Blustery east-south-easterlies and overcast skies … conditions that initially raised expectation, before providing in spades following the late morning discovery of a Rufous-tailed Robin in South Landing.
It initially showed well, but briefly, only to the finder – who then had to endure an agonising wait of over three hours before it subsquently showed to a select few on three or four more occasions. The bird frequented the thick bramble cover on the slopes down to the stream immediately adjacent to the metal ‘whalebone’ bridge – the latter accessed from the track leading east from the main carpark. The robin appears to be moving under the bramble leaves cloaking the slopes, rendering location even by thermal imagers difficult.
In other news, the day featured impressive influxes of 112 Russian White-fronted Geese and 15 Firecrests onto the outer head. Two Radde’s Warblers included one of yesterday’s individuals at Thornwick and a new arrival near North Landing. A Great Grey Shrike made landfall at Bay Brambles early morning, but soon filtered inland, while two Red-breasted Flycatchers included a new bird at South Landing.
A Grey Phalarope flew east past South Landing, while two juvenile Long-tailed Skuas headed north past the Seawatch Observatory.
Additional interest was provided by 14 Woodcock, one Jack Snipe, a Little Owl, a Long-eared Owl, four Ring Ouzels, 1680 Starlings in off and west, one Jay, a Siberian Chiffchaff, a Cetti’s Warbler, three Yellow-browed Warblers, ten Black Redstarts, one Mealy Redpoll and a Snow Bunting.
Two Firecrests were trapped and ringed at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where a late Wood Warbler was fresh in. The Pallas’s Warbler remained on site, with other reserve records including 14 Russian White-fronted Geese, two Woodcock, a Merlin, 20 Chiffchaffs, a Garden Warbler, 30 Goldcrests, four Ring Ouzels and six Redpolls (including five Mealy).
