Autumn arrivals are blowing in the wind

Autumn came in with a flourish for the region's birdwatchers this week with low cloud, rain and onshore winds bringing large numbers of migrants to the Yorkshire coast.

Many thousands of robins from Scandinavia, Germany and the Low Countries paused to rest and refuel before continuing onwards to Spain and Portugal for the winter, although a few will remain here and engage in some vigorous battles with our resident robins for territories.

There were also large numbers of common redstarts and a few black redstarts, song thrushes, ring ouzels, goldcrests and warblers.

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Barred warblers were at South and North Landings, Flamborough, at Easington and one in a hedge at Scalby Lodge Ponds near Scarborough, an Icterine warbler was seen at Castle Hill Scarboroughwhile there was an arrival of yellow-browed warblers all along the coast and, so far, one further inland in trees near the Punch Bowl Inn in Hull. It will be interesting to see if more are discovered with inland roaming tit flocks in the coming weeks.

Redwings were arriving in large numbers to take advantage of the bumper berry crop and as the week progressed larger numbers were being seen inland.

There were also some bramblings, the males still sporting much of their colourful orange and black plumage. Great grey shrikes were seen at Spurn, Filey, Flamborough, Grimston, and in gardens at Boulby, Cleveland. At least some of these formidable hunters will move inland to establish territories, sometimes at sites that have been used for several winters and also set up "larders" to store excess prey such as large beetles and small birds.

Great grey shrikes with their white and grey plumage and distinctive black mask through the eye are easy birds to observe.

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The scientific name, excubitor, means sentinel and refers to this bird's love of high exposed perches, particularly telegraph wires, from which it searches for prey.

A red-backed shrike was seen at South Gare and juvenile woodchat shrike on Hartlepool Headland.

These days bluethroats, once a common autumn migrant along the east coast, are much rarer and one paid a brief 20 minute visit to a garden in Hunmanby but unfortunately was not seen again.

Lapland buntings were reported from several coastal sites with more than 30 in clifftop fields near the Cleveland Way, six at Spurn while one or two were seen inland with one at Redmires reservoir, South Yorkshire.

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A snow and a little bunting and red-breasted flycatcher were also seen at Spurn and there were three shorelarks while a grey phalarope was seen on the Humber. A shorelark was seen at South Gare and rustic bunting at North Landing, Flamborough.

Two wrynecks were seen at Spurn and there were others at Carr Naze, Filey and Kilnsea. Inland, three black redstarts have now been seen at Langsett Moor, South Yorkshire while a Slavonian grebe was at Lakeside, Doncaster. Flocks of golden plovers were increasing with 4,200 in the Lower Derwent Valley between York and Selby.