After all the hype and great things I read about Migfest on Twitter last year - and seeing some of the incredible birds that Spurn draw in - I simply couldn't resist going to the festival.
A 4 hour drive and a flyby Tawny Owl somewhere in Lincolnshire saw us arrive at our chosen B&B for the night, before heading down to Spurn the next morning for day 1 of MigFest.
Day 1 - 7/9/19
As it was my first time at Spurn I genuinely didn't know what to expect. So when we turned up at Westemere farm to pitch up our tents and were greeted by the worn down barn, I must admit I had a brief moment of slight concern (which soon disappeared)! After pitching up the tents we decided to head down to the Seawatching hide in the hope of seeing some lifers (as I have very little experience with seawatching). On arrival, a large crowd greeted me as well as vast amounts of Gannets (lifer) with a good passage of Sandwich Terns and a Fulmar (lifer). However, my seawatch only lasted around 20 minutes, as a message of a trapped and ringed Marsh Warbler at Church Field caused me to drop everything and dash down there - briefly stopping to look at a Whinchat posing on a fence post - my first of the year and the first of many over the weekend! Sadly I missed the Warbler by around a minute but was consoled by a Spotted and Pied Flycatcher (lifer) in the Crown and Anchor car park. On the way back to the farm, I bumped into the legend that is David Walsh whom I'd been hoping to finally meet again. After a brief catch-up, we decided to head down to Kilnsea Wetlands to try and see the long(ish) staying White-Rumped Sandpiper.
Unsurprisingly, the hide was rammed on arrival due to the star attraction of the day, so we decided to head down to the viewpoint to see what we could find. A brief scan saw me managing to find a Wood Sandpiper - my best find of the weekend - which was a delight to watch, despite being somewhat distant. Some striking Yellow Wagtails also decided to get in on some of the action, adding another decent species to my weekend list. Eventually, the hide started to clear up so we ventured in... Very quickly, David very quickly picked up my first ever White-Rumped Sandpiper distantly alongside a Dunlin for nice comparison.The Sandpiper's supporting cast mainly consisted of dozens of Knot (lifer), a Bar Tailed Godwit, Mediterranean Gulls and Sandwich Terns. After substantial time was spent in the hide admiring the rarity, we decided to head up to the triangle to look for migrants. This trip was somewhat successful with a beautiful Wheatear showing at point blank range (one of my highlights of the weekend), 2 Whinchat and my first Tree Sparrows. It was fantastic to also meet up with Jack, a young birder with astounding knowledge and Lizzie his Mum.
After a stop off for lunch at the Crown and Anchor pub, we met up again with David and some other young birders - James, Alex, Zack and Oscar before we headed out to Kilnsea again for seconds of the White Rumped Sandpiper, which the others hadn't seen yet. Much the same birds were on show, so a seawatch at the Caravan site seemed in order; sadly the passage was quiet with a Red Throated Diver (which I tantalisingly missed) being the only bird of note. After this, we headed back down to the Seawatching hide again - where there would be more eyes and possibly a better chance of finding something interesting. The next attempt our group had at seawtaching faired much more productive, with 6 Arctic Skuas (4 found by me and a lifer!) and 3 Manx Shearwater (lifer with 1 self found) providing me some seawatching ID education! Gladly, a Red Throated Diver decided to put in an appearance, making up for the one I'd tantalisingly missed less than an hour earlier! Retiring from the seawatch, the group headed back to the farm with a stop at the Crown and Anchor for seconds of the Pied Flycatcher en route. Whilst observing the flycatchers, my first Lesser Whitethroat came into view, finally putting an end to it's status as my worst 'bogey bird'.
The much anticipated Hog Roast was next on the menu (literally), so after a scrumptious dinner, me and my Dad made the decision to head out to Kilnsea Wetlands again for a quick look before the light ran out. This ended up worthwhile with the Wood Sandpiper showing from point blank range as well as a Hare to mix things up a bit. Eventually, we headed back to the farm for the evenings lecture from Per Alstrom - his knowledge of birds completely blew my mind and the species named after him are the stuff of dreams! Finally, we ventured down to the Crown and Anchor pub to finish an extremely successful day (finishing on 10 lifers) with a pint or two!
Day 2 - 8/9/19
An extremely early start saw me waking up at 5:45 AM - a rarer occurance than a White-Rumped Sandpiper on British shores! After a scrumptious breakfast (courtesy of the wonderful Spurn Ladies) we headed out. The first stop of the day was the Seawatching hide - where I was briefly interviewed by the BBC! After seeing the standard Gannets and Fulmar along with a Red Throated Diver and Arctic Skuas, disaster struck. Me and my Dad left to get on a UniMog - one of Spurn's vehicles -taking us down to the point. Just as we boarded the truck, news of a Long Tailed Skua past the Seawatching hut filtered through. We had missed the bird by literally a minute! But as was the theme over the weekend, things still turned around, with a Merlin (lifer) chasing a flock of glistening Golden Plover over the humber producing one of the weekend's highlights and a stunning spectacle.
The birds on the point itself were somewhat disappointing, with a Whinchat being the only interesting bird along with Tree Sparrows, Meadow Pipits and both species of Whitethroat. However, another Merlin showing very well on the journey back ensured that the trip was worthwhile. News of a couple of Curlew Sandpipers opposite the Crown and Anchor meant we ventured down to have a look once we got back to the Warren, before bumping into David again. However, the search sadly proved fruitless and we parted again, with me and my Dad electing to try our luck at seawtaching again.
Now at this point in the day, things really started to pick up. On arrival, 6 Common Scoters showed closely, providing a much appreciated year tick for me as well as a few auk species and another Red Throated Diver. But after about half an hour or so we struck gold - but not on the sea! A message came though on a nearby radio that a Barred Warbler had in fact been caught and ringed - not only that, it was a matter of yards from our location! The adrenaline really started to kick in as we patiently waited for the flocks of birdwatchers to arrive before the showing and release; the steady stream of birders proved to be quite a spectacle. After about 10 minutes or so, the bird was shown to the crowd; the gasps were audible as we all set eyes on this stunning bird. What a way to see my first ever rare Warbler, alongside friends and so close up as well. It was an absolute beauty, and definitely compensated for the missed ringed Marsh Warbler the previous day! After the excitement had passed and the bird was released, we returned back to seawatching where 2 Arctic Skuas and another Red Throated Diver kept us entertained before we retired for a late lunch.
Once we had refuelled courtesy of a Steak and Ale Pie at the Crown and Anchor, my Dad headed back to the Farm to pack up the tent whilst I headed down to the Canal Scrape hide to have a look for the reported Kingfisher. It seemed my lucky streak continued as the bird was on a perch just yards away on arrival. What a beauty! I'll never get tired of the electric blue and Orange that has the ability to brighten any day! As my time at Spurn was waining, I decided to leave the hide to get some more seawatching done yet again. However, another stroke of luck occurred when I received the message that the Barred Warbler was showing in a hedge by the Warren. Unfortunately the bird was fairly elusive, however it showed in the same scope view as a Garden Warbler - the 3rd lifer of the day for me and the beginning of a steady stream of lifers in quick succession. It was clear that passage on the sea had began to get better once we arrived, as my first ever Shag greeted me (lol) as well as a couple more Arctic Skuas.
But once again the radio came through, this time alerting us to another Marsh Warbler that had been seen in the observatory garden. A quick dash courtesy of the car - as our tent was now all packed up - provided another Whinchat on the way. As we arrived, the Obs garden was almost empty barr two birders who kindly pointed out the Warbler, which showed fantastically well. I was talked through the key ID features which separate Marsh from Reed Warbler, which the bird certainly adhered to. Retribution was finally served, and I was a very happy man!
But back to seawatching for the last hour, where I learnt I had missed yet another Long Tailed Skua whilst twitching the Marsh Warbler!!! This is surely my new bogey bird, but I mustn't grumble as you can't be in two places at the same time. Spurn's magic hadn't passed yet though as a couple more lifers were still in store. Along with more Arctic Skuas, two Bonxies did the right thing and flew north, providing me with another lifer. However, my time at Spurn was to be closed by a passing Guilemot, yet another first for me.
So, at around 18:00 PM we decided to call it a day on 17 lifers!!! The journey home - which was riddled with delays - gave me a chance to reflect on the Magic Of Spurn and how truly special the place is. I have serious withdrawal symptoms writing this!
First and foremost I'd like to say a massive thank you to my Dad for doing all the driving and walking round with me despite not even being a birder! Secondly I owe David Walsh a big thank you - David is an absolute legend who is an inspiration for younger birders with his passion and knowledge. Finally I'd like to thank everyone who ran the event as well as the dedicated Spurn ladies who went that extra mile to make the festival extra special.
See you again next year MigFest!
A 4 hour drive and a flyby Tawny Owl somewhere in Lincolnshire saw us arrive at our chosen B&B for the night, before heading down to Spurn the next morning for day 1 of MigFest.
Day 1 - 7/9/19
As it was my first time at Spurn I genuinely didn't know what to expect. So when we turned up at Westemere farm to pitch up our tents and were greeted by the worn down barn, I must admit I had a brief moment of slight concern (which soon disappeared)! After pitching up the tents we decided to head down to the Seawatching hide in the hope of seeing some lifers (as I have very little experience with seawatching). On arrival, a large crowd greeted me as well as vast amounts of Gannets (lifer) with a good passage of Sandwich Terns and a Fulmar (lifer). However, my seawatch only lasted around 20 minutes, as a message of a trapped and ringed Marsh Warbler at Church Field caused me to drop everything and dash down there - briefly stopping to look at a Whinchat posing on a fence post - my first of the year and the first of many over the weekend! Sadly I missed the Warbler by around a minute but was consoled by a Spotted and Pied Flycatcher (lifer) in the Crown and Anchor car park. On the way back to the farm, I bumped into the legend that is David Walsh whom I'd been hoping to finally meet again. After a brief catch-up, we decided to head down to Kilnsea Wetlands to try and see the long(ish) staying White-Rumped Sandpiper.
Pied Flycatcher
Wheatear
The much anticipated Hog Roast was next on the menu (literally), so after a scrumptious dinner, me and my Dad made the decision to head out to Kilnsea Wetlands again for a quick look before the light ran out. This ended up worthwhile with the Wood Sandpiper showing from point blank range as well as a Hare to mix things up a bit. Eventually, we headed back to the farm for the evenings lecture from Per Alstrom - his knowledge of birds completely blew my mind and the species named after him are the stuff of dreams! Finally, we ventured down to the Crown and Anchor pub to finish an extremely successful day (finishing on 10 lifers) with a pint or two!
Wood Sandpiper
An extremely early start saw me waking up at 5:45 AM - a rarer occurance than a White-Rumped Sandpiper on British shores! After a scrumptious breakfast (courtesy of the wonderful Spurn Ladies) we headed out. The first stop of the day was the Seawatching hide - where I was briefly interviewed by the BBC! After seeing the standard Gannets and Fulmar along with a Red Throated Diver and Arctic Skuas, disaster struck. Me and my Dad left to get on a UniMog - one of Spurn's vehicles -taking us down to the point. Just as we boarded the truck, news of a Long Tailed Skua past the Seawatching hut filtered through. We had missed the bird by literally a minute! But as was the theme over the weekend, things still turned around, with a Merlin (lifer) chasing a flock of glistening Golden Plover over the humber producing one of the weekend's highlights and a stunning spectacle.
Now at this point in the day, things really started to pick up. On arrival, 6 Common Scoters showed closely, providing a much appreciated year tick for me as well as a few auk species and another Red Throated Diver. But after about half an hour or so we struck gold - but not on the sea! A message came though on a nearby radio that a Barred Warbler had in fact been caught and ringed - not only that, it was a matter of yards from our location! The adrenaline really started to kick in as we patiently waited for the flocks of birdwatchers to arrive before the showing and release; the steady stream of birders proved to be quite a spectacle. After about 10 minutes or so, the bird was shown to the crowd; the gasps were audible as we all set eyes on this stunning bird. What a way to see my first ever rare Warbler, alongside friends and so close up as well. It was an absolute beauty, and definitely compensated for the missed ringed Marsh Warbler the previous day! After the excitement had passed and the bird was released, we returned back to seawatching where 2 Arctic Skuas and another Red Throated Diver kept us entertained before we retired for a late lunch.
Barred Warbler (By Beth Clyne: @BethClyne)
Once we had refuelled courtesy of a Steak and Ale Pie at the Crown and Anchor, my Dad headed back to the Farm to pack up the tent whilst I headed down to the Canal Scrape hide to have a look for the reported Kingfisher. It seemed my lucky streak continued as the bird was on a perch just yards away on arrival. What a beauty! I'll never get tired of the electric blue and Orange that has the ability to brighten any day! As my time at Spurn was waining, I decided to leave the hide to get some more seawatching done yet again. However, another stroke of luck occurred when I received the message that the Barred Warbler was showing in a hedge by the Warren. Unfortunately the bird was fairly elusive, however it showed in the same scope view as a Garden Warbler - the 3rd lifer of the day for me and the beginning of a steady stream of lifers in quick succession. It was clear that passage on the sea had began to get better once we arrived, as my first ever Shag greeted me (lol) as well as a couple more Arctic Skuas.
The Sea
But once again the radio came through, this time alerting us to another Marsh Warbler that had been seen in the observatory garden. A quick dash courtesy of the car - as our tent was now all packed up - provided another Whinchat on the way. As we arrived, the Obs garden was almost empty barr two birders who kindly pointed out the Warbler, which showed fantastically well. I was talked through the key ID features which separate Marsh from Reed Warbler, which the bird certainly adhered to. Retribution was finally served, and I was a very happy man!
But back to seawatching for the last hour, where I learnt I had missed yet another Long Tailed Skua whilst twitching the Marsh Warbler!!! This is surely my new bogey bird, but I mustn't grumble as you can't be in two places at the same time. Spurn's magic hadn't passed yet though as a couple more lifers were still in store. Along with more Arctic Skuas, two Bonxies did the right thing and flew north, providing me with another lifer. However, my time at Spurn was to be closed by a passing Guilemot, yet another first for me.
So, at around 18:00 PM we decided to call it a day on 17 lifers!!! The journey home - which was riddled with delays - gave me a chance to reflect on the Magic Of Spurn and how truly special the place is. I have serious withdrawal symptoms writing this!
First and foremost I'd like to say a massive thank you to my Dad for doing all the driving and walking round with me despite not even being a birder! Secondly I owe David Walsh a big thank you - David is an absolute legend who is an inspiration for younger birders with his passion and knowledge. Finally I'd like to thank everyone who ran the event as well as the dedicated Spurn ladies who went that extra mile to make the festival extra special.
See you again next year MigFest!
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