Looks like Bempton and Spurn should be on my list of places to go too. Well done finding the short toed lark among all the skylarks.
Having only been birding in Sussex and Norfolk since starting 27 months ago Jackie and i decided it was time to try somewhere else and having looked at the possibilities we hit on a trip to the North East taking in Spurn and as far up to Coquet Island and the Farnes.
I am sure this isn't as glamorous as some of the reports on here but it was a new experience for us and we enjoyed immensely.
Setting off on Sunday 18/5 we travelled to Norfolk to meet up with some friends taking in the "other" Stone Curlew site to get them on the year list.It was very quiet there with no Skylarks even but a bit of searching found one Stone Curlew hiding behing a small mound.
Having met up with our friends we set off for East Yorkshire arriving at our base for 3 days at a farmhouse in West Carlton late afternoon.
What a beautiful place.......a lovely house surrounded by open country with a large garden and it's own resident population of Tree Sparrow.The owners are very into wildlife and informed us of 5 Dotterel in a field 1/4 mile away which we duly went to see finding 4 males and a female very close to the road offering great views.
Heading back we set up mist nets in the garden ready for the morning as one of the group was a ringer.Approximately 16 birds were caught in the morning allowing us great views of Tree Sparrow,Chaffinch,Blue Tit,Great Tit and best of all a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
I couldn't believe how small it looked in the hand compared to when you see one on a feeder.
Anyway after a hearty breakfast we set off for Spurn Point.I guess i was expecting more from this place than we got but it was still a great place.The place was bursting with Whitethroats.....seemed like one in every bush.The best bird was a Spotted Flycatcher found in a tree near the Heligoland traps and 3 Northern Wheatear.......my first of the year.Out on the flats some Summer plumaged Grey Plover were present along with Dunlin,Sanderling and some Bar-tailed Godwits.
As a side note to Spurn we noticed a couple of cars driving back and forward to the point with different men in the back dressed in what appeared to be black suits/uniforms.Is there a military presence at the Point?
We left Spurn and travelled to Beacon Ponds hoping to pick up Little Tern which we did........wasn't a lot else here really.
On the way back to base we briefly stopped by the road at Out Newton wind farm to check the wires over the fields for Corn Bunting.We found 2 singing males and a bonus in the shape of a couple of Yellow Wagtails
Back to base for a well earned dinner,pudding and a few beers.
The next morning sees us heading for Flamborough Head.Plenty of Shags,Razorbill,Guillemot,Gannet,Fulmar,Kittiwake and Puffin flying past or on the sea.Checked the Old Falls plantation but apart from a Willow Warbler and a flyover Cuckoo there was nothing much else here.
Onwards to Bempton Cliffs.....a place i had always wanted to visit and it didn't let me down.The sight,sound and smell of the place is amazing.No new birds seen here but it should be on every birders list of places to go........fantastic.
As we were leaving a birder came up and told us about a Short-toed Lark seen at Filey.Being only 5 miles away we couldn't resist not going for it so drove the short distance to Filey and finally found the Old Tip area where it had been seen.We located the rape field it had been seen in and realised we had a job on our hands.Several false alarms and many Skylarks later we located the bird feeding on the ground and managed to get great views and to compare the differences between the 2 larks.
A quick walk up to the cliffs found us a Peregrine on a nest and the male being mobbed by Gulls as it tried to bring in food.
Part 2 to follow.
3 lifers so far....Puffin,Short-Toed Lark and Shag.
Great report Mark and a good read. Looks like Bempton and Spurn should be on my list of places to go too.
Well done finding the short toed lark among all the skylarks.