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
A female Merlin was at the Gap both today and yesterday (KC), with a Grey Plover, a Bonxie and 101 Teal south the best of a quiet sea. Decent wader passage yesterday (14th) over the sea included 136 Redshank, 162 Dunlins, 49 Knot and 17 Sanderling all south, as well as a Sooty Shearwater (also
At the Gap, 23 Black-tailed Godwits went south and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull (KC) went north, while the Dams held two Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, three Gadwall and 20 Lapwing; a similar cast were present there yesterday (10th), along with a Little Egret. 9th saw some improved activity on the sea, which included a Sooty
A very wet, quiet day today with the only birds of note being a Greenshank and a Green Sandpiper at the Dams, and three Arctic Skuas and 666 Common Scoters north on this morning’s seawatch. Hobbys overflew the tow and the Gap on 6th, when 23 Black-tailed Godwits went south over the Country Park.
A Kingfisher at the dams today (DL) was the first of the season, while a three hour seawatch from mid-morning yesterday (4th) was quiet but for a good passage of gulls, including a day-record three Yellow-legged Gulls (MJP); all were juveniles and all northbound. A female-type Black Redstart was on Carr Naze first thing (CW)