An evening visit was made to the Stonebridge area after the final cessation of the overnight and all day rain.   The high tide was up to the dunes and the best bird was the Osprey on a post out between Stonebridge and Pye's Hall.   Eventually it took flight and wheeled over the incoming tide for several minutes before departing to the south and inland at 1905.   The roost count of Common Terns only amounted to 52 birds.   Other highlights included 5 Kestrels, a Peregrine, 2 Greenshanks, 70 Redshanks, 250 Knot, 180 Oystercatchers, 104 Curlews, 620 Dunlin, 197 Grey Plovers, 11 Cormorants, 115 Shelducks and 2 Arctic Skuas.

                                                                    Juvenile Kestrel

                                                                     Lesser Whitethroat.


         Moving north at sea on the morning's falling tide were 3 Black Terns, 3 Sandwich Terns, 17 Common Terns, 8 Cormorants, 2 Gannets and 40 Common Scoters.   An Arctic Skua flew south.   Birds onshore were 450 Oystercatchers, 68 Curlews and 65 Dunlin.
        
         At 0620, 2 Spoonbills flew south over Stonebridge and were seen to drop onto the flashes for a brief period at 0645.   An Osprey off Pye's Hall was present until the early afternoon and birds between here and the RAF base included a Marsh Harrier, Merlin, 2 Whimbrels, 4 Greenshanks, 4 Common Sandpipers, 2 Wheatears, 2 Sedge Warblers, 8 Common Whitethroats, one Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff and 2 Yellow Wagtails.

         Additional migrants at the south end were 8 Willow Warblers, 12 Common Whitethroats, one Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Reed Warblers, a Blackcap, 2 Yellow Wagtails, a Wheatear and a Pied Flycatcher.   Also of note were 10 Kestrels, 60 Goldfinches, 80 Golden Plovers and a Tree Sparrow.
The best birds on the flashes were 5 Greenshanks, 5 Redshanks, Common Sandpiper, Common Snipe, 11 Little Egrets and 5 Teal.   60 Swallows flew south and a party of 14 Common Swifts flew high to the north.

         A Red-throated Diver and 6 Gannets flew north at sea and 11 Cormorants headed south.   Terns were fishing rather than moving, but only 23 Common Terns and 11 Sandwich Terns were present.   Birds onshore included a further 8 Cormorants, 394 Oystercatchers, 132 Curlews, 5 Whimbrels, 43 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers, 12 Redshanks and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.
         On the flashes were 9 more Redshanks, 3 Greenshanks, 2 Green Sandpipers, a Common Snipe, 2 Little Egrets and 2 Grey Herons.   11 Kestrels were hunting over the dunes where 2 Mistle Thrushes, 4 Grey Partridges, 2 Lesser Whitethroats and singles of Blackcap, Goldcrest, Wheatear and Pied Flycatcher were seen.
         Moving south along the dunes were 150 Swallows, 13 House Martins, 4 Sand Martins and 2 Common Swifts.

         Swallows coming in from the sea were heading SW inland at first, but all were going to the NW later in the morning and until 1300.   Ca. 1,150 were counted along with 11 House Martins, 3 Sand Martins and 5 Common Swifts.
         A walk around the drying out realignment area was not very productive with the only waders being 60 Redshanks, 3 Greenshanks, 2 Oystercatchers, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Ruffs, 3 Little Stints and 8 Dunlin.   Other counts included 10 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons, 4 Cormorants, 6 Little Grebes, 4 Teal, 2 Shelducks, ca. 15 Kestrels, a Hobby, 4 Common Buzzards and 2 Marsh Harriers.
         The only night migrants recorded were a Reed Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat.

                                                       Greenshank and Common Snipe.

                                                                      Pied Flycatcher


         14 Kestrels over the dunes and marshes at the south end, also a Marsh Harrier along the flashes and 2 more to the NW and a Common Buzzard in from the sea and continuing south after a short rest on a bush.   Also heading south were 130 Swallows, 2 Sand Martins, 10 House Martins, 2 Common Swifts and 2 Yellow Wagtails.
         The only migrants recorded in the bushes were 6 Willow Warblers, one Garden Warbler, 3 Common Whitethroats, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Song Thrushes and a Common Redstart.   Birds on the flashes included 12 Redshanks, 3 Greenshanks, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Snipe and 7 Little Egrets.   Two Gannets and 2 Arctic Skuas were seen over the sea.

                                                      A wet morning at Donna Nook.

                                                                       Common Swift.

                                                           Corn Bunting still feeding young.


         A wet and windy morning resulted in only limited numbers of migrants being seen in the bushes at the south end.   10 Willow Warblers were noted with 4 Common Whitethroats and singles of Chiffchaff, Grasshopper Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher and Common Redstart.   Also of note were 65 Goldfinches, 5 Common Swifts and the first Coal Tit of the year.   Raptors today were just 5 Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk and a Marsh Harrier.   5 Ruffs flew south and birds on the flashes included 4 Greenshanks, 9 Redshanks, 2 Green Sandpipers and 6 Little Egrets.

         A juvenile Red-footed Falcon flew south past the old coastguard cottages at 1535.   It continued over the dunes and then out of sight on the seaward side just before the onset of rain.   This may have been one of the individuals seen at Spurn, and when I reported it on BirdLine it was interesting to learn that there has been an influx of this species into Denmark.
         Other migrants in the bushes at the south end were 7 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Whinchats, 2 Common Redstarts, one Tree Pipit, 10 Willow Warblers, 5 Common Whitethroats and a Goldcrest.   On the flashes were 2 Green Sandpipers, one Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshanks and 8 Teal and on the shore were 10 Cormorants, 290 Oystercatchers and 60 Dunlin.   Also of note were 10 Common Swifts and 4 House Martins in off the sea, 7 Kestrels, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, 95 Golden Plovers and 60 Goldfinches.

         Migrants in evidence between Quad 3 and the coastguard cottages were 10 Pied Flycatchers, 9 Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, 5 Common Whitethroats, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, 2 Yellow Wagtails, Whinchat and Common Redstart.   Also of note were 6 Kestrels, Sparrowhawk, Hobby, Merlin, 4 Green Sandpipers, 3 Greenshanks, Common Snipe and a
Corn Bunting.
         2 Gannets north and one south at sea, while on the shore were 277 Oystercatchers, 3 Sanderlings, 34 Curlews, 3 Sandwich Terns and 11 Cormorants.
         Chris Atkin and Keith Collett  (and Chris Grimshaw later) were at Stonebridge to Pye's Hall and the realignment area and found the main migrants were 21 Pied Flycatchers, one Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Whinchats, 3 Common Redstarts, a Wryneck, 2 Garden Warblers, Reed Warbler, 30 Willow Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats and a Turtle Dove.   Other birds of interest were 45 Greenshanks which flew inland, plus 2 on the realignment, 6 Ruffs, Little Ringed Plover, 5 Green Sandpipers, 6 Common Sandpipers, 7 Whimbrels, Peregrine and a Marsh Harrier.

         A seawatch for an hour and a half around the high tide period resulted in southerly passage of 73 Sandwich Terns, 212 Common Terns, one Arctic Tern, 7 Common Scoters, 3 Eiders, one Teal and a Whimbrel.   A Great Skua on the sea also departed to the south.   15 Gannets and 2 Shelducks flew north.   Counts would have been higher but for the banks of dense fog which periodically rolled in.   Birds onshore included 307 Oystercatchers, 42 Curlews, 67 Knot, 3 Sanderling and 15 Cormorants.
         On the flashes were 7 Greenshanks, 4 Redshanks, 3 Dunlin, 4 Teal, 4 Little Egrets and a Grey Heron.   55 Goldfinches, 7 Pied Wagtails and 7 Kestrels also noted and a Corn Bunting was still collecting food for its young.

         Waders on the realignment area in the very blustery wind were 70 Redshanks, 15 Greenshanks, 4 Common Sandpipers, one Wood Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Curlews, one Little Ringed Plover, one Ruff, 32 Dunlin and a Little Stint.   Ducks were 2 Shelducks, 36 Mallard and 78 Teal, while other waterbirds were 3 Little Grebes, 5 Cormorants, 500 Black-headed Gulls, one Mediterranean Gull, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Grey Herons, 24 Little Egrets and a Kingfisher.
         At least 10 Kestrels were present with 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Marsh Harriers, one Sparrowhawk and a Merlin.   Also of note were 25 Goldfinches, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Pied Wagtails, one Willow Warbler and a Wheatear.   270 Swallows flew south.
         A further 1,050 Black-headed Gulls were out on the shore with 1,150 Oystercatchers, 200 Dunlin, 30 Grey Plovers, 60 Curlews, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and 20 Common Terns.

         Five Mediterranean Gulls were on the shore at high tide with 800 Black-headed Gulls, 300 Common Gulls, 90 Sandwich Terns and 29 Common Terns.   Also here were 550 Oystercatchers, 35 Curlews, 3 Whimbrels, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 400 Dunlin, 40 Grey Plovers, 6 Redshanks and 6 Cormorants.   35 Common Scoters flew south at sea.
         Birds on the flashes included 7 Little Egrets, 21 Teal, 3 Mallard, a Little Grebe, 3 Greenshanks, 2 Redshanks and singles of Lapwing, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and Common Snipe.   Elsewhere on the dunes, there were 6 Kestrels, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier, 130 Swallows, 3 Sand Martins, a Common Swift, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Blackcaps, Willow Warbler, Robin and 2 Tree Sparrows.   Three flocks of Golden Plovers on the fields totalled 730 birds.

         1,340 Common Terns came in to the roost at Pye's Hall on the evening high tide and good numbers of gulls included 4,300 Black-headed and 500 Common Gulls.  Waders were 450 Oystercatchers, 215 Knot, 250 Golden Plovers, 79 Grey Plovers, 20 Ringed Plovers, 2,100 Dunlin, 60 Sanderlings, 20 Redshanks, 2 Greenshanks, 122 Curlews, 30 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper and a Ruff.
         Also of note were 11 Cormorants, a Grey Heron, 12 Little Egrets, 23 Mallard, 110 Swallows, 70 Linnets, 3 Kestrels and a Cuckoo.

         Waders on the WeBS count between Stonebridge and Pye's Hall were 275 Oystercatchers, 91 Curlews, 25 Lapwings, 55 Redshanks, 2 Greenshanks, 1,850 Dunlin, one Little Stint, 22 Ringed Plovers, 8 Golden Plovers, one Grey Plover, 3 Ruffs and a Common Sandpiper.   Other highlights included 7 Shelducks, 120 Sandwich Terns, 26 Common Terns and 3 adult Mediterranean Gulls.
         The good weather was excellent for raptors here and across the realignment area, hence at least 8 Common Buzzards, 4 Marsh Harriers, 2 Sparrowhawks, 4 Kestrels, 3 Peregrines and a Merlin.
         A Little Ringed Plover and a Common Snipe were seen on the realignment area and 130 Swallows flew north.

         A seawatch between 0930 and 1100 saw northerly passage of 91 Gannets, 62 Sandwich Terns, 4 Common Terns, one Arctic Tern, 11 Little Terns and 10 Black Terns.   To the south were 10 Common Scoters, one Sooty Shearwater and one Fulmar.   A Peregrine flew south along the shore where other birds included 14 Cormorants, 75 Oystercatchers, 55 Knot, 33 Curlews, 2 Whimbrels, 3 Dunlin, 10 Sanderlings, 2 Grey Plovers and a Turnstone.
         22 Lapwings, a Yellow Wagtail and 2 Pied Wagtails were on the coastal fields, while along the flashes were 7 Redshanks, 3 Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpipers, a Grey Heron, 8 Little Egrets, 4 Teal and 3 Kestrels.

         The WeBS count for the realignment area was rather disappointing.   Waders included 116 Redshanks, 8 Greenshanks, 8 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, one Little Ringed Plover, one Common Snipe, 5 Ruffs and 40 Golden Plovers.   Also noted were 18 Little Egrets, 4 Grey Herons, 4 Cormorants, 9 Little Grebes, 6 Yellow Wagtails and singles of Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier and Common Buzzard.
         A Barred Warbler was a welcome find at the NW corner of the realignment area.   Other passerine migrants between here and the RAF base included 6 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Willow Warblers, 2 Reed Warblers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Redstart and 2 Cuckoos.

                                                           Redshank and Greenshank.

         A sub-adult Yellow-legged Gull was on the shore with 10 Sandwich Terns and 4 Bar-tailed Godwits.   The best birds on the dunes were 20 Common Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers and a juvenile Cuckoo.   On the flashes were 7 Redshanks, 3 Greenshanks, a Spotted Redshank, 2 Green Sandpipers, one Common Sandpiper, one Little Ringed Plover, one Dunlin, 2 Curlews, 4 Teal and 3 Little Egrets.   At least 10 Kestrels and 4 Common Buzzards hunting or thermalling over the fields where there were 135 Golden Plovers.

                                                                  Black-tailed Godwit

         Ca. 2,700 Common Terns and at least 40 Arctic Terns came in to the roost near the tide-line out from Pye's Hall.   220 Common Scoters came into the Humber mouth at dusk and landed on the water.   42 Curlews and 40 Whimbrel were on the mudflats.
         Waders on the realignment area were 18 Dunlin, 105 Redshanks, 5 Greenshanks, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Lapwing, 60 Golden Plovers, 3 Oystercatchers, 2 Common Sandpipers and a Wood Sandpiper.   Also of note were 9 Tufted Ducks, 8 Shelducks, a Teal, 3 Greylags, 2 Little Grebes, 17 Little Egrets, 5 Grey Herons, a Common Buzzard, a Marsh Harrier, 5 Kestrels, a Short-eared Owl, a Cuckoo, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 42 Goldfinches and 110 Swallows.   A Crossbill flew south at 1930.

        Late news for 4th.   A Black Stork was seen by Geoff Williams over Stonebridge just after 1000 when it continued across to Somercotes Warren.   Another was present at Spurn on 3rd and 4th and one was seen at Alkborough and Tetney Lock on the previous evening.   This is the first record of this species at Donna Nook, and the third new record for the year after the Black Kite and Blue-winged Teal in the spring.    GW also noted an Osprey and a Little Tern.


         5th August.   Very little change at the south end this morning.   140 Sandwich Terns and 4 Common Terns flew south during the high tide period and 6 Whimbrels, 3 Knot, 28 Cormorants and a Yellow-legged Gull were on the shore.   The best birds on the dunes were 18 Golden Plovers, a Green Sandpiper, 5 Tufted Ducks, 10 Little Egrets, 3 Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk, 100 Swallows, 4 Common Swifts, a Willow Warbler and a Wheatear.

         Swallows hawking over the fields where oil-seed rape was being harvested departed to the south in periodic bursts and totalled ca.1,000 during the morning.   Also heading south were 25 Common Swifts, 2 Sand Martins, an early Grey Wagtail and a Marsh Harrier.   The best birds on the dunes were 7 Little Egrets, 6 Kestrels, a Peregrine, 10 Grey Partridges, 350 Golden Plovers, a Robin, 4 Reed Warblers, 2 Willow Warblers and a Wheatear.
         14 Gannets flew north at sea and on the shore were 109 Oystercatchers, 27 Whimbrels, 130 Sandwich Terns, 2 Common Terns and 34 Cormorants.

         Chris Atkin and Josh Forrester on the realignment area recorded 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Common Sandpipers and a Cuckoo, plus an Osprey out from Pye's Hall.
         A Goldcrest was present in my garden in Marsh Lane.

                                                     The first Wheatear of the autumn.

         A seawatch at the south end between 0950 and 1120 saw southerly passage of 150 Sandwich Terns, 17 Common Terns, a Gannet, an Arctic Skua, a few gulls including 2 Lesser Black-backs and a Yellow-legged Gull, 36 Common Scoters, 3 Shelducks and 10 Teal.   Onshore were a further 64 Sandwich Terns, 32 Cormorants, 56 Whimbrel, 7 Curlews, 89 Oystercatchers, 8 Sanderling, 5 Ringed Plovers and a Bar-tailed Godwit.
         Highlights on the dunes included 2 Turtle Doves, a Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, 6 House Sparrows, 250 Golden Plovers, 14 Lapwings, 3 Kestrels, Common Buzzard and a Peregrine.