Tuesday 14 November 2017

Two winter birds at Flamborough

A trip to Flamborough Head this morning, where a mixed flock of linnets, Snow Buntings and three Shore Larks had been reported feeding on a ploughed field south of the light house for the last few days.
 It was bright and mostly sunny, with a steady NW wind. Shortly after arriving, Robert spotted a Stonechat on the fence by the lighthouse.  We quickly arrived at the ploughed field, where we had just seen a flock of small passerines flying into. A Kestrel flushed them again, and the black and white wings of a few Snow Buntings stood out amongst the Linnets as they flew. When they landed it was hard to spot the constantly moving Snow Buntings in between the clods of soil and furrows, but while looking for them we found the three Shore Larks. The low winter sunlight from behind us was great to get a few shots when the Snow Buntings and Shore Larks stood briefly exposed atop the soil.
 Having had our fill of these local winter visitors of our eastern shores, we moved onto Bempton Cliffs. The sea was very rough, exposed to the NW wind, and the breakers were showing in the distance over Filey Brigg too.
Stonechat. 
White Horses at Selwicks Bay 
The ploughed field. 
There are two well camouflaged Shore Larks in this shot. 
Snow Bunting. 
Snow Bunting feeding. 
Two Snow Buntings.  
This Shore Lark stopped to groom. 
...and a Snow Bunting photobombed it. 

Stretching out before moving on. 
The rough seas at Bempton Cliffs. 


The breakers at Filey Brigg. 
A late drinker caterpillar on the path.
Kestrel on the barn owl box.

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