The morning featured strong west-south-westerly winds and heavy showers; the wind gradually dropped in strength and sunny intervals established while temperatures reached 14 degrees C. Fourteen Pale-bellied Brent Geese were recorded on a seawatch that also featured a Pintail, two first calendar-year Caspian Gulls, eight Arctic Skuas and a Sooty Shearwater. Thornwick Pools attracted 45 Teal, a Ringed Plover, five Snipe and seven Dunlin, while a Bar-tailed Godwit, 14 Ringed Plovers and six Dunlin were on South Landing beach.
Given yesterday’s north-westerly airflow, it wasn’t a surprise that Pink-footed Geese had used a tailwind to head south-east from Iceland. Skeins totalling 138 birds flew south over RSPB Bempton Cliffs mid-afternoon, with another 115 geese moving south over the outer head late afternoon. A Spotted Redshank that flew south over the Golf Course represented the year’s first record. Other notable records included a Mediterranean Gull, a Tree Pipit, two Spotted Flycatchers and a Redstart.
