Bright skies with a light overcast and sunny intervals featured for much of the day before very heavy showers arrived late afternoon; temperatures reached 14 degrees C. The swift influx continued, with no fewer than five Pallid Swifts feeding along the northern side of the headland between North Dykes and Buckton, including four birds together at the latter location. It is now considered up to nine Pallid Swifts have visited the headland since the initial sightings of three birds on 24th October.
The morning’s seawatch on the outer head was rewarded with three dark-bellied Brent Geese south, single Goldeneye and Goosander, two Great Northern Divers south and eight Black-tailed Godwits south, together with 276 Little Gulls (inc. 257 south). A Shore Lark flew in off the sea by the Fog Station, while five Twite fed on the adjacent cliff top. The Merlin continued to hunt the outer head, while a ringtail Hen Harrier there was presumably the same individual that flew north-west at Bempton later in the day. Nine Whooper Swans also flew south over Oceanview. Passerine interest included four House Martins and two Swallows south, two Ring Ouzels in off and six Snow Buntings.
Additional sightings from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included two Swallows and five House Martins south, a Mealy Redpoll south-east, a Snow Bunting north-west and a Short-eared Owl on the reserve. Another Merlin was located on the edge of Buckton village.
