Spurn Bird Observatory

22/10/2026

Eight talks. Four evenings. 80 years of Spurn! 🎉

Join us online this November and December as we celebrate the birds, people, science and conservation that make Spurn such a special place.

From legendary rarities and spectacular migration to Little Terns, conservation careers and the work behind the scenes, there’s plenty to look forward to.

📅 Tuesday 10 November
Rob Hunton – Celebrating 80 years of Spurn
Kate Fox – From residential volunteer to conservation careers

📅 Tuesday 17 November
Tim Jones – Spurn’s rarities through the years: mega birds, mega stories
Georgia French & Richard Boon – The Little Tern Project

📅 Tuesday 1 December
Jacob Spinks – Best days of vismig at Spurn
Dan Wade – Watching, learning, discovering from Spurn

📅 Tuesday 8 December
Paul Willoughby – Blooming Marvellous: our land, managed for conservation
Harry Appleyard – Spurn through the year

💻 All evenings take place online, from 7–9pm, so you can join us from the comfort of home.

Everyone is welcome, whether you’re a regular visitor, a long-standing supporter or simply curious about Spurn.

Booking is on a donation basis, with contributions supporting the work of the Observatory. Choose one evening, a few favourites or join us for all four!

🎟️ Book here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/spurnbirdobservatorytrust

Which talk are you most looking forward to? Let us know below, and please share with anyone who might like to join us.

21/10/2026

A good mix of both new-in and lingering migrants today featured a Great Grey Shrike initially at Chalky Point before heading south past The Warren, Hume’s Warbler still at Chalky Point, Dusky Warbler at Cliff Farm and Bluethroat ringed in Sykes Field.

Others included Barred Warbler near The Green Beacon, 3 Great White Egrets in The Triangle, Ring Ouzels at Beacon Lane, Sammy’s 3rd paddock, Easington Cemetery and west over Corner Field, 2 Lapland Buntings south past Potato Field and at least 9 Firecrests across the recording area, plus Black Redstarts at the RNLI Cottages, Warren and off Sammy's, 30+ White-fronted Geese mostly heading east and south and 4 Whooper Swans south past Kilnsea Wetlands.

Whooper Swans, Firecrest and first-winter White-fronted Goose by Harry Appleyard 📸

20/10/2026

It’s been a busy couple of days in the recording area, with plenty of quality birds on offer. These are just some of the highlights, with Hawfinch, Black Redstart and plenty more around too!

On Monday, our 3rd Black-faced Bunting was the first find of the day at Chalk Bank, shortly followed by a Pallas’s Warbler at Sammy’s Point. An Isabelline Wheatear was then found in the 1st Paddock there, at the same time another was being photographed at Chalky Point, 800 metres away! A Barred Warbler was also at Sammy’s Point.

A Red-flanked Bluetail was reported in Easington but proved elusive and disappeared almost as quickly as news went out. A Bluethroat in Corner Field was more obliging, staying loyal to one of our newly created ditches!

Tuesday started with several small flocks of White-fronted Geese coming in, with the odd Bean Goose amongst them. The Bluethroat and both Isabelline Wheatears were still present, and Firecrests started popping up at several sites around Kilnsea and Easington.

A Black Kite was picked up coming in-off and tracked to Skeffling, where it was lost to view.

A Dusky Warbler was then caught and ringed in Church Field. It wasn’t seen again there, but a Dusky Warbler was calling in the Crown & Anchor car park at dusk before flying back towards Church Field. A very elusive Hume’s Warbler was in the thicket behind the Riverside Hotel, and a Great Grey Shrike was photographed west of the Gas Terminal in Easington.

Have you been out around Spurn over the last couple of days? Let us know what you’ve seen, and feel free to share your photos in the comments. We’d love to see them!

📸 Black-faced Bunting - Tim Jump
Isabelline Wheatear - Pete Sutton
Bluethroat - Mark Pearson
Hume’s Warbler - Tim Jones
Black Kite - Chris Edley
Dusky Warbler twitch - Rob Hunton
Hume’s Warbler twitch - Rob Hunton

20/10/2026

Birding at Spurn this week? If not already a Friend of Spurn, day passes can be purchased for just £3, granting access to the Obs garden, Church Field, Schipper's Field, Corner Field and Sykes Field.

Further details on Friends of Spurn membership, granting access to these areas all year round, can be found on our website.🐦

VALID ONLY ON DATE OF PURCHASE

13/10/2026

Ten years ago today, a Siberian Accentor turned up in Easington – the first for mainland Britain.

Found on 13 October 2016, just four days after Britain’s first in Shetland, it was part of an unprecedented influx into north-western Europe that autumn.

The bird stayed until 19 October, giving birders from across the country the chance to see a species few would have expected to find here. For many, that meant an early start, a long drive and a wait in the queue, followed by views of a Siberian Accentor feeding just a few metres away.

There was plenty of other good birding around Spurn that week too, with rare and scarce migrants to find once you’d seen the Accentor.

Where were you when the news broke? Did you drop everything and head to Easington, or spend the next few days hoping it would stay until you could get here?

We’d love to hear your memories in the comments. Who did you come with, what else did you see, and where does it rank among your favourite birds at Spurn? Tag someone you shared the trip with!

Thanks to John Hewitt for these photographs from October 2016.

📷 John Hewitt

09/10/2026

Today's sightings featured the lingering Lesser Yellowlegs and a Little Stint at Beacon Ponds, 2 Pomarine Skua south past Easington Gas Terminal, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers by Pancho Pond and 45 Bramblings mobile across The Triangle.

Lesser Yellowlegs by Peter Webster📷

05/10/2026

As the Lesser Yellowlegs remained at Beacon Ponds for a third day, other sightings today featured Snow Buntings around The Triangle and Middle Camp, Yellow-browed Warblers by the Obs garden and High Street in Easington and 5 Barnacle Geese north past Sammy’s.

Snow Bunting by Ben Mawer, Yellow-browed Warbler (colour-ringed) by Harry Appleyard 📷

04/10/2026

Time's flying, so don't miss your chance to book onto one of our Triangle Treks this autumn, sponsored by SWAROVSKI OPTIK Birding! 🍁

Join our expert guides to witness seasonal migration unfold, find out more about Spurn's wildlife and our work, with a chance to see ringed birds in the hand. £15 per person, with a discounted rate of £10 for Friends of Spurn.*

*20% further discount for arrival by bike or public transport. 🚲

Yellow-browed Warbler by Thomas Willoughby 📷

https://spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/news/triangle-treks-guided-wildlife-walks-at-spurn-24-08-2026

03/10/2026

Today’s highlights featured our 2nd Lesser Yellowlegs between Beacon Ponds and Easington Lagoons before heading off high south, an American Golden Plover by Sammy's 1st paddock and a Shore Lark lingering at Beacon Ponds.

Other sightings included Yellow-browed Warblers at Pancho Pond, Yew Cottage, Obs garden and Bluebell area, Ring Ouzel at Sammy's 1st paddock, Hawfinch south over Seaside Road, Pied Flycatcher in the Obs garden and Pomarine Skua off Easington Gas Terminal.

Lesser Yellowlegs, American Golden Plover among European Golden Plover and Barn Owl by Harry Appleyard 📷

30/09/2026

Yesterday was certainly one of the most exciting days of the Autumn so far! Early on, our 1st Eyebrowed Thrush was caught and ringed in Church Field, also being the 2nd of this rare eastern vagrant recorded in Yorkshire.

Other sightings featured our 1st Little Bunting of the season between The Warren and Pancho Pond, American Golden Plover on the Humber off The Crown and Anchor, Firecrest in Easington, Snow Bunting south past Sandy Beaches and totals of 18 Yellow-browed Warbler, 11 Redstarts and 8 Pied Flycatchers.

Eyebrowed Thrush, Little Bunting, Yellow-browed Warbler and American Golden Plover by Thomas Willoughby 📷