January update

Now that the first 24 – 48 hour tick fest is over I’ve been working a little harder to squeeze out every PWC tick available, and although things have obviously slowed I’ve added about 20 or so since, leaving me on a respectable 82 as of the close of play on the 14^th. Of course there are some easy ones left, Sparrowhawk and Collared Dove are the first two that spring to mind.

I’ve managed seven days in the field since the 4^th, most of which have been slow sea watches at Long Nab.
There have of course been the odd highlight, best of which was a 1^st winter Iceland Gull south there at 08.54hrs on the 4^th.
A 1^st winter Glaucous Gull flew south there at 09.20hrs on the 10^th, presumably the bird that’s been hanging around at Scalby Mills, which I watched from the comfort of the Pub there on the 4^th.
A couple of drake Eider south on the 10^th were also rather welcome.

Predawn start at Long Nab on the 4th, looking south to Castle Hill.

Castle Hill with an incoming wintry shower on the 4th.

One of two Great Northern Divers in the Harbour.

Other additions have included Snipe, two have been present regularly, one at Long Nab and one at Cromer Point and a couple of Lapwing at Scalby Mills on the 10^th.

The rest have been standard run of the mill species, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Stock Dove etc.
I obviously had a rough target of species I intended to pick up by the end of January, so on the 12^th adding 4 PWC tick, three of which I wasn’t ‘expecting’ was very welcome indeed.

After finally nailing Buzzard, three distantly over Cloughton, I bumped into a Chiffchaff on my walk south, in the Style Scrub – which eventually moved to Trough Gully. Also there was a Grey Plover and 2 Dunlin in Jackson’s Bay.

Looking north at Long Nab on the 12th.

Still, all in all the birding had been pretty typical for January, although things definitely changed.

The 13^th saw some intense northwesterly winds hit us bringing with it some big seas and some serious tidal surges causing plenty of damage along the seafronts of North and South Bays.
This severe weather forced plenty of white wingers south as evident by the reports during the afternoon and evening of the 13^th.
It wasn’t until the 14^th that the number of white wingers about became evident. And the 14^th is a true contender for my best winters day birding in Scarborough.