Recent Daily Highlights

Our full archive of daily highlights and logs going back to 2014 can be found on the Daily Log & Archive page.

• 27th April 2026

  The weather consisted of blustery northerly winds, sunny intervals and a high of 13 degrees C. A Nightingale caught and ringed at Oceanview was a surprise although it was soon apparent a few migrants had made landfall. Additional sightings included a Hooded Crow, ten Willow Warblers, a Common Redstart, the year’s first Whinchat, a Wheatear, 14 Yellow Wagtails, a White Wagtail, two Siskins and a Hawfinch (Water Lane).

  An additional three Wheatears were along Hoddy Cows Lane, with another at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where two Whimbrel flew south-east.

  

  

  

• 26th April 2026

  A light/moderate south-easterly wind developed during a day that comprised sunny intervals and a high of 13 degrees C. The morning seawatch highlights consisted five Eider and an Arctic Skua flying south, while 11 Sandwich Terns and three Manx Shearwaters headed north. Eight Gadwall included five on Thornwick Pools, where a Common Sandpiper and two Dunlin were also present. Seventeen Whimbrel flying south past the outer head represented an excellent spring total. A male Ring Ouzel also lingered on the outer head, where single Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail were recorded. Elsewhere, a Cetti’s Warbler sang immediately west of South Dykes.

  

  

• 25th April 2026

  Although the day began with light winds and sunshine, the advent of blustery northerlies brought cloudier skies; temperatures reached no higher than 11 degrees C. Three Gadwall, a Little Ringed Plover, two Dunlin, one Snipe, three Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper were recorded on the outer head. A substantial arrival of territorial Common Whitethroats was very evident, but transient passerine migrants remained scarce; however, nine Yellow Wagtails on the outer head represented an increase.

  

  

• 24th April 2026

  Early morning fog soon cleared to leave a bright sunny day, light south-east winds and a best of 13 degrees C. Three Whimbrel, a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit overflew the Lighthouse. Elsewhere, Thornwick Pools attracted three Gadwall and three Snipe. Passerine migrants were scarce, although two Ring Ouzels and a Wheatear were on the outer head.

  

• 23rd April 2026

  A moderate easterly blew all day, occasional sunny spells and a maximum temperature of 12°C.

  Seawatching yielded a Whimbrel, an Arctic Skua and three Shelduck. A Manx Shearwater was feeding off Cattlmere and further along the south cliff a second year Caspian Gull was on the rocks. The numbers of common migrants increased as evidenced by 9 Lesser Whitethroats, 26 Blackcaps, six Sedge Warblers and two Reed Warblers. Other passerines of interest included a a Ring Ouzel at the Fog Station, a Wheatear and a Grey Wagtail. Sixteen Common Buzzards over the Outer Head was a notable count.

  The year’s first Swift was over Cliff Lane, Bempton.

  

• 22nd April 2026

  More north-easterlies brought increasing cloud cover as the temperature slowly rose to 12°C.

  The first Arctic Skua of the year, a pale morph adult, passed the Fog Station during the morning seawatch. Warblers continued to trickle through with numbers Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers all still in single figures. A Reed Warbler was at Thornwick Pools again. .

  

• 21st April 2026

  High pressure continues to dominate the weather with cloudless skies, a moderate, cool north-easterly and a maximum temperature of 13°C.

  A Little Ringed Plover visited Water Lane Flash. Single Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear, Reed Warbler and Goldcrest on the Outer Head showed the paucity of passerine migrants.

  

• 20th April 2026

  Mainly sunny though clouding over during the evening. A light to moderate north-easterly pegged the temperature to a maximum of 12°C.

  A Whimbrel and seven Common Scoter passed the Fog Station during the morning. Passage waders on the Outer Head included a Green Sandpiper, a Golden Plover and a Little Ringed Plover and a Merlin was hunting over Cattlemere. Migrant passerines were in limited numbers but included a Wheatear, three Reed Warblers, six Sedge Warblers, 10 Whitethroats and three Lesser Whitethroats.

  

• 19th April 2026

  A bright day, but feeling cool with a light northerly wind and best of 11 degrees C. A Spoonbill flying south-west over the Golf Course at 1728hrs represented the day’s highlight. The morning seawatch featured five Eiders, a Sandwich Tern and three Red-throated Divers, while two Gadwall were at North Marsh and another drake at Thornwick Pools. Passerine interest included Reed Warblers back on territory at Thornwick Pools, six Wheatear, a Yellow Wagtail, one White Wagtail and two Siskin. A Merlin was the most noteworthy record from RSPB Bempton Cliffs.

  

• 18th April 2026

  Sunny intervals, a light/moderate south-westerly and a high of 16 degrees C. Improved conditions resulted in a small arrival of migrants on the outer head including two Little Ringed Plovers, seven Common Whitethroats, three Lesser Whitethroats, four Sedge Warblers, a Common Redstart, 20 Wheatear, a White Wagtail, five Yellow Wagtails, a Fieldfare, one Redwing, a Ring Ouzel and one Corn Bunting.

  Sightings from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included two Mediterranean Gulls, two Marsh Harriers, three Sedge Warblers, two Common Whitethroats, four Wheatear, a Grey Wagtail, one Yellow Wagtail, a Siskin and 44 Corn Buntings.

  

  

• 17th April 2026

  Overcast, with some brighter intervals, a light/moderate south-westerly wind and high of 14 degrees C. Overnight both a Bittern and a Ring Ouzel were recorded during a ‘noc mig’ session in Bempton village. Nearby, the RSPB reserve attracted two Willow Warblers, a Yellow Wagtail, one Siskin and 40 Corn Buntings.

  Seawatch highlights at the Fog Station included three Shoveler, two Gadwall, ten Sandwich Terns and a Bonxie. Sightings from the Thornwick area included a Gadwall, 18 Tufted Ducks and two Snipe. It was quieter for passerine migrants compared to the previous day, with a Lesser Whitethroat, six Fieldfare, a Redwing, four Wheatear, two Yellow Wagtails and a Siskin the most noteworthy records.

  

  

• 16th April 2026

  There were scattered clouds throughout the day, a moderate south-westerly and a maximum temperature of 17°C.

  The Golf Course attracted 11 Yellow Wagtails and a Blue-headed Wagtail in addition to a Hooded Crow while a Barnacle Goose passed over North Landing. The Ring Ouzel remained at Water Lane Flash where a drake Mandarin Duck was present early morning. Three Common Sandpipers, a Jack Snipe and an escaped Red-tailed Hawk were in the Thornwick area. Other passerine interest included a White Wagtail, 11 Wheatears, the first Reed Warbler of the spring and two Siskin. A Red Kite was over Old Fall.

  

• 15th April 2026

  A moderate southerly with variable cloud cover and scattered showers, the temperature rising to 18°C.

  Seawatching offered up a Whimbrel and 20 Sandwich Terns. Thornwick Pools attracted a Little Ringed Plover, a Water Rail and a Lesser Whitethroat. Three Sedge Warblers and five Wheatears were also in the Thornwick area and a Yellow Wagtail was at Old Fall.

  

• 14th April 2026

  Sunny, with light south-east winds and a best of 14 degrees C. Two Little Grebes were present (North Marsh, Thornwick Pools), while a Red Kite overflew Thornwick. Passerine migrants included 19 Blackcap, two Lesser Whitethroats, a Common Whitethroat, one Wheatear, five Yellow Wagtails, two Siskin and three Corn Buntings.

  Sightings from Bempton village included a Lesser Whitethroat with a Yellow Wagtail recorded from the nearby reserve.

  

• 13th April 2026

  Sunny throughout, with a light east-south-easterly wind developing and maximum of 14 degrees C. Passerine migrants included a Ring Ouzel (Hartendale), two Common Redstarts (Hartendale, North Landing) and a Black Redstart (Golf Course) alongside four Common Whitethroats, two Fieldfares, a Redwing, four Yellow Wagtails and three Siskins.

  A Merlin flew west over Bempton village, where single Fieldfare and Wheatear were also present. The nearby reserve hosted six Wheatears and a White Wagtail.

  

  

• 12th April 2026

  Blustery south-south-west winds dominated a day that contained sunny intervals and occasional showers; temperatures reached 13 degrees C.

  Sightings on the outer head included four Pink-footed Geese, a Whimbrel, five House Martins, two Fieldfare, a Ring Ouzel and 12 Wheatears. Elsewhere, two Whimbrel flew south-east over RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where additional records included 22 Swallows, 20 Chiffchaff, two Blackcap and two Fieldfare. Fields alongside Cliff Lane, Bempton hosted four Yellow Wagtails and eight White Wagtails.

  

  

  

• 11th April 2026

  Overcast, with strong south-south-easterly winds and a high of nine degrees C in the morning, before winds switched to the south-west, sunny intervals prevailed and temperatures reached 13 degrees C. Four Pink-footed Geese, 20 Teal, three Gadwall, an Eider, one Marsh Harrier and a Water Rail were recorded on the outer head. Passerine migrants there included a House Martin, an early Lesser Whitethroat, a singing Mistle Thrush, three Wheatear and a Yellow Wagtail.

  Sightings from the Buckton/Bempton area included two Caspian Gulls (2nd & 3rd calendar-year), 11 Golden Plovers, three House Martins, a Wheatear, three Yellow Wagtails, three White Wagtails, one Brambling and 72 Corn Buntings.

  

  

  

• 10th April 2026

  Light but cool westerly winds initially, with a switch to stronger south-easterlies in the afternoon; sunny intervals and a high of 13 degrees C. The day’s highlight was the sighting of two Cranes over North Landing at 1134hrs; they then gained significant height before drifting off south-west. Another former rarity whose records are increasing, a Raven flew west over Bempton village mid-afternoon. Other notable records included two Red Kites and three Brambling on the outer head, while a Common Whitethroat and a Wheatear graced RSPB Bempton Cliffs.

  

• 9th April 2026

  The day started with very light winds and sunny intervals, while the afternoon was dominated by overcast skies and a light/moderate westerly; temperatures reached 15 degrees C before dropping back significantly. Sixteen Sandwich Terns and a Manx Shearwater were recorded during the morning seawatch. An Egyptian Goose toured the outer head, where single Ruff and Jack Snipe were also present. An influx of summer migrants included three Common Whitethroats; the joint earliest ever records. Other notable sightings included two House Martins, ten Willow Warblers, 72 Chiffchaffs, 15 Blackcap, a Ring Ouzel, six Fieldfare, seven Redwing, two Yellow Wagtails, three Siskin, a Brambling and a Corn Bunting.

  A Sedge Warbler at RSPB Bempton Cliffs represented another early migrant, where records included ten Chiffchaff, six Willow Warblers and two Wheatear.

  

  

  

  

• 8th April 2026

  Sunny, with a light onshore wind establishing, ensuring temperatures reached no higher than 13 degrees C. Six Sandwich Terns flew north during a seawatch. Four Pink-footed Geese lingered, but two Dunlin and a Little Ringed Plover were newly arrived, while a Marsh Harrier flew over South Landing. Passerine migrants included 115 Sand Martins, a House Martin, 19 Swallows, four Goldcrests, three Blackcap, 51 Chiffchaff, a Redstart, 15 Wheatear, a Grey Wagtail, one Redpoll and a single Twite.

  A Red Kite was recorded at Buckton. Nearby, a Marsh Harrier, two Willow Warblers and four Wheatears were recorded at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, with eight Grey Partridges, 40 Yellowhammers and ten Corn Buntings at Wandale Farm.

  

• 7th April 2026

  Sunny throughout, with a blustery south-easterly wind establishing during the afternoon and a high of 13 degrees C. An arrival of migrants included a Short-eared Owl, 65 Sand Martins, three Swallows, four Blackcap, two Common Redstarts, 23 Wheatear and a White Wagtail. In addition, four Pink-footed Geese and a Golden Plover frequented the outer head.

  Elsewhere, a Green Sandpiper and three Swallows overflew RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where eight Wheatear made landfall; a further eight Wheatear were on fields between the village and the reserve.

  

• 6th April 2026

  Sunny throughout, with a moderate south-easterly wind developing and high of 12 degrees C. The first-summer Black-throated Diver remained on a roadside pool along Lighthouse Road where it gave staggeringly good views. However, it was clearly unable to take off given the small size of the waterbody. With the kind permission of the landowner, the diver was caught late morning and successfully released off South Landing.

  The spring-like weather rewarded with a sprinkling of migrants on the outer head, including the year’s first Little Ringed Plover, a Goshawk east over the village, one Swallow, a Siberian Chiffchaff at Thornwick, four Blackcap, two Goldcrest, two Fieldfare and two Siskin. The morning’s seawatch produced three Sandwich Terns and three Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying north.

  Notable records from RSPB Bempton Cliffs involved a House Martin, 68 Skylark, four Fieldfare, a Wheatear, 379 Linnets, a Siskin and 143 Corn Buntings.

  

  

  

  

• 5th April 2026

  Sunny with occasional showers, a strong westerly wind and best of 11 degrees C. Perhaps the craziest record of the year (& still will be come 31st December) was a Black-throated Diver moulting into summer plumage that visited Thornwick Pools and another small pond along Lighthouse Road!

  Seawatching was rewarded with single Eider, Pochard and Sandwich Tern flying north; a Short-eared Owl also flew in off. Elsewhere, a Little Grebe visited Thornwick Pools and a Red Kite drifted west over South Dykes; passerine migrants included two Blackcap and a Willow Warbler. Two Swallows flew north-west at RSPB Bempton Cliffs and a single headed east over the nearby village.

  

  

• 4th April 2026

  A relatively bright day, with light south-west winds strengthening to moderate southerlies later; temperatures reached 11 degrees C. Two Sandwich Terns flew north during a seawatch that also featured a Pink-footed Goose, two Eider and a Lesser Black-backed Gull. Three Red Kites toured the outer head, where additional sightings included two Shoveler, 23 Teal, one Wigeon, a Woodcock, four Sand Martins, three Wheatears, two Blackcap, five Redwing, a White Wagtail and ten Siskin.

  A drake Mandarin Duck initially on the sea off RSPB Bempton Cliffs was the reserve’s second record.

  

• 3rd April 2026

  Generally overcast, although there were sunny intervals late afternoon; blustery south-west winds and occasional heavy showers mid-afternoon, while temperatures reached 15 degrees C. A Blue Fulmar flew south during an otherwise quiet morning seawatch. Kingfisher remains scarce locally, so a single on the outer head was notable. Other sightings included a Red Kite west over the Dykes, a Water Rail and a flock of eight Fieldfare at Hartendale, another Water Rail at Thornwick Fishing Lake and a Wheatear at the Fog Station. Notable records from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included two Goldcrests, a White Wagtail, 105 Meadow Pipits. 36 Chaffinch, a Brambling, 425 Linnets, 21 Siskin and 13 Corn Buntings.

  

  

• 2nd April 2026

  Despite prolonged sunny intervals, it was cooler with light/moderate northerly winds veering easterly later. A scattering of migrants on the outer head included one Swallow, six Sand Martins, a Blackcap, two Wheatear and eight Siskin. A creamcrown Marsh Harrier quartered fields at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where 300 Linnets, 16 Pied Wagtails and two Goldcrest were also present.

  

• 1st April 2026

  As sure as night follows day, a relatively warm, overcast day with light winds brought the expected reward with spring migrants at last. On the outer head these included a Water Rail, six Sand Martins, 53 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, seven Blackcap, a Siberian Chiffchaff, eight Goldcrest, a Ring Ouzel, three Redwing, two Fieldfare, a Black Redstart, one Wheatear, two Siskin and a Redpoll.

  Sightings from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included a Marsh Harrier, one Sand Martin, eight Chiffchaff, a Black Redstart and 30 Corn Buntings. A Swallow and 12 Chiffchaff were in the nearby village.

  

• 31st March 2026

  A relatively overcast day, with some brighter intervals; winds remained light and temperatures reached 16 degrees C. Seawatch highlights included single Sandwich Tern and Manx Shearwater flying north, two Eider were on the sea along with 35 Red-throated Divers. Eight Gadwall were on Thornwick Pools, with 20 Tufted Ducks at the nearby Lakes; two drake Eiders were off the South Cliffs. Elsewhere, a Red Kite flew west over the lighthouse and two Siskin were in the village.

  

• 30th March 2026

  Sunny intervals, a moderate west-north-westerly and maximum of 11 degrees C. The morning seawatch was rewarded with single Sandwich Tern and Manx Shearwater moving north. Resident wildfowl included two Shelduck, eight Gadwall, six Wigeon, 89 Teal and 19 Tufted Ducks. Three Jack Snipe and 25 Snipe were on the outer head, while passerine records included 19 Chiffchaff, a Blackcap and one Redwing.

  

  

• 29th March 2026

  A cool day, with blustery south-west winds, occasional heavy showers and a best of ten degrees C. Three Shelduck flew north past the Fog Station, while six Gadwall, six Teal and 13 Tufted Ducks were at Thornwick. A Bar-tailed Godwit and two Lapwing flew south-east at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where 57 Pink-footed Geese and 170 Meadow Pipits also flew north-west; the latter part of a wider movement along the Yorkshire coast.