11th November 2016

… with apologies for the enforced break in transmissions. Chronologically (from the 2nd onwards), highlights and notable records over recent days are as follows:

On 2nd, a Long-tailed Duck, 10 Bonxies and an Arctic Skua went south off the Brigg and two Goldeneye went north, while two Woodcock were on the Tip. 3rd saw Waxwings in off (JS) and over the town (CW), two Whooper Swans at the Dams and another over Hunmanby Gap, where two ring-tail Hen Harriers went south (KC) as well as 12 Crossbills and 110 Siskins; a Twite went north, and a good arrival of thrushes in off included 194 Blackbirds and 345 Fieldfares. On the sea, a Short-eared Owl, five Scaup, a Little Auk (JS), three Woodcocks and a Great Northern Diver went south and two Pintail went north.

Another Great Northern Diver, 13 Bullfinches and 47 Siskins went south at the Gap on 4th, while a busier 5th saw three Waxwings in a garden there and another three over (NC), four Sooty and a single Manx Shearwater north and 11 Bonxies and 150 Common Scoters south. Passing the Brigg were five Scaup, nine Little Auks (JS) and a Little Gull. An equally busy 6th included two Long-tailed Ducks, a Little Auk, four Sooty Shearwaters, a Woodcock, 17 Bonxies, a Great Northern Diver, three Goldeneye, 129 Common Scoter and four Pintail passing the Brigg (JS), with four Sootys, four Manx, three Pomarine Skuas, five Little Auks, a Velvet Scoter, a Long-tailed Duck, a Goosander and – most notably – a Sabine’s Gull past the Gap (WS, KC, GS).

The 7th continued a similar theme with two Velvet Scoters, 126 Common Scoters, a Little Auk, a Pomarine Skua, and 12 Little Gulls passing the Brigg (JS) and six Little Auks, a Great Northern Diver and a Velvet Scoter in the bay off Coble Landing (J&TGD). Little Gulls were again numerous on 8th with 26 north past the Brigg, as well as single Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser, six Goldeneye and 61 Wigeon; a Woodcock headed south along the seafront, where a Black Redstart was also present (J&TGD).

The last couple of days have been somewhat quieter, although two Corn Buntings, 1500 Wood Pigeons, and 620 Starlings went north and 205 Siskins went south at the Gap yesterday (11th), and a Woodcock went south at the Brigg; today’s highlight was a single Scaup off the Brigg. Up to 18 Snow Buntings (Carr Naze), 26 Purple Sandpipers and 115 Oystercatchers (Brigg) have been present in recent days.