Today was our annual York Birding Flamborough field trip. We have had a good track record with these trips, having seen and found a few good birds in recent years.
The drift had continued over the weekend, with more common and scarce migrants making landfall on the east coast, and with early morning mizzle and a light northeasterly wind, the conditions looked favourable for a good day out.
Thick fog and warmth greeted us at the lighthouse; an early seawatch was immediately sidelined, so we headed off round the Old Fall loop. Both Spotted and Pied Flycatchers were showing in the murk at the Golf Course Willows, pretty much the first birds we laid eyes on; followed by hulking Garden Warblers, ever-so-pale and constantly tacking Lesser Whitethroats, flitting Willow Warblers and a few flyover Swallows. No sign of the recent Red-breasted Flycatcher to complete the trio, but early smiles on York birders' faces were good to see. The fog lifted a little as we headed down the Old Fall hedge and we found first three, then 13 Wheatears feeding in the stubble fields. A quiet bubbling song from the top of a thick Crab Apple was reminiscent of a June Garden Warbler, which seemed rediculous on a misty September morning, but our hunch was right when the seasonally maladjusted Syvia eventually revealed itself. More Lesser Whitethroats called unseen in the hedge as we approached the plantation. We split into three groups to cover the hotspot as carefully as possible. As with Friday, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers were the most obvious birds, showing well from the tops of the trees as they expertly picked passing flies out of the air. There was not as much activity as Friday, but we did notch up Blackcap, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. A couple of Yellow Wagtails flitted and a fine Hobby cruised past over the cliffs causing alarm among the lingering House Martins.
By the time we reached Motorway Hedge, the fog had rolled in again, announced by the Flamborough fog horn. As such, it was difficult to see much in the hedge itself and we moved on quickly. Again, our plan for a seawatch faded into the gloom and we opted for lunch instead. Bush-bashing seemed to be the best post-lunch option, so once refreshed, we drove round to South Landing. Aside from a few unseen calling Chiffchaffs, nothing much was happening in the ravine as we made our way to the beach, where we found so much fog that we couldn't see the sea! A few waders avoided marauding dogs and careless owners, including single Knot, Dunlin and Bar-tailed Godwit, with 16 Ringed Plovers for company. A few creaking Sandwich Terns flew past and then as if by some miracle, the fog dispersed revealing an azure sky and bright sunshine. The temperature lifted by several degrees, which was welcomed by all, until we began the steep ascent of the steps up to the cliff top. I reminisced about running up these a year ago, for the fantastic summer-plumage White-billed Diver ( I am still not sure how I got up that quickly!).
The rest of the
South Landing loop was fairly uneventful, though a close female
Sparrowhawk and a trio of Spotted Flycatchers and a solitary Pied
Flycatcher performed beautifully in the clearing near the whale bridge.
Perhaps the best bird was a Nuthatch which we heard calling from the
woods, my first at Flamborough. We also saw a Gold Spot moth and a
Red-legged Shieldbug, adding a little entomological flavour.
Time was getting on and some of the group decided to head home. With the mist finally clearing, I was keen to go back to the outer head to see if anything had dropped in. Arriving at the lighthouse, we picked up Wheatear and Whinchat in the Gorse Field, followed by Stonechat and two Whitethroats in the Bay Brambles. With clear skies, it was refreshing to be able to see for a change! Bumping into Craig Thomas and John Beaumont, they told us they'd had a Greenish Warbler at the bottom of Motorway Hedge but sadly it has filtered off along the hedge along the bottom of the Gorse Field and disappeared. Arrgh! My hunch of returning here had been right, but it looked like we were half an hour too late for the best bird.
Nevertheless, we were on site, so it was worth a wander along the hedge to see what else might have turned up. A couple of Lesser Whitethroats was all we could produce from the thick cover and with tired legs and eyes it was almost time to give up, when Jane Chapman mentioned to me there was a small, pale bird near the corner at the end of the hedge. This sounded promising, so we both quickly walked a little further on and began grilling the willows in earnest. Suddenly, a movement, and I locked on to a small green and off white phyllosc, flitting among the leaves. This looked like the Greenish! I grabbed a scope and the thin white wingbar and pale, off-white supercilium jumped out at me. It was the Greenish! The group quickly gathered and to our collective delight, the little sprite performed brilliantly, mostly on the near-edge of the bushes, moving quickly through the foliage, often pausing to look around right out in the open. This allowed everybody to get great views, most even locking on through the scope too. I managed a bit of phone-scoped effort through Rob and Jane's scope and a few distant pics. A new bird for some, and an exciting bird for all, the delight was clear in our little York group and this had been a fantastic finale to a great day at Flamborough Head.
