )

 

1st        Stock Dove 1, Barn Owl, Skylark 6 south, Stonechat 2, Blackbird 16, Snow Bunting.

            Seabirds: 78 Red-throated Divers, 1 Gannet south, Kittiwake and 20 Guillemots.

 

2nd        Whooper Swan 4, Pink-footed Goose 180 NW, Pintail 4, Eider 11, Peregrine, Merlin 2,

            Woodcock 2, Short-eared Owl, Skylark 3 south,  Stonechat 2, Blackbird 14, Song Thrush 3

            Long-tailed Tit 2, Snow Bunting.

            Seabirds 121 Red-throated Divers, Great Northern Diver south, 7 Guillemots and a

            Razorbill.

 

3rd        Pink-footed Goose 614 NW, Common Scoter 14, Peregrine, 3 Sparrowhawks, Woodcock   2, Short-eared Owl, Barn Owl,     Stonechat 2, Blackbird 19, Song Thrush 3 and a Snow

            Bunting.

           

4th        Skylark 7 south, Blackbird 20, Song Thrush 5, Redwing 3, Starling 900, Chaffinch 9.

 

5th        Merlin, Water Rail, Stock Dove 3, Meadow Pipit 6, Snow Bunting.

 

6th        Redwing 6, Goldcrest 2, Starling 645.

            Seabirds: Red-throated Diver 130, Shag south, Guillemot 30.

 

7th        Sparrowhawk, Blackbird 16, Song Thrush 2, Redwing 2, Chaffinch 7, Snow Bunting.

            Seabirds: Red-throated Diver 128 N, Kittiwake 9 S, Guillemot 59N 5S, Puffn 3N.

 

8th        Pink-footed Goose 45 south, Stock Dove 3 south, Skylark 2, Grey Wagtail south,

            Greenfinch 16 south, Yellowhammer.

 

9th        Little Grebe 4, Whooper Swan 2, Shoveler, Merlin, Water Rail, Green Sandpiper, Skylark

            5 south, Meadow Pipit 16, Blackbird 18, Goldcrest, Greenfinch 10 south.

            Seabirds: Red-throated Diver 89, Little Gull 2 S.

 

10th      Merlin, Iceland Gull 1st winter south past seawatching hut and then on the beach,

            Blackbird 14, Redwing and Goldcrest.

 

11th      Stock Dove 3 south, Meadow Pipit 18, Linnet 8 south and Snow Bunting.

 

12th      Merlin, Water Rail, Barn Owl, a good early fall of migrants included Meadow Pipit 40,

            Pied Wagtail 5, Robin 16, Stonechat 3, Blackbird 26, Song Thrush 3, Redwing 15,

            Chiffchaff 2, Goldcrest10, Treecreeper ( macrodactyla ), Chaffinch 5, Bullfinch at the

            Warren, Yellowhammer 3, Corn Bunting and Snow Bunting.

 

13th      Stonechat 2, Fieldfare, Redwing,  Long-tailed Tit moved south along peninsular.

 

14th      Egyptian Goose a single u-turned over the Warren and left south over the Humber, only

            the third record for Spurn.

            Seabirds: Red-throated Diver 31, Fulmar 5N 26S, Manx Shearwater 25N 31S, Gannet

            7N 8S, Great Skua 1S, Kittiwake 11N 12S, Auk sp. 9N 31S, Guillemot 4N 29S, Puffin 2S.

15th      Black Redstart.

            Seabirds: Red-throated Diver 18, Fulmar 4N 157S, Manx Shearwater 2S, Shearwater sp.1S

            Cory’s Shearwater 1 south at 15.40, Gannet 20S, Little Gull 2S, Iceland Gull 1S,

Kittiwake 295S, Auk sp. 10N 22S, Guillemot 1N 25S, Puffin 2N.

 

16th      Southerly passage included Skylark 11, Meadow Pipit 49, “alba” wagtail 2, Starling 3 and

            Greenfinch 4. Grounded migrants included Skylark 47, Meadow Pipit 135, Robin 27,

            Black Redstart 3, Stonechat 8,Wheatear, Blackbird 34, Fieldfare 3, Song Thrush3,

            Redwing 4, Chiffchaff 6, Goldcrest 8. Also of note was a Stone Curlew just outside the

            area on Beacon Lane.

 

17th      Greylag Goose south, Goldeneye 2, Peregrine, Merlin, Woodcock, Robin 23, Black

            Redstart 3, Stonechat 2, Blackbird 39, Fieldfare 12, Song Thrush 4, Redwing 9, Chiffchaff

            8, Goldcrest 24, Starling 2,000, Chaffinch 13, Goldfinch 22, Yellowhammer 5. Also a 1st

            winter Iceland Gull south down the beach.

 

18th      Southerly passage included Skylark 11, Meadow Pipit 10, Starling 300, Chaffinch 14,

            Siskin 2. New grounded migrants included Teal 9, Gadwall 1, Wheatear, Mistle Thrush.

 

19th      Peregrine, Merlin, Common Crane 7 ( 6ads and a juv ) flew south along the peninsular at

            11.30, Woodcock, Robin 6, Black Redstart 2, Wheatear, Blackbird 23, Chiffchaff,

            Goldcrest, Chaffinch 14 and Short-eared Owl 3.

 

20th      The only visible passage was single “alba” wagtail and Brambling ( 1st of the year ),

            however there was a good fall of thrushes, Blackbird 102, Fieldfare, Song Thrush 3,                  Redwing 16, Long-eared Owl at the Point, Stonechat, Chiffchaff. Also there were 48

            Wigeon on the Humber.

 

21st      Greylag Goose 2 south, Skylark 13, Robin 3, Black Redstart, Blackbird 42, Fieldfare 6,

            Redwing 39, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Chaffinch 19, Yellowhammer. Iceland Gull imm on

            the beach.

            Seabirds: Red-throated Diver 5, Shag 1S.

 

22nd      Greylag Goose 4 N and then S, Common Snipe 5. Grounded migrants included Woodcock,

            Robin 11, Ring Ouzel female at the Point, Blackbird 98, Fieldfare 6, Song Thrush 3,

            Redwing 10, Chiffchaff 3, Goldcrest 7, Firecrest at Chalk Bank, Chaffiinch 8.

            Seabirds: Red-throated Diver 100, Guillemot 13.

 

23rd      Stonechat 2, Ring Ouzel,  Blackbird 33,  Fieldfare, Redwing, Goldcrest10, Firecrest

            moved to the Point, Chaffinch 3, Siskin and Yellowhammer.

 

24th      Iceland Gull an adult flew south along the Peninsular, Sand Martin ( 1st of the spring )

            flew south over the church, Meadow Pipit 54, Blackbird 34, Song Thrush 2, Redwing,

            Chiffchaff, Goldcrest 4, Greenfinch 24 south, Siskin 11 south, Linnet 7 south,

            Yellowhammer.

 

25th      An increase in wildfowl included Wigeon 41, Teal 17, Pintail 2, Tufted Duck 3 and

            Common Scoter 2. Southerly passage included Stock Dove, Short-eared Owl, Meadow

            Pipit 11, Greenfinch 21, Siskin 2 and Linnet 2.

 

26th      Blackbird 15, Song Thrush, Goldcrest 5, Firecrest still at the point, Long-tailed Tit at the

            Point.

 

27th      Southerly passage produced Meadow Pipit 15, Starling 96, Greenfich 44, Goldfinch 3,

            Siskin and Linnet 40, Chiffchaff and Firecrest at the Point were the only other birds of

            Note.

 

28th      A light southerly passage produced Starling 105, Linnet 50 and the first Swallow of  the

            year, grounded migrants included Wheatear 2, Blackbird 11, Song Thrush 4, Fieldfare,

            Chiffchaff 2, Firecrest 3 at the Point, Goldcrest 4 and a Short-eared Owl at Wire Dump.

 

29th      Grounded migrants included 3 Swallows and 2 House Martins which drifted down to the

            Point and back to Kilnsea ( the 1st ever March records of House Martin ), Rock Pipit 2,

            White Wagtail 2, Black Redstart, Goldcrest 3, Wheatear 4, Fieldfare 4, Blackcap 2,

            Chiffchaff 2, Siskin 2.

 

30th      Greylag Goose 2, Marsh Harrier north, Pintail 2, Avocet 2 on the Humber, Black-tailed

            Godwit 8, Green Sandpiper, Wheatear 8, Black Redstart, Blackbird 3, Goldcrest and a

            Swallow.

 

31st      Southerly passage included Marsh Harrier, Stock Dove 6, Sand Martin, Swallow 5, House

            Martin, Skylark 3, Carrion Crow 21, Rook 2, Goldfinch 5, Siskin 6, Linnet 298. Grounded

            migrants included Woodcock, Wheatear 2, Blackbird 7, Redwing 5, Song Thrush 3,

            Chiffchaff 3, Goldcrest 4, Firecrest 1 still present at the Point, Siskin.

 

            Andy Roadhouse

 

 

            SPURN BIRD OBSERVATORY TRUST               Registered charity 1084312

           

            SPURN BIRD OBSERVATORY, KILNSEA, via PATRINGTON, HULL, HU12 0UG.

 

 

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