Siberian Stonechat at Scalby Mills, N Yorks, October 2013

 

A few more Gannets

Yes the Gannet fest continued on Saturday at the Humber Bridge with around another 500 birds flying up the Humber along with 18 Bonxie, 4 Arctic Skua's, 1 Arctic Tern, 1 Kittiwake, 1 Eider Duck and 60 Common Scoters.  With the winds continuing northerly and good reports from Flamborough we decided that was the place to be on Sunday and within 4 hours of arriving we had 1 Dusky Warbler, 2 Yellow-browed Warbler, 1 Pallas's Warbler, 1 Great-grey Shrike and literally hundreds of Thrushes and Robins.

Gannets galore and a Sooty!

Well what a spectacle at the Humber Bridge today! I arrived around 9.30 full of hope with strong north easterlies howling up the Humber but after an initial scan thought hmm not a lot really infact not a bird in sight and then it began, slowly at first and then beyond belief.  In the middle of the river just out from the bridge view point suddenly appeared a flock of 11 Great Skuas quickly followed by 3 Gannets - this could be a good sign I thought and quickly scanned the river - 3 Goldeneye and a flock of around 100 Wigeon and then another group of Gannets all juveniles and 40 of them - I don't think I have seen a flock this big and then suddenly a continuous flow with the next flock comprising of 120 mostly juveniles but with some adults.  To cut a long story short from 9.30 until 3.00pm the whole of the Humber from the bridge to the mouth was a constant stream of Gannets and I would estimate between 700 and 1000 birds it was an incredible sight and then at around 2.00pm a single Sooty Shearwater appeared with two Manx Shearwaters and later a further 4 Manxies.  Only a handful of brave Gannets went over the bridge the rest would just circle a few minutes and then head back out an amazing sight, if only I had taken a camera!

Olive-backed Pipit at Spurn

Look carefully and use your imagination!