Sunday 31 January 2016

Sunday 31st January 2016

The drake AMERICAN WIGEON remained at Scalby Mills throughout the day where it often showed well feeding close in at times.
Also at Scalby Mills there was a female Pintail and Kingfisher while a Stonechat was seen on Scalby Nab.
The first Black-throated Diver of the year was found in Cornelian Bay where there were 2 Red-throated Diver, 2 Knot and 3 Ringed Plover.
Six Mediterranean Gull were at Holbeck, 2 Goosander were at the Mere, 100 Lapwing were at Harwood Dale and 2 Black-necked Grebe and an Eider were around the Harbour.



American Wigeon - Scalby Mills - John Harwood

Saturday 30 January 2016

Friday 29th Saturday 30th January 2016

After no noteworthy reports on the 29th the 30th really did make up for it!

Migration watch; 09.05 – 11.05hrs.
The highlight of the day, and the year so far, was the discovery of a drake AMERICAN WIGEON at Scalby Mills, only the third record for Scarborough with all records coming from the same site.
After its discovery at around midday it performed well until late in the afternoon allowing many to connect with this smart American duck.
Elsewhere 3 White-fronted Geese, a Shoveler, 2 Goosander and 174 Lapwing were on Harwood Dale Lake, 6 Goshawk were seen from the Wykeham Raptor Viewpoint and 34 Whooper and 33 Mute Swan were on Sherburn Ings.
On the move (south unless stated) were 2 Fulmar, 2 Cormorant + 1 north, 1 Shag, 133 Black-headed Gull, 279 Common Gull, 227 Herring Gull, 38 Great Black-backed Gull and 3 Auk sp + 1 north.
In the Long Nab area there were singles of Snipe and Jack Snipe.


American Wigeon - Scalby Mills - Nick Addey

American Wigeon - Scalby Mills - Michael McNaghten

American Wigeon - Scalby Mills - Michael McNaghten

Thursday 28th January 2016

Migration watch; 07.53 - 09.15hrs.
On the move (south unless stated) were 6 Red-throated Diver + 4 north, 55 Fulmar, 5 Gannet, 2 Cormorant, 66 Black-headed Gull, 276 Common Gull + 6 north, 241 Herring Gull including 1 argentatus, and 24 Great Black-backed Gull.
A Great Grey Shrike was seen at Maw Rigg, Langdale Forest, presumably the bird seen at Lun Rigg at the end of 2015.
A Green Sandpiper was on Star Carr, 8 Little Egret were on Folkton Carr, 3 Knot, 5 Ringed Plover, 27 Purple Sandpiper and 145 Redshank were in Cornelian Bay, 6 Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe and an Egyptian Goose was on Potter Brompton Carr (no general access), 2 Goosander were on the Mere, 2 Pink-footed Geese were on Wykeham South Lake, 14 Teal and a Woodcock were at Burton Riggs and 24 Gadwall, 9 Teal and 4 Shelduck were on Seamer Tip pool.

Wednesday 27th January 2016

A good count of 300 Curlew were at Gristhorpe Sands. On Sherburn Ings there were 34 Whooper Swan and 24 Mute Swan, 6 Dunlin were on Folkton Carr, a Gadwall and an Egyptian Goose were on Potter Brompton Carr (no general access), 18 Yellowhammer were at Wykeham South Lake, 2 Black-necked Grebe were in the Harbour, 4 Shelduck were on Scalby Lodge Pond and 480 Wigeon were at Scalby Mills.

Tuesday 26th January 2016

A quiet day with a single Black-necked Grebe reported in the Harbour and 2 White-fronted Geese, 2 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Barnacle Geese and a Water Rail at Burton Riggs.

Tuesday 26 January 2016

Sunday 24th - Monday 25th January 2016

Migration watch; 07.45 - 10.00hrs.
On the move (south unless stated) were 2 Red-throated Diver + 4 north, 2 Fulmar, 24 Gannet, 4 Cormorant + 9 north, 30 Black-headed Gull, 388 Common Gull, 142 Herring Gull including 4 argentatus, 39 Great Black-backed Gull and 9 Auk sp + 2 north.
An adult Little Gull was on Star Carr, in Cornelian Bay there were 4 Grey Plover, 2 Knot and 5 Ringed Plover. Harwood Dale Lake held 10 Goosander, 11 Teal, 3 Mandarin, 1 Pintail, 1 Shoveler and 1 Wigeon.
Two Black-necked Grebe were in the Harbour, 3 Pink-footed Geese were on Ruston Carr, an adult Mediterranean Gull, 25 Gadwall and 3 Shoveler were on Seamer Tip and a Goosander was on Peasholm Park.

A much better day on the 25th...
Migration watch; 08.05 - 13.00hrs.
On the move (south unless stated) were 1 Red-throated Diver + 2 north, 4 Fulmar + 8 north, 45 Gannet + 10 north, 1 Cormorant + 1 north, 1 Shag, 505 Pink-footed Geese north, 11 White-fronted Geese at 10.15hrs, 8 Canada Geese, 4 Mallard, 5 Black-headed Gull + 6 north, 8 Common Gull + 9 north 184 Herring Gull including 1 argentatus, 38 Great Black-backed Gull and 1 Auk sp + 2 north.
Present at Long Nab were 9 Skylark, 19 Meadow Pipit, 35 Linnet and 2 Lapland Bunting.
A Red Kite was seen over Yeddingham at 08.10hrs, 5 Tundra Bean Geese flew southwest over Burton Riggs at 08.20hrs, 200 Pink-footed Geese flew north over Taylor Way, 2 White-fronted Geese, 4 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Barnacle Geese and 4 Goosander were on Harwood Dale Lake, 29 Whooper and 25 Mute Swan were on Wykeham Ings, the Goosander was on Peasholm Park, a Lesser Black-backed Gull was at Scalby Mills, 6 Goldeneye, 3 Pochard and 6 Great Crested Grebe were on Wykeham South Lake and at Low Marishes there were 1100 Golden Plover, 600 Lapwing and a Pintail.

Pink-footed Geese on the move north at Long Nab - Nick Addey


Tuesday 5 January 2016

Tuesday 5th January 2016

Migration watch; 08.10 - 10.05hrs.
On the move (south unless stated) were 2 Red-throated Diver + 6 north, 28 Fulmar, 5 Gannet + 1 north, 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 1 Common Scoter north, 1 Little Gull + 1 north, 46 Black-headed Gull, 4 Common Gull + 12 north, 8 Herring Gull, 6 Great Black-backed Gull + 1 north, 1 Kittiwake and 2 Auk sp + 6 north.
Elsewhere it was another busy day, 2 Little Gull were off Cloughton Wyke, 4 Little Gull were on Folkton Carr along with 5 Shoveler, 100 Lapwing, a Golden Plover and 18 Dunlin, a Pink-footed Goose and 4 European White-fronted Geese were with the Greylag Geese at Seamer Tip along with 14 Shoveler, a Mealy Redpoll was along nearby Taylor Way and a Water Rail was seen in one of the ditches there.
Three Little Egret were by Folkton Bridge, 40 Purple Sandpiper and only one Black-necked Grebe were seen in the Harbour, the 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 70 Lapwing were on Scalby Lodge Pond, 2 Goosander and 4 Goldeneye were on Wykeham South Lake, 12 Goosander and the Whooper Swan were on the Mere and other Whooper Swans flew south over Crossgates, 2 south over Westborough and 30 on Potter Brompton Carr.

* Please note that there will be no updates to this site from tomorrow until late January. Any interesting sightings during that time will be published on our Facebook page, the link for which is here.

Monday 4th January 2016

Migration watch; 08.18 - 11.15hrs.
On the move (south unless stated) were 5 Red-throated Diver + 8 north, 1 Great Northern Diver, 24 Fulmar, 8 Gannet + 1 north, 2 Cormorant + 8 north, 7 Shag north, 11 Wigeon, 1 Mallard, 3 Common Scoter, 1 Velvet Scoter, 1 Goldeneye, 1 Dunlin, 1 Little Gull, 7 Black-headed Gull, 51 Common Gull, 102 Herring Gull including 1 argentatus, 28 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Kittiwake and 3 Guillemot.
Elsewhere a Little Gull was off the Harbour, the Whooper Swan and 10 Goosander were on the Mere, a Barnacle Goose, 39 Gadwall and a Goosander were on Wykeham South Lake.
Thirty Whooper Swan were on Potter Brompton Carr along with 2 drake Pintail, 4 Shoveler, 700 Lapwing, 80 Fieldfare and 60 Yellowhammer, 51 Teal, 68 Lapwing and 3 Tufted Duck were on Johnson's Marsh, 300 Lapwing were near Ings Bridge while 800 were on Cayton Carr.

Sunday 3rd January 2016

The Michael Clegg Memorial Birdrace took place during the day.
The Scarborough team came out on top of the 17 participating teams within Yorkshire, not only on most species recorded (a very respectable 107 particularly given the weather and the 3rd highest total for us on this birdrace!!) but on beating our average of 98 by 9.
A great day.
Highlights during the day were the 3 Black-necked Grebe in the Harbour where two Shag, clearly exhausted given the rough conditions showed well.
A Goshawk was seen over Hilla Green but unfortunately only seen by one member!
Wykeham South Lake was very productive with drake Pintail, 17 Shoveler, a Dunlin over and 3 European White-fronted Geese among the usual suspects.
A Grey Plover over Hutton Buscel Carr was a remarkable record, probably better than the 4 Tundra Bean Geese that headed over there too!
Four Jack Snipe and a Snipe were flushed from Taylor Way while Cayton Carr produced some valuable ticks highlighted by 9 European White-fronted Geese south!
The juvenile Whooper Swan was at the Mere, Long Nab failed to produce much other than a dead Jack Snipe.
The two Dark-bellied Brent Geese had relocated to Scalby Lodge Pond, an Eider and a Little Gull were in Jackson's Bay, 730 Wigeon were at Scalby Mills where 25 Wigeon, 2 Teal and a Shoveler flew south.
A sea-watch from Marine Drive produced 13 Common Scoter, Great Northern Diver and 3 Little Gull south.
The final highlight was a Chiffchaff at Folkton sewage works.

Shag - Scarborough Harbour - Michael McNaghten

Saturday 2 January 2016

Saturday 2nd January 2016

Another good 2016 day.
Migration watch; 08.05 - 12.05hrs.
On the move (south unless stated) were 2 Red-throated Diver + 4 north, 2 Great Northern Diver, 194 Fulmar + 3 north including on blue south, 4 Gannet + 6 north, 5 Cormorant + 1 north, 17 Teal, 2 Velvet Scoter, 1 Goldeneye north, 1 Red-breasted Merganser north, 1 Great Skua north, 2 Little Gull, 8 Black-headed Gull, 8 Common Gull, 131 Herring Gull including 1 argentatus, 46 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Kittiwake + 1 north, 17 Guillemot + 2 north and 1 Little Auk.
The 2 Dark-bellied Brent Geese and 2 Lapland Bunting were still in the area.
Elsewhere 19 Cormorant were at Burton Riggs, a Shelduck was on Seamer Tip, 5 Little Egret were by Folkton sewage works, 3 Black-necked Grebe were still in the Harbour and the juvenile Whooper Swan and 7 Goosander were on the Mere.

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.