Scarborough

I've just arrived back home from a couple of days at Scarborough. The main purpose of the visit was to join other Spurn birders on their annual night out, but I combined it with a couple of days away with my wife and daughter - when I was looking at hotel prices it actually worked out cheaper for three of us than 2!! Not sure how that works but there you go, and it made it a no brainer for them to come along.

The plan was to arrive at Scarborough just after lunch on Saturday, spend a few hours mooching, get something to eat and then I'd shoot off to the pub whilst Mrs H and AK went bowling, or played the slots or whatever else they chose to do for a few hours. Everything went as planned and we were eating Mexican food at El Gringo's by 18:00 and on the prom in the arcades by 19:30. I left them at 20:00 to join my friends in a bar in town.

I wont say too much about the evening, save that there were a lot of birders. I was expecting it to be just Spurn regulars, but it turned out there were birders from a few other places in Yorkshire plus, I believe, a few from farther afield. It was a good night and it was a shame I had to duck out early to get back to our hotel so I didn't disturb the wife by arriving back too late.

Next morning we went down to the harbour after breakfast. I had been told that there was a Great Northern Diver and Black-necked Grebe there, both would be good year ticks. I made the mistake of leaving my bins in the car, but thankfully I had my camera. I spotted a couple of birders from the previous evening and asked them the inevitable  'anything about?' and got put straight on to both the diver and the grebe.

There was also numerous Turnstones on the harbour wall, often feeding with the Feral Pigeons and a lonely Rock Pipit that gave pretty good views.

 

 Rather than just shoot straight home, I decided to call in at Flamborough on the way home. More to just extend the day out than for any bird related reasons. I managed to add Shag, Guillemot, Razorbill, Gannet and Kittiwake to the year list, but not too much else of note in the limited time we were there.

Overall a great weekend.