The Red-necked Grebe lingered in the bay until 10th. On 2nd a Tawny Owl was calling near entrance to East Lea and the Cetti’s Warbler was present all month. An early Manx Shearwater, 5 Puffin north and 1 Great Northern Diver went south from Hunmanby Gap and at least 3 in bay off Filey plus a minimum of 7 Great Crested Grebe off Filey/ PV. In the Bay roost 950 Common Gulls, 600 Black-headed Gull, 500 Herring Gull; 4 Great Northern Divers, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Red-necked Grebe, and 1 Goldeneye. 46 Sanderling were at Hunmanby Gap with the infamous long-staying escaped Harris’s Hawk on 4th. The Bay roost had the Red-necked Grebe still present, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 4 Great Northern Divers; 1,150 Common, and 1,800 Black-headed Gulls with 30 Purple Sandpiper on brigg and a Curlew over the bay. On 9th a probable juvenile Sabine’s Gull went north midshore at Hunmanby Gap. Our earliest ever Sand Martin was over Filey Dams on 12th. An adult Mediterranean Gull was at FIley Dams and east Lea on 13th -14th, and was present most of the month at various locations. It was in Hunmanby Gap car park on 17th – 18th. Decent southerly passage began on 17th at Hunmanby Gap with 192 Chaffinch, 65 Skylark, 58 Linnet, 55 Meadow Pipits, 20 Siskin, 14 Alba Wagtails all south with 24 Skylark, 19 Meadow Pipits and 5 Shelduck north. Nocmig on 17th was also productive: Little Ringed Plover (first of year), Ringed and Golden Plovers (two), Dunlin, two Moorhens, Robin, Common Gull, 175 Redwings, 43 Blackbirds and nine Song Thrushes. A female Goosander flew off the Dams early morning, headed for Filey Bay on 18th. A Sand Martin went south at Hunmanby Gap with a Sandwich Tern and 3 Corn Bunting also south at Hunmanby Gap. On 19th nocmig over Filey town included four flocks of Common Scoters, alba wagtail, Sanderlings, Curlews, Grey Heron, rallids and thrushes. On 20th 420 Chaffinch went south in first hour at Hunmanby Gap. At least 13 Bottle-nosed Dolphins in two groups were seen on 21st. A Marsh Harrier went north at Hunmanby Gap 1km inland. A Ring-necked Parakeet sat in a tree just past Country Park café was a first for Filey, and stayed around for a few days. Vismig at Hunmanby Gap produced 1040 Starling south mostly 2 hours after dawn, 257 Chaffinch south, 179 Siskin, 89 Meadow Pipits and a Marsh Harrier north plus 20 Bottle-nosed Dolphin south inshore. On 22nd the usual adult Mediterranean Gull was in the Country Park. A Moorhen off the Brigg was unusual. A record Chaffinch count at Hunmanby Gap on 23rd with over 700 south in 3 hours plus the first Swallow of the year north and Sand Martin south plus 85 Meadow Pipit north and 60 Siskin and 24 Redwing south. A good 84 Purple Sandpipers, 46 Sanderling, 1 Dunlin, 1 Redshank were on the Brigg. A Woodlark went south at Hunmanby Gap on 24th, with site record counts of 944 Chaffinch and 645 Siskin south plus an early push of Linnet with 138 south. 30 Whooper Swans went north over town on 28th. Three early Wheatear were around Carr Naze Pond on 30th. Lastly on 31st a Fieldfare with a few Redwings and sadly a dead Barn Owl.
