Filey Brigg

I had a cracking day on Filey brigg today. I figured that with the tides being so big it might be worth going to see what was about at low tide.

The walk round had the usual oystercatchers, turnstone, redshank, knot and a feeding seal close to the beach.

Further round, halfway to the end of the brigg was a rock pipit, common scoter and the target bird-velvet scoter, at first they were quite close then flew out and re-settled at quite a distance.

My mate Dave joined me for a short while before heading off to the end 'to see if there are any phalaropes about'.

It was at the end of the brigg where most of the action was-at least 10 purple sandpipers constantly feeding at times very close, a single sanderling, 2 grey plovers a ringed plover and a single curlew.

The tide ebbed back quite a distance revealing lots of starfish and other sea life not normally on view.

It was here that there was almost a constant stream of scoters flying in and out of the bay-at times the velvets were quite close.

the wind was whipping up all the time making standing up quite difficult, but the birds kept coming, a red throated diver sneaked past us and then the star of the show-initially i thought the sanderling had flown up but when it settled on the sea I knew staright away it was a grey phalarope. Initially it disappeared but then after a while spent the best part of an hour feeding amongst a kelp bed straight in front of us.

We left just after 1 to check out Hornsea mere but a half hearted scan produced very little.