Filey, 1st - 6th September 2012

For all the mouth-watering promise conjoured up by the words 'early September' and 'east coast bird observatory', sometimes relentless south-westerlies and clear skies conspire to drain the blood from even the most enthusiastic and least jaded of foot soldiers. And so it's been for pretty much all of the last week - happy days for the last of the beach-dwelling tourists, slim pickings for the weirdo in the bushes.

spot the Sooty

Newly-arrived passerines have been all but absent, although a few Goldcrests have joined the small numbers of phylloscs in the hedgerows and top scrub. An evening sea-watching on the 5th was, considering the conditions (as above), enjoyable - the pick of being an pale-morph adult Pomarine Skua and six Sooty Shearwaters ambling north in the golden evening light.

A check on the Dams this morning (6th) was 100% wader-free, which is extraordinary at this time of year; still, a Pintail in front of the (otherwise-deserted) East Pool hide was a modest pleasure, and a new one for the year. Onwards and upwards, it's still early days.

Filey, 24th - 31st August 2012

Now that's (even) more like it. All too often, August can be full of promise, scant in delivery; but while the first three weeks of the month in Filey had its moments, the final week beautifully reinforced why there's nowhere quite like the East coast when autumn kicks in.

Those first three weeks were reasonably entertaining; no outstanding falls or killer rarities, but a steadily broadening spectrum of migrants as the month wore on, from seabirds and wildfowl to waders and passerines. However, as the last seven days approached, possibilities increased, and conditions looked promising for classic early autumn arrivals.

Knot

The 24th began mild and calm, but a strengthening easterly wind coincided with a front of thick cloud and rain moving in the south around 0830, producing a wonderful spectacle on Carr Naze. Multitudes of hirundines and Swifts materialised from nowhere, at all heights - some an ankle height, some distant specs in the ether, and everywhere inbetween - and proceeded to flood past in plague-like proportions for a good 45 minutes, as the drizzle came and went in gentle waves. Fantastic.

 Sandwich Tern

Otherwise, a sprinkling of common migrants (including fresh-in Pied Fly and Goldcrest) promised more from the light easterlies and mist, but the 25th produced little else, despite methodical floggings of the northern area throughout. It looked as if the encouraging conditions had failed to produce anything special; but the 26th was another day.

The forecasted blustery north-north-westerly happily came to pass, and the seawatch hide duly beckoned - there for around 0600, the heavy swell and crashing white horses made us work for our rewards, which were all the sweeter for it. The highlights were undoubtedly the two adult Sabine's Gulls which gunned south, about an hour apart, although a Balearic Shearwater and 43 Arctic Skuas (and plenty of other action) provided fine back-up.

Turnstone

Pleasantly flushed with success and with an hour or so to kill before prior engagements brought the curtain down, Dan and I hiked back up Carr Naze and wandered into the Top Scrub late morning, more from force of habit than anything else. With the wind bending the trees and the sun beating down, expectations were accordingly low and the apparent lack of activity was no surprise.

Which was far from the case when, seconds after rambling out flawed theories as to why the area we were stood in seemed peculiarly attractive to Icterine Warblers (Frank's in May, mine a couple of weeks back), what should choose to show itself beautifully on a sheltered, sunlit branch in front of us than a pristine Icterine Warbler. What a morning.

The 27th looked less promising, but the possibility of northbound stragglers after yesterday's movements was too much to resist; hence, back in the hut early doors. A generally quiet three hours were illuminated by two Long-tailed Skuas heading south at 0820, suitable compensation for several almost-definite-but-not-quite sightings the previous day.

Icterine Warbler

An early seawatch on the 29th had plenty of variety, with highlights including a Red-necked Grebe, two Little Gulls and a Med Gull, but the 30th was, to put it simply, an absolute joy. Following a calm and clear previous few hours, the strong northerlies hit exactly when forecast - along with driving, horizontal rain - mid-morning; after fulfilling a prior engagement in Scarborough, it was on with the waterproofs and a speed-walk along the deserted beach.

Into the hide for 1045, and John had already logged plenty of skuas and shearwaters coming south thick and (very) fast; with a wall of impenetrable dark cloud and rain providing a perfect curtain against which to watch them, the birds were either overwhelmingly close inshore or completely hidden in the gloom.

The next five hours were an almost constant pleasure, with an exceptional hour or so around midday, both during and immediately after the heaviest of the rain (and the strongest of the winds). Skuas and Shearwaters stole the show, with numbers - and views - the like of which I haven't seen for many years. I could wax lyrical about it endlessly here, but, as with all killer seawatches, you just have to be there.....

..... of Skuas, our day total of 207 Arctics was the best for some years, along with thirty-odd Bonxies, five Poms and no less than four Long-tails; of shearwaters, over 200 Manxies for the day, six Sooties, and the best views of a Balearic I'll probably ever have without making physical contact. Surprisingly, neighbouring sites (including Flamborough) had but a fraction of our quantity and quality, suggesting the conditions conspired perfectly for us and, for one day at least, nowhere else held a candle to the Brigg. Magical.

An early seawatch on the 31st was almost comically poor in comparison, but only served to reinforce how special the previous day was. A fine week ending a better-than-expected month; and now for September.....

Icky Thump

It's still only August, and I've already been lucky enough to find two Icterine Warblers here at Filey this autumn. Neither chose to show off for more than a few seconds, and both - in common with the bird in the late spring - materialised in the same small area of the Top Scrub (actually secondary / successional woodland), all within about 15 metres of each other.

The second bird, which showed up a few days ago on the late morning of the 26th (and was seen again on the 28th), is pictured above and, interestingly, below - a Bowie-esque change in appearance that made us thankful this view wasn't the only one we got.

The first bird (which showed briefly over the course of a few minutes on the afternoon of the 14th, and never again) is pictured below, and without the most obvious features on display, was a far from straightforward i.d.; thanks to various correspondents however (particularly Martin Cade at Portland), other possibilities were ruled out. A promising start to the season, which will hopefully be dominated by easterlies, mist, showers and the prizes that such conditions bring.....

 

 

 

Filey, 15th - 23rd August 2012

Greenshank

With more important things to deal with at the second, the week involved less time in the field than usual, but still produced some entertaining sessions and a few surprises. Nothing quite as evocative of the time and place as last week's Icterine Warbler, but plenty of migrants, and indeed a far rarer species locally - two Willow Tits (below) at the Dams from 16th were only the third or fourth record in the last 25 years.

While watching a fresh juvenile Whinchat (the first of the year, above) in the set-aside by the tip on the same day, an Osprey made slow progress south-west and a Med Gull drifted north-west; throw in several Pied Flycatchers and good sprinklings of Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, and Ruff, Greenshanks and various other waders either down or heading over, and it was a far from boring session in the field.

Hare of the dog

The rest of the week was less eventful (despite daily rounds to varying degrees), although passerines included more Willow Warblers and Pied Flycatchers, the first autumn Tree Pipit over, a few more of the common Sylvias, the odd Buzzard over and various waders over and down. All well and good, but the next few days proved much more productive....

 

Black-tailed Godwit

Mallard & Greenshank 
 

Filey's summer waders - Sandpipers

Both Common and Green Sandpipers have been a constant at the Dams over the last fortnight, with up to four of the former and seven of the latter present (including five in the same frame, below).

 

 

 

Filey's summer waders - Greenshanks

Come rain or shine, Greenshanks have performed beautifully in front of the main pool hide at the Dams over the last couple of weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filey, 1st - 14th August 2012

Highlights: Icterine Warbler (above),14th; Roseate Terns, 7th; all four skuas; waders and wildfowl on the move, and migrant passerines beginning to filter through.

Common Buzzard

A brief bulletin this time on account of more important things going on at the second, hence just the main highlights described here. Plenty of action over the first half of August made for entertaining sessions both land- and sea-watching, and the stuttering trickle of late July steadily turned into a healthy flow of migrants over the fortnight.

 

Little Egrets

After promising south-easterlies overnight, top billing goes to an Icterine Warbler, unforthcoming but still good enough to give me a few seconds of its time in the Top Scrub on 14th (less than ten metres from where this spring's bird showed up in May); unfortunately that was that, and despite extensive searches, it wasn't seen again. Coinciding with the autumn's first small wave of continental scarcities on the East coast, it at least ensured we were in the mix.

Pied Flycatcher, Long Lane, 13th

Other migrant passerines began to materialise pretty much simultaneously, with a sprinkling of Willow Warblers, a handful of Lesser Whitethroats, an increase in Blackcaps and the first few Pied Flycatchers (including three in the Top Scrub with the Icterine on the 14th).

 

The sea has provided better numbers and variety of various species, with all four skuas putting in appearances - as well as regular Bonxies and Arctics (pictured above), a juvenile Long-tailed Skua ambled south on the 10th (our first of the year) preceded by two Pomarines on the same day, with another on 13th. Equal billing goes to two Roseate Terns on the Brigg on the 7th (conveniently scope-able from the 'front garden'), and as well as plenty of Manxies, two Sooty Shearwaters drifted south on the 14th.

hybrid Greylag x Canada Geese, Dams

A Garganey leading a small flock of Teal north past the seawatch hide, also on 10th, was the pick of wildfowl during the period; of raptors, pickings were slim, and the best was a Common Buzzard over the golf course on the 8th (although it's hard to avoid multiple Sparrowhawks, Peregrines and Kestrels presently).

Grey Heron 

The first Mediterranean Gull of the season appeared on the country park with Black-headed Gulls for a short while on the morning of the 11th, and up to three Little Egrets (still not the commonest of species up here in the north) were together on East Lea and the Dams from the 9th.

The quality and quantity of waders picked considerably, both on the Brigg and on the (much-improved, mud-fringed) pools at the Dams; the latter site held up to seven Green and four Common Sandpipers, as well as odd Greenshank and Dunlin. The Brigg held a wide range of common species, including three Purple Sandpipers on the 8th.

Moorhen chick 

The fortnight closed with the aforemention Hippolais and positive upsurges generally, still coming to pass as I write; hopefully the next post will follow in a few days time now things are really kicking in.