Our full archive of daily highlights and logs going back to 2014 can be found on the Daily Log & Archive page.
- 2nd December 2023
The cold spell continues. A hard overnight frost didn’t ease many places during the day, the maximum temperature being 3°C. Bright with a light westerly.
Tufted Duck numbers at Thornwick Lakes increased to 24 , the Goldeneye remaining. Numbers of Teal also grew with 384 on fresh waters on the north side of the Head where 3 Shoveler and 56 Wigeon were noted. Cold weather movement was indicated by two Jack and nine Common Snipe at South Dykes but passerines were thin on the ground – three Siskins still by the bowling green being the most notable.
Fields south of Bempton village produced 115 Golden Plover and 40 Snow Buntings were seen on the reserve with a further six at Buckton where a Water Rail and two Lapwing were also logged.
Common Snipe, Thornwick Pools (Brett Richards) - 1st December 2023
A raw day with a maximum temperature of 3°C with a few wintry showers and a moderate north-westerly.
Two Manx Shearwaters were offshore at the Fog Station and a Bonxie flew north in an otherwise uneventful seawatch. Elsewhere a Woodcock was seen on the Outer Head.
Seventeen Golden Plover and 170 Skylarks were present in fields to the south of Bempton village.
Yellowhammer, Oceanview (Andy Hood) - 30th November 2023
Occasional wintry showers came in on a moderate to fresh north-easterly pegged the temperature to a high of 4°C.
A single Manx Shearwater was the highlight of an otherwise slow seawatch.
Five Waxwings were in the village centre. The Long-tailed Duck remained at Thornwick Pools and a short distance away at Thornwick Lakes wildfowl included a Goldeneye, 17 Tufted Duck and ten Mute Swans.
Waxwing, Flamborough Village (Andrew Allport) - 29th November 2023
Remaining cold with a maximum temperature of 4°C and a moderate north-westerly.
The Red-headed Bunting continued to be seen at Northcliff Marsh and the Long-tailed Duck remained at Thornwick Pools.
A Great Northern Diver passed the Fog Station during the morning seawatch with a Red-breasted Merganser and 66 Common Scoters also being seen.
Long-tailed Duck, Thornwick Pools (Alan Walkington) - 28th November 2023
A moderate westerly and sunny intervals but the temperature struggled to reach 6°C.
Sewatching was quiet although birds seen included a Pintail and a Short-eared Owl seen coming in off the sea.
The Red-headed Bunting was seen briefly again at its ususal spot at Northcliff Marsh. A Long-eared Owl sat in a hedgerow at the Golf Course during the morning. A Jay at South Landing flew towards Whelkie Wynds, the Long-tailed Duck at Thornwick Pools continued its stay, and two Woodcock and three Siskin were also noted on the Outer Head.
Four Snow Buntings scattered around the Outer Head were eclipsed by 52 at Bempton Cliffs RSPB where two Short-eared Owls continued to quarter the fields.
Snow Bunting, Cattlemere (Phil Cunningham) - 27th November 2023
A dull day with a maximum temperature of 7°C in a moderate northerly.
Thornwick Lakes held a Goldeneye and 21 Tufted Ducks. Nearby, Thornwick Pools retained its Long-tailed Duck and the two at South Landing were also still present.
Seawatching was quieter than recent days with highlights including a single Sooty Shearwater, three Goldeneye, 84 Common Scoter and a Pintail.
Reed Bunting, South Landing (J. & M. Fox) - 26th November 2023
A quieter day weather-wise with a light westerly but temperature struggled to reach 4°C.
The undoubted highlight of the morning seawtch was a Cory’s Shearwater that ambled north at 09:28. Also logged were three Great Northern and 115 Red-throated Divers, 18 Little Auks, a Long-tailed Duck and 143 Common Scoters.
On land,the Red-headed Bunting remained at Northcliff Marsh. Four hundred Pink-footed Geese roosted nearby, leaving early morning and another 200 passed over North Dykes. Thornwick Pools attracted a Long-tailed Duck and a Jay was seen there again. Offshore at South Landing, there were two Long-tailed Ducks, seven Goldeneye, 126 Common Scoter and 30 Wigeon. A single Brambling and 30 Siskin were also noted and the Eastern-type Lesser Whitethroat continued its stay in village centre gardens.
Snow Buntings numbered 49 at Bempton Cliffs RSPB where there was also 3 Short-eared Owls.
Long-tailed Duck, Thornwick Pools (Andy Hood) - 25th November 2023
A moderate to fresh north-westerly kept the temperature to a maximumof 6°C.
Seawatching again was the order of the day and it provided highlights of two Grey Phalaropes, 25 Little Auks with one being taken by a Merlin, two Great Northern Divers and one each of Sooty and Manx Shearwaters. In addition, eight Little Gulls, 135 Common Scoter, two Long-tailed Ducks and a Goldeneye also passed.
Away from the Fog Station, the Red-headed Bunting was seen again at Northcliff Marsh. There were two Long-tailed Ducks at South Landing and a Goldeneye at Thornwick Lakes. Two Woodcocks were seen on the Outer Head along with 38 Siskin.
A Little Auk also passed Bempton Cliffs RSPB where 500 Pink-feet, 2 Whooper Swans, two Great Northern Divers and one Twite were also seen. Ten Snow Buntings also passed over Cliff Lane.
Little Auk, South Landing (John Beaumont)
(Library Image) - 24th November 2023
The weather changed overnight with astong north-westerly setting in limiting the afternoon temperture to 7°C though feeling much colder.
A lengthy seawatch provided highlights of four each of Sooty and Manx Shearwaters as well as four Pomarine Skuas, a single Little Auk and a Great Northern Diver. Ducks were represented by two Velvet Scoter and four Long-tailed Ducks. Unusually, a single flock of 1550 Woodpigeons were seen to head south-east out to sea.
At South Landing, two Velvet Scoters and a Long-tailed Duck remained with the flock of Common Scoter while fresh waters on the north side of the Head held 106 Teal and 34 Wigeon.
A Sooty Shearwater was also seen off Bempton Cliffs and a Siberian Chiffchaff was in Bempton village.
Common Scoter, South Landing (Alan Walkington) - 23rd November 2023
A mild day with the temperature rising to 14°C despite a strong westerly.
The morning seawatch was subdued but improved in the afternoon with two Great Northern Divers, 89 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Whooper Swans and three Little Gulls.
Three Siskin were near South Landing where a very late House Martin flew west while a Little Egret was at Thornwick Pools briefly.
Rock Pipit, South Landing, by Andrew Allport - 22nd November 2023
Another dull day with a strengthening westerly and relatively mild with a maximum temperature of 12°C.
A drake Long-tailed Duck, 6 Goosander, one Red-breasted Merganser, 49Common Scoter, 12 Eider and a Woodcock in off were the best of the seawatch.
A Jay visited Thornwick Pools while two Woodcock and a Merlin were seen elsewhere on the Outer Head. At South Landing, the first-winter Long-tailed Duck remained offshore and two Red-breasted Mergansers flew past.
Long-tailed Duck, South Landing (Phil Cunningham) - 21st November 2023
A moderate to fresh northerly kept the temperature to a maximum of 10°C.
Two Little Auks, a Great Northern Diver and four Sooty Sheawaters enlivened an otherwise quiet morning seawatch.
Single Woodcocks were noted at Old Fall and Bempton Cliffs.
Woodcock, Outer Head (Rob Little) - 20th November 2023
A dull day with a light westerly and a temperature maximum of 11°C.
The Red-headed Bunting was again in its favoured spot on Northcliff Marsh, seven Whooper Swans were on the fields at Old Fall and a Woodcock was near South Landing where a Long-tailed Duck was offshore. Passerines were represented by two Goldcrests, a Brambling, four Siskins and a Lesser Redpoll.
Seawatching was quiet with seven Eider and four Little Gulls being the highlights.
Two Short-eared Owls and a Water Rail were at Buckton.
Red-headed Bunting, Northcliff Marsh (Andy Hood) - 19th November 2023
There were relatively light south-west winds throughout a day that began with sunny intervals and ended with light rain; temperatures reached 12 degrees C. Two Black-throated Divers flew north during a morning seawatch that also featured eight Shovelers, a Pintail, 19 Little Gulls and a Great Northern Diver. Six Whooper Swans rested on fields near Old Fall and 49 Pink-footed Geese moved south over South Dykes. A record-breaking 46 Waxwing total included a flock of 40 west over South Landing, while the ever elusive Red-headed Bunting re-appeared at North Marsh. Eighteen Siskin continued their good late autumn showing.
Two Shore Larks flew north-west through RSPB Bempton Cliffs, as did 69 Lapwing. A total of 343 Pink-footed Geese were also present, along with three Short-eared Owls and as Merlin.
Red-headed Bunting, North Marsh, by Brett Richards
