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Wildlife Sightings - January 2016
Thu 4th Feb, 2016
January was the first month of the winter where temperatures were around average for the time of year after a very mild end to 2015. The first three weeks of January were steady at between -1° and 8° leading to several days with frost for the first time this winter! The last week saw temperatures rise again for a few days up to a high of 15°. It was also a relatively dry month with the east coast once again in the rain shadow of heavy rain further west in the county. Winds were dominated by a south-east to westerly airflow apart from mid-month when a gale force northerly blew on the 14th and 15th.
2016 dawned with the long-staying rare birds still in situ; Siberian Chiffchaff at Easington, 2 Black Brant Geese at Kilnsea, The Surf Scoter at Filey and 2 Richard’s Pipits at Flamborough (up to 3 present later in the month). The 3 Black-necked Grebes in Scarborough Harbour also proved very popular with birders on the first day of 2016. 2 Lapland Bunting were at Long Nab, the smart male Long-tailed Duck at Hornsea Mere and 2 White-fronted Geese at Buckton. Small numbers of Little Auks were also seen at Filey.
Richards Pipit Flamborough © Craig Thomas
The 5th brought a winter seawatch full of variety at Flamborough with Sooty Shearwater, Little Auk, Velvet Scoter and Great Northern Diver. An excellent winter for Bewick’s Swan sightings (normally rare) continued in the Scarborough area, 8 at Harwood Dale on the 10th was the largest flock so far this winter.
Bewick's Swans Harwood Dale © Steve Wignall
Little Gulls were one of the star birds of the month. They are normally very scarce in Yorkshire but not so this winter. At Flamborough 8 were seen on the 2ndand 20 on the 5th. It was Filey however that won the January Little Gull cup with a very impressive 77 counted on the 8th. The mild weather throughout most of the winter may have encouraged a lot more to linger than usual after the autumn migration.
Little Gull © Richard Baines
Two Slavonian Grebes were found on the coast early in the month; one at Hornsea and the long staying bird at Kilnsea. Hornsea continued to be the hot place for Grebes with a Red-necked Grebe joining the Slavonian on the 10th. A female Smew on the 15th, a male Scaup and a Red-crested Pochard on the 17th rounded off an impressive mid-winter wildfowl list at Hornsea Mere. Spotted Redshank is a rare wader during winter so 2 were an added bonus. 1 was at Seamer Tip Scarborough on the 6th and 1 on the Humber at Paull Holme Strays on the 10th. More expected but very scarce this month was a Grey Phalarope flying north past Flamborough on the 10th. It was a good month for Great Northern Divers with a long staying bird at South Landing Flamborough and daily sightings in Filey Bay and Hunmanby Gap. Two Black-throated divers were also here on the 11th.
Slavonian Grebe Spurn © Adam Hutt
Arctic Gulls were only present in small numbers the mild weather no doubt having an influence on their distribution. A near adult Kumlien’s Gull graced Hornsea Mere on the 17th, presumably the same bird then moved to Barmston and was seen on and off for the rest of the month here. An Iceland Gull was in the Scarborough area on the 17th. A juvenile Glaucous Gull was at Filey on the 16th with another at Hornsea Mere on the 20th. A Pomarine Skua at Spurn on the 14th was a good mid-winter rarity. Puffins are normally very scarce in the winter in Yorkshire so 11 flying north past Flamborough on the 17th was a notable count. Rounding off a good month for Auk sightings at Flamborough was a Black Guillemot flying north on the 24th.
Glaucous Gull Filey eating White-beaked Dolphin © Dave Aitken
Flights of wild Geese and Swans are a wonderful sight in the winter. January was a good month for species diversity. Small numbers of Tundra Bean Geese were seen including 3 at Hutton Buscel Carr on the 3rd, 3 at Wykeham Lakes on the 18th and 6 over Hornsea Mere on the 25th. A flock of 5 were also seen flying north in the Scarborough area on the 25th which may have belonged to the original Hornsea sighting. Wykeham Lakes near Scarborough was by far the best place for variety this month with small numbers of Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese taking up residence alongside up to 15 White-fronted Geese. 32 Whooper Swans was a good count this month at Potter Brompton. Pink-footed Geese were on the move at the end of the month with 705 counted flying north over the Scarborough bird recording area on the 25th.
White-fronted Goose © Craig Thomas
January produced good counts of one of our favourite winter coastal birds the Purple Sandpiper. After a slow start to winter for this species, numbers have picked up recently. 61 were counted roosting on the East Pier at Scarborough on the 17th and 63 were on Filey Brigg on the 28th. Curlews are common birds in winter on the North Yorkshire coast but very rarely counted in the hundreds so 300 at Gristhorpe Sands on the 27th were significant. A Great Grey Shrike was again in the Maw Rigg area of Langdale Forest on the 28th. Last seen in December 2015 the January sighting is a good indication of a productive winter territory. A Blackcap in a Filey Garden this month was another songbird no doubt benefiting from the milder winter.
Purple Sandpiper © Dan Lombard
Blackcap Filey © Ian Robinson
The month came to a close with bird of the month in the Scarborough area; a smart adult male American Wigeon found on the 29th amongst the wintering Eurasian Wigeon at Scalby. Wigeon numbers were on a high, a fabulous 880 were counted here on the 23rd.
American Wigeon © Steve Race
Winter cetacean sightings are rare apart from the resident Harbour Porpoises. A White-beaked Dolphin was sadly washed up dead at Filey on the 16th. The silver lining for birders was the juvenile Glaucous Gull attracted by the free meat! (see Glaucous Gull photo above).
Richard Baines YCN
For more wildlife sightings visit these great web sites!
Spurn Bird Observatory, Flamborough Bird Observatory, Filey Bird Observatory and Group, Northern Rustic blogspot , Scarborough Birders, Butterfly Conservation Yorkshire Branch Yorkshire Nature Traingle