This year’s Seawatch Festival began with unbroken sunshine, hardly a breath of wind and temperatures peaking at 21 degrees C; not ideal conditions, but good coverage proved rewarding nevertheless. A Balearic Shearwater and six Sooty Shearwaters flew north, along with an immature Pomarine Skua and an intermediate juvenile Long-tailed Skua. Southbound waders included 61 Oystercatchers and 82 Dunlin, while lard interest comprised single juvenile Little, Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls, together with an adult Mediterranean Gull. A significant increase in terns included 207 Common Terns, 74 Sandwich Terns and a Black Tern moving north. Cetacean interest was provided by two Minke Whales feeding offshore throughout the morning and a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins. Away from the sea, Thornwick Pools hosted a Little Egret and Little Ringed Plover, while a minimum of 35 Common Buzzards drifted onto the headland. Once again the Red-tailed Shrike entertained at Bempton.
