East Coast

It was a dull drizzley start to Sunday, at Heslington there was a pair of Little Owls at the back of Outgang and we eventually found the Little Ringed Plover on the new University Campus Lake then we headed off to the East Coast hoping the weather would improve, it didn't although most of the breeding Auks etc were back in at Bempton making for the usual spectacle, no sign of Lapland Buntings from the day before though. We carried on to Flamborough Head and at least it stopped raining by the time we got there, we took a stroll from North Landing to the North Marsh with again many seabirds back on the cliffs, in a ploughed field by the Marsh we finally  found our quarry, up to 14 Lapland Buntings, superb birds coming into summer plumage also a very pale Barn Owl out hunting in the area and a pair of Peregrines were patrolling the cliffs. The sun eventually began to break through mid afternoon but a scan over Filey Bay didn't find anything unusual so after hearing that a Black Necked Grebe had been seen at North Duffield Carrs we decided to head back and try for that, the bird was still present but distant when we got there along with a good selection of wildfowl, a lot more than when I was there a few weeks ago, still a good few Whooper Swans coming in to roost and the day was rounded off nicely when a Barn Owl performed right in front of the hide.


North Landing



Headland Scenics

The Lapland Buntings were always just on the top of a ridge and I couldn't get a clear shot

The Barn Owl at North Duffield

Still a few Whoopers coming in