The spring migrants started appearing this month. On 1st Sand Martin at East Lea, Little Egret and six Common Snipe at Filey Dams, and a Short-eared Owl at the Tip. On 2nd two Grey Plover circled Tip briefly before flying off north. A Red Kite flew over town towards Dams. A Water Rail rescued from a cat by YWT work crew and released into the dipping pond seemingly unharmed. A male Eider off steps in bay on 6th. A House Martin flew south at Muston Sands. A pair of Garganey on the west side of Filey Dams on 8th. A Reed Warbler singing in reedbed near the East Lea bridge. A Common Sandpiper on 19th at Filey Dams. A Willow Warbler singing in Parish Wood on 11th. A male Common Redstart along Muston Sands the same day. The 12th was busy with a pair of Garganey and three Little Ringed Plover from Central Hide at the Dams and a Green Sandpiper and Ruff at East Lea. A Cuckoo was heard. A male Ring Ouzel was in Long Hedge. Two Whimbrel were at East Lea on 13th. Two Great White Egrets dropped briefly into Filey Dams. A Yellow Wagtail flew south at Hunmanby Gap. Three Siskin went north over Filey town. On 14th a Great White Egret flew south at Hunmanby Gap, a quarter mile inland. A Common Whitethroat and Blackcap singing at Hunmanby Gap. On 16th a Sedge Warbler singing East Lea. Three Black-tailed Godwits and a White and a Yellow Wagtail were also at East Lea. On 17th a Water Rail was in Cawthorne Marsh. A brood of at least 9 Mallard ducklings on reed bed pond at East Lea. On 19th 20 Sandwich Terns flew south off Carr Naze. On 20th the first Sedge Warblers at The Bay pools plus an incubating Little Grebe. The month’s highlight, a cracking male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was found in Top Scrub,and stayed until 22nd. It drew a good crowd, and is our first Eastern, after a Western in October 2021, and two unspecified Subalpines previous to that. On 21st a Whimbrel north and both Common and Lesser Whitethroat new in at Hunmanby Gap. A Marsh Harrier south at Hunmanby Gap on 22nd. A Common Sandpiper was flushed from rocks north of sea-watch hide on 23rd. On 26th two Great Northern Divers were off Martin’s Ravine. A Garden Warbler was in Parish Wood. Twelve Swifts over the town on 27th. A Wood Sandpiper from the central hide at Filey Dams. A drake Pochard was at Filey Dams on 30th.
