Hornsea Mere South Side and Wassand Hide

Yet another great day here on the East Coast of Yorkshire. Dry and breezy, 15 degrees C with a force 3 or 4 south westerly wind.

Although I walked along the shore and over to Kirkholme Point earler, there was nothing of note, but when I walked into 1st Field and heard the song of a Cetti's Warbler, I knew all was well :)

Down by the fence line a late Sedge Warbler was flitting from bush to bush, picking insects as it went. No doubt fattening up for the long flight south to Africa where they spend winter.

Wild fowl numbers continue to increase with 28 Pochard, 8 Shoveler, about 240 Tufted Duck, about 500 Coot, 100 Wigeon, 30 or so Teal and 200 Gadwall.

The large flock of Barnacle Goose (101 is the latest count) were laying up in the recently cut field, looking like they may have roosted there overnight.

101 Barnacle Geese

Towards the hide at Wassand butterflies continue to be seen, mainly Large Whites and Speckled Woods but an odd Small Tortoiseshell pops up here and there. 2 species of dragonfly were out and about - Common Darter and Migrant Hawker.

Common Darter

In the hide itself there wasn't much to see so I passed the time by taking panorama photos -

180 degree view from Wassand Hide

There seemed to be the beginnings of a lenticular cloud formation but it didn't get any better than this before the wind changed and blew it away;

Lenticular clouds, from Wassand Hide

On the footpath from the hide out to the bridleway a large (very large!) branch had snapped off an ash tree and lay over the path. No doubt the estate workers will remove it.

Branch in the way

A Chiff Chaff was singing and 2 Bullfinch were a nice sight as I walked towards Southorpe Road. A Common Buzzard was soaring over the trees but no Marsh Harriers this morning.

There were lots of Grey Squirrel this morning, probably active because they are gathering food before winter sets in. Beech mast and acorns are all over the place. Personally I don't like the Grey Squirrel. It's an introduced species that has had a detrimental effect on the native Red Squirrel.

Kirkholme Point, beach and South Cliffs

09:00-11:30   Cool, dry, very light Southerly breeze, 12 degrees C

I went straight to The Mere this morning to have a wander around the shore line in the hope that something else had dropped in, similar to the Little Stint found last Saturday. It was on the south shore line with a Common Sandpiper, both of which were flushed when a friend walked the shore, but they returned 10 minutes later just as he was leaving.

Nothing of note though apaprt from seeing that the numbers of Wigeon and Tufted Duck had increased again since my last visit on Saturday.

Down at the beach the tide was just beginning to ebb so not the best time to visit but there were a few Swallows flying around. I walked on up to the South Cliffs hoping for a few migrants (especially Yellow-browed Warbler as they've been turning up mall along the East Coast).

Coastguard helicopter over the beach

No YbW but 7 Meadow Pipit, a Linnet and a Wheatear were all in the scrub together with a Stonechat - my first of the year :)

Linnet - showing its long hind claw

Meadow Pipit - with an even longer hind claw

Stonechat

Stonechat

Before the rain

07:15 to 11:00 - Overcast, 16 degrees C, dry, light NW wind.

Thought I'd head out early this morning, before the forecast rain arrived.

A few migrants were found on Hornsea south beach, 7 Meadows Pipits, 10 Swallows over and a Wheatear.

Wheatear on Hornsea beach

Wheatear and a Mipit on the beach

Over to Kirkholme Point at The Mere to see what was about, and the answer was pretty much not as much as I'd hoped for. A few more Swallows (c.30) over the Mere and 4 Little Gulls on the jetty. Numbers of wild fowl are building nicely with Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal and Gadwall all well represented now. Still just a handful of Pochard though.

Walking along the south side of The Mere I scanned the water for anything different, a grebe other Great-crested perhaps, but nothing appeared today.

In one of fields where the crop had just been cut were a flock of Barnacle Geese that looked as though they had roosted there overnight. Counting them from a distance I got at least 96.

Barnacle Geese in stubble field

Barnacle Geese - at least 96

I sat in the hide at Wassand for half an hour, watching the skies getting darker and darker. I eventually decided to make a dash for home, as I hadn't brought a coat. I'd just got back, sat down with a cuppa made by the lovely Linda and the rain started bouncing down. Good timing for a change :)

Misty Morning

It was a very misty and quiet morning in Hornsea today. Temperature at about 14 degrees C with almost no breeze at all.

KP with Swan Island in the mist

No Little Gulls on the jetties and no waders on the shore line. Good job the Cetti's Warbler was singing otherwise there'd be nothing positive to mention :)

Down on the beach I could hear terns calling and there was a good number of them gathered together just past the last breakwater to the south.

Sandwich and Common Terns

Sandwich and Common Terns

4 Sandwich Terns and 24 Common Terns in total. A good haul for mid-September here in Hornsea.

Hornsea Mere and Hornsea South Cliffs

Light rain and very gentle force 1 or 2 NW breeeze; 15 degrees C.

An early visit to Kirkholme Point paid off with a 1st winter Grey Wagtail feeding around the jetties. The buff throat showed well and made it an easy id for me.

4 Little Gulls on the jetties with Black-headed Gulls continued the run of disappointingly low numbers of this bird through Autumn.

Swallows and House Martins were over KP along with 2 late Swift.

2 Little Egret squabbling over by the reed bed off 1st field and 2 Grey Heron, one on Swan Island and one in the reed bed on the north side.

As I walked out towards the gates to go down to the seafront, 2 Kingfishers came down the reeds past me and flew into Bull Hole.

Off shore 3 Sandwich Terns flew north then turned and went back south.

On the cliffs a Wheatear and about 15 Meadow Pipits represented the sum total of migrants today.

Hornsea Mere South Side

On the beach and just off shore there was a reasonable passage of Swallows as I sauntered along the promenade this morning. I counted over 300 birds flying south but there must have been many, many more yesterday morning as a count of 10,000+ was recorded by friends of mine at Hunmanby Gap - just 25 miles or so north of Hornsea.

I met 2 local birders on Kirkholme Point who said I'd missed a Great White Egret earlier,  I don't like to miss birds on my local patch and can usually rely on local friends to give me a heads up on what's about, but this bird didn't hang around very long. These things happen, so I shrugged it off and went on my way.

It was a very warm and muggy early morning with temperatures hitting 20 degrees as I walked along the south side of The Mere. There was no breeze at all so the air seemed thick and heavy. A few hirundines flew over the water, but no great numbers here.

A few Wigeon had just flown in to join the Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Coot, Mallard, Teal and a juvenile Pintail on the water, just off the shore of first field.

Juvenile Pintail

Juvenile Pintail

Shoveler and Teal

 Several Little Egret had been seen on the shore along with the Great White Egret earlier, and 3 of the reported 5 were still hanging around. One flew from the water's edge up into a tree top and displaced a few crows that were happily perched there.

Little Egret

The usual Cetti's Warbler was singing away in the hedgerow between 1st and 2nd field and a Chiff Chaff was also heard in the trees and shrubs at the top of 2nd field.

Little else took my attention as I walked home towards Freeport, but a Small Copper was a real surprise in the fields - the first I've seen in Hornsea since I moved here.

Small Copper

Cowden

I went down to Cowden for a walk round the old firing range there, hoping to see a few migrants on the cliffs.

Plenty of butterflies were enjoying the sunshine with Peacock (2), Small Tortoiseshell (3), Speckled Wood (12), Common Blue (1), Large White/Small White/Green-veined White (over 30) all seen.

Common Blue

Think this is a Small White

Through the bushes and small trees flitted several passerines, a lot of which went un-id'd but those I did get were Reed Bunting (4), Robin (4), Blue Tit (2), Great Tit (3), Willow Warbler (1), Whitethroat (5), House Sparrow (2), Goldfinch (c.15) and Dunnock (4).

3 Stock Doves were a nice change from seeing the ubiquitous Wood Pigeon.

While sea-watching for a while 2 Wheatear came in-off and landed on the tarmac path, as there are few other landing places for these birds.

Wheatear

Wheatear

There wasn't much activity off shore apart from the usual mooching gulls, but a pair of Shags going south was a bit of a highlight.

A pleasant walk then, but nothing startlingly wonderful to report. Maybe tomorrow?