Filey Brigg and other East Yorkshire Hotspots

I had a couple of hours at Filey Brigg yesterday and despite the fact that there was very little off the Brigg itself, the common waders in the corner were most obliging and the light was fantastic.

called in at a very chilly Bempton on the way back-the desert wheatear had been seen but wasn't hanging about so neither did I.

Then a very educational trip to Tophill Low looking for geese-to cut a long story short I walked a very long way for very little reward but did learn a lot about the extremities of the site!

Desert Wheatear

I went up to Bempton today for the desert wheatear. It showed very well from the off and at times was only down to 2m!

There was a hairy moment when it got chased by a kestrel but most of the time it was happily feeding along the field edge.

Filey Brigg

I had a cracking day on Filey brigg today. I figured that with the tides being so big it might be worth going to see what was about at low tide.

The walk round had the usual oystercatchers, turnstone, redshank, knot and a feeding seal close to the beach.

Further round, halfway to the end of the brigg was a rock pipit, common scoter and the target bird-velvet scoter, at first they were quite close then flew out and re-settled at quite a distance.

My mate Dave joined me for a short while before heading off to the end 'to see if there are any phalaropes about'.

It was at the end of the brigg where most of the action was-at least 10 purple sandpipers constantly feeding at times very close, a single sanderling, 2 grey plovers a ringed plover and a single curlew.

The tide ebbed back quite a distance revealing lots of starfish and other sea life not normally on view.

It was here that there was almost a constant stream of scoters flying in and out of the bay-at times the velvets were quite close.

the wind was whipping up all the time making standing up quite difficult, but the birds kept coming, a red throated diver sneaked past us and then the star of the show-initially i thought the sanderling had flown up but when it settled on the sea I knew staright away it was a grey phalarope. Initially it disappeared but then after a while spent the best part of an hour feeding amongst a kelp bed straight in front of us.

We left just after 1 to check out Hornsea mere but a half hearted scan produced very little.

Olive Backed Pipit

I had a day off today and set off for Spurn, but with clear skies the night before I didn't hold out too much hope.

heading down Spurn Road I saw 2 merlin and a sparrowhawk as well as common waders, brent geese and 2 little egrets.

I had a walk round the point with birding guru martin garner (surely if anything was about he would find it!) we did see a lesser redpoll, chiffchaff and 3 flyover sparrowhawks but nothing really of note, so i headed back up Spurn Road towards Kilnsea in the hope of seeing the pallas's warbler. There was no sign and news of the Olive backed Pipit at filey had me heading north.

As soon as I got there it was showing down to 10ft, it looked a little unsteady and had a missing eye, despite feeding constantly most of the afternoon it didn't look in hte best of health.

I'd be surprised if it makes it.