Highlights
Trumping a relatively brief Dusky Thrush at Easington, East Yorkshire (4th), was the Little Swift which appeared alongside a Pallid Swift at Hartlepool Headland on 11th (leaving on 12th). A Little Bittern was in the same county at Saltholme RSPB (26th to 29th).
CLEVELAND HIGHLIGHTS: A Little Swift (11th-12th) and a Pallid Swift (11th) were at Hartlepool Headland. Other Pallid Swifts were at North Gare (7th) and Seaton Carew (11th). A Little Bittern was at Saltholme (26th-29th). Rough-legged Buzzards were at Lockwood Beck Reservoir (4th and 13th), Sleddale (10th-18th) and Scaling Dam Reservoir (13th). A Siberian Chiffchaff was at Redcar (12th). A Black-crowned Night Heron was at Locke Park, Redcar (18th-21st). A Richard’s Pipit was at Cowpen Marsh (28th).
NORTHUMBERLAND HIGHLIGHTS: A Rose-coloured Starling was at North Seaton (22nd-30th). Two Coues’s Arctic Redpolls were at Fontburn Reservoir (24th). A Bonaparte’s Gull around Bamburgh was probably a returning bird (25th-30th). BERWICK:
Maxima included six Red-throated Divers, three Great Northern Divers, six Teal, five Kittiwakes, 32 Fieldfares, eight Long-tailed Tits, 80 Black-headed Gulls, 120 Common Gulls, two Goosanders, six Grey Partridges, six Common Scoters, 18 Eiders, 32 Turnstones, 72 Redshanks, two Red-breasted Mergansers, 64 Golden Plovers, 52 Curlews, 340 Pinkfeet, four Dunlin, six Mistle Thrushes, 26 Goldeneyes, 246 Lapwings, 64 Linnets, 86 Oystercatchers, eight Bar-tailed Godwits, two Grey Plovers, six Purple Sandpipers, 52 Guillemots, eight Gannets, two Fulmars, 52 Mute Swans, a Gadwall (scarce here), Waxwing, Buzzard, and a site-first Ring-necked Parakeet. NORTH
NORTHUMBERLAND: The Black Scoter was off Cheswick Sands and Cocklawburn throughout the month. A Black Guillemot was there intermittently (5th-18th). Great White Egrets were at Low Cocklaw (5th) and Low Newton (30th). Two Shore Larks were on Holy Island (9th), with two at the Long Nanny (9th-17th). A White-billed Diver flew past Ross (10th). Holy Island produced a Yellow-browed Warbler (10th-16th). A Grey Phalarope was near the Farne Islands (15th).
SOUTH NORTHUMBERLAND: The two Bewick’s Swans remained around Warkworth and East Chevington (1st-24th). A Siberian Chiffchaff was in Tynemouth (4th-11th). A Firecrest was at Northumberland Park (13th-27th). The American Wigeon was seen again at Grindon Lough (9th). A Grey Phalarope was at Howdon Wetlands (14th). Four Shore Larks (17th-29th) and a late Redstart (19th) were at Buston Links. A Smew was at East Chevington (18th) and Killingworth (21st). A Hawfinch was at Wallington (25th). Jonathan Farooqi, Berwick Wildlife Group
EAST YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS: A White-tailed Eagle paused at Flamborough (2nd & 3rd) and a Pallid Swift made an appearance there (11th). A Rose-coloured Starling was reported from Hull (26th). FLAMBOROUGH:
The month commenced with a Long-tailed Duck, a Great Northern Diver and a Hooded Crow (1st), a Little Bunting and a Shore Lark (2nd) and a Little Auk (4th). A Hume’s Warbler came in (10th). After a Pomarine Skua (13th), a Hawfinch, a Black-throated Diver and four Great Northern Divers were sighted (17th), a Bittern and a Red-necked Grebe were uncovered (18th) and a Black-throated Diver, three Great Northern Divers and 13 Little Auks passed by (20th). Four Velvet Scoters featured (23rd). A Waxwing touched down (24th), then a Bean Goose and four Bewick’s Swans rounded off the month (30th). HORNSEA MERE:
The month featured a Long-tailed Duck (from 2nd), up to three Black-necked Grebes (from 19th) and a Smew (20th). A Mediterranean Gull was spotted (25th). A Great White Egret was present, along with up to three Little Egrets. Two Leach’s Petrels and five Pomarine Skuas were reported on the sea (20th). SPURN:
A White-tailed Eagle came off the Humber (2nd). A Pallid Swift flew northwest (11th). An Easington garden held a Dusky Thrush (4th) and Dusky Warbler (17th-18th). A Hume’s Warbler was in the Crown and Anchor car park (25th). Great White Egrets passed through (3rd and 7th). A taiga Bean Goose, five tundra Bean