When Brian phoned and said he was thinking of going to Yorkshire for the Song Sparrow, I should have just said yes. But it was mid-morning, and I was already busy with jobs around the house and reluctant to leave them, so we made plans to go early the next morning. We left home at 4am, knowing it had been a clear night in Yorkshire and chances of the bird moving on overnight were quite possible. Unfortunately, we arrived to negative news.
Hearing this news, we decided to spend the morning at Bempton Cliffs, and if the bird was refound, we would be only a short drive back down the coast to it. Sadly, the Song Sparrow would not be found again throughout the day.
Disappointed, we still enjoyed a lovely morning at Bempton, watching the comings and goings of thousands of seabirds. Gannets, Guillemots, Razorbills, and Kittiwakes were present in huge numbers, with smaller numbers of Fulmars and Puffins. Tree Sparrows were seen in bushes around the reserve centre and along the seafront.
We left Bempton at lunchtime and stopped at Welbeck Raptor Watchpoint. We didn't see any Honey Buzzards but did connect with a Quail while we were there.
Before heading home, we made a small diversion to Rutland Water, where we enjoyed views of a pair of Osprey at the nest with two young.
