A sunny day, with a light north-westerly veering northerly later and temperatures reaching 16 degrees C. The day’s standout sighting related to a Humpback Whale; first seen off RSPB Bempton Cliffs mid-afternoon, it headed south-east past the headland and was still present south-east of the Seawatch Observatory mid-evening. Three Bottlenose Dolphins were also present; initially seen off Bempton Cliffs, two animals were close inshore off South Landing in the evening. Avian seawatch highlights involved a Pale-bellied Brent Goose, three Sooty Shearwaters, 13 Manx Shearwater and a Balearic Shearwater flying north, with three Pomarine Skuas moving south.
Three Wigeon, three Shoveler and a Ringed Plover were seen from South Landing, with five Ringed Plovers at nearby South Dykes. Raptor passage was evident, with 32 Common Buzzards moving south-west, two Hobbies hawking over the village, a Merlin on the outer head and seven Sparrowhawks also moving south-west. A Cetti’s Warbler located in cliff top scrub immediately west of South Dykes represented the fourth record for the headland. Meanwhile, the Barred Warbler continued to show well in the Dell at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where a Merlin was also present.
