Bempton Cliffs and North Duffield Carrs

Wednesday morning I drove to RSPB Bempton Cliffs reserve.

Brilliant sunshine with a stiff breeze. I walked down to cliff tops from where I could see lots of guillemots on the sea. A few guillemots were on the cliffs.

Lots of fulmars were flying close to the cliffs

others were sat on the cliffs " cackling"

I walked along the path, stopping to watch gannets flying about, until I reached the end of the reserve where I turrned left and walked along the edge of a field of stubble, I was hoping to see lapland buntings, yellowhammers and skylarks. The skylarks were very active chasing each other about. A small flock of starlings were also flying across the field. I did not have any luck in finding the lapland buntings until I met Paul Reed, a local birder. I discovered that Paul had lived in the same area I live. Paul had seen the lapland buntings and also 3 shorelarks. We slowly walked looking for birds and eventually Paul found a group of lapland buntings.

By no means a brilliant picture but you can just about make out the birds. Paul had managed to get good photos of both the buntings and the larks. I had to leave Paul as I had to meet my granddaughter in Scarborough. On the way back to the car park I saw a peregrine flying along the cliff top.

Thursday afternoon I went to North Duffield Carrs.

2 birders were in the Garganey hide, one of them I knew, a chap called John Clarke. The water level is slowly going down and the birds were a fair distance away. I was pleased to be able to see 5 whooper swans. Lots of wigeons, teal, a few mallard, shoveler and pintail. As far as waders were concerned there were more golden plover than lapwings with a few dunlin, redshank and ruff. When a buzzard and marsh harrier flew over the birds took to the air. There were three curlew closer to the hide and one of them had a damaged left leg. In the distance I saw a barn owl hunting. As the light faded I was hoping to see swans come into roost, but they did not.