Flamborough Head, 9th Sept 24

Despite a mostly foggy day (which killed any prospect of a seawatch!) 13 club members braved the conditions and had a wonderful day birding Flamborough Head. 

Meeting at the lighthouse car park, we started at the Golf Course Willows, where Pied and Spotted Flycatchers were the first birds we set eyes on – a good start. These were followed by Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warblers, with a few flyover Swallows and distant calling Sandwich Terns. Down to Old Fall we plodded, always hoping for the fog to lift. It did briefly, and scans of the stubble fields revealed at least 13 Wheatears. A mysterious bird, quietly singing from a thick Crab Apple, proved to be a Garden Warbler, which Pat had suggested. Not what you’d expect in September!

Old Fall plantation yielded more Spotted and Pied Flycatchers and Neil’s radios proved very useful as we split into three smaller groups in order to better grill the wood from all angles. We didn’t find a Redstart to satisfy Jane’s wishes, but did identify a sprinkle of migrant warblers and a fine juvenile Hobby hunting House Martins along the cliffs.

Back round to the lighthouse we went and the fog was as thick as ever, so again a seawatch wasn’t possible. Instead, we headed back to the car park for a well-earned break. After lunch, we decided to head for South Landing, as bush-bashing seemed the order of the day. Down at the beach, a few waders were on show, including Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plover, while more Sandwich Terns cruised by. Best of all, the fog suddenly dispersed, revealing azure skies and warm sunshine, which brought smiles to everyone’s faces; until of course, we decided to ascend the steep steps to the clifftop, which was made all the harder by the growing heat!

Round the loop we went, getting close views of a juvenile female Sparrowhawk, Bullfinches and fantastic, prolonged views of Spotted and Pied Flycatchers in the clearing near the Whale Bridge. A couple of lucky folk heard a Nuthatch, not that rare in York but unusual on the headland. Jane spotted a Peregrine as we arrived back in the car park, while Neil entered the scrub to look for early Woodcock (!).

One or two decided to head for home, but the dwindling group thought one last look at the outer head was in order, now the fog had lifted. At the lighthouse, a Wheatear and distant Whinchat were followed by Stonechat and Whitethroats – certainly more than we’d seen here in the morning. A couple of Flamborough locals told us they’d just seen a real rarity – a Greenish Warbler, fresh in from the Finnish forests. Sadly, the bird had moved off quickly inland – drat! Our hunch to try the outer head one more time had been right, but we seemed to have missed the best bird!

We walked down the Motorway hedge south from the lighthouse, as if there was one good bird, there could easily be another. Two Lesser Whitethroats were all we found, until Jane mentioned to me that she had seen a small pale warbler flitting in a willow near the end of the hedge. Vigilance levels increased, and shortly, out popped the bird – surely this was the Greenish! Noel kindly offered me his scope and within a moment, there it was again, revealing its thin white wingbar, lemony supercilium meeting over the bill, and we had the Greenish in the bag! Smiles of delight all round! The little migrant performed beautifully, flitting along the edge of the willows, and we drank in every detail for half an hour, before we decided we’d had our fill and it was time to wend our way back west.

Many thanks, Jono Leadley