Early May

With the bleak weather that dominated most of the last week of April finally dissipating it meant the first day of the fifth month was a little more pleasant, at least it was in the sun before the wind picked up, it was still pretty fresh!
I was keen to head to Long Nab, avoiding Scarborough itself as it was going to be crawling with visitors due to the Tour de Yorkshire arriving in town at some point during the afternoon, I was just happy to be out and about on a rare bank holiday Sunday off work.
After meeting Nick and Steve at 06.15 we left town behind and headed for Long Nab.
In the short time I spent on my Flat roof whilst supping a tea I noted a few bits moving in the form of a couple of Swallow and Sand Martin, 3 Flava’s and 11 Linnet plus an added bonus Flat tick when a Tree Pipit passed north.
Long Nab itself wasn’t as busy as I was expecting but there was still enough happening to keep the interest going.
Passage highlights included a drake Red-breasted Merganser, a Common Buzzard and 8 House Martin and 147 Linnet south.
A Wheatear greeted us on arrival at the Hut with other migrants clearly evident arriving in off the sea with single Willow Warbler, 2 male Blackcap and another Wheatear noted. A further 3 Willow Warbler were at Cliff Top House, 5 Whitethroat had arrived in the area and a single Snipe was booted from the scrape.

Willow Warbler fresh in off the sea at Long Nab

By the third It was pleasant enough to be out, the wind was still fresh but you could feel it was slowly changing for the better.
I was again at Long Nab, beginning my watch there at 07.45. Passage wise it was fairly slow, a flurry of Raptor movement saw a Kestrel north and a Sparrowhawk south within minutes of each other at just gone 08.00 and to finish it off a cream-crown Marsh Harrier north at 08.28.
The occasional flurry of Hirundines resulted in 38 Swallow south 1 north, 51 Sand Martin south 8 north and 9 House Martin south logged in the 4 hours of watching, the only other species moving in any real number were 60 Linnet south.
A few passerines were arriving in off, singles of Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat and Greenland Wheatear arrived by the Hut while another smart male Greenland Wheatear pitched in at Hundale Point.
The ringing plantation itself was rather quiet although a Willow Warbler in there was surely new in while at least 7 singing Whitethroat graced the Long Nab area.
Eventually I had to start my walk home south along the cliffs in time for work but at least the walk wasn’t without a few migrants. A minimum of 8 singing Whitethroat were spread between Crook Ness and Scalby Nab, a Willow Warbler was actively feeding in scrub at Cromer Point and a Blackcap and a Sedge Warbler were in Style Gully.
The Lesser Whitethroat in Scalby Beck was still trilling away while the Dipper was also on show.

Sparrowhawk south at Long Nab

Wheatear at Long Nab

There seems to be good numbers of Yellow Wagtail around at the moment including this singing male at Crook Ness

An even earlier start on the fourth saw me it Long Nab for 07.05. Within the first hour and a half I had logged more of each species of Hirundine than I did in the whole of my time out yesterday, by my finish time of 14.00 I had logged 158 Swallow, 203 Sand Martin and 62 House Martin south, the Sand Martin count is rather high for the site, and is my personal highest by some margin although it’s a far cry from the record of 700 south on 23rd April 2000.
Other bits n bobs on the move south included 124 Linnet, 34 Goldfinch, 2 Swift and another good Long Nab count of 30 Flava.
The sea seemed rather quiet, 2 Red-throated Diver passed south, as did 23 Sandwich Tern although I didn’t devote too much time to sea-watching. A surprise whilst scanning out to sea though was a Short-eared Owl battling in before ditching in the bracken along the cliffs after attracting lots of unwanted Corvid attention.
Very few migrants were noted on my occasional walks and ventures along the hedges and into the plantation, a single Willow Warbler and 2 male Wheatear.

Short-eared Owl making landfall just north of the Hut

With plans for a ringing session early tomorrow (5^th) I hope a few more migrants appear. Although I suspect the vis-migging will be better, we will but see.