Little Auk, Alle alle

Local status: Rare winter visitor

This tiny seabird suffers during prolonged winter storms and York’s relative proximity to the coast means that during big ‘wrecks’, some birds turn up in our area. Sadly, many of these are found dead or dying with only one or two having been observed alive. In 1983 and 1987 large numbers were pushed down the North Sea by strong northerly winds and resulted in many birds inland in Yorkshire, and multiple records in the York area.

Records:
2018: Wheldrake Ings, 9th November (one)
2007: Great Barugh, 14th November. Dead.
1998: Bank Island, 10th January.
1995: Lower Derwent Valley, 12th December. Dead.
1995: Heslington, 1st November. Dead.
1991: Wheldrake Woods, 29th October. Dead.
1990: Wheldrake Ings, 23rd December. Picked up and released at the coast.
1987: Clifton Airfield, 25th November. Picked up and released at the coast.
1987: Haxby, 24th November. Two. Picked up and released at the coast.
1987: Coney Street, York, 23rd November. Moribund.
1987: Huby, 23rd November. Moribund.
1984: Tockwith (in a garden), 16th January.
1983: River Ouse, Poppleton, 29th October.
1983: Bank Island, 20th February. Dead.
1983: Fangfoss, 13th February.
1983: Strensall, 10th February. Picked up and released at the coast.
1982: Sand Hutton, 9th January. Moribund.
1975: Leavening Beck, 5th November. Moribund