NORTH EAST

NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE

HIGHLIGHTS: A drake Green-winged Teal was at Alkborough Flats (6th). A Siberian Chiffchaff was briefly at Manby (22nd). Five Waxwings were at Grimsby (1st), and one was at Mablethorpe (2nd-6th). Two Bewick’s Swans were with Whoopers at Wroot (2nd-7th). An adult Kittiwake was at Westwoodside (2nd). Twenty-five Snow Buntings and 30 Twite were at Saltfleetby NNR (3rd). A Scaup was at Apex GP (5th). There were 65 White-fronted Geese at Saltfleetby St Clement (5th & 21st). Cleethorpes had 52 Snow Buntings (5th), with at least 60 there (22nd). A ringtail Hen Harrier and 20 Twite were at Rimac (6th). A juvenile Iceland Gull was at Grimsby fish docks (9th), plus a juvenile Glaucous Gull (12th & 18th) and an immature flew over Rimac (12th). Rimac also had a Lapland Bunting (13th). A Great White Egret was at Wroot (15th). A ringtail Hen Harrier was at Saltfleetby NNR (21st). Three Slavonian Grebes were at Barton-upon-humber Pits (26th), plus a drake Smew. Hawfinches were at Normanby, Twigmoor Woods and Middle Rasen.

SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE

HIGHLIGHTS: A Glossy Ibis flew over Frampton Marsh (15th). A Bewick’s Swan was with the resident Whooper Swans there. FRAMPTON MARSH: Whooper Swans continued to roost. Dark-bellied Brent Geese numbers held at around 4,000, with the occasional pale-bellied bird seen. Our first Avocets arrived (16th), joining the two resident Spotted Redshanks and over-wintering Little Stint. There were 8,000 Golden Plovers, 3,000 Lapwings, 400 Dunlin, 100 Ruff, 5,000 Wigeon and 2,000 Teal. These attracted daily sightings of Peregrine, Merlin and up to four Hen Harriers. Short-eared Owls were seen intermittently. FREISTON SHORE: Up to 20 Twite were seen from mid-month. The Snow Bunting remained (to 7th). The Witham Mouth held two Red-necked Grebes, two Great Northern Divers, three Slavonian Grebes, two Scaup, a Shag and Short-eared Owl. Toby Collett

EAST YORKSHIRE

HIGHLIGHTS: A Glossy Ibis flew over Hornsea Mere (7th). The Green-winged Teal remained at North Cave Wetlands. FLAMBOROUGH: There was a Velvet Scoter, two Great Northern Divers and two ‘Blue’ Fulmars (2nd), a Lapland Bunting (3rd) and Pomarine Skua (4th). There were 11 Lapland Buntings (16th), a Glaucous Gull and Snow Bunting (22nd), a Long-tailed Duck and Waxwing (23rd) and a Red-necked Grebe (27th). HORNSEA MERE: There was a Glaucous Gull (7th), Great White Egret (8th) and Little Egret (12th). The Long-tailed Duck remained throughout. SPURN: A Green-winged Teal visited Kilnsea Wetlands sporadically. The Rose-coloured Starling remained in Easington. Last month’s Ring Ouzel remained at Sammy’s Point. Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Black-throated Diver and Great Northern Diver were offshore. A record area count of 309 Cormorants left the roost at the World War II fort on the Humber (22nd). Long Bank Marsh held 800 dark-bellied Brent Geese, 700 Wigeon, 170 Black-tailed Godwits, a Marsh Harrier and Hen Harrier. A few Stonechats began to appear. A Black Redstart was at Kilnsea Wetlands (2nd). Five Snow Buntings moved between Beacon Ponds and the breach. OTHER SITES: A Glaucous Gull and Caspian Gull were near Catwick (16th). North Cave Wetlands held a Mediterranean Gull (18th). A Glaucous Gull was regular at Tophill Low, where there was a Great White Egret (2nd), and Mediterranean Gull (16th). Bempton hosted two Snow Buntings (21st). Ian Marshall (01482 627 446) and John Hewitt (07952 293 060)

NORTH YORKSHIRE

SCARBOROUGH: The wintering Ring Ouzel at Brompton and Whimbrel at Long Nab remained. A Great White Egret was at Wykeham Lakes (22nd). Four White-fronted Geese were near Sherburn (13th). There were 72 Purple Sandpipers at the harbour high tide roost. Thirteen Mediterranean Gulls were in South Bay, with a Velvet Scoter there (6th-11th). Brompton Church held 19 Hawfinches, with 13 in Thornton le Dale. An Iceland Gull was at Seamer Carr Tip (11th-12th). A Little Gull was in North Bay (25th). A Red-necked Grebe was in Cornelian Bay (17th). Four Waxwings were at Newby (18th) and four at Osgodby (26th). A Lapland Bunting was at Long Nab (18th-19th). Nick Addey (www.scarboroughbirding.co.uk)

WEST YORKSHIRE

BRADFORD: The long-staying Hawfinch seen previously in Ilkley just made it into February but was only reported once (1st). An overwintering Chiffchaff was at Dowley Gap. Four Crossbills were at Hawksworth, and two Little Egrets were in the Aire Valley all month. Whooper Swans were seen, with 26 at Saltaire (19th), eight at Fly Flatts (22nd), 22 at Lindley Wood Reservoir (22nd) and 10 on the reservoir at Ogden (25th). Pink-footed Geese were also seen with 150 over the Worth Valley (18th) and two on the shore of the reservoir at Leeshaw (19th). The usual Water Rail was at the Keightley reserve and a very good high count of 340 Curlew was made at Cononley Ings (20th). LOWER AIRE VALLEY: A Hawfinch near the old Lemonroyd Lock (7th) was the first for almost 25 years. A Firecrest, first seen in Methley Copse (16th) was then seen (to 20th), though usually only briefly. Other additions to the year list were a very brief male Red-crested Pochard at Astley Lake (25th), a Glaucous Gull (4th, 14th& 18th), a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Lemonroyd (7th), and Bramblings by the Marina feeders at Lemonroyd starting with one (3rd) and increasing to nine (23rd). Whooper Swans dropped in on several days (from 17th), and four Russian White-fronted Geese reappeared (27th). The Great White Egret was again seen on a few days. The Green Sandpiper was seen at Lemonroyd WWTW on a few days. An adult Iceland Gull was present (14th, 17th & 21st). Lingering birds included the Ring-necked Parakeet in Swillington Park, the Marsh Tit at the Rabbit Warren feeder and the Cetti’s Warbler at Lowther Lake. Chris King (Bradford Ornithological Group), Paul Morris