High pressure dominated; misty conditions eventually cleared to leave brighter, but overcast, skies. A juvenile Sabine’s Gull that flew north was the highlight of the seawatch; other notable records included two Pochard, six Goldeneye, an Arctic Tern, 166 Little Gulls and a Sooty Shearwater. The ever elusive Thresher Shark also breached offshore.
Wildfowl interest included 15 Whooper Swans, a Gadwall, the Long-tailed Duck again accompanying the scoter flock off the South Cliffs, and a Goosander flying south. There were four Great Egrets, including three that had earlier flown south-east through RSPB Bempton Cliffs, while two Water Rails were in residence. Two Woodcock dropped onto the outer head, where 74 Golden Plovers flew south.
The day’s highlight was a Richard’s Pipit that made landfall at Cattlemere at 1045hrs; after feeding briefly in the crop, it flew west. Other passerine interest included one Jay, a Swallow, a Yellow-browed Warbler, one Cetti’s Warbler, two Goldcrests, a Firecrest, 35 Siskins, 28 Twite, three Mealy Redpolls and a Snow Bunting.
In addition to the three Great Egrets, notable records from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included a Whooper Swan,a juvenile White-fronted Goose, 35 Golden Plovers moving south, a Jay, one Swallow, a Goldcrest, 76 Blackbirds, 253 Redwing, 49 Fieldfares, 474 Starlings, five Brambling, a Siskin, a Mealy Redpoll and five Snow Buntings.
