Monday 30th October 2017

The Bearded Tits put in their final performance at the Open Air Theatre before departing high to the south prior to 09.00, also a Blackcap was seen here and at The Mere a Water Rail was seen in the reedbed at the southern end, there was a female Goosander on the water and in the trees a couple of Blackcaps.

Quite a productive seawatch at Long Nab today between 07.00 and 13.20 with the following species being recorded - 86 Pink-footed Geese (S), 46 Wigeon (1S, 45 N), 28 Mallard (N), 87 Teal (N), 258 Common Scoter (6 S, 252 N), a Long-tailed Duck (N), 73 Goldeneye (2 S, 71 N), a Goosander (N), a Red-breasted Merganser (N), 46 Red-throated Divers (12 S, 34 N), 3 Black-throated Divers (N), 3 Great Northern Divers (N), 4 Manx Shearwaters (N), 219 Gannets (14 S, 205 N), 3 Shags (N), 38 Cormorant (32 S, 6 N), 2 Dunlin (N), 914 Kittiwakes (N), 167 Black-headed Gulls (35 S, 132 N), 5 Little Gulls (N), 2 Mediterranean Gulls (1 S, 1 N), 95 Common Gulls (16 S, 79 N), a Sandwich Tern (S), a Skua sp. (S), an Arctic Skua (N), 3 Little Auks (N), 734 Guillemots/Razorbills (N), a Long-eared Owl (in off and west), 3 Skylarks (in off and west), 40 Starlings (in off and west), 2 Redwings (in off and west), a Grey Wagtail (S) and a Chaffinch (S).

At Wykeham South Lake today 5 Whooper Swans but they departed to the south-east, 430 Greylag Geese, 18 Pink-footed Geese (and 30 flew south this morning), 90 Canada Geese, c20 Wigeon, 3 Gadwall, 15 Tufted Ducks, 5 Pochard, 6 Goldeneye, a Goosander, 75 Coot, 4 Great Crested Grebe and a Woodcock flew in from the east.

Seamer Tip pool held 2 Shoveler, 12 Gadwall, 4 Wigeon and 5 Teal, a Little Egret was on Cayton Carr and there was a Barnacle Goose in Peasholm Park.