A nice day on the east coast

Me, Andy and Pete Watson decided on the east coast yesterday hoping for some early migrants, we started the day at Northstead Manor Gardens in Scarborough where a showy drake Garganey had been found on the small lake there at the beginning of the week, it was still present and showing extremely well early morning, it was a nice sunny day so we headed round to Marine Drive next and spent some time photographing the Peregrines next to Post 57, we then went on to Holbeck but it looks like the Med Gulls have gone now, then on to Filey, a walk along Carr Naze searching for Wheatear was fruitless but a couple of distant Velvet Scoters were in the Bay we also checked out the Dams but there was nothing out of the ordinary there neither just a Barn Owl sat out sunning itself. Bempton was next and most of the seabirds are back in now although not many Puffins yet and it took a while to find one then we had a quick jaunt along to Flamborough but a sea fret started rolling in, there was no sign of any migrants, so we thought it was time to head back inland and decided to finish off at Tophill Low, there was a good selection of common stuff around the reserve and at Watton Borrow Pits there was a pair of Little Ringed Plovers and two Snow Geese although the latter were quite likely escapes plus we came across a Grass Snake out sunning itself on a grass mound, we thought there may have been some Hirundines over the Reservoirs but they still seem to be thin on the ground up north.

Tufties and showy Garganey at Northstead Manor Gardens

a Sparrowhawk landed in a nearby tree but just a bit far for the camera really

Peregrines put on a fine performance

Fulmars too

Scarborough from Holbeck

Filey Brig looking from Bempton

Tophill Low

of dubious origin

Comma