A slightly delayed start this morning meant that I was still driving out to Long Nab when I got a text from Nick about a Sooty Shearwater that had just passed the seawatching hut. An unusually early record and hopefully a sign of some good seawatching to come this autumn. I spent 2 1/2 hours seawatching and for the 1st June it was surprisingly interesting. 2 Bonxies headed north, a reasonable movement of Common Scoters was noted and 3 Red-throated Divers, a Red-breasted Merganser, 25 Manx Shearwaters and small numbers of Sandwich Terns were also on the move. Not bad at all. Before leaving I headed to the 'cover crop field' which is currently bare, but has had several Lapwing chicks. A Sparrowhawk was causing the adults to alarm and the chicks were hidden up. However, although a couple of Wheatears were something of a surprise, I was very pleased to discover a Grey-headed Wagtail on the opposite edge of the field. A nice find. Nick managed to get to see it before it headed strongly south.
AuthorFreelance ornithologist and tour leader based in Scarborough, N Yorkshire. Archives
January 2023
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