Saturday 21st October 2017

At Long Nab today a juvenile Marsh Harrier flew south at 08,00, a Little Gull flew north and further southerly movement included 64 Starlings, 12 Chaffinches, 5 Bramblings and 7 Siskin. Also 3 Snipe went west and in the area we had a Coal Tit, 2 Chiffchaff, 8 Goldcrests, a Stonechat and the Yellow-browed Warbler was still at Crook Ness, another Yellow-browed Warbler was seen very briefly in a Knipe Point Drive garden.

On Castle Hill today 7 Goldcrests, 2 Chiffchaffs, a ♂ Blackcap and 2 Bramblings; on South Cliff there were 3 Goldcrests; a female Common Scoter was in the Harbour and at Holbeck a pair of Common Scoter and 5 adult winter Mediterranean Gulls including the ringed bird PNN5.

Further afield we had 40+ Golden Plovers at High Marishes; 4 Goshawks and a Crossbill at Wykeham Raptor View Point and finally at Ravenscar there were 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Bramblings, a Lesser Redpoll and a Short-eared Owl.

Friday 20th October 2017

This was a frustrating early morning for the intrepid Long Nabbers when a probable Olive-backed Pipit flew over calling but could not be relocated in the area despite much searching. This could have been the first record for our area of this species, hey ho maybe next autumn!!

Also at Long Nab today with most observations from the ringing site including many Redwings and Song Thrushes pre-dawn and 8+ Bramblings, a Ring Ouzel came in off the sea at 07.50 and another was along Long Hedge, the late Whimbrel was still present, 2 Eider went north and there were a Blackcap, 14 Goldcrests, a Redstart, 6 Stonechats, a total of 35 Bramblings, and 46 Siskins flew south. The Yellow-browed Warbler was still present at Crook Ness with a female Blackcap and a couple of Bramblings were seen here as well.

The day totals for the Castle Hill area today included 20 Robins, 3 Stonechats, 50 Song Thrushes, 70 Redwings, 85 Blackbirds, 2 Ring Ouzels around the Skateboard Park area late afternoon, 5 Blackcaps, 6 Chiffchaffs, a Yellow-browed Warbler, 7 Goldcrests, 3 Tree Sparrows, a Chaffinch, 25 Bramblings, 2 Bullfinches and the highlight was a Red-breasted Flycatcher. This bird was initially located in the small plantation behind the wall on Marine Drive but it didn’t stay for long before flying towards the Skate Park, also along Marine Drive was a Wheatear.

At Wykeham South Lake the wildfowl count included an adult Whooper Swan, 8 Egyptian Geese, 2 Goldeneye, 6 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, 56 Teal, 72 Wigeon and a Pochard; also seen here today were a Kingfisher and a juvenile Marsh Harrier.

At other locations today we had a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Brambling and a Little Grebe were at Johnson’s Marsh; at Cornelian Bay lots of thrushes and finches and a Yellow-browed Warbler in a Willow by small Scalby Lodge Pond.

Finally an interesting report of a 4 to 5 foot Leatherback Turtle seen from a yacht off Scalby Mills bouy.

Thursday 19th October 2017

In the Long Nab area today the best birds were 2 Ring Ouzels, one at the ringing site and the other in Long Hedge, thrush movement this morning included 75 Blackbirds, 480 Redwings and 43 Song Thrushes most of which came in off the sea and continued heading west. There were also c200 Redwings west over Crook Ness this afternoon and present in the Long Nab area a Jack Snipe, a Coal Tit, a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, a dozen Goldcrests, 2 Fieldfares at Crook Ness, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 3 Stonechats,6 Bramblings and 16 Reed Buntings.

The small area by the water treatment works at the top of Cornelian Ravine was full of birds this afternoon in the foggy conditions and between 16.00 and 17.30 there were a Green Woodpecker, 3 Blackcaps, 4 Goldcrests, a Treecreeper, 2 Fieldfares, c30 Blackbirds, 5 Song Thrushes, c50 Redwings with many heard flying over in the fog, c20 Tree Sparrows, 3 Bramblings, 4 Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer.

The thrush movement over town this evening was still ongoing but considerably reduced compared to yesterday.

Wednesday 18th October 2017

The highlight of the day was unfortunately just a brief appearance by a Hawfinch that flew south over Seamer Station car park with 50 Redwings and a Redpoll sp. at 08.15.

The Long Nab area today produced Scarborough’s latest ever Whimbrel, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Stonechat, a fairly late Willow Warbler, 16 Goldcrests, 5 Bullfinches and moving south 13 Brambling, a Twite and 19 Siskins. In the ringing area today 11 Long-tailed Tits were trapped and were all found to be controls ringed in Filey on 7th September, there were another 6 unringed birds at Cliff Top House.

A Willow Tit was in the grass at Jackson’s Bay; 54 Pink-footed Geese were in a field to the south of Wykeham South Lake and 30 Redwings flew south over Crossgates at 14.30. There was a big arrival of Redwings over town this evening with many birds heard.

Tuesday 17th October 2017

The day started with two Great White Egrets seen by Sue Hall flying south over Scalby Mills and heading towards South Bay at 11.55, but unfortunately not seen again in the area.

A Peregrine flew south over Barmoor Road towards town at 16.10.

At Crook Ness this evening a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, 3 Song Thrushes, 3 Bullfinches and a Redpoll sp. flew south, and on Johnson’s Marsh we had 13 Grey Herons and 39 Teal.

Monday 16th October 2017

The wildfowl count at Wykeham South Lake included a Goldeneye, a Pochard, 2 Gadwall, 26 Wigeon and 10 Egyptian Geese and at Willerby Carr there were a Kingfisher, 20 Redwings and 180+ Linnets.

Other reports today comprised 30+ Crossbills in Langdale Forest, 18 Mandarins at Hackness and a Brambling along Cockrah Road, West Ayton.

Sunday 15 October 2017

The Osprey was seen again at Papermill Lake, Ellerburn between 15.15 and 15.45 when it dropped into trees on the eastern side of the lake.and nearby at Thornton-le-Dale 74 Pink-footed Geese flew over to the west early afternoon.

The Long Nab area today had a Jack Snipe and a Lapland Bunting in the stubble field to the north of the Obs and at Crook Ness there were a couple of Chiffchaffs and 2 Goldcrests, 32 Pink-footed Geese flew northwest and 2 Eiders went north with southward movement including 46 Skylarks, 4 Swallows, 22 Meadow Pipits, 4 Rock Pipits, 11 Chaffinch, 10 Greenfinch, 61 Linnets, 21 Redpoll sp., 21 Goldfinch, 22 Siskin and 4 Reed Buntings.

Johnson’s Marsh held 48 Teal, 6 Mallards and a Curlew; at Scalby Ponds there were 22 Curlew, a Stonechat, approximately 150 Linnets and another 23 flew south and between Scalby Mill and the Youth Hostel a Dipper, a Grey Wagtail, 35 Tree Sparrows and a Marsh Tit.

The Dalby Forest area had 11 Crossbills, 3 Jays and 20 Siskins at Flaxdale and in the Staindale Lake/Bridestones area 4 Little Grebes, 4 Jays and a Crossbill; on Widow Howe Moor there were a pair of Merlins and 45 Golden Plovers; at Ravenscar 66 Pink-footed Geese flew north at 16.00 and finally today a ringtail Hen Harrier flew south over the sea at Cornelian Bay at 13.50 but turned inland before reaching Cayton Bay.

Saturday 14th October 2017

The first Yellow-browed Warbler in town this year was reported calling in Alma Square today and further a field there was another at Sycarham Wood where there were also 4 Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, 2 Goldcrests, a Brambling and 3 Redpoll sp.

At Crook Ness today single Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Wheatear and Redwing; Johnson’s Marsh had a Little Grebe; a Snow Bunting was at the bottom of the public footpath at Jackson’s Bay; there were 4 Goldcrests at the Open Air Theatre and at Wykeham Raptor View Point 3+ Goshawks and a Peregrine.

There was an Osprey around Papermill Lake, Ellerburn with 6 Common Buzzards and a Chiffchaff also in the area and finally at Boggle Hole 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, one on either side of the stream on the Cleveland Way, and 2 Swallows went south.

Friday 13th October 2017

This morning on Wykeham South Lake there were 5 Egyptian Geese, 42 Coot and a Kingfisher; at Peasholm c50 Pink-footed Geese flew northeast at 10.30; 50 Pink-footed Geese flew North over Jugger Howe Moor this morning and the Dalby Forest Great Grey Shrike was seen again today on Grime Moor.

At Crook Ness today there was a Blackcap and 6 Goldcrests, on Castle Hill 3 Goldcrests and in the harbour area 4 Purple Sandpipers and 47 Turnstones.