First birdwatch of the year

So after two days doing the shopping thing with the better half I got chance for my first birdwatch of the year today and the weather forecast wasn’t good, I had a plan though, start at Filey for the Surf Scoter then head to Flamborough for the Richard’s Pipits collecting the White Fronted Geese at Buckton on the way, all hopefully before the rain started, I had the bonus of a Barn Owl sat on a fence post near Muston on the way there, I arrived at a very grey Filey and looked out over a very rough Bay, a quick scan revealed only a handful of Shags in the calmer water alongside the Brig so I ventured on to Carr Naze where some birders were looking from, I was informed by a returning birder the Scoter was still present but was last seen drifting further out and sure enough after a scan a bit further out it was soon located. Nothing much else in the Bay, I had just missed some Little Gulls, so I was soon on my way, the White Fronts were pretty straight forward, they were just stood in the middle of the field West of Buckton Hall, at Flamborough I parked up at North Landing and took the coastal path out towards North Marsh meeting a couple of local birders coming back who informed me the Richard’s Pipits were still there but in long grass in the field just beyond the flash, I got out there and was soon joined by several other birders but despite putting in a fair amount of time and eventually walking the field we only saw Rock and Meadow Pipits, on the bonus front though a Woodcock flew over being chased by a Peregrine with another flushed when we walked the field and a Pink Footed Goose was flying around with the Greylags. Eventually gave up and went back to the car for some lunch by which time it had started to rain, dropped down to South Landing where there were lots more Rock Pipits and a few common Waders on the beach but the weather worsened so I headed inland and spent the last hour picking up a few more year ticks at North Cave Wetlands.

Three birds today