Back to the Head

As I reached the outskirts of Fridaythorpe, I realised I had left my binoculars in York! Now, this is not good when one is heading out birding, but this was doubly bad as I was due to lead a Yorkshire Coast Nature/East Riding of Yorkshire Council Migration Walk at 10am, and the public would be expecting me to show them birds! I rang everybody I could think of who would understand me calling them at 8am on a Sunday morning ie my birder mates! Sadly no joy directly, but the possibility of borrowing some from the YWT Living Seas Centre at South Landing, saved my bacon, meaning I didn't have to drive all the way back to York.

I picked up the bins from bemused Anna and Georgia, the two trainees who were just opening up the LSC and headed east to meet the group. With half an hour to spare, I was able to pop down the Bay Brambles, where a very vocal Yellow-browed Warbler was calling from the bushes, with two more in the Golf Course willows. Down the steps a pair of Blackcaps 'tacked' and a few Goldfinch, Linnet and Skylark flocks passed overhead. Therefore, despite the strong southwesterly wind, there would be a few migrants to show the clients!

We headed off just after ten, and with a bit of patience most of the group managed a glimpse of one of the Yellow-brows. Fortunately, they called frequently and everybody managed to tune their ears in to the distinctive call. Down the steps, one of the Blackcaps was still calling, but a male Redstart perched on a briar was a nice surprise and a new bird for several. A Garden Warbler skulking in the brambles got my heart racing until it finally showed properly, elimating a range of much rarer possibilities from my mind!

We headed round to the fog station and then did a loop of the outer Outer Head and back up the motorway, adding little else apart from a showy trio of Stonechats which delighted the clients. Back on the dot of twelve and the happy gang went their separate ways. I shot back to York for a friend's birthday lunch. Half way back, I happened to notice my daughter's Opticron bins sitting in the footwell of the car. If only I had noticed those earlier!!