NORTH EAST
October 2022 will be remembered by many on the east coast as the month of the Pallid Swift invasion. Sites along mainly along the North Sea coast in the region sure an unprecedented influx of these double-brooded southern European swifts, with groups of three and four birds seen at several sites!
LINCOLNSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS:
A Blue-winged Teal was at East Halton (15th-18th and from 29th). A Long-billed Dowitcher was at Huttoft Bank Pit (15th). A Collared Pratincole was at Frampton Marsh (18th). A Rough-legged Buzzard flew over Donna Nook (26th). A Red-rumped Swallow was at Anderby Creek (24th). A Dusky Warbler was at Rimac (19th). There were 14 Cranes in the Market Deeping area (31st). A Grey Phalarope flew past Gibraltar Point (5th).
FRAMPTON MARSH:
Highlights included Hen Harriers (1st and 25th), a Cattle Egret (2nd), Jack Snipe (4th), eight Little Stints (8th), a Rock Pipit (10th), Whooper Swan (10th), Short-eared Owl (11th), two Curlew Sandpipers (13th) and a flyover
Crane (18th).
GIBRALTAR POINT:
Highlights included a locally rare Marsh Tit (1st-2nd), two Yellow-browed Warblers and two Lapland Buntings (1st), a Spotted Redshank and Redstart (2nd), Raven (3rd), Hawfinches (3rd and 19th), a Great Northern Diver (5th), Cattle Egrets (5th and 10th), a Snow Bunting, Twite, Ring Ouzel and three Marsh Harriers (8th), a Jack Snipe and Merlin (9th), Woodlark (10th), Arctic Tern (11th), Long-eared Owl (14th), two Black-throated Divers and a Slavonian Grebe (17th), five Bearded Tits (18th), a Pomarine Skua (19th), Black Redstart (21st), Firecrest (22nd-23rd), Hen Harrier (24th) and Waxwing (30th).
OTHER SITES:
A Yellow-browed Warbler was at Cleethorpes. A Little Stint was at Tetney (2nd). Curlew Sandpipers were at Pyewipe and East Halton Skitter (2nd). A Lapland Bunting flew past Saltfleetby (7th). Covenham Reservoir held a Purple Sandpiper (8th-9th). A Jack Snipe was at Whisby NP (9th). A presumed escaped Marbled Duck was at Woodhall Spa (6th) and Riseholme (from 17th). Also at Riseholme was a Hawfinch (10th). A Cattle Egret was at Kirton Marsh (from 14th). A Goshawk was in the west of the county. A Black Redstart was at Donna Nook (22nd). Josh Hedley
NORTHUMBERLAND HIGHLIGHTS:
A Red-eyed Vireo was at Boulmer (15th). There was a drake Black Scoter at Cocklawburn Beach (1st-30th) with Common Scoters, three Cory’s Shearwater (6th), Scaup (14th), Red-necked Grebe (17th-18th), Slavonian Grebe (18th) and a Velvet Scoter (18th). A Long-billed Dowitcher was at Caistron NR (9th). Holy Island had a Pacific Golden Plover (21st-25th). A subalpine warbler sp was at Tynemouth (21st-30th), plus Ring Ouzel and Black Redstart (22nd). A Pallid Swift was at Boulmer (26th), with three at Howick (29th), two at Amble (30th), three at Warkworth (30th), and two at Budle Bay (31st). A first-winter Siberian Stonechat was at Budle Bay (27th-30th), plus five Snow Buntings (28th-30th), Jack Snipe (30th) and six Little Gulls (30th).
EAST YORKSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS:
A Ring-necked Duck was at Tophill Low (from 9th), having been at Hornsea Mere (8th). A Glossy Ibis flew over Hornsea Mere (28th). A Radde’s Warbler was at Buckton (20th) and Dusky Warbler at Flamborough (21st). Three Red-rumped Swallows were in the Bempton area (22nd). Pallid Swifts were at Paull Holme Strays and Hornsea (30th) and Grimston (31st).
FLAMBOROUGH:
There was a Barred Warbler and eight Yellow-browed Warblers (1st), a
Grey Phalarope and Velvet Scoter (2nd), two Mediterranean Gulls (5th), a Caspian Gull and Yellow-legged Gull (6th), Lapland Bunting (7th), Bittern (8th) and a Great White Egret and Cetti’s Warbler (11th). A Pomarine Skua and Great Northern Diver passed by (12th). Two Tundra Bean Geese and three Little Egrets flew over (15th).
There was a Richard’s Pipit, Snow Bunting, two Twite and three Pomarine Skuas (18th), four Pallas’s Warblers (19th), a Shore Lark, Hawfinch and two Black-throated Divers (20th), a Firecrest (21st), Sabine’s Gull (22nd), Serin (24th) and Black Guillemot (27th).
HORNSEA MERE:
There were three Garganeys and four Cranes (1st), a Black-necked Grebe
(from 5th), White-tailed Eagle (7th), four Mediterranean Gulls, a Woodlark (12th), Great White Egret (14th), Long-tailed Duck (16th), Rough-legged Buzzard and Yellow-browed Warbler (22nd), and a Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver and seven Velvet Scoters (20th).
OTHER SITES:
A Velvet Scoter was off Ulrome (1st), with two off Withernsea (13th). Yellow-browed Warblers were at Withernsea (2nd), Holmpton (8th), Hull (two on 11th), Sewerby (14th), Paull Holme Strays and Grimston (21st) and Cottingham (23rd). Tophill Low attracted a Smew (from 6th), Black-necked Grebe (from 9th) and three Cattle Egrets (12th). A Great White Egret was at North Cave Wetlands (15th). Three Waxwings were in Bridlington (21st). Two Snow Buntings were at Mappleton (23rd).
Grimston had a Pomarine Skua and Little Auk (20th), ten Twite (22nd), 21 Snow Buntings and a Lapland Bunting (28th) and a Firecrest (26th). Blacktoft Sands had three Cranes (21st) and a Cattle Egret (27th). Two Cattle Egrets were at Leven Carrs (22nd). Bempton produced a Spoonbill (16th), Barred Warbler (8th), a Cetti’s Warbler and Firecrest (10th), Bittern (12th), Raven (18th) and Great Grey Shrike (19th). A Pallas’s Warbler (19th) was at Buckton. Ian Marshall (01482 627 446)
WEST YORKSHIRE BRADFORD:
Snow Buntings were at Baildon Moor (to 3rd) and Oxenhope Moor (30th). A Marsh Harrier flew over Oxenhope (4th). A Bar-tailed Godwit (4th) and Little Gull (13th) were at Thornton Fields. There was a Wryneck at Steeton Hall (22nd). Two Jack Snipe were at Soil Hill (28th). Redwings arrived en masse (19th), with 8,000 at Oxenhope, 4,000 at Low Moor, 8,000 at Fly Flatts and 12,000 at Soil Hill. Fieldfares included 4,000 at Oxenhope, 2,000 at Fly Flatts, and 1,000 at Soil Hill.
Woodpigeons moved (30th), with 12,000 over Oxenhope, 14,000 over Low Moor and 6,000 over Soil Hill. Whooper Swans were at Chelker (14th), Thornton Moor (15th) and 15 over Oxenhope (19th). Skeins of Pinkfeet totalling 600 flew over Oxenhope (19th). A Water Rail was at its usual site in Keighley (9th).
LOWER AIRE VALLEY:
A Garganey was at Astley Lake and three on the reedbeds (18th). Common Scoters were at Skelton Lake (3rd) and Bowers Lake (24th). Three Great White Egrets were regular, with the last Spoonbill noted (21st). Ospreys were seen (1st and from 22nd). Hobbies were seen (to 5th). There were up to five Black-tailed Godwits, with Ruff (18th and from 25th). The Spotted Redshank remained (to 9th). A Little Stint was at Astley Lake (4th-9th).
There were just two Ringed Plovers, three Green Sandpipers and two Greenshanks. A Sanderling flew over (29th). An exhausted Woodcock was on the causeway (21st). Stonechat numbers dropped and Whinchats were last seen (7th). The last two Swallows were seen (30th), with House Martins (4th) and Reed Warbler (13th). The first Water Pipit returned (14th) and Fieldfare (18th). Two Ravens flew over (25th), as did a Hawfinch (24th). Chris King (Bradford OG) and Paul Morris