The continued easterly wind has brought chilly weather but also an influx of Scandinavian migrants driftd into the UK on their way north. Heading the throng was a couple of days of impressive Black Tern passage, which managed to avoid me completely, in fact, the York area only had two records, one at Castle Howard (annoyingly a few hours after I'd checked the site for that species) and two at Allerthorpe GP. The lack of water in the valley perhaps was the issue, with long vegetation and weeks of no rain meaning there was little to attract passing birds. More evident, however, were Wood Sandpipers. Always a scarce bird in York, we have enjoyed a bumper crop, with at least five in the Wheldrake area at the start of the month, commuting between Bank Island and the Ings, plus a number of birds elsewhere. On 1st May, three graced Wheldrake Ings along with a sooty-black Spotted Redshank in the grass out from Tower Hide. Best of all, was my first at Acaster Airfield Flash on the 3rd, which has held water despite the drought. It is a decent walk to the flash and most times I get there and it holds a solitary Shelduck or Yellow Wagtail, so this was great, as was the Greenshank the same day.
Greenshank at Acaster Airfield
Wood Sandpiper at Acaster Airfield
A Ringed Plover on a random wet corner of an arable field north of York was my first of the year and added to my growing York yearlist.
