Missing October Good 'uns

The large numbers of good birds seen up and down the East Coast of Yorkshire have largely passed us by here in Hornsea.

Although we've had a Yellow-browed Warbler, we haven't seen much else. I haven't been able to get out that often due to family illness but to be fair I wouldn't be following the twitchers anyway. If there's a crowd of people I usually go the other way to avoid them :)

I've been checking the beach, cliffs and KP most mornings when I'm not driving West and the best bird seen has been a Grey Plover. I found it on KP on Saturday afternoon and then saw it on South Beach the morning after, then myself and a friend saw 2 over the Mere. This morning there were 2 on the beach along with a Redshank:

Grey Plovers and Redshank

Numbers of Greylag Geese have been building through October and on Sunday morning I counted 891 from KP. Many of the birds wake us up in the morning as they fly from their roosts over our house towards Hornsea Mere:

Greylag Geese heading towards The Mere

As the geese wake me up I get out of bed and check to see how the day is looking. This morning there were 3 Roe Deer in the field behind us, munching on newly-sown crops. Oh deer!!

Roe Deer

Butterflies are now but dim and distant memories, but on Sunday morning on a fading rose flower, we had a Red Admiral in our garden. A nice sight, but one that won't be available until next year now :(

The Easterly winds have been blowing for the last few days and this morning's was quite chilly. I may have to abandon my shorts soon!

Scaup, Common Scoter and Pinkies

A very still and quiet day - no breeze at all and about 10 degrees C, dry and cool.

At Kirkholme Point a Cetti's Warbler was singing as I walked in through the gate, this is getting to be a regular greeting and I like it :) In the same bush was a Chiffchaff, also singing away.

The floating vegetation is still hanging around on the North side of KP and a few Wigeon were feeding along it. 16 Pochard were bobbing around and the almost-local Little Egret was on Swan Island again.

I was hoping that the Scaup were still around from yesterday, and one was still present, swimming quickly to the East to join several Tufted Ducks.

Scaup off Kirkholme Point

While walking towards the boat jetties, a duck with a different profile was sighted and once on it, the bins showed it to be a Common Scoter. It took off as I got onto it so the photos are a little snatched and not as good as they could be.

Common Scoter off KP

Common Scoter

Walking around to the south side of Hornsea Mere hoping to see one or two migrants - specifically Ring Ouzel - I counted over 60 Pochard just off 1st field. A Scaup was also in there but it could have been the same bird I saw from KP. Another Cetti's Warbler was singing in the corner of 1st field.

About 80 Greylag Geese flew in and landed on The Mere and a few minutes later 5 Pink-footed Geese flew over.

Walking on through 2nd field to check the recently ploughed field and the stubble field, the 5 Pinkies that flew over were in the field about 20 yards from the Barnacle Goose flock (105 was the count today). Also in the same field was a Skylark, up and singing!

5 Pink-footed Geese - one is hidden behind 2nd from left

Flying Barnacle Goose - one of 105

In the willows by the wet piece of ground marked on the OS maps as "Snipe Grounds" there were 2 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler. Good views of all 3 birds with the 2 Chiffies bobbing their tails as all good Chiffies should.

A Red Admiral flew past and this may be the last view I have of one of these striking butterflies, now that Autumn is fast approacing. No Swallows or House Martins today though.

The last bird I recorded before I turned for home was a Kestrel, sitting atop a hawthorn bush.

Along Southorpe Road I saw fleeting glimpses of Tree Sparrows as they foraged along the hedgerows. The hoped-for Sparrowhawk didn't appear though - maybe tomorrow?