A day of light/moderate westerly winds, prolonged sunny intervals and temperatures reaching nine degrees C. The undoubted highlight was a juvenile White-tailed Eagle that flew east over RSPB Bempton Cliffs at 1445hrs and then back west over Thornwick Bay at 1528hrs.
Wildfowl interest included 20 Pink-footed Geese flying north; another lingered around North Marsh, where it accompanied a Barnacle Goose, 47 Wigeon and 70 Teal, whilst six Shoveler flew south past the Fog Station. A lone Woodcock indicated a significant departure over the last few days. The Lighthouse garden hosted a female Black Redstart, which might well qualify as the first spring passerine migrant, albeit a singing Chiffchaff in Selwick’s Bay was located shortly afterwards. An influx of 16 Stonechats also took place, smashing the previous highest February count of five, and the male Black Redstart remained on the cliffs near the Fog Station. Eighty Lapland Buntings remained at Buckton. The year’s first butterfly, a Small Tortoiseshell was located on the cliffs below the Fog Station.
