It flew along a hedge and no one else was looking as i walked away.

Clean sweep bar one
 

Took the missus to work this morning and continued on to Filey for about 9AM after seeing Bob for the regular pork ;). Worked Arndale twice in a couple of showers 30+ goldcrests made me wonder, but nothing else lurking. Headed to tops scrub and flushed a woodcock and a jack snipe from the fields (car park). As I was chatting to the ringers a LEO flew ovehead and crashed into the netting area (but not the nets). Also the lads seemed pleased with a fall of bullfinch, I think they managed to net 11. I worked the top scrub and had another woodcock in off and lots more crests. Then got onto a pale rumped Stonechat, but have checked books and confident it was just that not a Sibe Stone. Worked Chruch Ravine but still no sibes. Went back to the Naze and got 3 Grey Phals (thanks to bloke who beckoned me over furiously), just missed little auk by about 5 minutes.

Went to Bempton, got the Subalp, plus Mike and John, showing well and will post pics. Also flushed another woodcock. With that UTB went on to old fall with John and picked up the red breasted flicker straight off. After a while we got the Pallas's and that showed well in the afternoon sunlight. I got onto a Yellow Browed which I tried and failed to string into Hume's and then the Pallas's or another showed well again. 3 waxwings and 2 black redstarts with John and chap called Trevor on the way back to the car rounded off the day perfectly.

Blog updated

What's the betting that by next Wednesday (when I'm free to go birding) all the good birds will have p***ed off!
Seriously fed up with the situation at the moment, I can't even swing a sickie as I have no more sick leave and statutory sick pay won't cover the mortgage.:C

Well actually Keith the rumours on site today are that everything is building to peak next Tuesday and Wednesday!

You may have the last laught yet!

Cheers Jim. I've been selling wildbird seed as a subline for a couple of years now but the factory keeps raising its prices. Might have to change supplier.

The photos of the Subalp on your blog are better than my views of bird today. Would have preferred to spend more time on site but I can't complain with what I saw in 10 minutes. I also heard it 'tack' just before we refound it which was a bonus. Did anyone see the bird long enough to confidently rule out Amur Falcon?

Really wished I could have carried on birding with you and John and get the Pallas's.

Anyone know (or see) the bluethroat at Flam? It's about ten years since my last one.

Apparently the bluethroat was on thornwick pools, not entirely sure where they are but it was elusive this afternoon. Message went out on Flamborough yahoo group with details late on.

Had a very pleasant day today bumping into Jim at Old Fall and getting cold across the Yorkshire coast. Suffice to say i saw a couple of Pallas's Warbler including a 'technical' self found when one became two as i pointed it out. Also a year tick up at filey in the form of a distant velevet scoter which was difficult to pin down for a bit. Now 250 for the year!!

This is only a guess but Thornwick Pools may be the area behind the new fishing pond at Thornwick Camp (on the road to North Landing). I've never been myself but I'm sure there is some kind of hide. I also think there was a Barred Warbler and RB Shrike there last year (seen by James).

Back home and knackered! Left at 04:55 and was at Flamborough about 06:30, good going. Started with a walk to the marsh, nearly trod on a goldcrest too tired to get outof the way, snow bunting on the path. Saw a merlin sat on a sod of earth,making my way for a better view I flushed two mipit and it was off, treated to the full aerial gymnastics but didn't see the conclusion.

Went back for a coffee during a short rainstorm, cracking sky.

A walkdown old fall revealed a number of thrushes having a bath in a puddle, Small flocksof goldcrest, over the style I was greeted with 'Hello Jim there's a waxwing above your head' - nice. Next coupleof hours revealed Pallas warbler, Brambling, Red breasted flycatcher, Chiffchaff, Willowwarbler, Blackcap, Merlin, Sparrowhawk all washed down with loads of goldcrest.

Went off in search of the GG shrike but it was a straight through bird (as loads seemed to be) and we drew a blank. Kackered fieldfare provided excellent close up views.

By comparison the afternoon was a disappointment, Filey gave distant views of Velvet Scoter, a large diver (prob GND) and 5 difficult to id ducks while the trip to Bempton for the refound Subalpine was a wast of time (peregrine for James though). Last birds were good numbers of Lapwing and GP nearby. All in all a super day.

That sounds very likely. I certainly saw those birds there. Did you get the Pallas's Warbler mike??

You discussed tonights football yet James?

i may have sent a short sms to a certain reds fan

You might be alright. XC and magicseaweed both have easterlies until thurs/fri, the wind also drops meaning the birds might not pass straight through as they were yesterday but the danger then becomes the mist that is forecast for most of the week.

Even next weekend could be interesting, easterlies still in Scandinavia swinging round to southerlies mid North sea. Any late arrivals might be knackered by the time they get over. Fingers crossed.

Got great view of the Pallas's, a Blackcap and a Redpoll aswell as the usual Redwing etc.

After a night out in Scarborough ending up at the Casino and an early start this morning, I am finding it very hard to persuade myself to drive to Spurn.

Me too. Just hoping nothing monster turns up. I had to leave the car in town! Hoping some stuff might stick through the week.

Excellent Subalpine photos Marcus! (love the deer on your website too!).

Is the Subby thought to be a western S.cantillans nominate race bird? I presume it is due to the extensive apricot underparts.

Had a cracking day yesterday at Bempton & Flamboro. Arrived at bempton for the above Subby at about 10.30a.m but no sign on the approach road in a half hour search tho it was very windy. Several Goldcrests showing very well but not a lot else. An Adult Peregrine put up 500 plus Feral pigeons / Rock Doves from an adjacent field.

Moved on to Flamborough and walked to Old Fall Plantation. A number of Goldcrests were present, but I missed the LE Owl that had just flown in off the sea. However the RB Fly & the stunning Pallas's warbler were showing very well and also had Chiffchaff and female Blackcap as well as Fieldfares galore in the nearby field.

Sea-watching was not too productive for me around midday, plenty of Gannets & Razorbills/Guillemots, several Kittiwakes, & a few Fulmar, Eider & Shag. I failed to connect with a shearwater that flew by.

Finally decided to call back to Bempton, which was a good move as the Subalpine Warbler had just been re-found. Over an hour it gave everyone a bit of a runaround, but I had at least 4 reasonable views before I left at 3pm. Really pleased with this as I have had problems with this species home and abroad. And to top off the day a stunning Waxwing down to five yards by the visitor centre.

On the way home, 200 Golden Plovers with Lapwings in fields at J37 rejoining the M62 from Bridlington.

So a very productive day really! Time just flies when you enjoy yourself. No lifers but great birds!

Managed a couple of hours at Kilnsea and Easington today, got to the Crown just after first light, there were literally hundreds of blackbirds falling out of the sky, lots of crests in the car park, but nothing more interesting.
Went down to Beacon Ponds a cracking flock of about 20 snow bunting were feeding around the edges of the lagoon.
Back to the crown and saw a magnificent long eared owl fly through then on to the sibe stonechat at Easington.
Grey and overcast but at least the rain held off.
I've got Thursday and Friday off later this week, hope the easterlies keep up.

I'm stuck at work today, just wondering if anyone can help me out with some info.

I've seen the Waxwings being reported at Kilnsea on Birdguides, but my stupid works PC won't let me login properly to get further details.

Can anyone pass on any info - ie how regularly they've been seen, whereabouts.

Would love to add Waxwing to my list this winter

Thanks

Mal Skelton

Mal, there are at least 3 possibly 5 in the Kilnsea area, seen between the Blue Bell and the Crown and Anchor, there is also one flying between the Point and the Lighthouse this morning.
Andy

Waxwings
 

I've seen the Waxwings being reported at Kilnsea on Birdguides, but my stupid works PC won't let me login properly to get further details.

Can anyone pass on any info - ie how regularly they've been seen, whereabouts.

Just come back from Spurn, where I did see a Waxwing briefly. Apparently, there are at least 3 today, but they seem to be quite flighty at the moment. The one I saw was later reported moving south & then later heading north! If it's a good Waxwing winter they may start turning up at Supermarket car parks, where you can get very close views. The other year there were about 5 in that long Hawthorn hedge in Thorngumbald, before the turning to Stoney Creek (if heading from Paull).

It was an enjoyable morning with Hawfinch, Nordic Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Water Rail, grounded Goldcrests, Black Redstarts, Redwings, Fieldfare, Siskin, Brambling, lots of Blackbirds & Robins. I think I heard a report of a Twite come over the crackly radio, plus a Redpoll. Apparently, most of the birds from yesterday had cleared out, but it was still a very enjoyable morning's birding.

I will add today's pics to the blog as soon as I've processed them

Cheers

Got an unexpected car view yesterday when a buzzard seen from a distance away miraculously transformed into a Red kite as I drove past - this was half a mile before Shiptonthorpe heading east on the A1079

That will be the hedge at the end of my street then !!

How come I don't get to hear about Waxwings less than 100 metres from my front door ;)

I was supposed to be going out last weekend but I'm struggling at the moment with my foot, may be doing some birding by car !

Mal Skelton