Train trip: Scarborough circular

Northeasterlies in December is a good time to visit Scarborough. The harbour is sheltered and attracts passing divers and other sea birds, so you could be up for a nice surprise. There are rough seas all around, the wind not as strong as in the last few days, but cold. A Great Northern Diver is visible off the beach, with a few Cormorants. There is a passage of Little Auks in the Yorkshire coast, with hundreds reported from Flamborough and Scarborough flying north along the coast, so I reckon there is a chance I get one. Little Auks breed in the Arctic, most of them in Svalbard, but they move to the North of the North Sea in the winter, and are pushed south in storms, flying north again afterwards. As I arrive at the harbour a birder tells me two roosted in the harbour, but already went to see. A Kingfisher flies across the water from the jetty, but it lands in between some wooden slats out of view. There is also a Shag off the harbour. I think there are two GNDs, one paler than the other. 

Heavy machinery is moving sand from the northern end of the beach, where the last storms have piled it over the level of the seawall.

Sparrowhawk fly over.

Cormorant.

Grey Seal.

Turnstone.

Shag.

Great Northern Diver in the harbour.

Great Northern Diver out of the harbour.

A lone Purple Sandpiper roosting.

There were six Fulmars on their nest sites at Castle Cliff, visible from North Marine Drive.

Kittiwake.

An angler in good company.

After a walk around the harbour and up North Marine Drive, I see three photographers pointing their cameras off the harbour wall. As I approach they tell me that a Little Auk had briefly landed in front of them and I had just missed it. Not long after someone called there was another one coming. I couldn't believe I got photos of both in flight. Although one of them landed for a few seconds, I couldn't find it in the surf. It was a lifer for a couple of birders.

Little Auk.

and the second one.

Little Auk fly pass.

I can't resist a Great Black-back Gull braying.

After this, it's lunch time, and I stop for a coffee and a nibble at Ask. The afternoon walk takes me to Peasholme Park, out of the wind. There are several workers clearing out debris and fallen trees. As I walked along Scarborough I noticed many damaged roofs, storm Darragh must have been something to behold.

A view of the beck at Peasholme Park dale.

Scarborough North Beach and Castle.

Kestrel.

I decided to walk back to the station along North Marine Drive. Along the way I make a quick stop to photograph a dozing young Grey Seal on the rocks.

Young Grey Seal.

I manage to make the 15:02 train back home after a brisk walk.

Train trip: Scarborough Harbour and Rotunda Museum

I wanted to visit the Rotunda Museum to see some of its Pleistocene fossils for an upcoming walk, so I took the 8:21 train and was at the Rotunda for its opening time at 10:00. I spent a very interesting hour looking at the collections and cabinets. An addition since the last time I visited is the Walrus skull found at Reighton Sands in 2018, which now takes place of pride in the museum gallery.

The stunning building of the Museum in its scenic setting from the Spa Bridge.

Bone harpoons and stone axe and flint arrowheads. 

The Reighton Walrus skull.

The Rotunda ceiling.

There is a stiff northerly wind, but it's sheltered in the Harbour. I soon spot a Great Northern Diver. The Great Black-backed Gull gives an idea of its size. There are sunny spells and it's not ideal to photograph the diver against the light, so I move to the Lighthouse pier, where the views are much better.

There are two GN Divers, an immature, which has a beautifully patterned, fresh plumage.

Immature GN Diver.

Immature GN Diver.

Adult GN Diver.

This is the adult, which is moulting into its winter plumage. It got a crab and is about to swallow it after removing all the legs.

Then I got a very nice surprise, a Black-necked Diver. A few birdwatchers have told me it was about, but it surfaced just under the pier, really close, so I got brilliant views, and a lifer!

Black-necked Diver.

Black-necked Diver. It headed to the entrance of the harbour and it was soon lost from view.

Lobster Pots.

House Sparrow. They love the lobster pots.

A Grey Seal on the surf.

After lunch the divers got a bit sleepy and went together out of the harbour for a snooze.

A view of Scarborough South Bay from Spa Bridge.

 

Train trip: Wilsthorpe Dunes

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.