5th September. Brownie Points

The plan for Sunday was, like the previous day, in tatters. We had planned to head to Spurn early, but a call to Pete the previous evening suggested that there had been a bit of a clear out so it was back to the same old with a 6am visit to Orgreave. Yesterday's Black-necked Grebe had gone and the only birds of note were a couple of Shelduck and a Yellow-legged Gull. By 8am it was obvious that there was no movement so I went home and mooched around the house. By 10am I was bored and decided on going to Spurn after all.

As forecast Spurn was very quiet and within an hour of arriving we were firmly rooted in the Blue Bell Cafe with Coffee and Beans on Toast - a few hot pies wouldn't have gone amiss though. Dragging ourselves away from the Cafe we headed down Beacon Lane where at least a couple of migrants were found namely Spotted Fly' and a Redstart. Things improved later with a couple of Whinchat, Pied Fly', Garden Warbler and a few more Redstarts. Refreshments in the Crown and Anchor and newly arrived Wood Warbler raised enthusiasm. Whilst strolling back to the cafe, for another caffeine hit, news of a Brown Flycatcer at Buckton came through. Opting for the coffee I sat musing the Flycatcher. There were a couple of factors that suggested we should go: It was only forty miles away and the occurrence of the Flamborough bird coincided with a particularly low point in my life and given that my mind was elsewhere at that time seeing another wouldn't be such a bad thing, besides with just four records it would have been damn rude not to.

Fortunately it was showing very well when we arrived but soon became very elusive occasionally metamorphosing into a Pied Fly' or worse still a Garden Warbler!