NORTH EAST
Highlights
Lincolnshire’s first Bobolink was at Theddlethorpe (18th). Three East Yorkshire birds featured strongly. A kestrel with pale claws at Fraisthorpe was thought by many to be a Lesser Kestrel (though others remained sceptical). More certain were a Red-eyed Vireo (Easington) and a Great Snipe (Kilnsea) in the Spurn area.
LINCOLNSHIRE
HIGHLIGHTS: A Bobolink at Crook Bank, Theddlethorpe (18th) was a first for Lincolnshire. Gibraltar Point had a Subalpine Warbler (22nd), Sabine’s Gull (6th), four Richard’s Pipits, a Bluethroat (22nd), Wryneck (29th), and Pallas’s Warblers (15th and from 30th). Black Brants were at Frampton Marsh (19th) and Donna Nook (from 12th). Donna Nook also had a Barred Warbler (15th). A Red-backed Shrike was at Saltfleetby (29th-30th). A Red-breasted Flycatcher was ringed at Anderby Creek (30th). A Richard’s Pipit flew over Huttoft Bank Pit (15th), with another at Alkborough Flats (20th-23rd). Two Long-tailed Skuas were at Huttoft Bank (1st). A Green-winged Teal was at Read’s Island (21st). Siberian Chiffchaffs were at Gibraltar Point (22nd), Laceby (25th) and Killingholme Marshes (28th). FRAMPTON MARSH: Highlights included six Short-eared Owls, a Hen Harrier, 12 Spotted Redshanks, two Ring Ouzels, four Little Stints, two Curlew Sandpipers, two Great White Egrets, a Yellow-browed Warbler, Purple Sandpiper, Jack Snipe, Firecrest, Water Pipit, Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting and Long-tailed Duck. GIBRALTAR POINT: Highlights included a Spoonbill, Snow Bunting, Firecrest, seven Spotted Redshanks, a Great White Egret, Scaup, four Jack Snipe, Quail, four Yellow-browed Warblers, two Lapland Buntings, two Cranes, two Crossbills, 53 Ring Ouzels, two Purple
Sandpipers, a Black Redstart, Mandarin, Long-eared Owl, two Hawfinches, eight Water Pipits, eight Bearded Tits, a Mealy Redpoll and Waxwing. Seawatching produced a Pomarine Skua, Sooty Shearwater, Shag, Great Northern Diver, two Long-tailed Ducks, a Black-throated Diver, Velvet Scoter, eight Little Auks, 24 Little Gulls, a Leach’s Petrel, Red-necked Grebe, two Puffins and an Arctic Tern.
OTHER SITES: Freiston Shore had a Little Stint (2nd) and Spoonbill (3rd). Yellow-browed Warblers were at 10 sites. Covenham Reservoir had a Little Auk (22nd). A Hen Harrier (27th), Pied Flycatcher (15th) and Garganey (to 11th) were at Marston SF. A Waxwing was at Lincoln University (23rd). Boultham Mere had three Common Scoters (15th) and a Water Pipit (28th). Trent Port had a Caspian Gull (from 24th) and Ring Ouzel (7th). Josh Hedley
NORTHUMBERLAND
HIGHLIGHTS: An American Black Tern was at St Mary’s Island (7th). An Eastern Yellow Wagtail (identified by sound) was at Budle Bay (26th). The Pacific Golden Plover remained around Holy Island (1st-5th). A Black Scoter was at Goswick and Cheswick Sands (23rd-31st), with a Scoter flock that also included at least six Velvet Scoters. A Long-billed Dowitcher was at Cresswell Pond (from 26th).
BERWICK: There were 130 Linnets at Cocklawburn (3rd). A Slavonian Grebe was at Huds Head, Spittal Bay (7th). A Yellow-browed Warbler was at the Pier House, Berwick (7th). Three skeins of Barnacle Geese, totalling 264 birds, flew south at Cocklawburn (8th), when 340 Lapwings there was the largest count for a number of years. An Arctic Tern was at the Saltpan Rocks (8th), with it, or another, at Spittal Bay the same day, along with five Sandwich Terns. An Iceland Gull was at Calot Shad, Tweed Estuary (11th). Sixteen Yellowhammers were at West Ord (13th). There were 140 Canada Geese over New Water Heugh (18th). Two Velvet Scoters flew north off Berwick Pier (20th). A total of 33 Whooper Swans flew up the Tweed at East Ord (21st). There were 22 Twite at Cocklawburn (22nd), with around 2,860 Pinkfeet in nine skeins coming in off the sea there (24th). A Red Kite was at Cheswick Dunes (24th). Eighteen Whooper Swans flew south at Spittal Bay (25th), with a Great Crested Grebe also there. There were 382 Golden Plovers at Cocklawburn (29th). Malcolm Hutcheson (Berwick Wildlife Group)
EAST YORKSHIRE
HIGHLIGHTS: A Dusky Warbler was found at Grimston (7th) and a Ring-necked Duck frequented Bubwith Ings (10th).A Green-winged Teal arrived at North Cave Wetlands (from 21st) and another Green-winged Teal turned up at Blacktoft Sands (from 27th). A Radde’s Warbler was at Flamborough (15th), where a White-billed Diver flew past (21st).
FLAMBOROUGH: The month began with a Long-tailed Skua, a Pomarine Skua and a Cetti’s Warbler (1st), two Slavonian Grebes, a Mediterranean Gull and a Great Northern Diver (2nd), 11 Yellow-browed Warblers (3rd) and two Sabine’s Gulls, a Red-necked Grebe and three Velvet Scoters (5th). A Red-backed Shrike, a Red-breasted Flycatcher and a Shore Lark were uncovered (6th). A Honey Buzzard and two Firecrests (7th), two Bean Geese and seven Lapland Buntings (12th) and a Richard’s Pipit (15th) put in appearances. A Little Bunting was spotted (16th) and a Great White Egret passed through (18th). A Glaucous Gull was offshore (20th). A top seawatch (21st) provided a Grey Phalarope, a Sabine’s Gull, a Storm Petrel, three Long-tailed Skuas, 20 Pomarine Skuas, a Black-throated Diver, four Great NorthernDivers and 42 Little Auks. A Waxwing and three Long-tailed Ducks were sighted (28th), followed by a Grey Phalarope, 21 Pomarine Skuas, five Long-tailed Ducks, 16 Velvet Scoters, 102 Little Auks, six Twite and four Snow Buntings (29th). Two Great White Egrets were new (30th).
HORNSEA MERE: There was a Velvet Scoter (6th), two Great White Egrets (7th), two Garganey (10th) and up to eight Little Egrets. A Smew was located (from 15th) and five Great White Egrets was an exceptional count (30th). Two Long-tailed Skuas and a Balearic Shearwater were offshore (3rd), when there was a Snow Bunting too. A useful seawatch (20th) produced a Sabine’s Gull, a Long-tailed Skua, a Pomarine Skua and a Black-throated Diver, then 12 Little Auks flew by (22nd) and there were two Long-tailed (28th). Heavy sea passage (29th) contributed a Black Guillemot, a Grey Phalarope, four Pomarine Skuas, a Black-throated Diver, three Great Northern Divers, three Long-tailed Ducks, four Velvet Scoters, four Scaup, 44 Little Auks and five Snow Buntings. The following day saw a Red-necked Grebe, a Great Northern Diver, two Long-tailed Ducks, two Velvet Scoters, four Pomarine Skuas and eight Little Auks.
SPURN: There was a Booted Warbler and Rustic Bunting (1st). Eastern Stonechats were seen (6th-7th and 29th). A Red-eyed Vireo was in Easington (from 12th), with presumably the same bird at the Point (17th). A Great Snipe was at Beacon Lane (13th). An Arctic Warbler was at the Crown and Anchor (15th). An Isabelline Wheatear was in Kilnsea (30th). Seawatching produced 58 Little Auks, six Long-tailed Skuas, five Pomarine Skuas, a Leach’s Petrel, Grey Phalarope, and a White Stork (2nd). Visible migration included 2,904 Goldfinches, 1,921 Linnets, 243 Reed Buntings and 1,530 Siskins. A Rose-coloured Starling flew over at night (22nd). Grounded migrants included 30 Woodcocks, six Short-eared Owls, 15 Black Redstarts, 17,000 Redwings, 35 Ring Ouzels, 100 Chiffchaffs, 28 Yellow-browed Warblers, five ‘Eastern’ Lesser Whitethroats,
three Firecrests, three Red-breasted Flycatchers, two Marsh Warblers, two Hawfinches, a Richard’s Pipit, Bluethroat, Pallas’s Warbler, Great Grey Shrike and Little Bunting.
OTHER SITES: Two Long-tailed Skuas were off Holmpton (1st), where four Yellow-browed Warblers were present (7th) and there was a Slavonian Grebe (17th). A Yellow-browed Warbler appeared at Aldbrough (1st), a Great White Egret was at Goole Fields (2nd) and a Wryneck and a Yellow-browed Warbler were at Cowden (4th). Four Yellow-browed Warblers showed at Grimston (3rd), with a Great White Egret there (7th) and a Lapland Bunting (12th). Two Velvet Scoters went past Tunstall (5th) and there was a Yellow-browed Warbler at Withernsea (6th). A Great Grey Shrike was located at Rolston (7th), two Cranes passed over Sunk Island (9th) and a Great White Egret was at Bubwith Ings (9th). Tophill Low hosted a Garganey (13th) and two Great White Egrets visited West Carlton (15th). A Yellow-browed Warbler was found at Stone Creek (18th) and three Twite were observed at Barmston (27th), with a Snow Bunting there too (28th). Two Red-crested Pochards were at North Cave Wetlands (20th) and a Long-tailed Duck flew past Paull Holme Strays (28th). A Great White Egret passed through Driffield (29th), when a Garganey appeared at Blacktoft Sands, two Snow Buntings were at Aldbrough and a Yellow-browed Warbler was at Welwick. A seawatch at Mappleton (29th) was rewarded with a Great Northern Diver, three Velvet Scoters, a Scaup and seven Little Auks. A Little Auk and two Velvet Scoters were seen at Fraisthorpe (30th), while a Long-tailed Duck and three Little Auks were off Cowden the same day and a Long-tailed Duck stopped off at High Eske. Bempton featured a Barred Warbler (3rd), a Lapland Bunting (10th), a Pallas’s Warbler (15th) and a Great White Egret (17th). Ian Marshall (01482 627446), John Hewitt (07952 293 060)
WEST YORKSHIRE
BRADFORD: A Black Redstart remained near Warley Moor Reservoir. A Snow Bunting and Yellow-browed Warbler were at Timble (12th). A Common Scoter was at Chelker Reservoir (17th). Ring Ouzels were at Slippery Ford (3rd), Ogden (8th) and Oxenhope (21st). Three Twite were at Fly Flatts (27th). Oxenhope produced a Waxwing (18th), with a Red-throated Diver and three Snow Buntings (28th). The usual Water Rail returned to the Keighley Reserve (17th). Skeins of Pinkfeet were seen frequently from Oxenhope, Fly Flatts and Caldene Fields, with a maximum of 900 (15th & 20th). Flocks of up to eight Whooper Swans were seen regularly, with 18 flying over Baildon (21st). There were 6,000 Redwings and 4,200 Fieldfares (20th-21st).
LOWER AIRE VALLEY: A juvenile Red-necked Phalarope on the Main Lake (22nd-29th) was a new bird for the site, with a Yellow-browed Warbler in riverside trees nearby (11th-12th) being the third record. Other additions to the year list were a Scaup at Astley Lake (22nd) and a fly-over Snow Bunting (27th). More than 3,000 Pink-footed Geese passed through on 17 days, with three Common Scoters on Bowers Lake (23rd). Last month’s Long-billed Dowitcher remained (to 20th). A late Whitethroat (5th) was just the second October record. Chris King (Bradford OG), Paul Morris