October Sightings

31st October – Hunley Golf Club, Brotton 12:30-14:00 (MR,RW)

1 Eastern Crowned Warbler

Eastern Crowned Warbler in old Yorkshire around 13:45

Some further pics of the Eastern Crowned Warbler today from Rich Willison

Eastern Crowned Warbler – Rich Willison

Eastern Crowned Warbler – Rich Willison

Eastern Crowned Warbler – Rich Willison

KP in am – (GB)

Red-necked Grebe
1 Slavonian Grebe

30th October – Cowden in am (MR,LI)

hundred’s of Redwing, Blackbird, Fieldfare and Song Thrush
Snipe over
Peregrine
2 Rock Pipit

KP – am (GB)

Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Little Grebe
31 Wigeon in off the sea
17 Goldeneye
15 Lapwing in off flew W

29th October – Wassand/Decoy hide in pm (MR,J&T)

25 Whooper Swan over SSE
200 Pink-footed Goose over SSW
drk Scaup
Cetti’s Warbler singing in Decoy

1st/2nd field late am – (MR)

Red-necked Grebe off 1st field reedbed/east end
2 Slavonian Grebe (1 off Heslop’s, 1 middle of Mere)
3 Shelduck
18 Whooper Swan (4ads + 6juvs off HVWG hide,8 ads off Swan Island)
89 Pink-footed Goose over south

KP – am (GB)

4 Grey Heron
2 Slavonian Grebe
220 Wigeon
32 Pochard
Marsh Harrier-1cy bird
Kingfisher

Wassand Hide/Woodland Walk

3 Grey Heron
2 Common Buzzard
Marsh Harrier – 1cy bird
Kestrel
25 Goldeneye
drk Scaup
170 Pink-footed Goose flew SSE
16 Redwing
4 Mistle Thrush
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Treecreeper

28th October – KP in am (GB)

Slavonian Grebe
21 Goldeneye

27th October – KP in am (GB)

3 Grey Heron
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
145 Gadwall
4 Red-crested Pochard in pm
45+ Pied Wagtail – roosting nearby

26th October – KP in am (GB)

4 Grey Heron
Red-necked Grebe
2 Slavonian Grebe
8 Goldeneye
12 Pink-footed Goose flew south

Wassand Hide/Woodland Walk – am

2 Grey Heron
Sparrowhawk
Common Buzzard
10 Goldeneye
Water Rail

25th October – KP in am (GB)

3 Grey Heron
Red-necked Grebe
3 Slavonian Grebe

Red-necked Grebe – Ade Johnson

Red-necked Grebe – Ade Johnson

24th October – KP/Wassand in am (MR,GB) 2nd field in pm (TM,MR) KP in pm (LI,AJ,GB)

Red-necked Grebe at east end
3 Slavonian Grebe at east end
Grey Wagtail over KP
Little Egret high west over Mere from coast 10:00
ad Med Gull Swan Island early am/on Mere early aft
fem Scaup off Heslop’s early aft
17 Eurasian White-fronted Goose over NNE late aft (GB)
a minimum of 48 Whooper Swan upto 15:00 (19 off Heslop’s then south,another 10 in off Heslop’s then south,11 south over Decoy late am,8 off Heslop’s early aft)

Whooper Swans heading south over Decoy late am

Little Egret west over Mere

Cowden in am – (TM)

22 Whooper Swan south
1 Black-throated Diver on sea
16 Red-throated Diver

23rd October – KP in am (GB,LI,AJ)

3 Grey Heron
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe

Red-necked Grebe – Ade Johnson

Slavonian Grebe – Ade Johnson

Slavonian Grebe – Ade Johnson

Wassand Hide/Woodland Walk-am

2 Grey Heron
Marsh Harrier – 1cy bird
Jay

22nd October – KP early am, Southside + KP late am-late aft (GB,MR,TM,LI)

a minimum of 33 Whooper Swan’s throughout the day (inc 11 juvs) with just 1 single bird left late on
1 Red-necked Grebe at east end
3 Slavonian Grebe off KP
150 Pink-footed Goose south (80 + 70) 70+ in field just north of HVWG hide late aft
18 Goldeneye
3 Med Gull (2x1w,ad w)
3 RCP off KP late aft
3 Marsh Harrier at west end
2 Common Buzzard
Cetti’s Warbler in Bull Hole
Chiffchaff 3rd field
ad winter Black-headed Gull on KP (AF240 black on white)
2000 Starling roosting in Jetty reedbed

Slavonian Grebe – close at times off north side of KP

some of today’s Whoopers on Mere

Cowden early am – (TM,MR)

350 Pink-footed Goose south
1 Whooper Swan north

21st October – KP in am (GB)

Red-necked Grebe
2 Slavonian Grebe
21 Goldeneye

20th October – KP in pm (MR,TM,MT)

Red-necked Grebe at east end
Pintail off Heslop’s
ad Med Gull on Mere
3 Common Buzzard Wassand
4 Jay Wassand
2 Slavonian Grebe in am (GB)
16 Goldeneye
Kingfisher

Nortcliff/Atwick Gap (LI)

315 Golden Plover
6+ Rock Pipit
Stonechat
GS Woodpecker

19th October – KP in am (LI)

120 Pink-footed Goose south
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Peregrine

Grimston – (TI)

Rough-legged Buzzard in pm

18th October – Cowden (LI,TM)

Rough-legged Buzzard – 1 headed low NW towards Hatfield from Cowden after being tracked heading north from Grimston earlier (TI) and then Aldbrough (AJ) around midday
Jack Snipe
2 Ring Ouzel
Water Rail
Stonechat
15 Teal over

KP – in am (GB)

4 Grey Heron
Red-necked Grebe
65+ Teal
85+ Wigeon

17th October – (GB)

Red-necked Grebe
2 Slavonian Grebe
female Scaup
Gannet corpse at distant edge of reeds

16th October – Cowden in am (LI,MR)

Jack Snipe
2+ Ring Ouzel
Garden Warbler
4+ Stonechat
Redwing, Blackbird, Goldcrest in good no’s
3 Mistle Thrush

2nd field early am – (LI,GB,MR)

Red-necked Grebe east end
3 Slavonian Grebe (2 east end, 1 off Heslop’s)
Snipe over
370+ Redwing over west
70+ Starling over west
75+ Golden Plover south
2 Shelduck
fem Scaup

15th October – Mere in pm (MR,RL,EH,LI,MT)

3 Slavonian Grebe – 2 east end, 1 west end
Red-necked Grebe off east end/KP late aft
fem Scaup off Heslop’s
ad Gannet moribund on Tree Island
Marsh Harrier
Yellow-browed Warbler calling/unseen by Wassand carpark
Cetti’s Warbler in Bull Hole
Grey Wagtail on KP
c12 Goldeneye + 3 Decoy (RL,EH)
3 Grey Phalarope off the west end of Swan Island/middle of Mere 16:55 (RL,EH)
3 Litte Gull (ad + 2x1w)
fem Velvet Scoter off 1st field late aft (possibly the same individual back for its 3rd winter)

Slavonian and Red-necked Grebe off the jetties

Gannet on Tree Island

Cowden in am – (MR,LI,MT)

Great Grey Shrike – again elusive in cliff top scrub
4 Brambling
Peregrine
Kestrel
Fieldfare
Redwing
Chiffchaff
1+ GS Woodpecker
Woodcock over
Grey Wagtail over

Brambling at Cowden

Cowden Great Grey Shrike

offshore Hornsea (GB) – all north

Red-throated Diver
4 Gannet
5 Common Scoter
6 Great Skua
Pomarine Skua

Mere – 1st/2nd field -mid am

Slavonian Grebe
Pink-footed Goose flew south
Curlew flew south
20+ Blackbird

14th October – Cowden (MR)

Seawatch 08:20-11:45 all north unless stated

2 Short-eared Owl south
7 Bonxie (1 south)
1 Pomarine Skua
7 Arctic Skua
1 Leach’s Petrel north 09:37
7 Sooty Shearwater
45 Manx Shearwater
347 Gannet
205 Common Scoter
155 Little Gull
4 Brent Goose
176 Wigeon
75 Teal
1 Scaup
6 Mallard
1 Tufted Duck
6 Red-breasted Merganser
21 Eider

Cowden in pm

1 Great Grey Shrike elusive in cliff top scrub till late aft
90+ Goldcrest
40+ Robin
14 Redwing
Rock Pipit
2 Lesser Redpoll
1 Brambling
2 Chiffchaff
2 Whinchat
6+ Stonechat

Great Grey Shrike – Cowden

phonescoped late on

exhausted Redpoll – Cowden

offshore Hornsea early am – (GB)

all northwards

7 Red-throated Diver
48 Gannet
blue Fulmar
2 Sooty Shearwater
17 Manx Shearwater
22 Wigeon
14 Teal
2 Long-tailed Duck
38 Common Scoter
Red-breasted Merganser
16 Great Skua
4 Arctic Skua
2 Long-tailed Skua
5 Pomarine Skua
64 Kittiwake
47 Little Gull
2 Rock Pipit near beach

13th October – Grimston early am (TI)

57 Bonxie
4 Pomarine Skua
7 Arctic Skua
3 Manx Shearwater
21 Velvet Scoter (Grimston site record)

Cowden in am – (MR)

17 Bonxie
3 Arctic Skua
7 Velvet Scoter
1 Sooty Shearwater
6 Manx Shearwater
3 Pintail
5 Pink-footed Goose

2nd field late am – heavy rain

1 Goldeneye
1 Little Gull
fem Scaup

12th October – Mere (LI,MR,MB)

c460 Pink-footed Goose over south + 140 over south late aft
6 Whooper Swan on Mere
Bearded Tit – elusive birds heard and seen from Wassand hide
11 Common Buzzard
2 Dunlin east over Mere
Jay
Cetti’s Warbler singing in Decoy + Heslop’s
Green Woodpecker in Wassand
fem Scaup
ad Med Gull

Hornsea Northcliff/Atwick Gap – (LI)

6 Stonechat
100+ Golden Plover

Cowden in am – (MR)

a minimum of 1000 Pink-footed Goose south, with similar no’s south at Grimston (TI)
7+ Stonechat
9 Whooper Swan south
Water Rail heard
1+ Rock Pipit
Marsh Harrier

Pink-feet skein south over Cowden

and large skeins over the sea

Stonechat at Cowden

11th October – (MR) Cowden early/late am

cream-crown Marsh Harrier
2+ Lesser Whitethroat
1 Willow Warbler
5+ Chiffchaff
2 Swallow south
5 Stonechat
5+ Goldcrest
12+ Bullfinch
50+ Goldfinch
60+ Tree Sparrow
30+ Reed Bunting
2 Sandwich Tern on beach (ad+1w)
ad Med Gull on beach
30 Common Gull
4 GBb Gull (inc 2 colour ringed juvs, probably of Norwegian origin)

juv GBb Gull – JYU29 white on black

JYU29 on left, right hand bird probably read JT769

ad w Med Gull – present now since late summer around Mapp & Cowden

ad + 1w Sandwich Tern low tide at Cowden

KP – am (GB)

130+ Pink-footed Goose flew north
Kingfisher
3 Siskin flew south

1st/2nd field/Heslop’s

2 Slavonian Grebe – ad+juv
female Scaup
89 Barnacle Geese
c75 Pink-footed Goose flew north
Kingfisher
2 Redwing
35+ Tree Sparrow
35 Greenfinch
12 Reed Bunting
Chiffchaff

Ouzel Hedge

Kestrel
45+ Tree Sparrow
12 Greenfinch
22 Reed Bunting

Wassand Hide (GB,BMJ)

4 Grey Heron
2 Sparrowhawk
3 Common Buzzard
1cy cream crown Marsh Harrier
26 Great Crested Grebe
2 Little Grebe
85+ Gadwall
48 Shoveler
70+ Wigeon
c520 Tufted Duck
48 Pochard
Goldeneye
2 Jay
12+ Siskin

10th October – KP in am (GB)

5 Grey Heron
Egyptian Goose
c90 Barnacle Goose
70+ Teal
130+ Wigeon
Goldeneye
Kingfisher

Wassand Hide/Woodland Walk – am

5 Grey Heron
6 Common Buzzard
3 Sparrowhawk
2 Marsh Harrier – ad female + 1cy c.crown
Kestrel
16 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pintail
Kingfisher
Chiffchaff
Reed Warbler
2 Jay
14 Siskin

8th October – (MR) 1st/2nd field early aft

150+ Lapwing over Mere
150+ Golden Plover over Mere
juv Slavonian Grebe off 1st field reedbed
fem Scaup off 2nd field
10 Pink-footed Goose with the Barney flock

Cowden early am

1 Bearded Tit – pinging and mobile in and over the cliff top scrub, appeared to fly south
30+ Meadow Pipit
20+ Skylark
2 Mute Swan south
3 Goldcrest
1 Stonechat
18 Goldfinch
3 Kestrel

several pinged off record shots of the Cowden Bearded Tit

KP – am (GB)

2 Pintail
female Scaup
juvenile Caspian Gull

Wassand Hide/Woodland Walk

3 Grey Heron
3 Common Buzzard
2 Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
5 Bearded Tit – males. Party dropped into reeds opposite the Hide at 10:40
Subsequently flew west above the reeds at 10:46
Chiffchaff
8 Siskin
2 Jay

1st field – late aft

Garganey
Kingfisher
35+ Greenfinch
2 Grey Wagtail flew south

Tunstall – (AJ)

Some pics from Ade of the Rock Pipit’s currently on view at Tunstall. Also 2 Little Egret and 3 Wheatear were seen.

Rock Pipit’s at Tunstall – Ade Johnson

Little Egret’s at Tunstall – Ade Johnson

7th October – (MR) 2nd field late am

4 Snipe over Mere
2 Greenshank over Mere
Dunlin over Mere
82 Lapwing
220 Teal off 2nd field
226 Wigeon off 2nd field
5 Pintail over Mere off 2nd field
10 Pink-footed Goose south of Heslop’s
ad Med Gull
Cetti’s Warbler singing 3rd field
7 Grey heron flew south
2 Kingfisher

Cowden early am

juv Common Tern on beach
ad Med Gull on beach
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
3 Chiff Chaff
15 Blackbird
12+ Song Thrush
8+ Robin
8+ Dunnock
2 Redwing
Goldcrest
60 Tree Sparrow in cliff top field
Teal and Wigeon south
27 Brent Goose south

Brent Geese south off Cowden

KP – mid am (GB)

7 Grey Heron
Egyptian Goose
juv Slavonian Grebe
170+ Teal
260+ Wigeon
female Scaup

Grimston in pm – (TI)

12 Rock Pipit

6th October – Wassand/Decoy hide (LB)

Redhead Smew present till 09:00 at least
juv Slavonian Grebe off KP late am + Rock Pipit (MR)

Offshore Hornsea in pm – (GB)

Birds heading south

2 Red-throated Diver
40+ Gannet blogging
Sooty Shearwater flew north
28 Brent Geese + 67 flew north
371 Wigeon
15 Pintail
169 Teal
9 Common Scoter
drake Goldeneye
Arctic Skua
juv Long-tailed Skua
7 Little Gull
Common Tern
Arctic Tern
Curlew
Knot
4 Dunlin

5th October – Southside/Wassand/Decoy in pm (TM,MR)

1 Slavonian Grebe off 1st field
1 Redhead Smew in NW corner early aft, flushed by boats and relocated late aft in Decoy (JC)
1 Jack Snipe flushed from Heslop’s pools
2 Swallow east over Mere
500+ Golden Plover west over north side
ad fem Marsh Harrier west over Mere
2 Med Gull – ad + 1w
2 Jays west over Mere
Water Rail in the Wassand woodland walk
c35 Greenfinch Ouzel Hedge
12 Reed Bunting Ouzel Hedge
4+ Tree Sparrow Ouzel Hedge

about as far away as things get at the Mere, Smew in NW corner from 2nd field

back of camera shot of the Smew from Decoy late aft – Jeff Cox

ad Med Gull on Mere off Heslop’s

Mappleton late aft

200 Little Gull south
30 Common Scoter south
3 Knot south
1w Med Gull

KP in am – (GB,DB,SB)

4 Grey Heron
Little Grebe
2 Slavonian Grebe
female Scaup
4 Siskin

Wassand Hide/Woodland Walk – am

3 Grey Heron
3 Common Buzzard + additional 4 birds flew SW
2 Sparrowhawk
female Marsh Harrier
2 Little Grebe
14 Great Crested Grebe
150+ Wigeon
70+ Teal
5 Pintail (2 drks)
50+ Shoveler
70+ Gadwall
46 Pochard
410+ Tufted Duck
Goldeneye
Chiffchaff
Kingfisher

4th October – (GB)

KP – am

5 Grey Heron
Little Grebe
2 Slavonian Grebe
40+ Teal
60+ Wigeon
female Scaup
2 adult Med Gull
Rock Pipit in aft (TM)

Mappleton – (TM)

Basking Shark heading north off Mappleton around 15:30

3rd October – 2nd field in pm – (JL,TM,MR)

a probable 1w Caspian Gull was picked up off 2nd field mid aft before flying off west around 15:45, the bird also showed a red colour ring on the left leg
3 Med Gull – (ad,2w,1w)
1 Sand martin west
1 Pintail
2 Slavonian Grebe
fem Scaup

KP – am (GB)

5 Grey Heron
45+ Wigeon
40+ Teal
Kingfisher

1st/2nd field – am
86 Barnacle Goose
2 Slavonian Grebe
13 Pintail
fem Scaup
65+ Wigeon
Grey Partridge
Great Spotted Woodpecker

Wassand Hide/Woodland Walk

3 Grey Heron
Sparrowhawk
2+ Common Buzzard
Hobby
Little Grebe
50+ Wigeon
female/juv Goldeneye
Reed Warbler

2nd October – KP in am – (GB)

7 Grey Heron
Egyptian Goose
2 Slavonian Grebe
Scaup
102 Lapwing flew SSW
2+ Kingfisher
60 Tree Sparrow Southorpe Lane (LB)

Wassand Hide/Woodland Walk – (GB,RC,MR,LB)

4 Grey Heron
Little Grebe
1+ Bittern – multiple sightings throughout the day almost certainly involved 2 birds
2 Common Buzzard
2 Sparrowhawk
3 Kestrel
Marsh Harrier – adult female
4 Bearded Tit – flew east from Wassand end passing hide and feeding in the base of nearby reeds
8 Common Snipe flew east
2+ Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker
Treecreeper
25+ Siskin
Jay

Bittern in Decoy

1st/2nd field

Sparrowhawk
Little Grebe
2 Slavonian Grebe – adult + juv/1W
40+ Greenfinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker

Cowden in am – (MR)

3 Eider
20+ Red-throated Diver
30+ Common Scoter north
80 Little Gull
7 Pink-footed Goose south
Curlew south
1 Mute Swan
3 Jay south
4+ Chiff Chaff

Eider off Cowden

Red-throats reasonably close in, off Cowden

and continuing the sea duck theme, a Mute Swan off Cowden

1st October – 2nd field late aft (MR,GB,LB)

ad + juv Slavonian Grebe off 2nd field
fem Scaup
GW Egret flew from west end and appeared to drop in around Swan Island
5 RCP off 2nd field
5 Little Gull off 1st field
Snipe over south
Kingfisher

2 Slavonian Grebe in poor light off 2nd field late aft

Wassand/Decoy hide late am – (MR)

Great White Egret
fem Scaup
1 Slavonian Grebe
1 Garganey
2 Little Grebe
Hobby
fem Marsh Harrier
2 Common Buzzard
Kestrel
Blackcap

Great White Egret from Wassand Hide

GW Egret flying from Decoy – possibly one of last winters birds returning?

1st/2nd field early am

1 Slavonian Grebe off Heslop’s
Kingfisher
Cetti’s Warbler singing at east end

Slavonian Grebe off Heslop’s

KP in am – (GB)

3 Grey Heron
Egyptian Goose
Slavonian Grebe – off Swan Island
Garganey
Kingfisher
2 Little Gull
Bittern at east end (CD)