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A moderate westerly this morning seemed likely to induce some vis mig at Gib Point and I duly arrived at Mill Hill, rather late, just before 7am.
Common Swifts were moving through and Kev Wilson and Rob Watson soon arrived. The first Red Kite of the morning had already passed down the West Dunes and it was in this area that one then two more birds began drifting south - very rapidly debunking the theory that it was just a lingering single. Kites then started coming down the East Dunes, culminating in a group of seven which drifted low over Mill Hill. All the Kites I looked at closely were in active primary moult and second calendar year birds. A total of 29 drifted south - a new reserve record.
Richard Doan had now arrived and, aware of events at Spurn, we were checking the groups of Swifts passing south. At 11.52am small numbers were passing down the ED. I noticed a Common Swift almost above us and realised that some might have sneaked past unnoticed - I thus turned round and immediately saw a large, white-bellied swift which had obviously just passed overhead. Fortunately everyone quickly got on to the Alpine Swift and indeed KW followed it through his scope for 6-7 minutes as it drifted south and eventually out over the Wash.
Everyone else departed but at 12.27 I picked up a Black Stork circling high over the golf course. The bird circled for about 3-4 minutes then turned and headed south drifting off purposefully over Croft Marsh.
If this wasn't enough about 20 minutes later I picked a falcon flying low down the ED to the north over North Building. I immediately suspected this was going to be a Red-footed Falcon. The bird flipped over to the west from the seaward side of the dune line and carried on coming south, proving to be a superb first-summer male Red-foot. The falcon buzzed Mill Hill and continued on south until it began hovering over the Ringing Hollow area. Fortunately it remained in this area, and the saltmarsh just to the south, for another ten minutes or so then slowly drifted down Millennium Ridge before heading south out over the Wash - in this time several observers were able to see the bird.
Having rushed south to watch the falcon fly off over the Wash I returned to MH and was joined by Phil Hyde and all passage stopped!
151 Common Swifts flew south along with 3 Med Gulls (two adults and a first summer), a Siskin and at least three Hobbies.
James
Last edited by James Siddle on Sun May 28, 2017 5:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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