Skininngrove: 27/12

I went to see a friendly slavonian grebe that was just off the pier. As I walked towards the pier [no sign of any bird near the pier] I encountered 2 pairs of stonechats. Although I saw the females they were very nervous and soon dived into the rock armour. The males were happy to pose whilst trying to catch flies.

One male flew across the path in front of me and perched on the undergrowth.

A birder who had seen the bird told me what I needed to do to see the bird... I had to scramble up onto a concrete platform at the end of the pier [just passed a sign saying ''Access Prohibited'']. Not long after I had accomplished this feat the bird swam round to the side of the pier rendering my exertions unnecessary! Oh, well, nice bird anyway.

I was still under the weather so happy to have seen this bird I headed home. Looking back from the 'promenade' the bird was right out in the bay by this time.

Beech Avenue Flamborough 28/12

A group trip: Sheila, Barry and moi. We called at Bempton [which was closed] and walked down to the cliffs. Birds were low down over the water and a long way off. Fulmars, herring gulls, a few gannets.

Nice day, good views: looking south from Bempton Cliffs RSPB

My main target was to try [again] to see the pied crow. We cruised Beech Avenue slowly to the annoyance of other vehicles using the road as a rat run to North Landing. Amazingly we saw the crow almost immediately. Barry said: what's this? Boom! Taken through the windscreen just in case.

In fact the bird is very cautious and all my shots were from the car. We saw it three times but it never perched up for long. Here's a few photos of a bird I've never seen before. Not counting it as a lifer as its provenance is a very grey area. [But counted in my year list because, as they say, it's my list!] Finally from South Landing a couple of shots - white-faced wagtail with toupee and rock pipits. On the way back up the slope to Tiggy I saw movement in the bramble scrub below. Eventually I managed to locate a warbler, presumably a chiffchaff. It was very far away and I didn't have my big lens on. Still here's a record shot.

263 UK 2018