It's been a quiet start to the autumn so far for the Yorkshire lister, with a lack of easterlies ensuring very few drift migrants have appeared on the coast. Although predominately from the west the occasional switch to northerlies has at least kindled a bit of sea bird passage allowing one or two fledgling listers to add species such as Balearic Shearwater and Long-tailed Skua to their tally but the only real rarities reported (Black-browed Albatross, Fea's Petrel and probable Yelkouan Shearwater) were seen by just a tiny number of observers in total and could end up getting a rough ride with the BBRC. Undoubted highlight so far has been the juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper which was found at Beacon Ponds during the early evening of September10th but although it remained until dusk it had departed by next morning meaning that in the main only the Spurn regulars caught up with it. Amongst those who were able to add it to their Yorkshire list was finder Mick Turton, whilst his work colleague Rich Swales went one better and added it to his Brit’ list. Roll on the easterlies!
Action at last on September 29th when news broke that the Sandhill Crane which had previously been seen in Scotland Yorkshire at about mid day. By this time many Yorkshire listers were heading to Spurn hedging their bets on the ‘funnel effect’ but alas when the bird got to Whitby it headed inland, and although it had been clocked at a few Yorkshire sites, it was generally only enjoyed by a select band of Cleveland listers, leaving those posted at Scarborough and all points south totally frustrated.
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