October 2nd Bird Possibilities and Young Birders

Hello Sunshine People! xx

Sunrise in an hour so up, having porridge for breakfast and thinking about October.

Below are listed the birds seen over the last ten years at Spurn, which would be year ticks, that is additions to my BIGBY bird list for 2022.

Can you guess which ones have been seen the most often during that time?

Two birds have been seen every October in the last ten years and in good numbers on occasion. Bring them on.

Birds of Spurn

October

American Golden Plover

Arctic Redpoll

Balearic Shearwater

Bewick Swan

Black Kite

Black-throated Diver

Bluethroat

Booted Warbler

Brown Shrike

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Cliff Swallow

Common Rosefinch

Great Grey Shrike

Great Snipe

Hoopoe

Icterine Warbler

Isabelline Shrike

Isabelline Wheatear

Leach's Petrel

Little Auk

Marsh Warbler

Masked Shrike

Olive-backed Pipit

Pallas' Warbler

Pallid Swift

Pine Bunting

Pomarine Skua

Raddes Warbler

Red-eyed Vireo

Red-flanked Bluetail

Red-footed Falcon

Red-throated Pipit

Richard's Pipit

Rosy Starling

Rough-legged Buzzard

Rustic Bunting

Sabine's Gull

Serin

Short-toed Lark

Siberian Accentor

Siberian Stonechat

Stejneger's Stonechat

Storm Petrel

Surf Scoter

Two-barred Greenish Warbler

Waxwing

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Woodchat Shrike

Woodcock

Another three birds have been seen in nine of the ten Octobers. Any ideas which ones.

To have any chance at the magic '300' I need to have an exceptional 2022 October here at Spurn. At the moment the winds don't give one much hope but you never know.

Whatever birds turn up, each day is magical. Each day is different, the landscapes and views change with the weather; autumn arrivals of migrating birds are fascinating and species provide opportunities for study over where they have come from, as with yesterday's Snow Bunting. Plumage points to it having flown here from Iceland!

Then there are the people here; the fantastic locals and the diverse visitors. October is THE month for bird migration and birders from all over Britain migrate here too, hoping for the rare but enjoying every bird.

In the bird Observatory, although there is sadness at the amazing three young volunteers leaving for habitats new; Bethany, Kate and Zack, there is a buzz amongst everyone else here with all anticipating and hoping for the autumn fall of moving birds.

The volunteers mentioned have been brilliant. Vibrant, funny and extremely knowledgable, they have been so engaging with the visitors and locals alike and they give hope to an old-timer like me that there is a great future for nature.

 When I think of where the three young birders, Erin Taylor, Samuel Perfect and George Gay, who were working at North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory when a Biking Birder arrived in 2016 to invite them join him at the Champions of The Flyways, are now, then speculation over these three's futures is fascinating.

OK, Zack is up having spent his last night here on the floor of the kitchen! Three hours sleep and a long journey ahead of him, he's sitting shivering next to me as I type! Youngsters heh! What are they like?

Daylight in half an hour. Possibly Cranes on the way, they were seen migrating south along the coastline to the north but they never showed up here. Seen at Hornsea, the hope is that they roosted up to the north of us and will be flying over this morning. What a start to the day that would be!

So - have a fabulous day and PLEASE, someone, make my day wonderful by giving a donation to one of the charities I am supporting this year; Acorns Children's Hospice and the RSPB. 

Thanks.    Love to you all, Gary xxx

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/GaryPrescott2022?successType=StaticDonateButtonClick

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bikingbirdervii-2022