The annual safari to the far side

The Safari was joined by LCV who kindly drove through the drizzly night to arrive peering at the North Sea for daybreak. As usual our bird list for the trip started well before sunrise. The first entry was rather unexpected, a pre-dawn Buzzard wafting across the beam of the headlamps. Next up was a more to be expected Carrion Crow and then we struck avian gold in the form of a Barn Owl before we got to Hull. The remainder of the journey didn't give us anything out of the ordinary, however a flock of Long Tailed Tits in a roadside hedge would be the only ones we would see on this safari.

We parked up and headed straight to the seawatching hide, the walk down being uneventful and giving the indication that it was going to be a quiet day. Just our luck, we've had more than enough quiet days here over the last few years; we seem to have an uncanny knack of missing the best wind and weather conditions by a couple of days either side of our booked well in advance safaris to this side of the country. You know it's quiet when there's hardly a Meadow Pipit to be seen or heard. As we got close to the hide a birder approached us and asked "what should I do with this?" and held out a poorly/exhausted juvenile Ringed Plover he'd just picked up off the beach. Why he asked us we don't know, a) we looked like we were locals from the Observatory or b) we were the only people about...probably the latter! We suggested he show it to the lad doing the Obs visible migration count at 'Numpties' who would have a radio and be in contact with other Obs staff.

Once in the hide we were told that it was a quiet morning all round, there'd been a big clear out overnight and very little was on the move. We settled into our seats, set up our scopes and stared at a mostly empty sea. Grey Seals are always present and it didn't take long to conect with a couple, but for thebirds it wasn't a case of what would the next species be but when would the next bird be, 10 minutes, 15? More? In an hour and a half we had just a few Common Scoters, one small flock held a smaller duck which caused a bit of an all round ID problem (most unusual for here) until it came broadside and revealed itself as a female Pochard. Best of the rest were a pair of Pintails, a few Gannets, an Arctic Skua and a Red Throated Diver...like we said it was quiet, the wind was in totally the wrong direction.

The plan was to meet up with IH who'd travelled independently and as we neared a tea break he phoned to let us know he wasn't far away so we arranged to meet in the Canal Scrape hide. Another quiet place. A Snipe was spotted hiding among the cut reeds, a Water Rail gave a squeal, a Redshank pottered about briefly, the ever present Little Grebe and Moorhens did their thing, a few Teal dabbled on the far edge of the pool and a Little Egret stalked about chasing 3-spined Sticklebacks...it's a wonder there's any left in this pool with the daily hammering their population gets. IH joined us as did a couple of Wigeon.

After the over-excitement of the Wigeon we decided to move on and drove back up to Kilnsea Wetland where we counted 12 Mediterranean Gulls among the regular species. The ducks here included more Wigeon but we couldn't pick out the recently returned American Wigeon that we saw on last year's safari here. We were told it had been seen but was currently out of sight. We had to 'make do' with Some Shoveler, plenty of Teal and Mallards. Waders included Redshanks, Black Tailed Godwits, Bar Tailed Godwits and Dunlin but not many of any of them. The hide was busy, we normally do this safari midweek so didn't twig there'd be huge crowds of birders jockeying for position, so we aimed up the track to Beacon Pond.  At the small screen along the track we picked out the sleeping American Wigeon and were lucky  that it woke up and started to move around and we were able to get several other birders on to it.

At Beacon Pond LCV palyed a blinder soon picking out the tiny Little Stint far away on the far bank. There was a good selection of waders but again not in any great numbers. Several Dunlin, a single Grey Plover, some Sanderlings, Bar Tailed Godwits and Black Tailed Godwits and flock of about 40 Golden Plovers flew over. On the water there were half a dozen Little Grebes, well down on the numbers we've counted there in previous years. One came very close but we had camera issues, operator rather than technological, so missed the better shots.

Walking back to the wetland hide we passed a good number of Tree Sparrows in the hedge along the track with aflock of eight Redpolls going northwards overhead.

The field beside the track is always a good place to see Roe Deer but a mum and youngster grazing together was a very pleasant sight.

Back at the hide there had been a bit of a clear out of both birders and birds. A small movement like a tiny Tumbleweed trundling across the dry pool bed was the only interest. On closer inspection it was a Short Tailed Vole which for some unknown reason had broken cover as was rushing across a wide open area of dry mud. Not a good move as we weren't the only eyes to spy it. A Magpie had also seen it from afar and swooped in. It was gathered up and taken over to the grass on the left - and that was the end of that!

Next we had a look round the village then wandered down the lane, where a Curlew fed in the field on the left, before a quick look in a birdless Sykes Field and along a similarly birdless Beacon Lane.

To be fair Sykes Field did have a male Common Darter dragonfly and Beacon Lane held a couple of Blackbirds. 

A short seawatch from the new shelter at the north end of the lane gave us an unidentified duck, not a female Pochard this time, and a bevvy of bathing beauties having an invigorating cold water swim...and that sea is cold! We could tell that from the topless bathing beauty!!! Chapel hat pegs anyone...

Time for food and beer followed by the drive back to Temporary Base Camp which saw Rabbit added to the day list and a silly Roe Deer that ran across the road very close to the car but no owls for IH to add to his trip list.

Sunday was a mild day with some sunshine but still a stiff north westerly breeze. The birding day started just after leaving Temporary Base Camp when we saw a Buzzard feasting on a roadkill Roe Deer on the way to our first stop, Vicars Lane alongside the gas works. A small number of Blackbirds were in the trees along the roadd with afew Redwings and a couple of Song Thrushes. Most of the bird action was at the feeders in the garden by the road junction but only the usual common garden birds could be found. The horse paddock held a flock of Pied Wagtails which when they relocated closer one was thought to be a juvenile White Wagtail but between the three of us we couldn't quite agree on what it 100% was. IH had been down to the beach where a distant lump was of interest so he took us back for a closer look  - a dead Minke Whale, best not prodded with a boot!

We'd hazard a guess it's a male. There's great fossils in the rocks down there too, corals and crinoids, and some Garnet stones that would probably polish up nicely. No sea shells for us to collect though although we did have a very poor attempt at knapping a couple of pieces of Flint to try to make a bit of a stone age knife/axe - we'll stick with our Swiss Army Knife for the time being! LCV was on the look out for good bits of driftwood although without a roofrack on his car how he was going to get them home was another matter. You've probably gathered that with all these extra-curricular activities the birding was slow.

Going back to the car we heard a strange Mistle Thrush like call from a bird going over, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, we can't recall hearing them make that sound before, and then a second one came overhead making the standard 'chip' call. 

From there we went straight to Sammy's Point on the hunt for Goldcrests, Redwings and hopefully a Yellow Browed Warbler or two. News from a birder leaving wasn't particularly encouraging, the best he'd had was a Wheatear on the sea defence rocks.

The Brent Geese are always good down here, especially when they are close to shore. They make a great little conversational noise, more like the quiet clucking of hens than the garralous honking of geese.

A wander through the scrubby area didn't live up to expectations, a Goldcrest, a Dunnock and a couple of Robins and a few Blackbirds was all we could muster other than the resident Linnets and Goldfinches. IH came face to face with an unsuspecting Roe Deer and that was as exciting as it got. Coming out of the scrub at the far end we had another scan along the sea defences for the Wheatear to no avail. Then we saw the cut grass in the field was being winnowed up ready for baling and right in the middle of the field was a grazing Roe Deer seemingly oblivious to the horse-power around it.

It ran off to the left of the pics but a few minutes later when we looked again there were now two in almost the very same place - where had they sprung from???

Roe Deer surrounded by John Deere's! 

The Brent Geese were even closer now and we had a look at all the Shelducks in case the recently seen Ruddy Shelduck was still about, later we learnt that it was somewhere in the area but we didn't see it.

Another walk through the scrub gave us a female Reed Bunting and a Red Admiral butterfly.

And also gave the opportunity to get some pics of the local Linnets.

Half way back to the car a Kestrel posed nicely on a post.

In the distance behind it was yet another Roe Deer - it's like the Serengeti out there!

The out of focus blob top left is a Roe Deer - honest.

With not a lot happening we ummed and ahhed about our next move. With news that the Hawfinch and Yellow Browed Warbler that had been seen the day before were still around our decision was made for us. We parked up on the roadside got out of the car and were immediately told we should have been here five minutes ago...dohh. But never mind we had time to kill and apparently the Yellow Browed Warbler was showing itself on and off but it could be a bit of a wait, the Hawfinch however hadn't been seen since early morning. We stood with the small crowd and waited. It was then IH discovered he couldn't hear Yellow Browed Warblers calling as it did so several times and he never heard it once. That's going to make it a lot trickier to find one on his local patch. Much easier to see and see on IH's local patch was a Short Eared Owl that appeared in the field just down the road. In fact there were two, a darker and a paler one.

All of a sudden a small flock of Goldfinches flew out of a nearby garden and one was noticeably bigger than the rest - they'd brought the Hawfinch out of hiding - - well done them!

Attention was briefly diverted when a Roe Buck galloped across the field where the Short Eared Owl had been a few minutes earlier.

Looking back to the garden the Hawfinch had now relocated.

If only the one we'd seen at Sizergh Castle back in February had been equally confiding and not fly off as we lifted our camera, we'd have had one more on our Challenge tally. This one, sadly, is well outside our 75 mile from home Challenge limit.

And then with more calling to give its location away someone got eyeballs on the Yellow Browed Warbler. A tiny flitty thing that mostly stayed hidden behind twigs and leaves. It was hard enough to follow with the bins, to get a pic we couldn't see it in the view finder so IH had to give us directions and we hoped the camera was pointing in the right direction when we pressed the shutter button...limited success but it was a good way off and is very small.

After a brief sojournout into the neighbouring gardens and out of sight again the Hawfinch reappeared.

Not with Goldfinches this time but Greenfinches, a new bird for our trip list.

From there we had another look at Beacon Pond and on the way found a real 21st century rarity, a couple of Grey Partridges. Again a long way off so not the best of pics but we were thrilled to see them.

Beacon Pond was busier than the previous day with the Little Stint still present but still far away across the other side, way too far for pics. Much easier, being so much bigger and waaaay nearer, was one of the Herons on IH's herons v egrets scoresheet.

And there was another, a juvenile, behind us on the wetland.

They didn't help IH's cause much as we had a Great White Egret there, still a bit of a local rarity here, and several Little Egrets. The supporting cast came in the form of Dunlin, Grey Plovers, of which there were more than yesterday,

Sanderling and Ringed Plovers. One of the Ringed Plovers was very close and pulled out a huge red worm from the mud below our vantage point.

The tally of Little Grebes on the pool had doubled to 12 and a Peregrine tazzed through along the far bank no more than an inch above the ground trying to grab an unwary or plain unlucky wader, luck was with the waders and the Peregrine went hungry. Walking down the track back towards the wetland a Short Eared Owl appeared and started to cruise the rough field next to the pool.

With more success than the Peregrine it would seem.

Although far too big to be in any danger whatsoever a Brown Hare keep a wary eye on the owls comings and goings.

The rest of the afternoon was fairly uneventful apart from the swarms of, thankfully, non-biting midges, definitely a breath through your teeth sort of a day.

Dinner was taken in the pub again and we were pleased to be given a window seat especially as half way through our main course IH spotted a Fox outside the window having a poke around the roadside picnic tables on the off chance of any scraps before ambling off towards the car park. 

That wasn't the end of mammaling for the day either, on the drive back to Temporary Base Camp we saw a young Badger run across the road - we weren't expecting that, it's been a long while since we last saw a live one. But still no Barn Owl for IH.

Monday started well with several small flocks of Redwings going over and Goldcrests heard while loading the car at temporary base camp...would today with it's sunshine and light easterly wind be the day it all kicks off?

We set off counting the Roe Deer on the way, by the time we'd parked up at the gate we'd got to 14! from the gate it was straight to the Seawatching Hide to see if anything was coming in off the sea. News was it wasn't! Still we gave it an hour and mananged a poor pic of a Grey Seal to ease the boredom of an empty sea, they're not easy to get a pic of only surfacing for a few moments when they're hunting. Further out there were a couple of Harbour Porpoises too.

Monotony was broken when the visible migration watchers called out a Coat Tit which we dashed out of the hide to see, it's not a common bird here, then did the same for a Great Spotted Woodpecker, and then a couple of Jays, again not that common here. At 10.00 the stalwart seawatchers gave it up as a bad job but with a bit of fatigue setting we decided to sit outside in the sunshine for a bit longer and just take a bit of time out enjoying the Harbour Porpoises. We were joined by a couple of other birders and managed to get them on to them too. There were very few birds passing, the odd Gannet, mostly juveniles which was good to see after they'd been hammered by Avian Birdflu in recent seasons, and an occasional Red Throated Diver.

We took hundreds of pics of empty sea but did get a couple with bits of Harbour Porpoise in them.

How many were there? Hard to say but there was at least three small groups and at least two mothers with a calf, so probably between 12 and 15 all told. 

By now our bellies thought our throats had been cut so food was devoured at the Visitor Centre. Which was followed by a visit to the Canal Scrape Hide. When we opened the door we were beckoned to sit down quietly as there was a Water Rail skulking around on the edge of the reedbed as they do.

Shame the light was so harsh from the wrong direction.

But this bird hadn't read the field guides nor the Water Rail Rule Book. It came out into the open.

And then proceeded to walk around the barely vegetated edge of the pond right in front of us and then further still.

At one point it even ventured onto the short grass witth this stunning Moorhen but thought better of it before we could get a snap of the two of them together.

The Little Grebe was still on the pool, we think its tethered there and at least 10 years old.

To IH's chagrin there were some Little Egrets too, one particularly obliging.

The rest of its friends were loafing on the cut area of reeds at the back of the pool, in a  good sight for IH and no sign of any Herons for him to reduce the deficit.

A male Shoveler was looking very fine and dandy in the afternoon sunshine.

And the infinite supply of 3-spined Sticklebacks was reduced by one, is that not still infinity though.

And the Little Egret came back, even closer.

From there we headed back up to the wetlands where we briefly saw the American Wigeon again but with a full hide on a guided tour we left to have a look up at Beacon Pond again, no real change since yesterday, less on offer if anything and as usual the Little Stint was miles away. On the way back to the car a birder told us the Little Owl was showing and told us where to look from. We had to alter our position a couple of times before we saw it sunning itself on a pile of farmyard junk...one of the few times we don't mind a pile of farmyard junk.

Not a bad 'little' afternoon, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Little Stint and Little Owl, it doesn't get much smaller than that!

With the afternoon pushing on and not a great lot being found we left the Obs area for an adventure to pastures new - Welwick Marsh about 6 miles away in the car but much less than that as the crow flies. It's an area of former reclaimed farmland that has had the seawall breached to allow it to reflood and is apparently good for raptors as many of these saltmarsh breach sites are. There was a distant Marsh Harrier up when we arrived. Not a bad start. A Great White Egret was on the other side of the creek in front of us and Redshanks called from all over the place...it was just like being on either side of the Ribble...but with bigger boats. This is a new one for us a huge roll-on roll-off ferry that is wind powered, yes it's a sailing ship and in a favourable wind can cruise at the same speed it does when it uses its old-fashioned diesel engines.

Never mind the newfangled ships what about the birds...It was our intention to wait for any hen harriers that might come into roost at, or past, sunset. In the meantime we could hear Greenshanks calling followed by a flock of 12 coming in to land to join those already in the creek. We've never seen that many together before.

The raptor action was still confined the juvenile flying around the outer marsh until a Barn Owl was seen away to the right...at last IH sgot it on his trip list. It came and went disppearing over a new tree plantation and was seen several times during the evening. A Short Eared Owl was also over that way. As day turned to dusk a second Short Eared Owl was about and the Barn Owl put in some more short appearances but never close enough for pics. Behind us over the farmland at least a dozen fairly late Swallows swooped around well into the darness and LCV found two Brown Hares in fields miles away.

With no Hen Harrier action and it getting quite dark we called it a day and went to find some grub ending up having a most very excellent Indian meal in Withernsea.

Our final day was a short one, IH had a family visit to make so could only have a couple of hours with us before departing and to get back to Base Camp at a reasonable hour the Safari and LCV had to leave no later than a late-ish luunchtime. There was all to play for. Temporary Base Camp again saw flocks of Redwings as we loaded the cars, this time more and bigger flocks...a welcome sign. Once again we kicked off with a visit to Vicar's Lane which was quite lively with various thrush species until a Sparrowhawk tazzed through eagerly hoping to snatch an exhausted migrant. Other than that all we could really add to our previous visits was a Grey Wagtail.

With IH not being able to stop long we decided to do Sammy's Point again so he didn't have to drive all the way down to the end and back but could get a quick get away. As soon as we got out of the car we spotted Stoat dash across a corner the first paddock and consequently no birds. The sky was full of the 'tseeep' of Redwings as large flocks jostled their way over the scrubby paddocks. Once in the scrub we found Redwings all over the place, hundreds of them and a good number of Blackbirds too. There might have been more Robins too and a Dunnock we hadn't seen on our earlier visit - was that a migrant too? The Goldcrest almost certainly was.

Walking back to the car we had a 'Ring Tailed Harrier' go past us flying northwards being harried by a very persistant Carrion Crow. Now there had recently been a Pallid harrier in the area but with the light against us and the actions of the crow we couldn't get positive ID so had to call it in as unID'd. Apparently it was a hen Hen Harrier that had gone down the other side of the peninsula and U-turned back up our side. But if you don't shout you don't get it and it could have a been a new record for the day.

Back at the cars we said our goodbyes to IH and then went back to the Visitor Centre and then the Canal Scrape Hide where a/the Water Rail showed briefly and we heard a Cetti's Warbler. By now we'd heard talk of Ring Ouzels arriving in small numbers among the huge flocks of Redwings and spotted one briefly well hidden in the scubby Hawthorns to the right of the hide which soon disappeared back into deep cover.

Luckily after about quarter of an hour it reappeared, this time on the edge of the twiggery for a much better view.

Not only that it then flew down onto the far side of the pool and began to drink and/or just stand in the water for ages but unfortunately it most almost totally concealed behind a tussock of rushes from where we were sat so couldn't get any pics. 

Time to move on and have a quick look down the canal itself, there wasn't much doing the most exciting being a small flock of Goldfinches doing their favourite Teasel thing.

Followed by a very obliging hovering Kestrel

which then went to sit on a nearby post.

A quick look around the pub car park and a chat with Obs volunteer SH revealed not a lot. But then LCV peered over the gate of Kew Villa and spotted three Bramblings. We very nearly missed them and had to have a couple of waits before they reappeared, nipping into the devoid of birds churchyard in between. We got one in the end before they flew off again.

And that was that time to point the car back over the Pennines. It was a bit annoying to find out that a Pallas's Warbler had turned up as we were driving away but it was at the Point so even if we had been around we probably wouldn't have got to see it...the (same?) one in the churchyard the following afternoon was a bit more galling, if only that had been 24 hours earlier! On the first day of our stay we, tongue in cheek, predicted a Siberian Rubythroat would be a great find on Sunday morning and lo and behold one turned up...nearly 600 miles to the north on Orkney, close but deffo no cigar! You just can't win them all. All was not lost though as during our uneventful drive back we had the only Lesser Black Backed Gulls of the trip and a Red Kite.

A great safari seeing almost everything on offer enjoyed with great friends.

Where to next? We'll be out and about on safari somewhere just a bit more local before too long.

In the meantime let us know who was breaking the field guide rules in your outback