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| For the most part, the sun smiled over the two days of the festival |
WITH uncertainty over the future of Birdfair following its cancellation both this year and last, could a series of smaller regional events provide an alternative?
Their range and ambition may not be as far reaching as the mega-popular Rutland Water jamboree, but they are often less crowded, less frenzied, less urgent, less commercial and generally more easy-going and friendlier.
So it was at the annual Spurn Migration Festival held over the weekend at this famous Yorkshire coastal bird observatory.
As ever, it blended a nice mix of speaker-presentations, an exhibition marquee, superb catering and plentiful opportunities for birding, either accompanied or as part of guided tours.
Among the star species seen over the three days were both Caspian and Sabine's gull, long-tailed skua, black tern, little stint, curlew sandpiper and scarlet rosefinch.
Roll on September 2022!
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| What the heck is it? Birders emptied the marquee and scanned the sky after a raptor alert |
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| Confirmation came quickly - it was an osprey (in capital letters!) |
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| It was a busy weekend at the Flamborough Bird Observatory stand where its chairman, Craig Thomas, and wife Karen were fielding questions - not least about the black-browed albatross which has spent much of summer patrolling the cliffs of the Yorkshire Coast |
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| Thanks to this super team, the standard of catering could not have been better - nor more reasonably priced |
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| Birding can be a bit daunting for beginners, but Linda Jenkinson can put you right with her enterprise, Start Birding. She is pictured (right) on her stand with pal Verity Watts |
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| The Lincolnshire Bird Club was making its debut at this year's event - here chairman Phil Espin (left) and county bird recorder Phil Hyde, co-authors of the excellent Birds of Lincolnshire, are seen with some of the club's recent publications |
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| The BTO stand proved popular with visitors |
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| Sadly, no rubythroats were to be seen over the weekend, but a scarlet rosefinch put in an appearance |
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| Many visitors chose to camp over the course of the weekend |
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| It's not clear if anyone chose to take up the offer |
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| Kilnsea wetlands is always a magnet for gulls and waders - and this weekend was no exception |
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A warm Yorkshire welcome to all . . . ?
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