Flamborough Headland, situated on the North Sea coast of East Yorkshire, is renowned for having the largest mainland seabird colony in Britain and a reputation for the best seawatching on the British east coast. Not least, the area is a fantastic place to witness bird migration and see small birds such as thrushes, chats and warblers making landfall after crossing the North Sea. It also has an impeccable pedigree in attracting scarcities from continental Europe and many rarities from farther east.
Events
- Migweek 2026 Programme
Saturday 10th – Sunday 18th October 2026 Every day Ringing Demonstration 8am – 12pm at the Living Seas Centre, Flamborough Come and meet FBO’s ringing team, see birds up close and discover the secrets of migration that bird ringing is helping to discover. ** Bird welfare is paramount – demonstrations will be cancelled if the…
Latest Sightings
- 5th October 2026
A large movement of 1090 Little Gulls was evident late afternoon off the Fog Station, while an impressive 6800 Razorbills were also noted over a mere 75 minutes of observation. Thornwick Pools hosted a Shoveler and 40 Teal. Elsewhere, three Mediterranean Gulls and one Caspian Gull were in residence, along… - 4th October 2026The weather consisted of relatively bright skies, a light/moderate south-westerly wind and high of 17 degrees C. Three Mediterranean Gulls, a Caspian Gull and a Yellow-legged Gull were recorded on a seawatch that also produced 52 Little Gulls and a single Sooty Shearwater. Six Bearded Tits that dropped into the…
- 3rd October 2026Light, variable winds throughout a sunny day, with temperatures reaching 19 degrees C. A morning seawatch was rewarded with 37 Little Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull, a Pintail, three Arctic Skuas and 81 Red-throated Divers. A first-year Caspian Gull was also on the sea off Danes Dyke. The day’s most notable…
- 2nd October 2026Prolonged sunny spells, a blustery south-west wind and high of 21 degrees C. Although a morning seawatch was quiet, a total of 23 Little Gulls flew north past the Fog Station, where a late Common Swift cruised the cliff top. Thornwick Pools attracted four Little Egrets and two Snipe, while…
Daily Birding Highlights
Recent Birding Highlights
Click on the button below for full details of all birding highlights for the last 30 days. The posts are ordered with the latest first.
Birding Highlights Archive
Select the required month and highlights for every day will be presented for the chosen period. This archive goes back to 2014 and posts ordered with the earliest first.
The Ringing Diary
- September 2026Another quality month for ringing across the headland with a total of 33 sessions being held, 665 birds were caught with 540 of these newly ringed and 95 re-traps/controls. The roost at Thornwick delivered a surprise Snipe on the 3rd, and more waders were caught at a session on South…
- August 2026August proved to be an excellent month for the team, in 43 sessions across the headland an amazing 1312 birds of 44 species were caught, with 1116 of these newly ringed and 196 retraps. The team at RSPB Bempton cliffs had a wonderful annual Bioblitz weekend with two ringing demonstrations…
- July 2026A steady month for the ringing team, as breeding finishes and moulting starts. The majority of our 33 sessions were in garden sites or the roost at Thornwick, over the month we caught 753 birds with 698 of these being new and 55 re-traps. A total of 33 different species…
- January – June 2026A brief round up of the efforts of the FBO ringing team over the first half of the year, generally our quietest period, we are often hampered by wind and/or rain. Our ringing tends to begin in earnest around mid April when migrant birds begin to arrive, then in May…
Click on the button below for full details of all posts about ringing. The posts are ordered with the latest first.