27th April 2003 South Landing, Flamborough Head, Yorkshire 1.00pm – 5.00pm. Bempton Cliffs RSPB 5.15pm – 6.00pm. Sunny and calm in the ravine at South Landing with odd shower

Eider 1 female

Hobby 1 Flamborough
Grey Partridge 2 near Goole
Puffin c.8 Bempton
Guillemot c.50 Bempton
Razorbill c.10 Bempton
Long-eared Owl 1 Bempton. A sandy individual lacking the rusty-buff facial discs. Long ears had white outer webs. Breast streaking heaviest on upper breast.
Swallow c.5
House Martin c.2
Blackcap c.3
Whitethroat 1
Willow Warbler 1
TAIGA FLYCATCHER 1 male ex. First-summer based on pale bar across the greater coverts. Chin pale whitish, throat orange, grey breast band forming streaks onto lower breast. White belly and undertail coverts. Crown slightly rufous-brown. White eye-ring most noticeable below eye though completely absent at certain angles. Greyish ear coverts and ‘shawl effect’. Upperparts grey sometimes with a brownish tinge. Tertials with pale fringes. Black uppertail coverts darker than black center to tail and broad terminal band. All black bill and black legs and feet. Spent a considerable time on moss-covered ground. Excellent.
Tree Sparrow c.5 Bempton
Yellowhammer 1 Flamborough

Male Taiga Flycatcher at Flamborough (Pete Wragg)

26th April 2003 Beachy 5.45am – 1.00pm. Calm and overcast becoming brighter

Gannet c.30E

Grey Heron 1
Canada Goose 2
Scoter c.10E
Merganser 1E
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 2
Whimbrel c.20E
Bonxie 1E
Arctic Skua 2E
Sandwich Tern c.5E
Commic Tern 1E
Turtle Dove 1
Swift 1
Swallow c.10
Rock Pipit 1
Pied Wagtail 1
Yellow Wagtail 1
Nightingale 1h
Black Redstart 1
Stonechat c.5
Garden Warbler 2
Blackcap c.3h
Lesser Whitethroat c.4
Whitethroat c.25
Sedge Warbler 1
Willow Warbler c.5
Chiffchaff h
Long-tailed Tit 1
Chaffinch c.10
Linnet c.20
Goldfinch c.10
Corn Bunting 1

23rd April 2003 Beachy 6.00am – 11.30am. Cold NE wind. Sunny

Greylag Goose 2

21st April 2003 Beachy 6.00am – 3.15pm. Light SE becoming SW. Warm and sunny

Red-throated Diver c.6E
Black-throated Diver 1E distant bird but white on scapulars visible – however, looked large.
Fulmar c.15
Manx Shearwater 1E
Gannet c.75E
Canada Goose 2 flew in off
Brent Geese c.100E
Shelduck 3E
Gadwall 1E
Eider c.25E
Scoter c.1000E
Velvet Scoter c.35E
Merganser c.8E
Kestrel c.2
Peregrine 3 vocalising in air together over Birling
Pheasant c.3
Oystercatcher h
Curlew 1E
Whimbrel 2E
Bonxie c.6E
Pomarine Skua 14E all close with pale and dark morphs seen. Excellent.
Arctic Skua c.30E
Black-headed Gull c.20E
Common Gull c.20E
Mediterranean Gull 5E (4 adults and 1 1^st-w)
Little Gull 150E (counted) mainly adults with odd 1^st-w and 2^nd-w
Little Tern c.5E
Sandwich Tern c.350E
Commic Tern c.200E
Black Tern 2E
Auk sp. c.15
Wryneck 1 bottom of lane at Birling – different bird to 18/4 – throat paler-yellow with fine barring
Skylark c.8
Sand Martin 1
Swallow c.10
Pied Wagtail c.3
Yellow Wagtail 1
Redstart 1 male
Wheatear 3
Stonechat c.4
Mistle Thrush 1 Cow Gap, 1 Burgess Hill
Blackcap 1 + 2h
Willow Warbler 1h
Chiffchaff c.3h
Linnet c.20
Goldfinch c.4

19th April 2003 Beachy 6.15am – 12.15pm. Strong cold NE wind. Clear becoming overcast

Diver sp. 1E

Fulmar c.5
Cormorant c.5
Mallard 2
Merganser 2
Kestrel c.2
Peregrine 2
Sandwich Tern 1E
Rock Pipit 1
Pied Wagtail c.4
Stonechat c.2
Blackcap h
Whitethroat 3
Firecrest h singing – same bird as previous day
Chaffinch c.6
Linnet c.40
Redpoll h
Goldfinch c.8
Greenfinch 1

18th April 2003 Beachy 6.00am – 1.45pm. Cold moderate E wind. Clear skies

Red-throated Diver 1E
Gannet c.5
Cormorant c.12
Canada Goose 1W
Shoveler 4E
Scoter c.20E
Merganser c.10E
Kestrel c.2
Pheasant c.5
Whimbrel 4 briefly on beach
Arctic Skua 2E
Black-headed Gull c.25E
Sandwich Tern c.10E
Common Tern c.15E
Razorbill 1 thrown into the boot of my car by a fisherman – JFC took it back to the beach where it swam out to sea before returning towards the beach and hauling itself onto a rock exposed by the tide. Ringed.
Cuckoo 2
Wryneck 1 found in Chat Vale. First seen in flight with pointed wings and long tail apparent and Shrike-like flight. Black stripe extending from nape down center of mantle. Throat buff but appeared quite dull. Barred underparts.
Swallow c.10
House Martin c.5
Meadow Pipit c.5 mobbing one of the Cuckoos in Cow Gap
White Wagtail 1
Pied Wagtail c.4
Stonechat c.5
Mistle Thrush 1 Burgess Hill
Blackcap 1 male
Whitethroat c.5
Chiffchaff h
Firecrest 1 singing male high-pitched series of calls
Linnet c.30
Redpoll 1
Goldfinch c.15

17th April 2003 Ditchling Common 7.00pm – 8.00pm. Warm, calm and sunny

Coot 1