Whimbrels - their whinnying contact calls were the soundtrack to the day
A day off, no pressing responsibilities, and so to the coast - specifically the end of Carr Naze, Filey, for what turned out to be a very relaxing seven hours staring at the sea and the sky.
It's the time of year when wader (shorebird) migration starts to kick in, with the first real waves from (much) farther north heralding the start of the birding autumn - and Whimbrels were particularly numerous, with 242 south in the session (a personal record day count here I think); also on the move were good numbers of Oystercatchers and Redshanks, plus Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwits, Knot, Turnstones and Curlews among others.
Spot the flocks, above and below the horizon....
A mixed flock of Whimbrels and Oystercatchers heading towards Flamborough
Otherwise - aside from the masses of seabirds enjoying the bounties offshore - it was steady as she goes, with a couple of distant Minkes and a couple of pods of Bottlenose Dolphins on show, as well as two Med Gulls south.
Mediterranean Gull (above), Bottlenose Dolphins (below).
