Category: Sightings

Generally overcast, although sunny intervals established by the afternoon; there were relatively light northerly winds and a high of 16 degrees C. The morning’s avian highlights came early, with single Great Shearwater and Grey Phalarope flying north past the Seawatch Observatory soon after first light. An evening watch was rewarded with a second Great Shearwater, a Cory’s Shearwater and the year’s first Balearic Shearwater. Better still, and following a sighting earlier in the month off Bempton, a Thresher Shark breached off the Observatory. Additional seawatch records included 118 Teal, a Ruff, two Black Terns, 246 Arctic Terns, three Little Gulls, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull all flying north, along with 23 Bonxies, 48 Arctic Skuas and 59 Sooty Shearwaters.

Five Caspian Gulls at Cattlemere included four juveniles, and more unusually, a fourth calendar-year. Additional interest on the land included single Hobby and Cuckoo, a Raven, three Spotted Flycatchers and six Corn Buntings.

Notable records from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included 11 Ringed Plovers, a Marsh Harrier and seven Willow Warblers.

Sunny intervals, with light winds that switched to an onshore direction in the afternoon and a high of 21 degrees C. Sightings from South Landing included one Marsh Harrier, a Hobby, 17 Ringed Plovers, one Ruff, seven Bar-tailed Godwits, two Purple Sandpipers, a Knot and two Ravens that flew north-west. A total of nine Whimbrel also flew south over the outer head. Passerine interest included three Garden Warblers, a Wheatear, one Whinchat and four Spotted Flycatchers.

Three Minke Whales included two off RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where two Golden Plovers, four Whimbrel, a juvenile Cuckoo and five Yellow Wagtails were also seen.

Sunny intervals throughout a day when an easterly wind gradually increased in strength and temperatures reached 19 degrees C. Three Whimbrel were off Hartendale and a Green Sandpiper overflew Thornwick. A Short-eared Owl came in off the sea at Cattlemere, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was off the Fog Station, while a Water Rail was on the cliff top alongside the Golf Course. A Raven was recorded on the outer head for the third day running with one heard near Flatmere; additional passerine interest included two Spotted Flycatchers at Old Fall, a Reed Warbler at North Landing and 16 Yellow Wagtails.

Sightings from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included four Willow Warblers, a Goldcrest, one Spotted Flycatcher and two Wheatears.

Sunny intervals, moderate easterly winds and a high of 19 degrees C. A Barred Warbler at RSPB Bempton Cliffs represented the highlight of a small arrival of migrants including a Quail, three Garden Warblers and five Pied Flycatchers (including one at Bempton). Additional sightings from Bempton included the two Ravens that are clearly lingering around the head, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and a Merlin.

Elsewhere, a Balearic Shearwater flew north past the Fog Station in the mid-evening. Larid interest included three juvenile Caspian Gulls and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on Cattlemere, while single Common Sandpiper and Dunlin visited Thornwick Pools.

Sunny throughout, with light/moderate easterly winds and temperatures that peaked at 21 degrees C – essentially classic drift conditions. An impressive arrival of 68 Pied Flycatchers took place on the outer head, with the majority making landfall from early afternoon. They were accompanied by 23 Wheatears, 22 Willow Warblers, 19 Siskins, 14 Common Redstarts, seven Spotted Flycatchers, six Whinchat, three Garden Warblers, two Reed Warblers and two Tree Pipits. In addition, the two Ravens toured the outer head in the morning. Wader interest included nine Golden Plover, two Ruff, two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and 15 Turnstone; the latter moving south over the headland in two flocks.

Seawatch highlights involved an adult Sabine’s Gull and a Pomarine Skua that flew south and a Balearic Shearwater that headed north.

The Barred Warbler continued in residence at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where additional sightings included: 12 Pied Flycatchers, 12 Willow Warblers, a Garden Warbler, a Reed Warbler, two Whinchat, two Wheatear and five Siskin. A Hobby and another two Pied Flycatchers were along Stonepit Lane, Bempton.

Sunny intervals preceded overcast skies with rain, heavy at times, that arrived in the afternoon; light/moderate easterly winds dropped in strength once the rain began, while temperatures reached 20 degrees C.

Migrant passerine numbers were lower than yesterday; albeit another pulse of arrivals made landfall in the afternoon ahead of the rain, the best of which was a Greenish Warbler ringed at Buckton. Nearby, sightings from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included five Willow Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 21 Pied Flycatchers, three Spotted Flycatchers, three Common Redstarts, a Whinchat, four Wheatear and a Siskin. Again the two Raven were recorded both at Bempton and the outer head.

Additional records from the outer head included two Hobby, a Merlin, two Quail, 35 Willow Warblers, two Reed Warblers, three Garden Warblers, 34 Pied Flycatchers, 11 Spotted Flycatchers, 10 Common Redstarts, six Wheatear, four Whinchats, two Tree Pipits and 56 Siskin.

A band of rain in the morning was slow to clear, but was eventually followed by sunnier skies and heavy, thundery showers; a moderate south-west wind established and temperatures peaked at 22 degrees C. A Wryneck in the Lighthouse Field was a pleasing addition to the year. Commoner drift migrants were still in evidence on the outer head: 35 Willow Warblers, two Reed Warblers, three Garden Warblers, 30 Pied Flycatchers, seven Spotted Flycatchers, 11 Common Redstarts, four Whinchat, three Tree Pipits, three Wheatear and an impressive 97 Siskins.

Wader interest was headlined by a juvenile Little Stint on South Landing beach together with 25 Dunlin, 15 Ringed Plovers and two Bar-tailed Godwits. Thornwick Pools attracted four Dunlin, a Ringed Plover and one Snipe. Four juvenile Caspian Gulls were recorded, a single at Thornwick and three at Cattlemere, while three Little Egrets were shared between the same two sites.

The Barred Warbler re-appeared in the Dell at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. Additional records from the reserve included a Hobby, a Caspian Gull, a Garden Warbler, a Common Redstart, five Spotted Flycatchers, 15 Pied Flycatchers, two Whinchat and 33 Siskins. Another seven Pied Flycatchers were along Cliff Lane, Bempton, while the nearby Chalet Park hosted a Garden Warbler, three Pied Flycatchers, a Spotted Flycatcher and one Wheatear.

A first-winter Red-backed Shrike appeared at Buckton, where three Quail and three Pied Flycatchers were also present.

A relatively bright start, although cloud soon increased from the west. There were spells of mainly light rain from early afternoon; gentle winds were variable in direction, while temperatures reached 20 degrees C. The juvenile Little Stint remained on South Landing beach where it was joined by a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper; the latter the first record for six years. A southbound Spotted Redshank over Thornwick was another quality wader record, while two Greenshank overflew the headland. Also new for the year, a Bittern skulked in the reeds alongside Thornwick Fishing Lake and a Honey Buzzard flew west over the village at 1115hrs. In addition, single Short-eared Owl and Merlin hunted cliff top fields on the outer head. Passerine migrants were still in good numbers there including a Garden Warbler, three Reed Warblers, 31 Pied Flycatchers, ten Spotted Flycatchers, 17 Wheatear, 12 Whinchat, 12 Redstart, five Tree Pipits and 22 Siskin.

The Barred Warbler continued in residence at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where three Garden Warblers, a Grasshopper Warbler, two Reed Warblers, 14 Pied Flycatchers, five Spotted Flycatchers, a Redstart, one Wheatear, seven Whinchat, a Tree Pipit, nine Yellow Wagtails and 34 Siskin were also present. Both Raven, Marsh Harrier and Merlin flew through the reserve. On the edge of the village, Bempton Chalet Park hosted six Pied Flycatchers and three Spotted Flycatchers. Nearby, the Red-backed Shrike remained at the top of Hoddy Cows Lane.

Overcast, with light variable winds and a high of 20 degrees C. Both the juvenile Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper remained on South Landing beach, while a flock of 13 Ruff flew south-east over Sixpenny. A Hobby persistently hunted Linnets around North Marsh in the morning, with a single also over Beacon Hill. Passerine migrants on the outer head included 59 Willow Warblers, five Garden Warblers, five Reed Warblers, 11 Spotted Flycatchers, 34 Pied Flycatchers, 12 Redstart, eight Whinchat, 20 Wheatear, a Grey Wagtail, four Yellow Wagtails and 13 Siskin.

The Barred Warbler remained at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. Single Hobby and Raven flew south-east over the reserve, while other records included: a Marsh Harrier, nine Willow Warblers, three Reed Warblers, three Garden Warblers, two Spotted Flycatchers, seven Pied Flycatchers, four Whinchat, two Wheatear and four Siskin. Nearby, Bempton Chalet Park hosted four Willow Warblers and two Garden Warblers. The first-winter Red-backed Shrike also remained along Hoddy Cows, Buckton.

Following heavy overnight rain, it was generally overcast with some brighter intervals, light west/north-west winds and a best of 21 degrees C.

Large numbers of terns fed offshore, with a minimum of 500 Common Terns off South Landing alone. Amongst which, a single Black Tern appeared off the Fog Station and single juvenile Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls were also present. Away from the sea, a Great White Egret flew north-east over the village at 0855hrs. South Landing beach again hosted juvenile Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper; a Greenshank also flew over the outer head. Raptor interest included two Hobby over South Landing and a creamcrown Marsh Harrier over Mid Dykes.

The day’s highlight was the second Wryneck of the last few days that gave superb views alongside the South Dykes exit road. Other migrants on the outer head included 22 Pied Flycatchers, five Spotted Flycatchers, nine Common Redstarts, 11 Wheatear, two Whinchats and a Siskin.

The Barred Warbler remained at RSPB Bempton Cliffs albeit it often proved very elusive. It was joined on the reserve by two Marsh Harriers, three Garden Warblers, a Reed Warbler, six Willow Warblers, 12 Pied Flycatchers, three Spotted Flycatchers, three Whinchat and a Siskin. Two Ravens again flew south-east over Bempton towards the outer head. Nearby, the first-winter Red-backed Shrike lingered along Hoddy Cows Lane, Buckton; Raven and Merlin also flew over the Dell there.

Sunny intervals after an overcast start; blustery south-westerly winds developed by the afternoon, with a high of 22 degrees C. An Osprey flew south-east at RSPB Bempton Cliffs mid-afternoon; there were Hobby sightings at South Dykes, Bempton Lane and Thornwick Pools and a creamcrown Marsh Harrier flew south-east over North Landing. On the opposite side of the headland, a Great Egret flew over Bridlington Links GC. Wader interest included 30 southbound Golden Plovers, three Black-tailed Godwits over Sixpenny and a Greenshank over the Lighthouse Grassland.

The Wryneck was still present at South Dykes early morning, when a Quail was flushed from stubble at Oceanview. Other migrants included a Swift, 13 Pied Flycatchers, two Spotted Flycatchers, two Redstarts, two Wheatear, nine Yellow Wagtails and two Siskin.

Generally overcast, with moderate south-south-westerly winds and a high of 20 degrees C. Seabird highlights included 112 Common Terns, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, four Arctic Skuas and eight adult Little Gulls. A Curlew Sandpiper and one Dunlin dropped onto South Landing beach in the afternoon, where two Bar-tailed Godwits and 14 Ringed Plovers were also present. Passerine migrants on the outer head included five Pied Flycatchers.

The Barred Warbler continued in residence at RSPB Bempton Cliffs where other notable records included a Reed Warbler, three Garden Warblers, eight Willow Warblers, three Spotted Flycatchers, two Pied Flycatchers, two Whinchat and a Wheatear.

Overcast, with blustery west-south-westerly winds; temperatures peaked at 21 degrees C. A total of 680 Common Terns flew past the Fog Station, where 11 Arctic Skuas, a juvenile Long-tailed Skua (north) and a Marsh Harrier were also recorded. A Spotted Redshank made a brief visit to Thornwick Pools, two Ruff, a lone Black-tailed Godwit and a flock of 14 Whimbrel flew south-west, while the juvenile Curlew Sandpiper remained at South Landing. An Osprey, that initially flew south-east at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, then laboured for 20 minutes trying to head back west over South Landing. Other notable sightings on the outer head included a Red Kite, two Hobbies, a Merlin, three Swifts, three Spotted Flycatchers, six Pied Flycatchers, three Tree Pipits, 13 Yellow Wagtails and five Wheatear. A Clouded Yellow was also recorded at South Landing.

The Barred Warbler continued its long stay at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where additional records included a first calendar-year Caspian Gull, a Merlin, one Marsh Harrier, four Garden Warblers, two Reed Warblers, three Spotted Flycatchers, three Pied Flycatchers and a Wheatear.

Overcast until mid-morning then sunny intervals; a blustery westerly wind and high of 19 degrees C. Seawatching was rewarded with 119 Common Terns, 89 Sandwich Terns, five Little Gulls, two first calendar-year Caspian Gulls, a first calendar-year Yellow-legged Gull, 15 Arctic Skuas, three Bonxies and six Red-throated Divers. Single Hobby, Swift and Wheatear were also around the Fog Station, while a Redstart was at Thornwick.

Sightings from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included the Barred Warbler and two Wheatear.

Blustery westerly winds, sunny intervals and a high of 21 degrees C. The winds were responsible for pushing southbound migrants onto the outer head including a Hobby, seven Swifts, 216 Meadow Pipits (south-west over 60 minutes), a Tree Pipit, seven Yellow Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail, three Spotted Flycatchers, a Whinchat and two Wheatear. The undoubted highlight of the morning seawatch was a Thresher Shark that breached three times; this follows two sightings during August.

Sightings from RSPB Bempton Cliffs included a Hobby, the ‘resident’ Barred Warbler, a Garden Warbler, one Reed Warbler, five Pied Flycatchers, four Spotted Flycatchers and a Whinchat.

Sunny skies and light winds preceded a band of light rain from late morning, before brighter skies prevailed once again; there were moderate southerlies in the afternoon and a high of 21 degrees C. A seabird cruise off the headland was rewarded with 13 Bar-tailed Godwits, 17 Arctic Skuas, five Bonxies, 1200 Little Gulls, 30 Arctic Terns, 120 Common Terns, five Red-throated Divers, eight Sooty Shearwaters and six Manx Shearwaters.

Onshore, the highlight was the headland’s third ever Cattle Egret peculiarly perched on High Stacks late afternoon. Three Little Egrets and three juvenile Caspian Gulls were also in residence, while passerine interest included Garden Warbler, eight Willow Warblers, Common Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher.

Sunny intervals, moderate westerly winds and a high of 21 degrees C. Seawatch highlights included two first-winter Caspian Gulls, two first-winter Yellow-legged Gulls, 25 Little Gulls, 74 Teal, a Goosander, six Arctic Skuas, a Bonxie and two Sooty Shearwaters. Away from the sea, a first-winter Caspian Gull was on fields at Mid Dykes and a similarly aged Yellow-legged Gull dropped onto Thornwick Lakes. Nearby, two Shoveler were on Thornwick Pools, together with eight Teal.

A south-westerly movement of passerines again took place along the southern edge of the headland including 84 Meadow Pipits, two Grey Wagtails and two Yellow Wagtails. Elsewhere, a Redstart remained in residence near the Lighthouse.

There was no sign of the Barred Warbler at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, although a Hobby, two Short-eared Owls, a Garden Warbler and three Spotted Flycatchers were present.

Overcast initially, with sunny intervals later; a relatively blustery south-westerly wind and maximum of 19 degrees C. A morning seawatch was rewarded with a Sooty Shearwater, three Manx Shearwaters, 17 Arctic Skuas, four Bonxies, three first-winter Yellow-legged Gulls, four first-winter Caspian Gulls, three Shoveler, 350 Common Terns, an Arctic Tern and 94 Little Gulls; three Little Egrets and a Hobby in off the sea added further interest. Late evening, an Osprey flew south-east past the Lighthouse. A Marsh Harrier flew west over Oceanview and another Hobby appeared over South Dykes, with the latter also hosting single Spotted Flycatcher and Goldcrest.

An Osprey flew north-west at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where two Spotted Flycatchers were also in residence.