A day of contrasts, with a heavy overcast and periodic rain in light/moderate south-easterlies during the morning, with light southerlies and sunshine in the afternoon. Seawatching produced 12 Barnacle Geese, four Pintail and a Sooty Shearwater all flying north.
A multiple arrival of Radde’s and Dusky Warblers represented the main feature: three Radde’s Warblers were located (Old Fall/Old Fall Hedge/’Motorway’) and four Dusky Warblers (including birds along the ‘Motorway’/North Dykes/Bempton Cliffs RSPB). Three Pallas’s Warblers were spread between Old Fall, North Dykes and Bempton Cliffs RSPB, a Siberian Chiffchaff frequented the Golf Course willows, where there was also a Firecrest. A total of five Yellow-browed Warblers was logged, whilst another Firecrest was at Old Fall. The Olive-backed Pipit again showed sporadically at the southern end of the Lighthouse grasslands. Two Richard’s Pipits were present: North Dykes and Cattlemere. A Great Grey Shrike spent the day around the hedgerows immediately around Old Fall.
In a local context, the day’s rarest sighting related to a Great White Egret that flew south mid-afternoon; only the second local record. Additional migrants included 42 Pink-footed Geese south, a Taiga Bean Goose near North Marsh, five Grey Herons, ten Snipe, five Woodcock, a Shore Lark over North Landing, a Lesser Whitethroat, 4200 Redwing, 500 Fieldfare, 190 Blackbird, four Ring Ouzels, a Redstart, 370 Robins, a Pied Flycatcher and two Mealy Redpoll.
West of the Dykes sightings included a Shore Lark at Bempton Cliffs RSPB, 50 Goldcrests, 15 Chiffchaffs, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Redstart, one Ring Ouzel, three Mealy Redpolls and 14 Brambling. Highlights of a ringing session at Buckton included Water Rail and Mealy Redpoll.
