Overcast throughout, with prolonged spells of rain and north-north-easterly winds that strengthened in the afternoon. Much improved seawatching conditions delivered two Cory’s Shearwaters – one north at 1435hrs which also tracked past RSPB Bempton Cliffs and another south past the Seawatch Observatory at 1715hrs. A total of 13 Long-tailed Skuas (9 north, 4 south) included two adults, while four Balearic Shearwaters represented the year’s highest count. Other notable sightings included 11 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 102 Manx Shearwaters north, 43 Sooty Shearwaters, a juvenile Pomarine Skua, 65 Arctic Skuas, 20 Bonxies, two Little Gulls and a first-winter Caspian Gull. Three Green Sandpipers flew south past the Seawatch Observatory, as did five Pink-footed Geese. Five Minke Whales included two simultaneously full breaching out of the water repeatedly.
Additional sightings from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included 117 Pink-footed Geese south-east, a first calendar-year Caspian Gull and one Merlin.
