October 2014 Bird Sightings Round-up

Wed 5th Nov, 2014

Mega rares, incredible falls, scarcities liberally scattered and magical birding throughout – just another typical October on the Yorkshire coast, then, writes YCN's Mark James Pearson

It's probably best to get those troublesome megas out of the way first, and where better to start than at Hunley Hall Golf Course, Brotton, where a large, striking Phylloscopus warbler flitting in the canopy on 30th turned out to be nothing less than the UK's third Eastern Crowned Warbler. Outrageously rare perhaps, but with prevailing weather conditions suggesting the ‘big one’ was indeed due, those three words were never too far from the East coast birder's lips – all the better, then, that it should come to pass on Yorkshire soil. 

Eastern Crowned Warbler at Brotton © Dave Bywater

At the opposite end of the coast, Spurn's electric autumn continued, with the Masked Shrike lingering on into the start of the month and a smart Daurian Isabelline Shrike appearing there on 15th – cementing the site's increasingly unarguable reputation as the UK hotspot for Lanius shenanigans. The following day there saw a Pallid Swift photographed over Westmere Farm (venue of the Migration Festival a few weeks previously), while a Black Brant took up residence in the area from 19th onwards. And that's before the roll-call of scarcities there.... 

Between the two, Flamborough had plenty to enjoy, but its main contenders were both tantalisingly brief and camera-shy. Three observers' fly-by views of a potential Brunnich's Guillemot on 13th, which would be only the second for Yorkshire, must be assessed by the British Birds Rarities Committee, but fingers crossed it’s accepted. A Pallid Swift in off the sea on 20th meanwhile was inland-bound and sadly not seen again. 

Of the rest, well, there was plenty on offer to say the least. Scarcer wildfowl consisted of a drake Surf Scoter past Spurn on 22nd (perhaps accompanied by a female), a Smew at Hornsea on 5th, and flocks of White-fronted Geese over Filey on 22nd and Hornsea on 24th (with a single at Spurn on 7th); Hornsea also hosted up to four Slavonian and a single Red-necked Grebe (with several of the latter also passing Flamborough seawatchers). 

Seawatching was otherwise steady without producing any great shocks, with highlights including Sabine's Gulls past Filey (5th) and Flamborough (3rd, 4th and 20th), Balearic Shearwaters past Filey (one) and Flamborough (three), Long-tailed Skuas past at least six coastal sites, Caspian Gulls at Flamborough and Hornsea, Leach's Storm-petrels past Spurn and Cowden, small numbers of Little Auks past multiple sites, and a Black Guillemot past Flamborough on 15th. A very decent turn-out of Grey Phalaropes included three past Spurn, three at Filey (including one lingering off the Brigg into November), and reports of up to four at Flamborough. 

Isabelline Shrike at Spurn © Ian Smith

Better still, however, was the fearsome flood of feathery-thighed foreigners arriving directly from the Scandinavian wastes this month. Rough-legged Buzzards started coming over here, nicking our voles with some style from mid-month onwards, with exact numbers being difficult to gauge and some records almost certainly involving the same mobile birds. The Spurn area was graced by several, with other sightings nearby at Grimston and Sunk Island; one came in off the sea and immediately set about hunting on Carr Naze, Filey on 24th; a very popular bird set up shop near Grindale on the same day (with a second nearby on 29th); up to three looked similarly settled inland of the Eastern Crowned Warbler at Sleddale from late in the month; and extraordinarily, one was found resting up on an oil rig about 65 miles east of Bridlington, last seen on 23rd – perhaps the Filey or Grindale bird? 

Rough-legged Buzzard at Grindale © Steve Race

A very showy Bittern at Filey Dams on 30th was the only coastal heron of note (what, no Great White Egrets?), but smaller land birds hit the spot in terms of both quality and quality. Richard's Pipits were noted at Filey, Cloughton Wyke and Spurn (several), with the latter site scoring a Red-throated Pipit on 4th and at least two Water Pipits, with another at Filey on 29th. Flamborough hogged the month's two scarce buntings, with an Ortolan on 10th and a Little Bunting on 15th; the same site produced the scarcest lark of the month, a Short-toed on the following day. 

Bittern at Filey © Mark James Pearson

Richard's Pipit at Filey © John Harwood

Scarce Phylloscopus warblers were naturally somewhat overshadowed this month, but Yellow-browed Warblers put in a now typically impressive showing, with a peak of six at Filey on 30th; Radde's Warblers were at Spurn on 12th and 15th, Flamborough from 12th and Castle Hill, Scarborough on 17th, while the only Pallas's of the month was at Thornwick Bay, also on 17th. 

Great Grey Shrike at Flamborough © Richard Baines

Great Grey Shrikes also arrived in force, with up to 20 birds reported, with a day peak of six at (any guesses?) Spurn on 15th; up to four had filtered into suitable wintering territories in the north of the county by late month. Finally, Spurn hosted a Rose-coloured Starling on 16th, a showy Hoopoe from 17th and a probable Halimodendri Lesser Whitethoat on the same day, with several Barred Warblers both there and at Flamborough during a month that overflowed with avian treats.

Curlew Sandpiper at Flamborough © Richard Baines

Bramblings at Flamborough © Richard Baines

Water Pipit at Spurn © Ian Smith