Now I'm back in the U.K. there's a little catching up to do and a Grey Phalarope at my nearby coastal town of Bridlington, seemed a good place to start. It was a cold, bright start on the coast and although the Grey Phalarope didn't appear all morning, I did enjoy seeing our seabirds that I've been away from, for a fair while. The harbour wall has held a small roost of Purple Sandpipers for some years now and fourteen were present this morning. This Purple Sandpiper was roosting alongside a Dunlin. The North bay was calm with two Kittiwakes resting on the sea, by the harbour wall. I sorted out the resting gulls on the beach. I couldn't get used to the gulls having pink legs rather than the yellow I've been used to. This brute of a Greater Black-backed Gull appeared in the harbour and snatched food from a Herring Gull. I moved on to Flamborough where many birds were moving North along the sea. Large numbers of Guillemots and Kittiwakes were coming in to the cliffs which will be their summer breeding grounds. Gannets and Fulmars were seen in smaller numbers, this Fulmar passed close by. Looking down from the cliffs, five or six Shag were seen with these two swimming together. Most birds were too far out to photograph and I settled for a couple of Seals playing together, watched by a 1w Kittiwake! Down at the South Landing, a small flock of 10 Common Scoter were sitting well out and with the tide only just receding, waders amounted to 5 Curlew and 2 Redshank only. I began looking for Rock Pipits but this Meadow Pipit was first to show itself. Rock Pipits quickly followed with seven altogether along the beach. On my way back to Bridlington, I called in to Danes Dyke where Nuthatch have become resident there. I didn't know there was a feeding station, but it made my job a lot easier! For a split second, there were two Nuthatches together on the feeder, most of the time they took it in turns to select all the sunflower seeds. Back in Bridlington, the Grey Phalarope had not shown at all but I had better views of the Purple Sandpiper, as it was feeding on the beach. Below, the lighthouse at Flamborough Head.
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