I was off work for the week and so I’d arranged to head up on the Wednesday to Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire to see a potential 2nd for Britain in the shape of a 1st Winter Male Red-headed Bunting with Brendon Fagan but he had to cancel until the Sunday which as it turned out was a very good thing as on the Thursday a Two-barred Greenish Warbler was found there.
Sunday arrived and along with Brendon and Ricky Flesher we headed up and thankfully arrived just as the rain started to dry up. As news of he bunting wasn’t good we headed straight to the Motorway hedge. A female Brambling was the first good bird of the day but it quickly got better as my first ever TWO-BARRED GREENISH WARBLER suddenly appeared and showed well in the set aside.
As there was plenty to see we soon left and after a quick look at some Tree Sparrows we joined a group looking over the cliff edge into some brambles. Before we saw our target bird I heard the familiar trill of a Waxwing as it flew over but it remained a heard only. Shortly after the Pallas’s Warbler flicked into view showing its lovely lemon rump.
Positive news on the bunting came through so we walked along the cliff top in the mud. A Woodcock flew in off the sea and briefly landed on the golf course. A minute or so later a Swift flew into view along the cliffs. Through the bins it looked good for Pallid Swift and sure enough it was soon confirmed as one soon after.
We arrived at the hide and waited for a good 45 minutes before we had a couple of brief views of my first ever RED-HEADED BUNTING. After it disappeared again I picked up a female Hen Harrier as it flew over and as soon as we stopped watching it I got onto the bunting again and there it sat in full view for a good 10 minutes. A Peregrine flew over as we headed back to the car but the day wasn’t over as back at the brambles we had brief but good views of only my 2nd ever Dusky Warbler.
An excellent day all round and amazingly my 3rd multiple tick day of the year.
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