Went across to Sammy's Point on Humberside where a brisk easterly wind was blowing across the very "root" of the peninsula below Easington. Clearly birds were cutting across from their southward passage down the North Sea or being deflected by the strength of the wind itself. Noticeable were small groups of terns which kept passing downriver. I kept monitoring those which took short rests on the tank blocks and had some super views of both Common and Sandwich Terns. A little later, as a small group was shifting around choosing spaces, I went through all those present. Imagine my delight as , amongst several Common Terns and a couple of Sandwich Terns, a single Roseate Tern stood out whilst preening itself. Soon they were gone to be followed shortly by a call on the radio reporting two Arctic Skuas over the Humber. I managed to find one, which appeared to settle on the water somewhere off Chalk Bank, but confess that I then lost contact.
Time went on and the tide level began to recede leaving exposed mud where Dunlin and Redshank fed . Later still, and going through the waders present, I found a Little Stint amongst the Dunlin at the same time as a Whimbrel moved through up river. Fairly soon the whole gathering moved off . As time went on gull numbers , chiefly Black headed Gulls , picked over the exposed mud but not before four Little Gulls revealed themselves. It would have been so easy to miss them as they stood immobile for quite a time until, as with the waders, the whole collection moved on.
Despite best efforts nothing else of note appeared other than a couple of parties of Golden Plover moving high over the Humber. Such proved to be the end of the excitement as an examination of two or three different nearby areas produced nothing of note, but the day left nothing to grumble about !
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