Filey, 1st - 10th June 2013

Kestrel

Well, that was better. After a somewhat tortuous May, the first third of June was relatively productive, pleasantly varied, and even provided a long-overdue self-found scarcity (and a particularly appropriate one at that).

Red-backed Shrike (and rock-poolers)

The 1st was sunny and warm, and Carr Naze hosted not only multitudes of weekenders but also a very accommodating female Red-Backed Shrike, still present after a day or two in the area; a good hour was well spent enjoying its forays along the southern flank of the cliffs. The 2nd was equally bright, and a wander with the Mrs onto the Brigg for some seal pup convening unexpectedly produced close-up Bonxie and Manxie (both personal local year-firsts) as well as a handful of wader species, including (presumed Tundrae) Ringed Plovers.

The 3rd and 4th were unremarkable, although the regular circuits in suddenly sunny and mild conditions were a quiet pleasure. The 5th, meanwhile, was the first day of a repeat two-month contract surveying the bay, its birds and their movements - meaning extended observational sessions, from shortly after dawn onwards, several days a week throughout June and July. To be fair there's a bit more to it than that, but at the same time there are far worse ways of spending the summer, and of course there's the constant chance of picking up something interesting ....

Bonxie and victim, 2nd

.... and the first day instantly provided. Two pale-bellied Brent Geese in the bay corner were unusual, and would otherwise have been a satisfying early highlight, but were trumped by a pair of Little Terns heading north across the bay at lunchtime - a barely annual species here and nigh-on impossible to predict. More hints of movement included Arctic Terns, a high-flying northbound Greenshank, and a very late Wheatear fresh-in on Carr Naze.

A late Northern Wheatear on Carr Naze, 5th June 

Pale-bellied Brent Geese in the bay corner

The 6th dawned cloudy and mild, and after a pleasantly uneventful few hours, the one-minute walk from my clifftop vantage point to Jack's Cafe finally and unexpectedly gave me the long-awaited quality migrant I'd been chipping away for over recent weeks. I'd all but given up hope of finding a county rare this spring, but with takeaway tea in hand, I was stopped in my tracks by a uniquely captivating virtuoso singing from the herbage by the path - Marsh Warbler. A Redemption Song indeed.

Willow Warbler, Top Scrub

Roe Deer

The 7th was quiet (although with the pleasant high pressure-dominated conditions continuing), but for four Barnacle Geese heading north over the Brigg early on. The 8th was spent enjoying a lie-in, and then Nightjars and Redstarts in the forest; the 9th and 10th were also generally quiet, except for a Great Northern Diver, which had kindly taken up residence right in front of my VP and became increasingly unfazed during today's survey period. 

Barnacle Geese 

Great Northern Diver, bay corner, 10th

Filey, 8th - 11th May 2012

Short-eared Owl, 10th

Showers overnight and a southerly airflow for the 8th - a second consecutive day of southerly winds being a rare occurrence so far this spring - brought modest returns, with visible migration evident but few grounded migrants; the highlight was a cream-crown Marsh Harrier high and in off the sea, while other notables included high flying flocks of corvids (mainly Carrion Crows), Yellow Wags, a Whimbrel and Hirundine migration that very much stole the show.

Another photo of another Wheatear - not why, but why not

Personal counts of 650 Swallows, 290 House Martins and 200 Sand Martins were doubtless a fraction of the true figures moving through in an impressive, constant flow, and the wire fence along the north cliff was often weighed down with dozens of birds taking brief rests; and as could be seen when scanning from higher ground, birds were moving along at least several different main flightlines. Hence, 'thousands' is probably the best (if somewhat downplaying) description of numbers.

A Cuckoo circumnavigating blissfully unaware tourists

The morning of the 9th was pleasantly mild and sunny with a light easterly, and a wander around the south side produced limited results, although a Cuckoo along the cliff path and a Garden Warbler singing at the bridge were both firsts for the year. Plenty of other common migrants were evident, with up to 50 Swifts and a good scattering of warblers - most notably Common Whitethroats, seemingly occupying all available habitat. The afternoon became gradually cooler, cloudier and breezier (from the east), but the best of several hours on the northern circuit were three Common Sandpipers together on the rocks below Carr Naze.

Common Swift - uncommonly magical

And so to the 10th, a day of clashing weather systems and changing conditions; once again, the entertainment was incoming and overhead (as opposed to in situ), and the sight of two fresh-in Short-eared Owls instantly patrolling the cliff edge was a pleasure, especially when one promptly caught breakfast and then staged a close-up fly by for good measure.

Wren

Hirundines continued to plough through, with all three species reaching double figures again as well as other common migrants in small numbers (including six Wheatears on the Naze - the majority at least being new birds based on plumage and sex). However, it took til early afternoon for the highlight of the day, which appeared low over the top scrub before disappearing over the cliff-edge - an Osprey, the second of the spring, and always a thrill.

Osprey, 10th

So May thus far has been pretty hard work, with circumstances, in common with April, being far from advantageous; generally messy conditions, ascendant low pressure systems and a lack of any sustained southerly airflows has somewhat curtailed possibilities so far. Although, it being spring, there have been highlights on most days, and all it takes is a change in the weather for something special to happen.....

 

Barnacle Goose (belatedly), Filey Dams, 4th

Filey, 27th April - 3rd May 2012

Brambling, Short Hedge, 2nd

So much for the month ending quietly..... as mentioned in last week's summary, April was seemingly on course to sputter out under characteristically dark skies, low pressure, plenty of rain and unhelpful winds. Thus a mainly sunny (albeit blustery) afternoon in the southern area on the 27th was a welcome if pretty quiet break from the storms. Aside from a trickle of northbound Swallows and a Wheatear on the (closed, largely submerged) golf course, the action was limited to the bay, where there were a pair of Shovelers, 15 Common Scoters, two each of Velvet Scoter and Eider, around 15 Sandwich Terns and a couple of distant Common/Arctic Terns.

 Bullfinch, Parish Wood

The 28th saw the wind swing a little more promisingly into the north-east, although the dark skies, blustery conditions and showers made birding difficult. A full circuit of the northern area was notably quiet, until the last few metres of habitat - when a cracking male Ficedula Flycatcher braved the wind and announced its most welcome presence. A Pied would have done just fine, but after further scrutiny and subsequent feedback it seems it was a little more interesting.

Common Redstart, Church Ravine, 30th

Further lousy weather ruled out any activity the following day, but cross-referencing the various forecasts and charts for the 30th quickened the pulse significantly; hence, an early alarm was set despite a pre-booked session (and an obligatory skinful) into the early hours the preceding evening. And mercifully, the forecasts held true - the winds had duly calmed and swung easterly overnight, with torrential rain replaced first by higher cloud and then fog.

Avocets on a temporary flash by the sports fields, 30th

Fog, as in a full-on, dry-ice grey-out. Walking north along the cliff shortly after dawn, the sea was greatly amplified and yet completely obscured, and the two-hour window I had before having to bail out for prior engagements grew increasingly precious. Reaching a Carr Naze (the grassy plateau and its deep gorges that crown the Brigg) undisturbed by dog-walkers was a rare treat in itself, and in the beautifully calm, atmospheric gloom, migrants were suddenly everywhere.

Tame (and evidently knackered) Robins and Wheatears hopped along the path, unphased by my presence; redpolls and then Yellow Wagtails buzzed invisibly in gloom, followed by the first of at least three Tree Pipits. It was more than obvious it was game on, and with not a soul around, savouring the experience was a real pleasure. Next up, a Ring Ouzel - also the first of at least three - flashed across the path and into a gully, and the trickle of Swallows materialising from the fog became a steady, twittering stream.

A few steps further on, and bingo - a Wryneck, up from the path, along the cliff and out of sight just beyond the roman signal station. Further careful stalking (perhaps predictably) made for very limited success, and despite a second view and seeing exactly where it landed, the bird dissolved into the slopes within a second or two. No matter, a great bird at any time, especially in the spring.

More migrants followed (including e.g. Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler), but my time was up, at least for the rest of the morning. As the day wore on, the fog gradually burned away, leaving a bright and sunny afternoon; perfect. Back out as soon as possible by mid-afternoon, a Common Redstart on the entry path (a few minutes from the front door) was the harbinger of a Church Ravine loaded with fresh arrivals.

A particularly hygienic Wheatear, Carr Naze
 

A conservative count of 28 Willow Warblers here (a personal count of 62 for the day was doubtless a fraction of the overall total), as well as plenty of Robins, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, Common Whitethroat, and two Yellow Wagtails on the neighbouring field were great value, and then a brief session at Long Lane and the Top Scrub revealed more of the same; brief on account of the arrival of two Avocets (a real local rarity) at a temporary flash nearby.

Back to the north-east area for the last couple of hours, and more migrants fresh-in included 12 Whinchats in the Totem Pole Field, another Ring Ouzel, and plenty more Wheatears along the cliff and in the Carr Naze area. Thanks to the frantic yelling of John and Frank (who needs walkie talkies?) I connected with an Osprey, just as it approached us, in off the sea in the evening sunshine. The kind of day that, if ever it were needed, reminds me why moving here was a very smart move. And then of course, to cap it all, there was this... hauling the DSLR around never seemed so righteous.

Osprey in off over the bay, 30th

As for the 1st of the new month, a return to blustery, dull, unhelpful conditions, and with a certain bird in situ at South Landing only about 15 miles away, it would've been rude not to stop by and say hello.

Back on patch first thing on the 2nd, and a full circuit of the northern area in cool, dark conditions with a blustery NNW was relatively quiet; but still, what few birds were around included some quality, not least in the shape of a tame, vocal and frankly beautiful Brambling, and an altogether more brutish Hooded Crow kicking around with the local marauding corvids around the old tip.

As honeymoon periods go, this is about as good as it gets. Bring on May.

Hooded Crow, 2nd