Certainly
the highlight of the day was the continued presence of the pair of Bearded Tits in the small reed bed at
the Open Air Theatre. Although they showed well occasionally they managed to
spend long periods hidden and out of sight only giving away their whereabouts
when they called. Patience with these birds was essential but was usually rewarded
in the end with some great, close views. At one point during the morning the
birds flew off high to the east but after a while they returned and were still
present at 16.40 this afternoon. Also in the same area there were a Kingfisher,
a Marsh Tit, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Peregrine flew over.
Yesterday’s
Long-tailed Duck was still present at the Harbour Mouth and there was a Lapland
Bunting in the stubble field to the north of the Obs at Long Nab.
The
other bird which attracted much attention today was the late Spotted Flycatcher
at Cloughton which was found again today in the vicinity of the bridge on Hood
Lane. There are suggestions on the social media that it may be a Mediterranean
Flycatcher Muscicapa tyrrhenica which
some authorities consider as a species in its own right. The bird showed well
all afternoon after it was relocated just before mid-day and many photos were
taken to assist with identification as this is a very cryptic species and some
say impossible to distinguish from Spotted Flycatcher in the field. Also with
some very vigilant observation in the late afternoon a sample of the birds
droppings were obtained to be sent off for DNA analysis. Birding really is a
different hobby nowadays!!! Nearby there was a Chiffchaff in Newlands Dale.
In
the gull flock at Scalby Mills at dusk there was an unringed adult
Mediterranean Gull, 25 Common Gulls, 630 Black-headed Gulls, 380 Herring Gulls
and 180 Greater Black-backed Gulls.
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