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| Male European Stonechat (hibernans) - multiple birds are fence-hopping the coastal strip presently |
Prior to this morning's fun in the sun at Flamborough (see last post), most of my local birding over recent days has involved fairly brief sojourns here in the Filey area, and while I'd stop short of saying spring has arrived with a vengeance, it's at least tapped at the door in various unmistakeable ways.
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| Pink, it was love at first sight |
As long-term readers of these pages will know well, from a local birding perspective, spring is a stuttering and protracted beast here on the North Yorkshire coast, at least, until the season gets into full swing; but there are indeed various alarms quietly sounding, and some mercifully bright, non-windy sessions (a rarity in recent weeks) have helped amplify them a little more.
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| A Short-eared Owl temporarily escapes the local photographers at the Tip... |
Movements of Pink-footed Geese stepping-stoning their way back to Arctic breeding grounds - especially on clear, calm days in late February and March - are a wonderful and underrated kick-start to the season; several recent days have seen small numbers heading north, but perfect conditions on the morning of the 3rd saw a fantastic 1805 (in 15+ skeins) in just four hours or so - a joy to witness, and mirrored at other coastal sites from Spurn to Whitburn.
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| ...while a Sparrowhawk patrols the bunting flocks nearby |
Its peak season for Stonechats along the coastal strip, with multiple birds along the northern cliffs; otherewise, pipits and (especially) Skylarks are the dominant migrant passerines - of the former, a Scandinavian Rock Pipit at Gristhorpe Bay a couple of days ago was the pick. Elsewhere, there are still decent numbers numbers of Yellowhammers and other seed-eaters in a temporarily productive field near the Tip, which is attracting plenty of raptor attention as a result. Nearby, a Short-eared Owl is still at the Tip, where Grey Partridges and Brown hares are limbering up for the breeding season... while the odd Chiffchaff and Blackcap are at least hinting at things to come.
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| Skylarks are on the move and local breeders are setting up territories |
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| Yap yap yap! |
