Friday 1st January 2016

Friday 1st January 2016
A flying start to the new year.
Migration watch; 08.00 - 11.25hrs.
On the move (south unless stated) were 3 Red-throated Diver + 4 north, 11 Cormorant + 2 north, 11 Shag, 2 Pink-footed Geese, 1 Greylag Goose, 17 Black-headed Gull + 1 north, 8 Common Gull, 1 argentatus Herring Gull and 22 Great Black-backed Gull.
In the Long Nab area there were 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese in the field behind the hut, 23 Meadow Pipit, 20 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, 3 Lesser Redpoll and 2 Lapland Bunting.
Elsewhere the three Black-necked Grebe in the Harbour proved popular, first being seen at 00.01hrs!
The juvenile Whooper Swan and 7 Goosander were on the Mere, the Short-eared Owl was showing well on North Bay cliffs, in the Seamer Tip - Seamer Carr area there were 2 Brambling, 50 Fieldfare, 40 Linnet, a Little Egret, 1 Jack Snipe, 110 Greylag Geese and 5 Gadwall. Nearby 2 Chiffchaff were at Seamer sewage works where 100 Pink-footed Geese flew west while another Pink-footed Goose was at Burton Riggs. 53 Teal and 3 Shelduck were on Mayville Flash, a Pintail, 12 Shoveler, 142 Mallard and 7 Great Crested Grebe were on Wykeham South Lake, a Mealy Redpoll was found on Hutton Buscel Carr along with 35 Lesser Redpoll and 9 Brambling, 10 Mandarin were seen at Hackness, 11 Mediterranean Gull were in South Bay, 29 Tufted Duck and 14 Collared Dover were in Peasholm, a Lesser Black-backed Gull was at Scalby Mills and 35 Teal were on Johnson's Marsh.