Light onshore winds, generally easterly in direction, featured throughout a day of two halves: rain during the morning was followed by sunny intervals and these conditions precipitated a substantial late afternoon fall. A Richard’s Pipit dropped onto a stubble field on the outer head, where 107 Wheatears were present (including 63 in one field), along with 28 Redstarts, ten Whinchat, 27 Pied Flycatchers, a Spotted Flycatcher, two Tree Pipits, 30 Willow Warblers, two Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 12 Yellow Wagtails and six Siskins. Two Hobbies and four Swift were also present.
The morning’s seawatch proved rewarding with four Sooty Shearwaters heading north, along with a Greenshank and three Little Gulls moving south. The year’s first Roseate Tern was accompanied by a large movement of 1870 Common Terns, three juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls, a juvenile Caspian Gull, four juvenile Long-tailed Skuas and 30 Arctic Skuas. The Garganey and Little Stint at Thornwick Pools were also accompanied by a Little Egret.
The arrival was also witnessed at Bempton, including a Greenish Warbler, along with nine Pied Flycatchers, five Redstarts, 17 Willow Warblers, 27 Wheatear, two Whinchat and three Garden Warblers. Nearby, the autumn’s first Yellow-browed Warbler graced Buckton.
