Well, that's a first for me!

Title explanation follows much later.

September 11th

I've done a few early morning seawatches this year and, truth to tell, they haven't been terribly exciting. Slowly ticking off a few skuas but whenever I was able to go the winds weren't in the right quarter. Still, I always had a good day. This particular day began with a very early start at the seawatch hut. This day's seawatch was equally quiet but the rest of the day was superb. I'll begin with a friendly snipe at the Canal Scrape.

Snipe

After a coffee I moved down to the car park at Kilnsea Wetlands. A roe deer was in the field across.

Roe Deer

A lone knot lingered on the scrapes together with more distant greenshank and ringed plover. Here's the knot - keeping an eye out for the peregrine. If he gets caught he'll be undone! [There's a bad joke in there somewhere...]

Knot

My eye was drawn to my right by movement amongst the nettles and dead thistles. Wheatears and whinchats.

Wheatear

Whinchat

Later back at Canal Scrape for a break a colourful and friendly dunlin lingered in front of the hide. Here are quite a few photos of this pretty bird. I like the moorhen shot!

Dunlin Dunlin

Dunlin Dunlin Dunlin Dunlin

Dunlin

I also spotted a fresh willow warbler among the cut reeds.

Willow Warbler Willow Warbler

Wigeon have returned too.

Wigeon

The Crown & Anchor area produced both pied and spotted flycatchers - more than one of each species.

Pied Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher Pied Flycatcher

Time for a walk at Sammy's Point I thought. I set off with bins and camera. After only 50 yards while scanning the first of the horse paddocks I spotted a very grey warbler. Immediately I thought of barred warbler. 

Since I've been birding I've seen some fabulous birds, I've even helped relocate great birds that had gone missing but I had, until that afternoon, never found a rarity myself. Not a great rarity I know but a pretty good bird nonetheless. I called to a couple of birders who were walking back towards the car park with scopes over their shoulder. They looked with their bins.

'Lesser whitethroat, mate, ' one said. But they put their scopes up as I walked off still thinking barred warbler. A voice called out: 'Hey, come back. Look in here! You were right.' Soon it was on the pager and the wasps gathered around the honeypot...

Here's my barred warbler!

Barred Warbler Barred Warbler Barred Warbler Barred Warbler

Swallows were waiting to fly south.

Swallow

I finished the day with a second visit to Spragger Drain near Sunk Island to look for the black stork. Seen badly at Spurn I wanted a better view. The bird duly obliged to round off a great day's birding.

Black Stork Black Stork Black Stork Black Stork

September 13th

After another, this time completely dead, seawatch I retreated to the hide at Canal Scrape. Snipe began the day photographically for the second time running. Snipe

Little grebe and incoming wigeon.

Little Grebe Wigeon

Next it was down to the wetlands again. A short-eared owl put on a thrilling display.

Short-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Short-eared Owl

A roe deer was watching us.

Roe Deer

Kilnsea churchyard for a yellow-browed warbler. Difficult to track in the sycamore leaves - phylloscopus means 'leaf seeker'...

Yellow-browed Warbler Yellow-browed Warbler Yellow-browed Warbler Yellow-browed Warbler

Retreat to Church Field where I knew I could sit a while. Varied sights: red admiral, buzzard and a cannabis plant! Red Admiral Buzzard Buzzard Cannabis plant

I seem to have a bit of a Spurn routine: Sammy's Point next. Soon found a redstart in the same bushes as I saw the barred warbler 2 days earlier. It proved tricky to photograph and I spent a long time getting these quite distant shots. I needn't have bothered as you'll see shortly! Anyway, for now here's the Sammy's redstart plus his companion whitethroat.

Redstart Redstart Whitethroat Redstart

I must have called back briefly at Canal Scrape as I took this photo of a mallard watching me.

Mallard

I then walked from the Crown & Anchor towards Sunny Cliff caravan site. A very confiding redstart entertained several of us. Nice photos and so easy!

Redstart Redstart Redstart Redstart

September 14th

Nosterfield LNR in the afternoon to see a juvenile woodchat shrike. Very distant, it eventually came a little closer.

Woodchat Shrike Woodchat Shrike

That's it for now!