Birding never ceases to surprise, so it was today with the discovery of the UK’s fifth (but Flamborough’s second after a male in April 2003) Taiga Flycatcher late morning at the Fog Station. It subsequently showed well to a gathered crowd and was still flycatching from cliff ledges as dusk approached.
Slightly more mundane, four Whooper Swans flew south during the morning’s seawatch, along with a Great Northern Diver and 83 Little Gulls. Moving north were three Red-breasted Mergansers, two Black-throated Divers together, another Great Northern Diver, ten Sooty Shearwaters, 495 Little Gulls, two Bonxies,a ‘spooned’ Pomarine Skua and two Arctic Skuas. Away from the sea, notable sightings included 470 Pink-footed Geese, eight Whooper Swans south, a Merlin, one Jack Snipe at South Landing, a Little Owl, six Jays, a Yellow-browed Warbler at South Landing, 40 Siskin, five Lesser Redpoll and two Brambling.
Sightings from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included three Barnacle Geese and 280 Pink-footed Geese flying south-east and four Jays moving in the same direction. A 1500-strong flock of Pink-footed Geese fed in fields east of the visitor centre, 11 Whooper Swans overflew the reserve, four Goldcrests were in residence and a Snow Bunting entertained on the cliff top. Nearby, a Jay also flew south-west over Buckton village.
