And so it continues – moderate/strong easterly winds and very heavy showers produced another superb day’s birding. Seawatching was quiet, with 16 Eider and a Red-breasted Merganser north.
New arrivals were headlined by a Red-flanked Bluetail discovered late afternoon at South Dykes; along the track which runs parallel with the cliff top and leads from the western side of South Dykes towards the Golf Clubhouse. The Paddyfield Warbler continued to show sporadically at the southern end of the ‘motorway’ south of the lighthouse. Two Dusky Warblers made landfall: the first at Old Fall and the other at Bempton Cliffs RSPB. The Olive-backed Pipit was seen again in the Lighthouse grasslands, whilst the two Pallas’s Warbler remained – at South Landing and Bempton Cliffs RSPB. A Richard’s Pipit was located along the cliff top at Old Fall, five Shore Larks were on the outer head, whilst two Great Grey Shrikes, six Yellow-browed Warblers and two Firecrests were also recorded, and one Little Bunting was still in residence.
Additional migrants included a Jack Snipe, eight Woodcock, a Short-eared Owl in off the sea, 490 Fieldfare, 3370 Redwing, six Ring Ouzel, 1480 Goldcrests, 32 Chiffchaffs, 32 Brambling and one Lapland Bunting.
West of the Dykes, Bempton Cliffs attracted a Lesser Whitethroat, ten Chiffchaffs and six Mealy Redpolls, whilst Buckton hosted three Jack Snipe, a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Ring Ouzel.
