Monday 1st January 2018

The beginning of a new year and despite a lack of scarce species the efforts of our members over a large area today resulted in a few interesting records.

The first news of the year concerned a second winter Mediterranean Gull on Peasholm Park Lake, closely followed by notification of the continued presence of at least one Hawfinch at Thornton-le-Dale. It transpired that there were at least three birds still present and although very mobile one of the best places to look is at the junction of Dog Kennel Lane and Rectory Lane.

Around Scarborough itself we had reports of a Redshank, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Kingfisher, 2 Marsh Tits and 2 Bullfinches at the Open Air Theatre; Scalby Mills had 8 Red-throated Divers and 13 Purple Sandpipers; in Cornelian Bay 9 Red-throated Divers, a Common Scoter, 6 Grey Plovers and 5 Ringed Plovers and finally at Holbeck Car Park we had at least 9 Mediterranean Gulls (6 adults, 2 2^nd winters and a 1^st winter).

Further afield on the Haygate Circuit (Dalby Forest) at least 60 Common Crossbills with many singing (but unfortunately no Parrots), 6 Lesser Redpolls, c40 Siskins, 5 Mistle Thrushes, c80 Redwings and 2 Fieldfares. On Folkton Carr a Grey Plover, 210 Golden Plovers, 1,200 Lapwings, Kingfisher, Little Egret, Chiffchaff and on the River Hertford were 2 Little Grebes and 51 Teal; along Ellerburn Burn there were 1 maybe 2 Hawfinches, 2 Kingfishers, 2 Grey Wagtails and 23 Grey Herons and finally at Wykeham South Lake an unusual record of a Goshawk plus a Whooper Swan and 4 Goldeneyes and two Peregrines chasing Wood Pigeons at Irton.

Kingfisher - Open Air Theatre - Kevin Groocock

Mediterranean Gull - Holbeck - Kevin Groocock