Friday 23rd March 2018

An early morning shock today with the discovery of an Avocet on Peasholm Park Lake swimming around near to the bandstand!! Unfortunately, it did not remain for long and was last seen when it flew off to the south at 08.12. Also new today were a couple of Snow Buntings along the Cleveland Way, one was by “Pipe Gully”, the first gully to the south of Crook Ness and the other was at Cromer Point where a Dunlin was on the pond. Also today a Willow Tit was at New Dyke, Seamer Tip.

Passing Long Nab today we had 8 Greylag Geese, a Canada Goose, 2 Teal, 3 Common Scoter, 3 Eider, a Rock Pipit and a Goldfinch all heading south and 2 alba Wagtails, 2 Meadow Pipits and a Linnet went north, 13 Starlings came in off the sea.

At Potter Brompton Carr Lesser Black-backed Gulls had increased to 16 and there were 5 Shelduck, 9 Shoveler, 2 Pintail, 100+ Teal, 90+ Wigeon and a Peregrine; 10 Tufted Duck were on Johnson’s Marsh; on The Mere 10 Goosanders and 25 Tufted Duck and on Harwood Dale Lake a Goosander, 9 Wigeon and 2 Teal.

At Scalby Mills the Wigeon count was down to 87 along with 32 Redshank, a Lapwing and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, also a pair of these had returned to their rooftop breeding site on Spring Bank.

At Wilton Heights, near Thornton-le-Dale, there were still 60+ Bramblings plus 8 Common Buzzards and a Goshawk whilst two Hawfinches continued to frequent their favoured private garden in the village.

Also of note today were 2 Small Tortoiseshell butterflies behind the Marine Drive wall.

Avocet flying off - Peasholm Park Lake - Adrian Ewart

Avocet - Peasholm Park Lake - Stuart Baines