Birding Scarborough: Yellow-broweds arrive!

More vis-migging and a few netting sessions have dominated mid-September so far with little in the way of eastern promise yet. A hit mid-week over the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th didn’t quite deliver the goods.

Over the three days a few highlights were a female Merlin south past the ringing site at Long Nab on the 13^th during the best Meadow Pipit passage of the week – 296. Also moving were an Arctic and 2 Great Skua, a Sand Martin, 80 Swallow, 15 House Martin, 4 Grey Wagtail, a Flava, a Tree Pipit and 6 Siskin.

A Pied Flycatcher was at Clifftop House on the 15^th with the only other new in birds that day being fine Lesser Whitethroat in the ringing plantation, expertly avoiding the nets and a Redwing in off the sea, the first of the autumn in Scarborough.

Highlights in the hand included the first Stonechat to be ringed at Long Nab, an adult male, a few Meadow Pipit and a continental Song Thrush as well as a supporting cast of a couple of Goldcrest and Chiffchaff and singles of Whitethroat and Blackcap. A retrap Coal Tit was one rung back in 2014.

Another hint of the desired wind produced a huge fall of Yellow-browed Warblers on the east coast of Britain, particularly Yorkshire.

As expected Scarborough took its fair share and the day record was broken by two when 18 were logged on 21^st.

Most of my time in the field was spent ringing up at Long Nab with no fewer than three of the stripy Asian sprites gracing the plantation with one duly trapped and ringed.

Very few other migrants were involved, a Lesser Whitethroat was in Crook Ness on the 21^st while a Garden Warbler was on Castle Hill on 18^th during a quick visit I made there after work.

Another addition to the Long Nab ringing list on the 21^st was a rather unexpected Skylark, particularly because it bagged itself in a net totally surrounded by trees!

A little vis-mig was on offer too over the 20^th and 21^st with the odd Swallow and House Martin still trickling through, a 200+ count of Meadow Pipit, 8 Grey Wagtail and at long last a few finches with 40 Siskin and 12 Redpoll sp on the 21^st.

Waders too were moving with ones and twos of Snipe, Grey and Golden Plover with slightly more Dunlin and Ringed Plover logged.

The good autumn for duck also continued with Teal, Pintail, Wigeon and Shoveler all moving through on the 20^th while a drake Mandarin present on both 20^th and 21^st was a Long Nab first!

At least 4 Lapland Bunting have been present in the stubble fields at Long Nab with a further 2 logged south on 21^st, including 1 in off the sea.

Despite the arrival of Yellow-browed Warblers I had to head home for just before 13.00 unfortunately a list of jobs the length of my arm being the reason, they had to be completed ready for my departure northwards towards Shetland with the Scarborough crew early on the 22^nd…….