Another interesting day began with a Richard’s Pipit in the sheep field at South Landing followed by two Avocet on North Marsh, the timing of their arrival suggesting they were the same two birds seen to leave the beach at Hunmanby Gap to the north a little earlier. The morning sea watch was also quite lively with a partial summer plumaged Black throated Diver and a white Egret going south (considered to probably have been a Little), a Blue Fulmar was amongst the 86 that went north as did a dark phase Arctic Skua. In addition to the Avocets there were other waders in evidence today with 3 Whimbrel on the sea watch and another at South Landing, a Greenshank south on the sea watch and one north at Thornwick Pool and later over Thornwick camp. Once again the habitat work at Thornwick Pool has proved its worth as the site also hosted two Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed and Ringed Plover and towards dusk two Bar tailed Godwits dropped in.
Elsewhere there were 12+ Wheatear mostly/all Greenlands on the Thornwick cliff top (plus Dunlin and Redshank), single Fieldfares at Thornwick Pool and near Booted Gulley, a Grey Wagtail at Old Fall, a Yellow Wagtail at South Landing and the female White Wagtail remained at Thornwick Pool where there was also 2 Sedge Warblers and a House Martin. Away from the head there were 3 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Sedge Warblers, 4 Wheatear, a White Wagtail and a Whinchat in the Buckton/Bempton area. A Little Ringed Plover on Buckton Pond was a site first. Also at Buckton there were two Curlew on territory, 15 Corn Buntings and a total of 19 Tree Sparrow nestboxes contained eggs
Continuing the wader theme there was also a large flock of waders picked up distantly from the Bempton Buckton area this evening, they circled briefly before heading out to sea, possibly numbering at least a couple of hundred they were photographed and turned out to be Knot.
