Three Short-eared Owls remained all month. A Whinchat was seen on 1st. A female Merlin was in the Top stubble field on 2nd. The Long-tailed Duck continued its stay at East Lea. On 4th a Redstart was in Long Hedge (and on 6th), with two Whinchat again in Rocket Post Field. Two Great Northern Divers were off Muston Sands. A Cetti’s Warbler was at Muston Sands on 5th. A Night Heron, the fourth for Filey, appeared at Filey Dams and entertained visitors all day. A Greenshank was also there. A Spotted Flycatcher was at the junction of West Ave and Clarence Ave. A Bar-tailed Godwit was in Bay Corner. On 9th 1,100 Herring Gulls were in the bay in the evening, with two Red-throated Divers and 2 Sandwich Terns. A Red Kite was seen on 10th. A Cuckoo was calling from East Lea on 11th. On 12th two Whinchat were in the Rocket Post Field (the correct name, with a brand new sign there as well), with six Mute Swan north. On 13th two Red Kites were at Newbiggin heading south over East Lea, a cream crown Marsh Harrier flew south from Newbiggin, a Spotted Flycatcher was at East Pool hide, Dams. A Spoonbill and a Red Kite circled the Dams on 15th. A brood of 11 young Shelduck were at East Lea. A Hobby flew through the Dams on 16th. A Garganey was again at the Dams on 17th. A Little Egret and drake Garganey were at the Dams on 18th. The Garganey stayed into June… A mobile Hooded Crow was in the Top field on 19th. A male Red-backed Shrike, scarce these days, turned up on the cliff top path north of Primrose Valley, also on 19th. It gave little indication what was to follow…. On 20th an Osprey flew north east at Hunmanby Gap over the observer’s garden. On 22nd, after a front went through, no less than five Red-backed Shrikes, all male, and three Bluethroats were found. (We have had seven Red-backed Shrikes on one day back in May 1977). Two Ruddy Shelduck flew south at Hunmanby Gap with a continued trickle of House Martins south on 23rd. An Osprey went south. Three male Red-backed Shrikes lingered. On 24th a nice selection of ducks including drake Garganey, drake Mandarin Duck and nine drake Gadwall were at Filey Dams. A Cuckoo called in Top Scrub. A Spotted Flycatcher was in Long Hedge, and 2 Grey Partridge were on the Tip. A Little Egret was at the Dams East pool. Another spring Hooded Crow was in the Long Lane end of stubblefield on 25th. A Grasshopper Warbler reeled at East Lea. On 26th a sea-watch produced Common Sandpiper, eight summer plumage Sanderling, Knot and Coot on Brigg, 13 Manx Shearwater south, three north, two Shelduck south, Common Scoter 26 north, three south, 25 Puffin south, 3 North. A pair of Stonechat were feeding two fledged young in the Rocket Post Field. On 27th a Marsh Harrier went north at Hunmanby Gap. On 31st an Arctic Tern flew north over the Country Park.
