WELCOME TO YORKSHIRE!

The sign that greets fellow birders as they roll up to Spurn. Our Yorkshire cousins certainly know how to extend a welcome (where's the tosser in the yellow coat), obviously been taking tips from the West Midland Bird Club!
Having left my wheels in the local pub car park there was no chance of me being mugged. Three squid for a Black Redstart I think not. The migrant fest of yesterday was reduced for me anyway to a no show Barred Warbler, a non existent Firecrest and no Yellow-broweds at all anywhere despite the rumours. The Raddes at Sammy's Point along with 6 YBW and 5 Firecrests had all done one over night....arse!!! Flocks of incoming wintering Redwing were not much compensation.

At the hot spot of Kilnsea Church yard I thought I had at last tracked down a calling Firecrest and stood there listening to a bird call constantly and rather repetitively for ten minutes. Only to discover it was a ringers tape machine placed below a mist net...f***ers!!!

A fresh in Redwing evades the nets and causes a nano second of excitement as I glimpse its 'orangey flanks' then a big off white eye-brow. Thoughts of finding Blue-tails and rare thrushes are what keeps one going at times like these but with the wind now in the west and the sun blazing down its more like summer so a cool Guinness is called for in The Crown and Anchor.

It does the trick, theres birds to be had at Flannelboro just up the coast so northwards I head. Arriving at yet another 'Pay or Else' car park I inadvertently miss the ticket machine and join the small throng bush watching.

Twenty minutes later I've scored awesome views of a very confiding Radde's Warbler and gripped a passing Firecrest to boot...sorted I head off home stopping for some of the best fish and chips I've ever had (the 149 on Manton Rd)...thank heavens for pagers. (cheers for the update Mike)

UK YL 248

ps. If you fancy a gripping read go see Olof Jonsson's blog http://corvo2009.blogspot.com what a patch.