Summer Laps

Out with Paz today and we started at Hornsea Mere in search of yesterdays Red Necked Grebe but despite an extensive look around there was no sign of it today, the female Long Tailed Duck was still present though and a Cetti’s Warbler gave a brief snatch of song from the reeds by the Sailing Club. Taking our leave we headed up to Flamborough and took a walk along Water Lane where up to three Black Redstarts have been in recent days, we drew a blank at first but decided on one last scan of an adjacent Horse Paddock and managed to find a female on a fence post in the far corner, it was then on to Millennium Wood for the (northern) Treecreeper, its been around quite a while now but unfortunately wasn’t showing while we were there. There has been some good numbers of Finches and Buntings etc between Buckton and Bempton in the week so we thought we’d see what was still around next, we walked out along Hoddy Cows Lane and as we got towards the cliffs we were greeted by loads of Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Corn Buntings etc and in a ploughed field just beyond the Heligoland Trap we found our main quarry, up to five Lapland Buntings, they were showing well with at least two males in stunning summer plumage, we ended the day at Bempton where as well as the sea birds we had several Twite in with a Linnet flock by the Staple Newk watch-point one of them showing its lovely pink rump, a pleasant days birding.

spot the Sparrowhawk

a good few Yellowhammers at end of Hoddy Cows Lane

plus these stunners

this one was singing

in the car park at Bempton

Gulls Galore

I nipped over to North Cave Wetlands after work this afternoon mainly to year tick Little Ringed Plover, I eventually located a distant pair on Dryham Ings as well as a pair of Ringed Plover, a couple of Dunlin and hundreds of Pied Wagtails, well quite a lot anyway, a Chiffchaff was singing in the hedge along the lane but there were no Hirundines today, I went round to the Turret Hide later overlooking Island Lake which has become over-run with the noisy Black Headed Gull colony, there's still a few larger Gulls coming down to bathe and loaf around though and a couple of Med Gulls had also joined the melee.

not quite adult yet

angry birds

a few Gadwall about

and a couple of Goosanders dropped in

Indifferent Day

Well you know how it is, you plan to do such a place for so an so then go to the next place for whatever but the trouble is the birds don't read the script, well I started up at the Raptor viewpoint at Wykeham hoping the recent White Tailed Eagle might put in an appearance but after a couple of hours there then a tour of the area between Langdale and Hackness there had been no sign of it, although several Buzzards and Goshawks etc entertained. Early afternoon I gave up on the Eagle and headed off to Flamborough for my next target bird, the Hooded Crow/s seen over the last few days, I had a good search round the favoured area between the village and Bempton but it was another no show, I found out later two birds were seen flying South past the Headland this morning, I had a quick look at the wetland area at Thornwick Bay next but it was very quiet, a Snipe being the only bird of note,  I finished off the afternoon with a walk along the cliff-top path from the Headland photographing the seabirds, four Wheatears on the Golf Course were my first for the year so I least I got something from the day.

Buzzards

Kessy

and Sparrowhawk in Wykeham Forest

back in numbers now

hanging in the wind

sometimes came too close