Birdwatching Trips Tour For Two Hits The Jackpot In Yorkshire October 2026
Pectoral Sandpiper just one of 140 species enjoyed on this wonderful trip.
Barry and Wendy are loyal guests with Birdwatching Trips and have join us on many adventures here in the UK and overseas. We had been looking forward to joining them in Yorkshire this October but unfortunately, we could not make the trip. Luckily Marc Hughes, who helps us out with guiding tours and is an amazing birder and a really lovely chap came to the rescue. Marc picks up the tale in his words….
Tuesday 20 October 2026
After meeting at the lovely hotel in Beverley we headed down towards Spurn and Kilnsea. A walk along “Chalky Point” at Spurn produced great birds sightings included point blank views of a very rare Isabelline Wheatear – what a bird to start a trip with! Fifty European White-fronted Geese flew over, a Short-eared Owl floated over the fields here, Hundreds of Redwings were pouring in from Scandinavia and newly arrived Goldcrests were in every bush – migration happening all around us and it was pretty magical.
Then news of a real mega rarity broke – Rufous-tailed Robin! This amazing rarity had been found by a friend of ours, Zak Spaull, just up the coast at Flamborough Head and as a new bird for everyone it was decided to head off to look for it. I managed to get a glimpse of the robin amongst a scrum of birders. I even picked it up in the thermal imager a few times too. Huge congratulations to Zak for this great find.
A smart drake Red-crested Pochard on the way back to Beverley was a smart bird to finish day one.
Wednesday 21 October 2026
Day two of our Birdwatching Trips tour for Barry and Wendy delivered a day that will take some beating!
When an experienced birder turns to you at the end of the day and says “That’s my best ever day ever of mainland birding in Britain” you know it’s been something special. And that is exactly what Barry said today after a day exploring Spurn with his wife Wendy.
We kicked off things at Sammy’s Point where a stunning Firecrest, a Ring Ouzel, and a point-blank Woodcock got us off to a brilliant start. All around us hundreds of Redwings and Blackbirds bounced from bush to bush. The action was relentless.
Next stop was Corner Field, and things went up another gear! A Bluethroat showed fantastically well, running up and down a small ditch as it fed. Nearby a “ticking” Dusky Warbler gave itself up, followed by a brief but welcome appearance from a vocal Hume’s Warbler! Soon afterwards we had a Yellow-browed Warbler showing nicely on an overhead wire, a superb opportunity to compare it with the Hume’s Warbler – very similar species.
Throw in cracking views of Tree Sparrows, another superb Firecrest, newly arrived Brambling and more Woodcock flying in, and we were already having a day to remember. But Spurn wasn’t finished with us yet….
A nearby birder suddenly announced that they had just found a Long-eared Owl! What a bonus. The owl even woke up and gave us a proper stare, Then, using the thermal imager, we picked out a Jack Snipe tucked away amongst the reeds. Absolutely incredible!
Goldcrests seemed to everywhere and Wendy had an especially lovely moment when she got to release a Goldcrest that had been caught and ringed. A real privilege to experience.
And just when we thought the day couldn’t get any better, the rain arrived and we headed to a site 15 minutes north of Spurn where an Isabelline Shrike (probably a Daurian Shrike) showed incredibly well. What a way to finish!
It was also great to bump into our great friend Mark Pearson and his group sharing the joy and the excitement of getting great birds in front of interested people. That’s what birding is all about.
What a species list. What a location. What fantastic company.
And a day so good it earned the ultimate compliment from an experienced birder.
Spurn Bird Observatory you’ve absolutely smashed it!
Thursday 22 October 2026
We have long said that the twenty-second of the month is a day when great birds turn up. Well it held true for 22 October 2026 when a Siberian Rubythroat was seen at Spurn Bird Observatory, sadly only very briefly. But Marc again produced an amazing array of birds for our guests Barry and Wendy on their Tour for Two…
Marc takes up the story….
Day three of the Birdwatching Trip Tour for Two in Yorkshire was nothing short of spectacular, with rare birds, migration in full swing, and one incredibly emotional moment that none of us will forget in a hurry!
We started the day with just the three of us enjoying the lighthouse area at Flamborough Head almost entirely to ourselves. Birds were moving overhead with finches, buntings, and several flocks of Jays making their way through. While we grilled a “ghostly” Siberian-type Chiffchaff, Barry found a cracking Firecrest in “Motorway Hedge”. A Bullfinch passing overhead was an usual migrant, and then a Short-eared Owl erupted from virtually beneath our feet, giving us incredible views as it circled around us!
A quick sea-watch produced a moulting summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver and several Red-throated Divers. Meanwhile, feeding amongst the Atlantic grey seals was a gorgeous little Purple Sandpiper. What a start!
Next stop was RSPB Bempton Cliffs where Barry somehow managed to position himself perfectly for a superb view of the rare Pallas’s Warbler in the willows by the pond. Sadly I had to settle for hearing it call from deep within the willows. There were some excellent views here, too, with two Peregrine Falcons harrying the feral “cliff” doves along the coastal path.
Back to Flamborough and to Thornwick on the north side of the headland. Our luck continued with the elusive Radde’s Warbler giving itself up. Brief but good views accompanied by a couple of tell-tale calls from the undergrowth. A Great Egret drifted overhead in the sunshine while 18 European White-fronted Geese came in off the sea. Add another gorgeous Firecrest and a vocal Yellow-browed Warbler in the small copse and we were having another memorable day!
After a well-earned slice of delicious lemon meringue pie in the café, we decided to return for another round of Rufous-tailed Robin madness.
My heart sank when we arrived to find more than 100 birders packed into the scrum. All staring down intently into the patch of brambles at South Landing where I had managed to see the bird briefly two days earlier. Barry and Wendy had just missed the bird and I honestly feared we would miss out again.
Then, suddenly, I spotted a tiny gap in the crowd and squeezed my way in. At that very moment the Rufous-tailed Robin hopped into full view into a small log beside the little stream!
SUPERB!
I immediately grabbed Barry, pulled him into the gap and frantically pointed out the bird. And then the smiles erupted!
A touching moment followed as a very experienced birder became so overwhelmed with emotion that he shed a tear – birds can do that. Huge hugs all round and pure unfiltered joy. After the frustration and despondency of thinking all was lost finally connecting with this mega rare bird was such a special moment. That is what birding is all about.
On the way back to the hotel in Beverely we made a quick stop to admire three colourful drake Red-crested Pochard on a small pool. Were they genuine wild birds? Who knows? Who cares? We enjoyed them all the same and after all the excitement of the day it really didn’t matter one bit.
Rare birds, spectacular bird migration, breathtaking scenery, and an unforgettable moment of shared happiness. Another absolute cracking day on our Birdwatching Trips Yorkshire Tour for Two.
Friday 23 October 2026
Another great day for our lovely guests Barry and Wendy with Marc in Yorkshire on their custom Tour for Two. Marc takes up the story…..
Day four two rare waders and a partridge (or 15) in a pear tree!
After the excitement of the first three days of coastal migrant watching we decided on a change of tactics and take a slightly more relaxed approach, heading west from our lovely hotel in Beverley. Relaxed of course is a relative term you’re birding in Yorkshire!
First stop North Cave Wetlands YWT Reserve not far from Beverley.
We arrived just after sunrise to find the reserve devoid of visitors but buzzing with birds.
First stop: North Cave Wetlands LNR
We arrived just after sunrise to find the reserve devoid of people and the new lagoons absolutely buzzing with birds. Ducks, Lapwings, several Ruff and a marauding, cream-crowned Marsh Harrier were creating plenty of action as the raptor caused mayhem among the throngs of birds.
Then came our first real highlight: a gorgeous juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, showing superbly in the beautiful early-morning light. What a way to start the day.
Things got even better when we met Gary, a true North Cave legend, who treated us to a fantastic four-hour guided tour of the reserve. New birds for the trip came thick and fast, including 24 migrating Whooper Swans, six of which actually made landfall on the lagoons, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, flocks of Pink-footed Geese and a lovely group of Bearded Tits (sorry, I just can’t bring myself to call them Reedlings!).
But the biggest surprise of all? Fifteen Grey Partridge! We watched in disbelief as the whole covey fed right in front of us. Even Gary was buzzing, having not seen any on site for several months. An absolutely cracking encounter and a proper case of being in the right place at the right time.
With huge thanks to Gary, we headed west again, chuffed to bits with our morning’s birding.
Next stop: Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire
A Spotted Sandpiper, an American vagrant, had been discovered here earlier in the week, and as it was a new bird for Wendy, it was high on the target list. We hoped for a sighting but certainly weren’t expecting to see how well the bird was showing.
It showed ridiculously well, at times coming within just a few metres. The finer identification features of this American vagrant were there for all to see. Absolutely superb. Nuthatch also added to the list here.
With the bird safely in the bag, we celebrated in style with a golf buggy ride up to the stately home, complete with an unexpected historical tour of this National Trust property, followed by the essential tea and cake. Birding and cake — a winning combination.
Final stop: Old Moor RSPB, South Yorkshire
There was still time for more action before the day was done. Barry picked out a superb female Merlin, chasing small birds across the reserve, while the trip list continued to grow with Pochard, Great Crested Grebe and, to finish things off in style, a classy second-winter Caspian Gull.
What a way to round off a fantastic day of birding in inland Yorkshire!
Over a lovely Italian meal, we finally sat down to tot up the day’s sightings and update the checklist.
85 species of birds in a single day (our most yet), with several more additions to the trip list — bringing our four-day total to an incredible 130 species!
Tomorrow, it’s back to the coast for one more day of magical Yorkshire migrant hunting. What else could possibly be waiting for us?
Great company. Great birds. A great county.
Yorkshire, you’re making it very difficult to leave! Roll on Day 5!
Wow! What a day. Superb work Marc.
The last full day of our Birdwatching Trips Tour for Two in Yorkshire guided by Marc Hughes
Marc takes up the story….
Saturday 25 October 2026 RAINING THRUSHES!
Day 5 – Birdwatching Trips’ Tour of Yorkshire for Two
With the weather taking a turn for the worse, strong south-westerly winds and driving rain were always going to make our final full day a challenging one. After the previous four days packed with excitement, our last day had a lot to live up to. But when migration is in full swing, you never know what might drop out of the sky.
We kicked off the day with a walk along Stone Creek, hoping to relocate yesterday’s Great Grey Shrike. Sadly, there was no sign of it, but it soon became evident that thousands of thrushes were streaming west, with Redwings, Fieldfares, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and a few Mistle Thrushes using the hedgerows along the Humber shoreline as an avian motorway. What a spectacle! There were some excellent views of Lesser Redpolls too, while the sight of thousands of Knot swirling in spectacular murmurations over the estuary was simply phenomenal.
Next stop: Spurn, where the thrushes just kept falling out of the sky! Amongst the masses, a smart male Ring Ouzel made an appearance, spotted by a very excited Barry. A Waxwing was heard calling nearby, but despite our best efforts, we just couldn’t pick it out amongst the seemingly endless cloud of thrushes. One that got away!
Red Kite and Marsh Harrier added to the day’s sightings, while flocks of Brent Geese battled against the increasingly blustery conditions. Unfortunately, the weather was rapidly deteriorating, and finding birds was becoming a real challenge.
Our final stop was Hornsea Mere, where we braved the soaking rain and were rewarded with a flock of Scaup amongst good numbers of Wigeon, Tufted Ducks and Pintail, plus a few Goldeneye. Eventually, even our enthusiasm for birding was no match for the weather, and we called it a day.
Back to base for a fantastic final dinner, plenty of laughs and a chance to reminisce about an unforgettable week in Yorkshire.
THE TOUR HIGHLIGHTS – as voted by Barry and Wendy
Total number of bird species: An incredible 140!
Barry’s bird of the tour: Rufous-tailed Robin
Wendy’s bird of the tour: Bluethroat
Top experience: Migration at its very best! Although the highs and lows of the Rufous-tailed Robin twitch gave it a serious run for its money — probably both the best and worst experience of the week, in its own wonderfully birding way.
Top site: North Cave Wetlands
Top food destination: A dead heat — every restaurant we visited deserves joint first place!
What a way to finish. A fantastic tour with superb company, scrumptious food, amazing migration and some truly top-class birds. From rare bird excitement to thousands of thrushes pouring through the landscape, Yorkshire certainly delivered.
140 species, incredible memories and plenty of reasons to come back. What more could you ask for!
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