the Lincolnshire coast August 31st to September 3rd 2024
With winds in the East for the first time in the autumn a journey to the Lincolnshire coast seemed in order but August 31st produced just two Pied Flycatchers and a lot of walking between Pyes Hall and Saltfleetby - Theddlethorpe - Sunday 1st we ventured to Gibraltar Point with a little more success and on 3rd I headed back to Donna Nook with little to show but twitched the Greenish Warbler at Saltfleet in the afternoon - My 5th in Lincolnshire but the first since 2005 which by sheer coincidence was in the same clump of trees on Sea Lane Saltfleet as the bird below
The sad remnants of Pyes Hall what was once one of the best migrant traps on the Lincolnshire coast killed off by tidal inundation in a poorly devised Environment Agency scheme
The few bushed and trees that are still in existence between Donna Nook and Pyes Hall are all dying and there is little to hold any migrants that do drop in but a fair abundance of mosquitos for them to feed on
This was one of the two Pied Flycatchers that were the only migrants seen on Saturday 31st - I included some of the autumnal colours in the shot to balance the bird
here this Pied Flycatcher has just swallowed a spider it caught in the grass
Sunday September 1st we headed to Gibraltar Point but the morning was also pretty migrant free apart from three Pied Flycatchers and four Lesser Whitethroats - the sea has exposed old WW2 defences along the beach never seen in 60 years
with a lack of birds we searched for Wasp Spiders after lunch to no avail but several colonies of Sea Aster Ming Bees were active with their cuckoo Black-thighed epiolus, Spotted Bee-burglar, Red-tailed Spider Wasp
Sea Aster Mining bees Gibraltar Point September 2024
Black-thighed epeolus - Epiolus variegatus
Spotted Bee-burglar
Red-tailed Spider Wasp
As we watched the bees two Whinchats and a Wheatear appeared and there seemed to be a chance of birds arriving at last - a few hours spent around Syke's Farm area revealed a good arrival of Pied Flycatchers a few Redstarts and Willow Warblers and a Spotted Flycatcher but we ran out of time to search for any better goodies
a cracking juvenile Lesser Whitethroat at Pyes Hall on 3rd but apart from this bird two Pied Flycatchers, a Redstart, a Wheatear and a Sedge Warbler were the only back ups
Spotted Flycatcher and scruffy Chiffchaff Rimac - another long and arduous walk with little reward
Greenish Warbler Saltfleet Sea Land September 3rd
Greenish Warbler Saltfleet Sea Land September 3rd
Greenish Warbler Saltfleet Sea Land September 3rd
Greenish Warbler Saltfleet Sea Land September 3rd - colours varied with light and also where the bird was in the willow with light reflecting off the leaves
