Spurn and East Yorkshire - Autumn 2025 - Part Two - Black-faced Bunting

Spurn and East Yorkshire - Autumn 2025 - Part Two


13th October


I finally encountered my first two Yellow-browed Warblers of the Autumn on a day when over five-hundred thrushes were also present in the Spurn recording area.  They were then seen in twos or threes over the following four days.

A Lapland Bunting called as it flew south past Pallas's pond on the 15th.  

On the 16th, I went to see the long staying and confiding Pectoral Sandpier at Easington lagoons.


There was a large arrival of thrushes across the region on the 17th, when I counted at least 2500 Fieldfare, 2000 Redwing and 8 Ring Ouzel.

There was also a Short-eared Owl, Woodcock, and a Glaucous Gull which flew past Rob Hunton and myself at the Crown Car Park, later alighting on the sea before dusk.


The Autumn was hotting up at last and the 20th October would be the day we'd remember most from the Autumn.

News of a possible Black-faced Bunting from dedicated bird finder Andy Mears come through mid morning.  It was confirmed from photos soon after.  The day had really begun!

We dragged ourselves over the breach (I really wish I hadn't taken my non-electric folding bike), arriving at the narrows to find a group either side of the bird's suspected location which hadn't shown for 30 minutes or so.

It took a while, but the bird eventually emerged to investigate the wind blown seeds buried in the the sand on the path.  I'd seen a male at La Janda in Spain earlier in the year, but this would be my first in the UK.  

I wonder why there have been so many this year?  Climate change/  altered migration routes seem to have led to a few other species changing their behaviours as well, as explored in previous posts with Olive-backed Pipits wintering in Morocco.  Then there's the increase in Hume's Warblers across Europe, and the relatively recent discovery of Rustic and Little Buntings wintering in Southern Spain.  I wonder what else there is out there that hasn't been discovered yet.  

That's the kind of thing that really interests me.




Once we'd satisfied ourselves that the bunting wasn't going to give us much more than it had, I joined some of the SBO volunteers in a trek down to the point to relocate a Pallas's Warbler that Luke had seen during his morning point counts.

We split up to trawl the area known as the Potato Fields, but had no luck, so moved on.  At the picnic benches by the lighthouse, I spotted the Pallas's Warbler perch on a concrete wall.  It soon flew across in front of us and into the sea buckthorn where it showed for some minutes before disappearing.  That was about the closest I came to "finding" anything rare at Spurn this year.




We continued on towards the point, finding a Yellow-browed Warbler near to the Parade Ground, then continued, again splitting up to explore various pathways as we approached the far end of the spit.  With nothing interesting located in the almost bird-less surroundings we started to head back.  As I approached the lighthouse, a message came through from Luke that a Little Bunting had appeared on the ground near the old RNLI cottages after a downpour.  I u-turned and within a few minutes joined Rob and Luke in watching a sodden bird at point black range as it foraged.




Whilst watching the Little Bunting, another (or same) Yellow-browed Warbler explored the unlikely habitat of a RNLI cottage roof!



As we crossed the breach, word reached us of a Hume's Warbler at Sammy's 3rd paddock.  We struggled onwards, as fast as possible, tired and having not eaten all day, (taking turns to drag my bike across the sand).  At the Warren gate, I stuffed my sand encrusted bike (with his permission) onto the backseat of Luke's Toyota Aygo.  We were soon on our way, hoping to get to Sammy's before it got dark.

We were lucky, and after a short wait, saw and then heard the Hume's Warbler giving us a three leaf warbler day.

I glimpsed and heard it again the following day but it proved difficult to photograph.


November

There were two Shore Lark at Beacon ponds on the 1st November, and 9 Twite at the Warren on the 2nd.


Two male Hen Harriers went to roost at the Outstrays on the 3rd, and a Snow Bunting by the coastal path on the 4th.



Eight Crossbill went South on the 5th.

The 6th started to provide promise again when a Pallas's Warbler caught and ringed in Sykes, with a Yellow Browed Warbler nearby.  Bird of the day went to a Barred Warbler which showed extremely well in a private garden in Kilnsea.



Final Part here


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