Increasingly overcast with rain arriving from late morning; blustery southerly winds established and temperatures reached 12 degrees C. The Rufous-tailed Robin showed on several occasions during the day, but proved elusive once more. A Richard’s Pipit was in adjacent fields, while an Olive-backed Pipit was sound-recorded flying over the Bowling Green at 0715hrs. The three Tundra Bean Geese also lingered on nearby Beacon Hill.
Interest on the sea included a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull, 17 Barnacle Geese flying north and 13 Whooper Swans moving south; the latter part of a total movement of 102 Whoopers that included 30 grounded on stubbles during the afternoon rain. A lone Scaup also flew past North Landing, where a single Barnacle Goose flew west. Other notable records included 71 Pink-footed Geese, four Pale-bellied Brent Geese, a Water Rail, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Long-eared Owl and two Firecrests (Old Fall).
The Pallas’s Warbler was still in residence at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where 12 of the aforementioned Whooper Swans flew south and a Ring Ouzel was near the car park. Cliff Lane Flash, near the reserve entrance, hosted 15 Russian White-fronted Geese.
