Before the wind picked up in the afternoon, it was a relatively mild day with the sun breaking between light clouds. I had planned to head to Bridlington and walk along the south beach to Fraisthorpe, but I was so entertained exploring the dunes by the Park and Ride and Wilsthorpe that I never made it there. I had long wanted to explore this lovely stretch of dunes, a rare habitat of the East Yorkshire coast where there is little erosion and the sand accumulates with plenty of natural vegetation, and as I found, plenty of insects.
I catch the 8:01 train to Bridlington and I head towards the harbour. It's high tide. As usual, there are Turnstones everywhere, Redshanks on their usual roost on the outer wall, and the first of several surprises: two Red-throated Divers fishing just outside the harbour south wall, later one inside the harbour at low tide.
Herring Gull long calling near the station.
Oystercatcher roosting.
Great Black-backed Gull.
Juvenile Red-throated Diver.
Adult Red throated Diver winter plumage.
Dunlin.
Turnstone.
Knot
Sadly, there were many dead Guillemots on the beach, about 8 carcasses, and some individuals in the water looked weak. This one got stranded on the beach as the tide ebbed. Someone came with a cloth and bag and picked it up.
Amongst the dunes
I walk along the south beach to reach the dunes by the Par&Ride and Wilsthorpe. The sunshine is getting insects out, so I take the chance and explore the dunes.
An Ivy Bee on a dandelion. They seem to be in active expansion!
A female Long-winged Conehead catching the sunshine on a wall. I managed some recordings of males calling too.
The male of a pair of Stonechats on the dunes.
Rabbit with Mixomatosis. Many rabbit warrens.
Looking north towards Bridlington.
One of a number of Common Field Grasshoppers.
These crows harassed this young gull as it was feeding on something by the trick of pulling its tail. The gull was not impressed and after a while, it took off.
Another view of the dunes.
As I take my lunch sitting on an anti-talk defences as the dunes fizzle out into the cliff by Fraisthorpe, I notice hundreds of Kelp Flies were gathered at the top of the beach.
A crow checks the mud this man had dug out in search for worms.
Some horse riders at the beach.
A Pied Wagtail had it easy catching flies as there were so many.
Time to walk back. I walk on the beach this time. There is some migration off shore. Some Wigeon fly south and five Eiders north. The most astounding thing is to watch an Arctic Skua chasing a common gull across the s beach! Pity it was too distant for good shorts.
The tables turn and the gull appears to chase the skua.
The skua, probably an Arctic Skua, flies towards the sea.
One of six Guillemots in the harbour at low tide.
After a hot drink at a cafe, I head towards the train station to catch my train back.
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