Spurn Migration Specials, October '26

Sun 1st Nov, 2026

Another entertaining, bird-and memory-filled week guiding at Spurn Bird Observatory for YCN - my third week there this year (a poor showing - back up to the usual levels next year!) - and what a week it was... five days of guiding, a different team every day - and a different range of birds, conditions and adventures for each.

A wonderfully tame male Snow Bunting on the clifftop - Spurn October 2026 © Mark Pearson

So, you could say the timing of my week there (pre-booked well over a year ago) was impeccable, just like my week there in September (See blog HERE]; seemingly endless low pressure systems and blustery south-westerly winds before and after, but - like magic - a dominant easterly airflow for me and my clients. Sometimes you just get lucky...

Setting off from York in the dark on the early morning of the 19th, day one held much promise, with the wind suddenly but firmly in the eastern half of the compass, where it remain for much of the week; arriving in Kilnsea as dawn broke, there were already very positive signs, as Redwings tsseeeped overhead and Common Blackbirds bounded along hedgerows in loose, unruly gangs.

It was a day - and a week - of arrivals, in terms of abundance, variety, and quality - of species that you'd hope for on the east coast at this time of year, if the winds are favourable. On that first day, Redwings, Song Thrushes and (especially) Blackbirds arrived in their droves, Tomato-soupy European Robins were absolutely everywhere, Russian White-fronted Geese were on the move (and seen every day), Chiffs, Blackcaps, 'crests and other hardy little passerines occupied cover....

Stoat at the Warren - plenty of dinner options available.... - Spurn October 2026 © Mark Pearson

.. while above us, visible migration was often impressive; as well as the thrushes, Eurasian Skylarks, Bramblings, Eurasian Siskins, Redpolls, Goldfinches, Meadow Pipits, Reed Buntings, multithudes of Common Starlings and much more, the incomparable sight of Short-eared Owls arriving in off the sea was a memorable feature of several days (and kickstarted the week's guiding literally as I was gathering the team on the first morning at the Bluebell car park).

Eurasian Woodcocks - a genuine rival to the owls in terms of iconic incomers over the waves - were also a memorable feature of most days, with birds either careening in over the waves or exploding out of cover on many occasions.

Each day was of course different, in every sense - conditions, species dynamics and abundance, people on the team (six different intrepid souls awaiting their fate every morning) - which not only makes every one of my Spurn Migration Specials unique, it also keeps it more than interesting for me. Reading the weather, and the room, keeps me on alert and hopefully at the top of my guiding game.

Bar-tailed Godwit - often allowing very close views in the Triangle - Spurn October 2026 © Mark Pearson

Keener birders will know there were plenty of rarities and scarcities in the area, and along the coast, throughout the week. Did we chase after them? Of course not! (Well, with one honourable exception - see below). While I fully understand the attraction - and indeed why other groups, with different priorities, would choose to do so - it's generally not for me, and more pertinently, it's generally not what makes my YCN days special for the teams involved.

We welcome a pleasingly broad spectrum of birders - from absolute beginners to seasoned pros, and everywhere in between - and my focus for my groups is on making the day as much of a holistic adventure in the joys of bird migration as I possibly can. This can, and does, involve finding and/or enjoying rarer and scarcer birds, of course; but only if they fit into the jigsaw of a rich and varied day in the field.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese, all the way from Arctic Russia - Spurn October 2026 © Mark Pearson

My emphasis is (and always will be) on delivering as many flavours of the magic of bird migration as I can, without dragging my teams around all over the shop; indeed, my Spurn Specials, like most of my other YCN Birding Discovery Days, are entirely on foot. We meet at the Bluebell carpark on the very edge of the coastline (convenient not only as a meeting place and base, but also for the aformentioned arriving owls, Woodcocks and more), and from there, it's a bespoke day of various hotspots, habitats, places and birds.

We have a great relationship with the good people of Spurn Bird Observatory (and donate a percentage of our Spurn guiding takings to the Obs every year), which also means we have free access to all the best, hidden corners of the area, as well as the privilege of enjoying the ringing at several spots. Paul, Rob and a whole host of helpful locals (you know who you are!) contribute greatly to the enjoyment and wonder experienced by my teams, and i'm very grateful to all of you for your always warm welcome and sharing your knowledge and passion!

As well as the glorious spectrum of commoner migratory species enjoyed, we also bumped into plenty of scarcities: Siberian Chiffchaff, Barred, Dusky and Yellow-browed Warblers spring to mind, and less common treats included Long-eared Owl, Snow Buntings, White-fronted and Tundra Bean Geese, Ring Ouzel, Jack Snipe and more.

Our teams often find scarce birds on Mark's Migration days, and this Bluethroat was a real treat for them to discover on day one - Spurn October 2026 © Mark Pearson

For many, though, the bird of the week was a fabulous Bluethroat in Corner Field, which we found on the afternoon of day one - and which happily stayed for several days, entertaining four of my groups (and apparently hundreds of others!) throughout the week.

Bluethroat - Spurn October 2026 © Mark Pearson

Speaking of jazzy little chats with fancy gullets, we did make an exception on day four... as news came through on the radio of a certain Ruby-throated banger more than halfway down the peninsula, I contextualised the situation, and circumstances, to my hastily assembled team for the day. Unusually - the normal approach being that of a benevolant dictatorship (!) - I offered all alternatives, and put it to the vote. Everybody was up for it, and so off we marched, down the beach and through the dunes....

Short-eared Owls were a feature of the week - most of which were watched arriving in off the North Sea, direct from Northern Europe - Spurn October 2026 © Mark Pearson

No Siberian jewel for us (nor for all the other hopefuls who made the effort!), but it mattered not; we had a glorious few hours of big, bird-filled Spurn skies, loads of highlights (three Short-eared Owls in off the sea, a point-blank White-fronted Goose, droves of finches and thrushes gunning down the peninsula, Goldcrests and Robins practically on our shoes, etc). And that, in a nutshell, is why I think all my days at Spurn are special - all unique, and all magical.

And this is all against the hypnotising, beautiful backdrop of the swirling masses of waders on the Humber - European Golden Plovers, Red Knot, Grey Plovers, Dunlins, Ringed Plovers, Black- and Bar-tailed Godwits, Eurasian Curlews, Common Redshanks, Oystercatchers and more in their mesmerising multitudes; which anywhere else would be enough on their own.

Thank you Spurn (and your good people and great birds!) - see you in the spring, looking forward to it already!

Book on Mark's 2027 Spurn Migration Specials HERE

Mark Pearson

YCN Birding & Wildlife Guide