Filey Dams and Thornwick Pool - 30th July 2019

Ruff @ Thornwick Pool, my first this year!

With a good number of waders being reported on local waters, we headed out to Filey Dams to hopefully get Heather a Spoonbill tick. Typically, there was no sign and waders were few, namely three Green Sandpipers! Disappointing as we hoped for more with frequent squally showers.

Green Sandpiper

Synchronised looking right!

"...it's the way I tell 'em!"

Young Coot are so cute!

Dabchick

With little to point the bins and camera at we decided to head over to Thornwick Pool, Flamborough in the hope of some decent waders. We were graced with our first Ruff of the year

Adult and juvenile Dunlin were the most numerous wader present

Adult and juvenile Little Ringed Plovers were present but the adults chose to remain to the right of the hide, distant and partly obscured by vegetation.

Two Common Sandpipers were present but only one came within camera range!

Several Reed Warblers flitted through the reeds, including juveniles and four juvenile Pied Wagtails were on the bund. A female Sparrowhawk attempted to take one of the massed hirundines.

Just before leaving, this Skylark dropped in on the baked soil

Bempton Circular Walk - 26th July 2019

Kittiwake "Tarrock"

With all of the very hot weather of late, it has been difficult to get out for a decent walk with Symphony, so today we went out at 0600hrs on the four mile Bempton Circular. The weather forecast was for sunny periods all morning and it certainly was at the start, but clouds began to gather and towards the end, a heavy shower and claps of thunder! July is probably one of the quietist months for passerines and I did not expect to see very much around Hoddy Cows Lane. My expectation was true to form!

Starlings coming together in Buckton

Buckton pond has very little water with only Canada Geese, Moorhens and Mallards but many Hirundines massed above. The scrape is virtually overgrown now. A Chiffchaff lurked in the low vegetation.

Hoddy Cows Lane was very quiet with small numbers of Common Whitethroat, Yellowhammers, Goldfinches and the higher reaches had Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Reed Bunting. Two Grey Partridge were on newly mown fields.  None, however, wanted to be photographed!

Arriving on the cliffs, it is getting quieter with nearly all of the Razorbills gone from the ledges, Guillemots certainly thinning out rapidly and Puffins still in flight, on the water and a few distant on the ledges. A lone Corn Bunting was singing out from the top of a post on the RAF buildings.

It is great to see the Kittiwakes fledging, now known as Tarrocks in their first year. Kittiwake adults are very "pretty" birds, but the Tarrocks are even more special!

The  young Gannets  (Guga) are continuing to develop with their downy plumage beginning to gain black feathers. The last of the downy plumage should be gone by the time they are 11 - 12 weeks old.

The "new kids on the block" at Bartlett Nab are defending their newly acquired estate, with further evidence that one of the pair is a year 4 bird.

Gulls are getting some very bad press at the moment. Herring Gulls, (or marmite gulls as I often refer to them), are in serious decline, earning them red status. Only one of three young at Bartlett Nab survived but appears well.

Shouting loudly "please don't persecute us!" 

It is the end of the breeding season for the Auks (Puffin, Guillemot and Razorbill) and there are large gaps where most of them attempted breeding. A few Puffins were seen in flight, and on the sea, but those on the ledges were distant.

The last part of the walk is down Cliff Lane and probably the quietist for birds. This morning, large numbers of Tree Sparrows and House Sparrows flew down the hedgerows in family groups. I also managed an image of two very splendid Yellowhammers.

Bempton Cliffs 22nd July 2019

Gannets with their Gugas

A pleasant day with sunny periods and a light south west wind was the order of the day, at least until you arrived on the viewpoints. Today was purgatory! Children were screaming, adults were frantically trying to rub themselves and their children down, many left for the sanctuary of the visitor centre. Why was this? Well swarms of thunder bugs, harvest flies and hoverflies had descended on the viewpoints, no doubt due to nearby fields being combined. It was like wearing a veil at times due to the shear numbers. I enjoyed a jam and fly sandwich, my coffee was flavoured by bugs, they went in mouths and eyes and penetrated every layer of clothing! Unpleasant as it was, they were more of a nuisance and luckily did not bite or sting.

Nightmare Bugs!

On the cliffs, it was very noticeable that the Guillemots and Razorbills had reduced in numbers (as expected at this time of year) and the Puffins had decided to play hard to spot!

Todays Sightings

As I said, the Puffins played hard to spot with most being seen in flight or on the sea. Those on the cliffs were distant and often obscured by rocks. Later in the day, on Grandstand viewpoint, we eventually got a close encounter! It only seems five minutes since we welcomed these enigmatic birds back on the cliffs and within the next few weeks we will be bidding them farewell until next year!

Guillemots and Razorbills have reduced considerably, but they can still be seen

Guillemot

Spot the "Bridled" Guillemot

Razorbill

The young Kittiwakes are developing well and gaining their year one markings. Some will soon be fledging whereby they are known as "Tarrocks".

Most of the Gannets now have Gugas of varying ages with some starting to lose white and gain black feathers.

Herring Gull

Fulmar "chilling"

The "new kids on the block" that have taken up residence on the cliffs at Bartlett Nab are still defending their new nest site. Interestingly, one of the birds is showing year 4 markings. Hopefully they will be mature enough to mate and raise young next year. Inexperience may be a problem though.

And finally, a Jackdaw keeping low to avoid the bugs!

I wont be on the cliffs next Sunday so make sure you "keep 'em peeled"!