Flamborough Head - Taiga flycatcher

It was never going to be easy to reach the heights of yesterday but today was another remarkable day. The plan was to head to Spurn and spend the day there. That was what this trip was intended for. A laborious start soon turned into an incredible afternoon. It was really quiet with no real signs of visible passage at Spurn, just a few siskin and redpoll flying over.

Standard coffee and cake consumption ensued at the Discovery Centre before deciding to head down to the Point. A gentle stroll with generally no movement in the bushes and the occasional buzz on the phone with a few updates of East Yorkshire sightings. At around 2.30pm a message came through of a possible upgrade from the Flamborough red-breasted flycatcher to a taiga flycatcher. An about turn and a gruelling march back to the car took around 40 minutes. Distances aren't small in these parts but after a clear drive to Flamborough Head, was grateful that the walk from the car park to the cliff face wasn't too far. In that time - the flycatcher had been confirmed as taiga.

After finding a suitable spot to view the bird and a short wait, it was incredible seeing this rare vagrant from the siberian taiga forest flitting around a Yorkshire cliff face, resting on deserted auk nests, appearing spritely and active. Having seen a number of red-breasted flycatcher of all ages over the years, this individual species appeared much 'colder' than the warm peachy hues of its eurasian cousins. The uppertail coverts were distinctively darker. This was a thrilling observation - vagrancy at its best.