Spring feel at Bempton Cliffs this morning. A few finches, buntings and Dunnocks on the move, plus a White-front through. Lots of seabirds getting ready for the season ahead!

Nice start to the year locally, with at least 2 Siberian Chiffchaff amongst 10+ Common Chiffs and a couple of intergrades at Hunmanby Water Treatment Works. By far the most Chiffs I've ever had in winter there. This was followed by a brutally cold seawatch at Flamborough that produced a Med Gull.

Epic recovery report just received! ⚠️ A Turnstone I trapped using a homemade walk-in trap has been recaptured in the 🌍 world’s 🌎 northernmost continuously inhabited settlement. Ringed on 12 February 2024 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex 🇬🇧, it was re-trapped on 08 June 2025 in Alert, Nunavut… 🇨🇦 (🧵 1/2)

Great morning around Bempton Cliffs today! Over 500 Pink-feet, 167 Lapwing and 19 Snow Bunting moved overhead, whilst fields supported 120 Corn Bunting, Lapland Bunting, 85 Yellowhammer. 2 Woodcock, 2 Chiffchaff and 3 Goldcrest were in the bushes, and 33(+) BN Dolphin moved NW.

Lovely views of the Eastern Black Redstart at St Mary's Church in Scarborough this afternoon, despite the torrential rain! It spent most of the time sheltering beneath broken gravestones.

A #BlackpollWarbler banded on the Farallones surprises birders 400 miles away in Los Angeles! Farallones vagrants are seldom resighted and some scientists think they are misorienting towards the Pacific with fatal consequences. This #bird defied the odds by making it safely back to the mainland! 🦉🌎🧪

A flyover Common Rosefinch was the highlight of today's arrival at Bempton Cliffs! Sadly it didn't stick around. Also Green Sand in off, 5 Pied Fly, 8+ Whinchat, 2 Spot Fly, etc.

Minimum of 12 1w Caspian Gulls on Bridlington South Beach this evening! Possibly more on the water, and I didn't have time to check the gulls to the south towards Fraisthorpe. Also Yellow-legged Gull, hybrid HG x Casp, 100s Common Tern south, 150 Turnstone. ebird.org/checklist/S2...

Remembering the 'great fall' of 1965 Sixty years to the day of one of the most sensational falls of migrants ever to have been documented in Britain, Moss Taylor looks back at this once-in-a-lifetime event:

Migweek 25 programme is live!! Join us on the headland from 11th-19th of October for this free event celebrating the miracle of migration ! Please note all walks and in person talks require booking due to limited numbers. Follow link for details flamboroughbirdobs.org.uk/events/migwe...

Pristine juv Honey Buzzard over the house this morning. Initially low, then gained height until very high NW. Perhaps climbing to cut out across Filey Bay. Welcome house-tick!

Quality over quantity on this evenings RSPB pelagic off Flamborough. Highlights included juv LT Skua, 6 Arctic Skua, Roseate Tern, 5 Caspian Gull and a Great Crested Grebe.

Two of three freshly arrived Purple Sandpiper south of Bridlington Harbour this evening, feeding amongst Turnstone. Just the one Casp tonight, but fewer gulls present.

Some quality gull action by Bridlington Spa this evening, with at least 6 Caspian and a Yellow-legged (all juvs / 1w). Lots of terns feeding in the bay and 8 Teal dropped onto the sea. ebird.org/checklist/S2...

At least 9 Willow Warbler and a Tree Pipit at Bempton Cliffs this afternoon. A Purple Sandpiper heading NW at sea with a flock of Curlew was only the third I've had on the patch!

Early this morning #Whimbrel POTSKAR landed in Guinea, W Africa, after flying 7000+km from St-Petersburg, Russia. It took POTSKAR 5.5 days of NON-STOP flight, varying altitude from 10s of meters over the Baltic and the Med, to >5km over land. #ornithology www.globalflywaynetwork.org/tracks/speci...

Motherfucking wind farms…

More hints of early autumn at Bempton Cliffs today. A few migrant Willow Warblers joined the locals, three juv Marsh Harriers moved through and a juv Kestrel in off the sea quickly learned to avoid the Herring Gulls. Lots of juv Swallows and a few Yellow Wags moved through and 4 Minkes were present.

"Has the Albatross been seen?" "Sadly not for a few days now..." Culling old memory cards and found this from 2021 at #Bempton - not my best but surely my most caption-friendly photo of the BBA.... @rspb.bsky.social @bemptonbirder.bsky.social #Seabirds #Yorksbirds #Albatross

Lovely trip to Bempton Cliffs from Bridlington. Big increase in Puffins lately, including lots of immature non-breeding birds. Large feeding frenzies of Kitts and auks on the south side of the headland contained a 2cy Med Gull, whilst several Red Admirals headed for land low across the waves!

A female Western Gull was recorded riding 150km in a garbage truck from San Francisco to a compost facility in Central CA, probably to forage. TWICE. An innovator, an icon, a genius. This is one of my favorite @waterbirdsociety.bsky.social papers I've ever handled as managing editor #ornithology

Stop 1 of Yorkshire 24 hr Bird Race. 00:30 and 15 species. Highlights include Bittern, Cetti's, Barnacle Goose and Badger. Donate here to support @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social Jack Snipe project www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...

We’re going to be doing a 24hr bird race around Yorkshire next Saturday 10th May, trying to see as many species as we can to raise money for our MOTUS Jack Snipe project www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding... @ollie333.bsky.social @jabbirdart.bsky.social

Great views of the Filey Eastern Subalpine Warbler rounded off a lovely Easter weekend's birding locally. Highlights included a surprise Cory's Shearwater past Bempton, the Ashy-headed Wagtail and Blue-headed Wagtail at Flamborough, the Bonaparte's Gull at Hornsea and a selection of common migrants!

We're pleased to be able to share this good news story about one of our #LDV Curlew ahead of #WorldCurlewDay tomorrow - full report on facebook.com/LDVNNR/ @naturalengland.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social @waderquest.bsky.social

#SuperSeabirdSunday Puffins showing well at RSPB Bempton Cliffs yesterday. #Birdguides #BemptonCliffs

A nice mix of migrants at Bempton Cliffs this afternoon, with totals including 14 Willow Warbler, 7 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, Whitethroat, 4 Song Thrush, 3 Redwing, 24 Robin (including some very grey birds) and 2 Yellow Wagtail. A new Moorhen also joined the resident pair. @flamboroughbird.bsky.social

My first Wheatear of the year graced the ploughed fields by Wandale Farm at Bempton this morning. Thrushes had also arrived, with 34 Blackbirds, 4 Redwing and 4 Fieldfare. Seabirds continue to return en masse, and a bloodied Gannet was a reminder of how brutal territorial disputes can be!

Good fun co-leading the first of our regular guided walks at #Bempton Cliffs @rspbbemptoncliffs.bsky.social for the lovely volunteer team there with @bemptonbirder.bsky.social - challenging conditions but three Woodcocks stole the show....

The first (5) Puffins of the year were in amongst masses of auks at Bempton Cliffs this morning. Also 2 Woodcock, 12 Golden Plover, the first moving Meadow Pipits and Skylark, 16 Redwing in off and an apparent nominate 'northern' Guillemot on the sea (right hand bird in picture).

Lovely morning in North Lincs today. Starting with great views of the Eastern Yellow Wagtail at Winteringham, followed by a Bittern at Far Ings!

A lovely morning at Bempton Cliffs today was headlined by 154 Corn Bunting, by far my highest count here! An amazing sight / sound, especially when a Merlin forced them into nearby bushes. Also an increase in thrushes and 3 Woodcock. #patchbirding @flamboroughbird.bsky.social

Lovely to start our last full day on Islay with the Red-breasted Goose at Loch Gruinart. It was last reported in December so we didn't have high hopes! Well picked out by @grahamscott14.bsky.social!

Lots of thrushes on Islay at the moment, especially Fieldfares including a few triple-figure flocks. Maybe involving birds displaced by harsh weather in Jan. A flock of 17 Song Thrushes this evening included a notably darker brown bird with darker black spots (pictured). Perhaps T. p. hebridiensis?

Lots of White-tailed Eagle action around Islay over the last few days, including some crazy views of birds sat in roadside fields in the rain!

It's been a quiet winter for Short-eared Owls at Bempton Cliffs, so it was lovely to watch two hunt the grassland this evening. A singing Song Thrush hinted that spring is just round the corner!

A Merlin was the highlight of a bitterly cold morning at Bempton Cliffs. It managed to single out a Goldfinch and chase it several hundred metres out to sea, the Goldfinch then managed to get back and drop into a clifftop bush!

A smart Hawfinch was the highlight of a gloomy morning around Troutsdale. Picked up with a thermal camera whilst scanning the forest floor for roosting Woodcock!

2024 was another cracking year on the patch at Bempton Cliffs. Some highlights include Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Red-flanked Bluetail, Issy Shrike, Sibe Stonechat, Nightjar, Icterine, Bluethroat, Barred Warbler etc. Not to mention a heap common stuff and decent falls enjoyed amongst good company!

Nice views of a couple of Woodcock were the highlight of a foggy walk around Bempton Cliffs this morning. Also Water Rail and 9 Song Thrush.

Lovely couple of hours around a brutal Filey Brigg earlier today. Highlights included 17 Little Auk, 9 GN Diver (6 in the bay, 3 north offshore), Goldeneye, and 5 Eider. Tough conditions for the local waders and Rock Pipits! ebird.org/checklist/S2...

Lovely to stumble across this resting Little Auk by Scarborough Harbour earlier today with @grahamscott14.bsky.social. It spent a while sheltering from the northernly winds at mouth of the Harbour, before flying strongly north into a heavy squall. A Great Northern Diver also fed nearby.

At least 3 Woodcock at Bempton Cliffs this afternoon, part of a small influx onto the wider headland following a steep drop in temperature in Norway. All blending seamlessly into their surroundings, found with a thermal. Also a Water Rail, 3 Redwing and a scattering of Blackbirds.

There was a small arrival of Blackbirds at Bempton Cliffs yesterday, with birds scattered across all habitats, including right down to the base of the cliffs (spot the male by the cave)! ebird.org/checklist/S2...

Lovely views of the 7 Lesser White-fronted Geese at Flamborough today, originating from the reintroduced Swedish population. The flock contained an adult Swedish ringed bird and a couple of juveniles. A juvenile Euro White-front accompanied them.

A vocal Dusky Warbler was the highlight of a lunchtime walk around Bempton Village today, an unexpected find 2km inland in a small roadside hedge! #UKbirding

Late autumn is always one of my favourite times of year at Bempton Cliffs. Highlights over the last few days have included Siberian Chiffchaff, Thrush and Starling arrivals, clifftop Goldcrests and lots of Woodcocks!

Epic tracking of a Red-throated Diver wintering in the German Bight, breeding 5,500km away in Russia, the other side of the Taimyr Peninsula! www.divertracking.com/en/tracking-...