Moderate north-westerly winds gradually dropped in strength; the day began with heavy showers, but ended with sunny intervals, while temperatures reached 11 degrees C. Despite the inclement conditions, the day’s highlight was the early morning discovery of a Night Heron; an adult flew south over Lighthouse Road at 0645hrs, the first record since 2012.
Seawatching was rewarded with two Velvet Scoters, a Long-tailed Duck, four Arctic Terns, 141 Little Gulls, two Mediterranean Gulls, five Arctic Skuas, a Bonxie, a Little Auk (north), two Great Northern Divers and a Manx Shearwater.
Ten Whooper Swans flew south over South Dykes and a Velvet Scoter sheltered off South Landing. On the opposite side of the headland, a Short-eared Owl hunted fields near Thornwick. Migrant passerines included a Siberian Chiffchaff at Thornwick, a Yellow-browed Warbler near South Dykes, a Black Redstart along North Marine Road and 15 Twite at the Fog Station.
The long-staying Yellow-browed Warbler remained at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, while a Merlin and solitary Twite were along the cliff top at nearby Buckton.
