Filey and Bempton.

Visit to the coast to take grand daughter shopping, so fitted some birding in before and after the shopping.

I arrived at Filey Dams about 1030 and found an empty car park. I started at the West hide and a quick scan through my bins showed lots of birds with young. The male mute swan was chasing everything away, even when the bird was not near its 5 young.

he frightened the canada goslings

The latest report is that the swan family has now re located to East Lea, but there are only 3 cygnets, so another 2 have perished.

coots were busy feeding their young. A male shoveler looked good in the bright sunshine

a pair of gadwall were happily feeding until a second male appeared

 after an hour I left the hide and walked towards the central hide. I was amazed to see that the car park was now full, but no one had come into the hide I had been in. Was there a special bird about?

Yes, lots of photographers had turned up to get a picture of this bird

a tawny owl.

From the central hide I saw 3 little egrets together

and a barnacle goose

on my walk to the East hide I heard and saw the following birds

from the hide I could only see some of the birds that I had seen from the other 2 hides. This carrion crow was on the look out for some food

Time to go to Scarborough and shopping. This did not take very long so I was able to do more birding, so decided to go home via Bempton.

a bit cooler than at Filey, so I was glad that I had a coat to wear. Lots of red campion on the reserve

it reminded me of a visit to Shetland when the spring squill was in full bloom. Lots of people had turned up hoping to see the albartross but it had gone out to sea. The gannets were the star of the visit as far as I was concerned.

lots of them were gathering nesting material

I have always assumed that gannets ritual of touching beaks was part of their pair bonding

but then a third bird arrived and the middle gannet started touching bills with it!

perhaps it has several meanings!

Some gannets argued

others were more friendly

fulmars were on the wing

kittiwakes were also gathering nesting material

another reminder of Shetland, Kittiwake Haa on Foula,

razorbills

I did not see any puffins on the cliffs but there were plenty flying at sea. I hope that the people on the cruise had good views.