… 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
A day of brisk northerly winds promising seabound activity, which applied during the morning at least. Highlights from the Brigg included four Little Auks, a Sooty Shearwater, 15 White-fronted Geese, five Pomarine Skuas, 15 Bonxies, three Arctic Skuas and an Arctic Tern (JS, MJP), while observations at the Gap included four Little Auks, at least
Today’s highlight was the arrival of five Shorelarks in off the sea and onto the Top Fields, where they remained for at least the morning (MJP); at least two were still present in fields between the Tip and Newbiggin, with four there yesterday. Three Lapland Buntings were also in the Top Fields (MJP), five Snow
A mild day today with a light south-westerly wind was notable for wildfowl movements along the coastal strip, with a particularly good count of 14 Scaup (two into the north of the bay, 12 off the Gap), 10 White-fronted Geese west over the town, 34 Whooper Swans (in parties of one, two, 10, 15 and
A sunny and clear day with light variable winds was headlined by two Pallas’s Warblers loosely associating (and frequently contact-calling) at the landward end of Martin’s Ravine (MJP et al.), our fourth and fifth of the autumn. A total of six Ring Ouzels were among good numbers of incoming thrushes, and overhead passage included 125
A cold and windy day today was enlivened by a late Red-breasted Flycatcher (MJP et al.) fresh-in at the seaward end of Arndale. Very few new arrivals were noted on the land, although the particularly tame Snow Bunting remains on Carr Naze and a Yellow-browed Warbler was calling in Top Scrub. Yesterday was also challenging
Another busy couple of days in brisk north-westerly winds and often bright sunshine. Bird of the day yesterday (20th) was a new Pallas’s Warbler (the third of the month), trapped by the ringing team in the morning, while Yellow-browed Warblers were in Arndale and Top Scrub. 23 White-fronted Geese headed north-west over the Top Fields,
A Velvet Scoter was the best of a quiet sea again this morning, while a big high tide encouraged totals of 153 Oystercatchers, 30 Turnstones, a Bar-tailed Godwit and 17 Purple Sandpipers into roost; a Brent Goose was around the Country Park. Yesterday (18th) saw a new Yellow-browed Warbler trapped by the ringing team, the
A pleasingly busy day (especially given the brisk south to south-westerly wind), with the undoubted highlight being a candidate Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat S.c.halimodendri (MJP et al.) at the Tip. Scarce warblers were a theme of the day, with a Barred Warbler present in coastal scrub between Reighton Sands and Hunmanby Gap and a Pallas’s
A busy first two days saw Ringing and Migration Week getting off to a flyer, with 300 birds ringed over the weekend, including three Woodcocks, two Mealy Redpolls and a Yellow-browed Warbler among big numbers of thrushes (especially Redwings), Robins and finches. The weekend’s guided walks were equally blessed with migrants, with Carr Naze in classic