Scarborough area and back to Dunnington

Out with Mark and our mate Dave from Rochdale yesterday (Sunday) and a day in the Scarborough area was planned, we started at Wykeham Lakes for the resident Egyptian Geese and whatever else was there, unfortunately the Geese had gone AWOL this morning and there wasn’t much else so we soon moved on to Hackness calling in at Forge Valley feeding station en route where I year ticked Marsh Tit, Nuthatch and Treecreeper, a quick look at the Lake at Hackness soon found a drake Mandarin with two females in tow then we headed into Troutsdale, a stop at the bridge at Hilla Green saw a Kingfisher flying upstream and a pair of Dippers, a bit further up the valley we hoped for a bit of Raptor action but it was seemingly very quiet and we were just thinking of giving up when a load of Pigeons exploded out of the trees on the ridge behind us, Mark picked up a Raptor flying low in front of some trees and I got on to it just before it disappeared into them, we were both happy it was a Goshawk and it was confirmed a few minutes later when a pair got up above the trees the large female drifting off over the valley, we also had Siskin and Crossbill in the area. We dropped down into Scarborough and thought we’d try for the wintering Black Redstart by the Royal Albert Cafe on Marine Drive, after several minutes scanning the sea defences which it favours it wasn’t looking good but then all of sudden it was there, feeding in amongst the large boulders it spent more time out of sight than in view, the Harbour produced the Great Northern Diver and Black Necked Grebe which Dave still needed for the year and a few Purple Sandpipers along the outer wall, we had lunch at Holbeck with up to seven Med Gulls one or two now obtaining full black hoods. We headed down to Filey next to try for the Red Necked Grebe in the Bay but it was extremely windy there and with everything miles out there was little chance of finding it so with a report of the Coues’ Arctic Redpoll found late yesterday at Hagg Wood, Dunnington being seen this morning we headed back to York to have a go for that, upon arrival we learned the Redpoll flock had been spooked mid-morning and had not been relocated, we had a good tramp around the woods for an hour and a half anyway but the best we managed was hearing a flock of Redpolls flying over. 

Mandarin at Hackness

Dippers at Hilla Green

Scarborough North Bay

Med Gulls at Holbeck