Squalls, Seals and Scandinavian Wanderers

Arriving at a very busy Flamborough Head we exited the car into the teeth of a very brisk Northerly blow and the first of countless rapid but drenching downpours swept across the area as we set off on our walk along the cliffs on the Southern edge of the Headland. A few minutes scanning the sea from near the Sea Watching hide resulted in some lovely sightings as hundreds of Gannets (ranging from pristine adults to dark plumaged juveniles) slipped quickly South or laboured North over the wind whipped white caps back to Bempton. Kittiwakes took it in their stride dipping down to the waves to feed whilst winter plumaged Guillemots and Razorbills powered low over the water on whirring wings.

Closer in, where the proximity of the shore turned the waves into long breaking swells, four Red Throated Diver showed well making it easy to pick out the chunkier, darker Great Northern Diver a little further out.

Making our way along the coast path to the South West, the lee of head allowed a bit more shelter and a stubble field played host to small flocks of Skylark and Meadow Pipit but my attention was grabbed by a chunky, light/sandy coloured Bunting that flew from near the path to a hedge allowing just enough time for me to get my bins on it – surely a Snow Bunting? Frustratingly it had disappeared behind the hedge and I never did find it again but confirmation of a Snow Bunting in the same vicinity came through later in the Flamborough Bird Observatory sightings page so it was almost certainly the same bird.

Seconds later the Larks erupted from the field as a dark brown falcon streaked low over the field, ‘Merlin’ I called pointing out the bird but started to feel uneasy of my identification as it appeared too big with a proportionately longer tail. Then, just as it nosed into wind and held itself steady, the weak sunshine hit its plumage to reveal a female Kestrel. Not the rarer Merlin but a lovely bird all the same.

Out at sea, where conditions were a little calmer to the south no fewer than eleven Grey Seals bobbed up and down in the swells entertaining us while we hunkered down with a coffee and a butty during another down pour.

The Atlantic Grey Seal is the most numerous of the UK’s two Seal species (the Common or Harbour Seal being the other) and regularly breeds along the coastline making the Yorkshire coast a great place to see this wonderful animal.

As we turned inland alongside a hedge to cut across the headland It became clear we were not the only ones around as several medium sized birds passed just above our heads to bury themselves in the hedge a few metres away, scanning back the way they had come from resulted in a decent view of more small groups flying in off the sea to make landfall near where we were stood. Soon the hedge was a chacking, seeping mass of Winter Thrushes with more than a dozen each of continental Blackbirds and Scandinavian Redwings (Turdus iliacus) and several large, boldly marked chuckling Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) – My first of the Autumn! What an amazing thought (and feat) it was that those birds had just flown over 500 miles from the coast of Scandinavia and their first sight of the UK was that hedgerow (and a fat bloke from Derby).

Migration in action!

Already satisfied with some cracking wildlife, I had one other bird I had hoped to find before leaving Flamborough Head – The Yellow-Browed Warbler that had eluded me the Sunday before in Derby. So with another squally shower setting in and with Emma and Michael striding off ahead to reach the shelter of the car. I stopped off at Old Fall, a small plantation/wood that can act as a magnet for recently arrived birds offering them cover and feeding opportunities after their arduous journeys. Inside the wood the noise of the wind and the rain made picking up bird calls difficult but just occasionally the birding gods grant you their blessings and during a lull in the weather came the clear and very welcome ‘Tsu-weet’ of a YBW just above my head and then there it was, flying past me and into a small area of Holly near the pond. A bird only the size of a Blue Tit and full of nervous energy, as it flitted about from stem to stem it was probably only visible for twenty seconds but long enough to soak up that lovely yellow eyebrow, note the wing bars and appreciate its supreme agility before it scarpered off along the border of the wood. As I was leaving two loud, nasal calls announced the arrival of a gorgeous male Brambling in the trees above- the cherry on the cake!

Despite the weather it was a cracking day on the East Coast and what better way to celebrate than with a chips and scraps at Filey (and more killer views of seabirds in the Bay) before the long drive home.