After the excitement of last week's impressive seabird movements it has been back to normal this week, although it has not been without some interest. On Monday I had a look along the cliffs and a poke about in the ringing site hoping for some late interest and optimistically thinking a Hume's Warbler or a Desert Wheatear might show up. Predictably I found little of note, but hoping for the latter species is not as wildly optimistic as you might think. This section of coast has hosted three Desert Wheatears in the past with singles seen in 1989, 2007 and 2010. The first two of these were found on the 26th November, whilst the other was on 19th November, so clearly this was a good week to be looking. However, not this year it would seem.
I also checked Scalby Mills on Monday and was pleased to see a juvenile Iceland Gull coast north just off the rocks. Presumably the same bird as that seen in the harbour about a week or so before. A Little Auk also flew north there with a Goosander following a few minutes later.
This morning another walk along the cliffs and ringing site was fairly quiet although a Blackcap and three Goldcrests were new and perhaps indicators that autumn isn't quite over. More unexpected was a sudden change in the number of Lapland Buntings in the stubble with 15 present, a significant increase on the recent counts which have all been in the range one-five. As usual however they were almost impossible to get views of on the ground. 46 Skylarks, 12 Rock Pipits and 8 Reed Buntings were also in the vicinity of the stubble and nearby game crops.
Finally I finished up at Scalby Mills where with the tide up, Wigeon were showing nicely. There have been two previous records of American Wigeon here, so it would be great if there was a repeat appearance when they are performing so nicely!
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| Wigeon grazing on the sea wall |
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| Drake Wigeon |
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