Focusing on Nature

Supporting Conservation

Find out how your bookings help wildlife and communities.

Why not buy a Gift Voucher?

Wildlife Sightings - August 2015

Thu 3rd Sep, 2015

August 2015 was a relatively dry month on the eastern side of Yorkshire with rain increasing towards the end of the month. Temperatures ranged between the mid-teens and a high of 24° on the 22nd.

The first big rare bird (not many bigger than this one) of the month was at Spurn on the 3rd where a juvenile Black Stork arrived sporting a French Darvic ring. The 4th was a red-letter day with the Stork, White-rumped Sandpiper and Whiskered Tern seen! A few days later on the 9th Spurn entered another purple patch with a White-winged Black Tern and Pectoral Sandpiper joining the now settled Black Stork. Not to be outdone on big bird front Scarborough birders found 2 Common Cranes flying over wykeham Lakes where an Osprey was also seen on this date. On the 5th a Black stork flew over raptor view point in Wykeham Forest!

The first good ‘fall’ of songbirds occurred in the third week. On the 23rd the wind switched to the east and we were in for a feast! With high pressure over northern Europe and a low pressure over the North Sea, the 23rd turned into a birders dream! Large numbers of migrants were grounded in the late afternoon and overnight. The following morning Spurn recorded its largest ever count of Willow Warblers 345 and its second largest count of Pied Flycatchers 230! Among these beauties was a large selection of rare birds. Over the next few days Spurn hosted 2 Red-footed Falcons, Greenish Warbler, Ortolan Bunting, up to 3 Wrynecks, Icterine Warbler, Barred Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Wood Warbler, Corncrake and Honey Buzzard.

Up the coast on Flamborough Headland (Inc. Bempton and Buckton) were 5 Wrynecks, 4 Icterine Warblers and 2 red-backed Shrikes. Filey’s bird rich August kicked off on the 14th with a Greenish Warbler and kept producing for the next 10 days. 4 Icterine Warblers, Red backed Shrike, Wood Warbler and 7 Wrynecks were found throughout this period including 3 appearing in the same bush on Carr Naze! At long Nab north of Scarborough 2 Icterine Warblers and a Barred Warbler were found during the week.

Seabirds were in relatively short supply this month. An adult Sabines Gull on the 5th at Flamborough and Filey was the only sighting from the coast. Small numbers of skuas including Long-tailed and Pomarine were seen at all 3 Bird Observatories. The only Cory’s Shearwater was seen at Spurn when one flew south on the 14th.

Arctic wading birds put in a good show at the coastal sites with Black-tailed Godwits and Wood Sandpipers most notable at Thornwick Flamborough and Filey Dams. An adult Temmincks Stint was a very good August find at East Lea Filey on the 19th. Mediterranean Gulls have been increasing in the UK in recent years. South Landing at Flamborough is a regular site and a good location for photographing these attractive gulls. Spurn usually holds the biggest numbers and this month was no exception with a record count of 76 on the 27th.

Along with migrant birds were displaced insects moving north on the southerly winds. A maximum of 7 Red-veined Darter were found at Filey late in the month. A Banded Demoiselle at Thornwick Pools Flamborough on August 6th was a first record for the Observatory!

Scarce and Rare moths included a Bedstraw Hawkmoth in the Spurn area on the 1st August, Convolvulus Hawkmoths arrived in small numbers at Spurn and Easington towards the end of the month as did 3 Vestal at Easington on the 31st. A Death’s Head Hawkmoth caterpillar was found at Grimston on the 26th.

The plume moth Crombrugghia distans is very rare in our region, usually occurring in the east and south-east occupying dry, sandy habitats. A single at spurn on the 3rd August was only the second record for Yorkshire. Bordered Straw is a beautiful migrant moth which is normally fairly rare in Yorkshire. August was a promising month for them with small numbers at Easington and Spurn and 2 at Flamborough on the 25th there may be more in September… Star-wort is a Spurn speciality and one was caught in nearby Kilnsea on the 2nd. They feed on the flowers of sea aster (Aster tripolium) and goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea).

Butterfly sightings were few but included more Essex Skippers from East Yorkshire where individuals were found at Allerthorpe Common and North Cave. This butterfly is common in the south of England but still scarce here; the good news is its increasing its numbers in Yorkshire. For more information on how to identify Essex Skippers visit the Yorkshire Butterfly Conservation branch web site here.

The settled weather mid-month saw a surge in Minke Whale sightings on the beautiful calm seas. Large numbers of Mackerel and Herring were reported by local fishermen at Filey where up to 3 Minke were recorded on the 12th. Up at Whitby a record summer for sightings peaked at the end of the month with up to 15 present on one day!

For more wildlife sightings visit these great web sites!

Spurn Bird Observatory, Flamborough Bird Observatory, Filey Bird Observatory and Group, Northern Rustic blogspot , Scarborough Birders, Butterfly Conservation Yorkshire Branch.