Oops put the response on the GM birders invasion to Spurn part 1 rather than 2
A pleasant afternoon twitching the American GPs in Lincs followed by a general visit to Blacktoft was sharply interrupted by the mega alert on the pager. Although I expressed reservations about twitching a wader on the Humber, as Sharp-tail is a lifer for Sonia I was soon parting with 3 quid to get over that big bridge near Hull. I even tried to dissuade her with Mr McKerchar will probably find one on the peat pools eventually, but she replied with something about the track down to the pools not being suitable for a Zimmer frame.
After a short stay at the distinctly waderless Sammys Point we decided to try the Humber side of Spurn itself . A quick scan through the 18 million waders lining the shoreline at Spurn, added to the fact we were looking into the sun and a seawatch seemed a much better option.
In the space of just over an hour we logged 9 Sooties, 3 Manxies, a cracking adult Pom with full spoons, c20+ Arctic Skuas, 3 RT Divers, 5 Little Gulls and stacks of Gannets, Arctic and Sandwich Terns etc.
Yeah fancy us seeing an RSPCA van zooming around the north side of the humber!! (was i not supposed to say that Paul) Well its yet another Sharp Tailed Sandpiper dip for us - sod this twitching lark.
We spent a while looking at Patrington Haven again (for old times sake), any of these at Elton would be awesome, we had -
Little Egret 8 Avocet 10 Curlew Sandpiper 2 Juv Ruff 2 Greenshank 5 Black Tailed Godwit 5 Bar Tailed Godwit 100 Ringed Plover 60 Grey Plover 451
An elite group was sent to spurn this afternoon, nice to finally get there after the fun everyone had the other week. nice to meet you all and it good to know manchester birders return to keep a eye on everything. i see from the pager that your seawatch went well rob congrates and warfy and his dad caught up with some little egrets, as for bringing them back to elton I do believe it is immoral as well as illegal.. as for the Sharp Tailed sandpiper..... well when I finally catch up with it it will be a blunt tailed sandpiper after I stick a size 9 up its under tail coverts..... you think it would have had the good manners to stay around till we saw it.
ho hum till the next time, time for the last night of the proms ,,i do like abit of pomp.....
) Well its yet another Sharp Tailed Sandpiper dip for us - sod this twitching lark.