A memorable and record-breaking day here in Filey, with a minimum of 5158 Pink-footed Geese counted, in upwards of 60 skeins, between dawn and dusk – more than one percent of the global population! With a weather system assisting passage for the birds hitherto grounded in Iceland, counters positioned at Reighton Sands and Hunmanby Gap […]
A big day for visible migration at the Gap, in particular for House Martins (582 south, 62 north) and Goldfinch (1103 south), as well as a good supporting cast which included 59 redpolls, 28 Swallows, 107 Meadow Pipits and two Scaup. Two Little Stints were originally at the Dams before relocating to East Lea (IR, […]
27th: a scattering of migrants in the northern area included a Ring Ouzel in Short Hedge the first of the season), three Yellow-browed Warblers (two in Top Scrub, one Arndale), single Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warbler in Top Scrub and the Red-backed Shrike still at Gristhorpe Bay. The best of quiet vismig at the Gap […]
An excellent day for landbound migration here at Filey, with north-easterly winds and variable fog and cloud (unfortunately) punctuated by warm sunshine. Four local rarities stood out, with the autumn’s first Firecrest in Top Scrub this morning (MJP), a (very) strong candidate Siberian Lesser Whitethroat trapped by the ringing team also in Top Scrub (which […]
With apologies for a recent lack of regular summaries, here’s a brief digest of highlights so far this month to bring us back up to speed…. 4th – two Curlew Sandpipers south, a Black Tern north, 4179 Gannets south, 250 Teal south and four Pintail north on the seawatch (JS). Three Egyptian Geese semi-resident in […]
A generally quiet final week in the area included a few highlights: Med Gulls past the Brigg and Gap on 26th and 27th, a Sooty Shearwater, 547 Black-headed Gulls and a Marsh Harrier through the Gap on 27th, a good tern passage from the Brigg on 28th with 224 Common Terns north and 89 south, […]
A Spotted Flycatcher was the best of a Top Scrub ringing session this morning, with a Wheatear on Carr Naze, 39 Sandwich and 44 Common Tern on the Brigg (and 56 north), an Arctic Skua south at Gristhorpe Bay (where the returning Curlew flock is already up to 25 and at least 40 Grey Seals […]
Promising conditions for sea passage (a brisk northerly) produced our most notable selection of the autumn so far, the highlight being the year’s first Long-tailed Skua south (MJP), as well as single Balearic Shearwater and Pomarine Skua (JS), 14 Arctic Skuas, three Bonxies, 148 Fulmars, eight Swifts, a Grey Plover an 132 Common Terns south, […]
The highlight of a quiet seawatch this morning was a colour-ringed Little Egret (blue C3) fishing in the rockpools, which is from either Norfolk of Notts – more to follow. Otherwise a build-up of terns included 80 Sandwich Tern at the Brigg / bay corner and another 37 north, and six Arctic Terns and 37 […]
Another juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was recorded today, this time north at the Gap (KC), where five Yellow Wagtails and a Little Egret did likewise. A Little Egret was also at the Tip, while it or another has been frequenting the Dams and East Lea for the last few days. East Lea continues to attract a […]