After a solid day of rain yesterday, we headed to Spurn today hoping yesterdays birds would still be around. You cannot imagine how shocked we were as we drove round the corner at the Crown and Anchor......cars parked nearly the whole length of the road ! We very nearly turned round and went home. The first crowds were around the garden at Cliff Farm so obviously the red-flanked bluetail was showing well, despite bearing a bright new shiny ring. The crowds were all on the riverside so we stood on the roadside of the garden, just us two and a friend joined us. But the size of the crowd on the other side of the garden......words will fail you. We are in the midst of a pandemic with a 2 metre rule, but just look at this photo that was taken by a friend, John Sadler. There were at least 40 in the group, lining the whole length of the garden, some you will recognise. The group never diminished the whole time we were there. No social distancing whatsoever and all so they can put a tick in a book. Absolute madness.
The Red-Flanked Bluetail did show well and it had an excellent supporting cast including spotted flycatcher, redstart, firecrest, goldcrest and Simon picked up a Red-breasted Flycatcher that gave us brief views but disappeared as quickly as it arrived.
It was one of those magic Redstart days, they were everywhere.
Redwing
Songthrush
Spotted Flycatchers
and the start attraction, Red-flanked Bluetail
Red-flanked Bluetail getting mobbed by the spotted flycatcher
