East Yorkshire

Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis ©David Mason Website
Birding East Yorkshire

East Yorkshire offers some of the best birding in the UK! Its coastal sites include seabird colonies on cliffs, estuarine marshes and reedbeds and superb migration hotspots.

It has a considerable reputation as a great county for sea-watching, rare migrants at the coast and has some excellent inland sites too.

Nesting auks, Gannet, Kittiwake and Fulmar can be seen at Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head, while the Humber Estuary is of international significance as a Ramsar site and is designated as a Special Protection Area for the large flocks of overwintering, migratory and breeding waders. Sites such as Patrington Haven Paull Holme Strays and Blacktoft Sands RSPB are all worth a visit. Marsh Harrier, Bittern and Avocet breed.

East Yorkshire boasts two Bird Observatories, at Spurn and Flamborough, and the variety of rare and scarce migrants that have been recorded is legendary.

Inland sites of significant interest include Allerthorpe Common YWT, the Lower Derwent Valley NNR, North Cave Wetlands YWT, and Tophill Low NR.

Moreover, it is one of the best places to try a pelagic in the autumn for skuas and shearwaters.

It has beautiful scenery too as well as interesting towns and terrific beer!

Seabird Trips Feature

Top Sites
  • Bempton Cliffs

    Satellite View
    North of Flamborough, these high chalk cliffs hold nationally important breeding seabird colonies, for which April-July visits are best. Up to 75,000 Kittiwakes provide a spectacular backdrop for large numbers of Common Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins, as well as one of the only Gannet colonies in mainland Britain.
  • Blacktoft Sands

    Satellite View
    This nationally important reed bed is the best site in the region for Marsh Harrier and Bearded Tit, and the carefully managed water levels on different pools make this an excellent site for passage waders as well as breeding Avocet.
  • Flamborough Head

    Satellite View
    This headland near Bridlington can produce outstanding sea watching from the point in autumn and winter, with good falls of migrants regular at South Landing and Danes Dyke.
  • Hornsea Mere

    Satellite View
    This large freshwater lake close to the sea proves very attractive for divers, grebes, sea ducks and terns, and is the prime Yorkshire site for Little Gulls which peak in August. Raptors and waders often pass through in migration.
  • Spurn Point

    WebsiteSatellite View
    The unusual geography of this peninsula acts to funnel migrants from the coast onto the point. Active migration over the narrows can be spectacular, and the list of rarities seen in the dunes on the point and in the surrounding bushes is impressive. Sea watching can also be productive, and waders and wildfowl use the sands of the Humber shore.
Contributors
  • Geoff Dobbs

    | geoffdobbs@aol.com

County Recorder
  • Vacant

Useful Reading

  • Bird Watching in East Yorkshire, the Humber and Teesmouth

    | By Stephen C Elliott | Hutton Press | 1989 | Paperback | 120 pages, 26 colour plates, line illustrations. | ISBN: 9780907033790 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds of the Hull Area

    | By R K Broughton | Kingston Press | 2002 | Paperback | 260 pages, 280 b/w illus | ISBN: 9781902039145 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds on the Spurn Peninsula

    by Ralph Chislett | Peregrine Press | 1996 | Hardback | 216 pages, 12 b/w plates, tables, map | ISBN: 9780952026877 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Where to Watch Birds in Yorkshire

    | By John Mather | Christopher Helm | 2008 | Paperback | 320 pages, line drawings, maps | ISBN: 9780713687828 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Yorkshire Bird Report 2015

    | Edited by Geoff Dobbs | Yorkshire Naturalists Union| 2013 | Paperback | 248 pages, colour photos, colour & b/w illustrations, colour maps, colour tables | Available here: https://www.ynu.org.uk/node/789 | ISBN: Buy this book from NHBS.com
Useful Information
  • Chairman of the YNU Rarities Committee Garry Taylor

    Members Jack Ashton-Booth, ike Barnett, Steve Clifton, Lee Johnson,Tim Jones, Richard Scott, Graham Speight, Steve Worwood
  • YNU Bird Section

    Chairman: Vacant - Secretary Becky Bailey, 38 Birch Drive, Kippax, West Yorkshire LS25 7DU, e-mail: beckybailey101@gmail.com, tel: 07809 461331 Members are the four County Recorders, Ian Court, Andy Jowett, James Spencer and Martin Wells and the Chair and Secretary of YNURC Protection Liaison Officer: D. J. Simpson, 51 Heather Way, Harrogate, HG3 2SH, Tel: 01423 538645 e-mail: doug@milvus.me.uk
Festivals & Bird Fairs
  • Spurn Migration Festival

    Website
    Bird migration is one of the great wonders of the natural world and the Spurn Peninsula on Yorkshire’s East Coast is arguably the best place in Britain to witness this spectacle. This fantastic festival has something for everyone – walks, talks, stalls, the famous Hog Roast and hopefully lots of birds for you to see. The 2019 festival will take place on September 6th, 7th & 8th
Observatories
  • Flamborough Bird Observatory

    Observatory WebsiteSatellite View
    Flamborough Bird Observatory is a membership organisation run on a volunteer basis and as such there are a team of people involved… Warden: Chrys Mellor, Woodview, Lighthouse Road, Flamborough YO15 1AJ chrys.mellor@btinternet.com
  • Spurn Bird Observatory

    Observatory WebsiteSatellite View
    Following visits to Spurn by several members of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union in the late 1930's, a communal log for ornithological observations was instituted in 1938. This included a roll-call of species, the beginnings of a recording system, which later became standard in bird observatories. Realising the potential of the Spurn peninsula for the regular observation of bird migration a group of enthusiasts, notably Ralph Chislett, George Ainsworth, John Lord and R.M. Garnett, had the idea of setting up a bird observatory, with the Warren Cottage at the northern end of the peninsula as an ideal headquarters
Organisations
  • East Yorkshire Ringing Group

    Website
    The Ringing Officer for the Group is the registered ringer in charge, and ultimately all responsibility as regards trapping and ringing birds in the area lies with him
  • Flamborough Ornithological Group

    Website
    Ornithological records from Flamborough Head in the historic East Riding of Yorkshire in England, date back to the 19th Century. The fascination with the splendid cliffs and their thousands of nesting seabirds is obvious, but the attraction of the head to migrant birds was well known to some of the taxidermists of that time, such as Matthew Bailey. The history of his specimens and associated field observations were summarised in 1872 and 1894, mainly be John Cordeaux. Their intriguing lists inspired much of the endeavour of the earliest FOG members…
  • RSPB Hull & District Local Group

    Webpage
    This is the website of the Hull & District Local Group. RSPB local groups are a great way to meet friendly, like-minded people in your area while learning more about birds and wildlife.
  • RSPB East Yorkshire Local Group

    Webpage
    The website of the East Yorkshire RSPB Members Group. This site contains information about their forthcoming activities and also the latest newsletter and copies of past editions…
  • South Holderness Countryside Society

    Facebook Page
    The South Holderness Countryside Society was set up in 1983 with the primary aim of 'Making a Better Place for Wildlife'. We own two large award-winning nature reserves, Beacon Lagoons and Hollym Carrs, and have over 100 subscribing members from all walks of life. We have also recently inherited a farmhouse, its outbuildings and approximately two hectares of land in Hollym near Withernsea…
  • York Ornithological Club

    Information
    York Ornithological Club's recording area includes parts of East Yorks
  • Yorkshire Naturalists Union

    Website
    The Yorkshire Naturalists' Union is devoted to studying and recording Yorkshire's flora and fauna. We are an association of amateur and professional naturalists covering a wide range of aspects of natural history. We are one of the country's oldest wildlife organisations, having celebrated our 150th anniversary in 2011.
  • Yorkshire Red Kites

    Website
    The Yorkshire Red Kite Project was the fifth in this sequence and began at Harewood Estate in West Yorkshire in 1999. By this time, the newly established Chilterns population had been so successful that, up to 2003, it was able to supply a total of 68 young birds for release in Yorkshire
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • NNR Lower Derwent

    Facebook PageSatellite View
    The Lower Derwent Valley NNR comprises a series of flood meadows, pastures and woodlands spanning both East and North Yorkshire. Important viewing points in East Yorkshire include Aughton, Bubwith and Ellerton Ings, and East Cottingwith. The site supports a rich breeding bird community with more than 80 species recorded in recent years. Breeding wildfowl are of particular importance, with 13 species found here including Gadwall Garganey and Shoveler. Breeding waders seen in the area include Curlew, Lapwing, Snipe and Redshank. In winter the grasslands support a herd of Whooper Swan and nationally important numbers of Teal, Wigeon, Pochard and Golden Plover.
  • NNR Spurn National Nature Reserve

    WebpageSatellite View
    Spurn's location makes it one of the best places on the east coast from which to watch the spring and autumn migrations, and in the winter large numbers of waders and wildfowl gather on the sand and mud of the river Humber. Spurn boasts an impressive list of rarities, which are particularly likely after easterly winds…
  • RSPB Bempton Cliffs

    WebpageSatellite View
    The Bempton Cliffs reserve, on the spectacular Yorkshire coast, is home to one of the UK's top wildlife spectacles. Around half a million seabirds, including puffins, flock here from March to October to raise a family on towering chalk cliffs which overlook the North Sea.
  • RSPB Blacktoft Sands

    WebpageSatellite View
    You'll find Blacktoft Sands hiding on the south bank of the River Ouse, where the waterway widens to become the Humber Estuary. This magical reserve hosts a diverse population of waders, warblers and raptors, which can be easily spotted from the accessible trails and hides.
  • YWT Allerthorpe Common

    WebpageSatellite View
    Allerthorpe Common is a mosaic of habitat types - dry heath, wet heath, marshy grassland, mire, tall grass, bracken, ponds, broadleaved woodland and scrub, sitting within Forestry Commission coniferous woodland. The site lies on river and lake sands and has historically been an oasis for wildlife. A variety of breeding birds can be seen, including Woodcock, Green Woodpecker and Garden Warbler, plus a range of flora and fauna that includes adders, lizards and dragonflies…
  • YWT North Cave Wetlands

    WebpageSatellite View
    North Cave Wetlands is a true example of a 21st Century nature reserve, developed in the footprint of a large sand and gravel quarry. Shallow gravel islands have been created in three lakes to provide breeding sites for Little Ringed and Ringed plovers, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Lapwing and Common Tern. There is a resident population of Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Shelduck, Shoveler, Great Crested and Little Grebe. In spring and autumn small numbers and migrant wading birds pass through. Reed and Sedge warblers and Reed Buntings are common in and around the reedbed and north side of the nature reserve.
  • Yorkshire Water: Tophill Low Nature Reserve

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Tophill Low Nature Reserve is an active Yorkshire Water Treatment Works built in 1959. It formally opened as a Nature Reserve in 1993 and features 12 hides spread across a 300 acre site that flanks the River Hull. The two reservoirs - 'D' and 'O' dominate the reserve and have SSSI status for their massive wildfowl numbers, including good numbers of wintering Wigeon and Goldeneye. Around the perimeter a network of marshes, ponds, woodlands and grasslands result in an annual 160+ bird species, with over 60 readily visible even in mid winter. It is also a good site for seeing otter.
Forums & Mailing Lists
  • YorkshireBirds

    Mailing List
    Discussion Group - This list is for Yorkshire birders, birdwatchers, birdspotters, and related subjects in the Counties of North, East, South, and West Yorkshire England. The list is a forum for news of rare bird sightings in the four Counties. You may also make requests for bird-related information and information on local birdwatching sites. This is a public forum do not post details of species or sites that could help egg collectors identify nest sites. Do not send file attachments.
Guides & Tour Operators
  • Oriole Birding

    Tour Operator
    The East coast of the UK is synonymous with the arrival of migrant birds from Scandinavia during the autumn migration period, and along with the Norfolk coast and the islands of Scotland, one other area stands out for its amazing track record of producing rare and scarce birds – the East Yorkshire coast between Flamborough Head in the North and Spurn Head in the south. Following our successful spring trips to this area, we are returning again in 2018 for this special September tour based at the wonderful Georgian Farmhouse at West Carlton near Aldbrough.
  • Yorkshire Coast Nature

    Tour Operator
    Welcome To Yorkshire Coast Nature Experience the varied and stunning landscapes of the Yorkshire coastline, where inspiring wildlife encounters await between North Yorkshire and the Humber. Our tours and workshops are led by expert and friendly guides eager to help you discover the secrets of Yorkshire
Places to Stay


Click on WAND to see Fatbirder’s Trip Report Repository…

  • Andy & Kate's Air B&B Bempton

    Accommodation
    Suitable for couples and small families, we provide a peaceful place to stay. Recently refurbished and comes with wifi and smart TV.
Blogs
  • Alan Whitehead - Duffbirder meets South Holderness

    BLOG
    Alan Whitehead's birds at home and abroad
  • Bob - Birds in the Kelk Area

    BLOG
    Yorkshireman curently in exile in Liverpool but visiting Kelk once a month. Reflecting on regular visits to my old birding patch around the villages of Kelk, Lowthorpe and Harpham in East Yorkshire.
  • Erich's Birding & Biking Blog

    BLOG
    I’ve previously blogged on Hull Valley blog but as of 2013 I wish to use this purely for HVWG information and my patch work within the valley. I’ve been interested in wildlife since very young, largely thanks to my father. I actually started birding in the early 70’s but then took it up seriously in the mid 80’s becoming a serious twitcher in 1992
  • Hull Valley Blog

    BLOG
    Last Updated March 2016 - The intention of Hull Valley blog is to the promote wildlife interest in the Hull Valley Wildlife Group recording area. The bulk of it will be my observations but I’ll try and include as much other information as I can, including stuff gleaned from the internet and birding information services as well as anything passed on from friends etc.
  • James Spencer - Ornithological Idiocy

    BLOG
    Nafferton, East Yorkshire - Birder, ornithologist, father, husband, idiot.
  • Mark Quiggs - Q@Spurn

    BLOG
    Crazy birding blog from the Spurn area - I used to go to Spurn every weekend but when I reached 20 visits got less and less but now the visits are starting to increase and I get there as much as work and family allow. I'm updating the blog retrospectively, I wrote the entries on the day but never had the chance to publish on the internet…
  • Mark Thomas - Buckton Birder

    BLOG
    Buckton is a small coastal village in East Yorkshire which through dedicated patch watching and ringing has produced some great birding! I am a 41 year old Buckton enthusiast, follower of the shipping forecast and most happy when driving a Heligoland trap.
  • Michael Flowers - East Yorkshire Birding with Flowers

    BLOG
    A blog describing the visits and showcasing the resultant pictures from wildlife sessions held in east Yorkshire, England, UK…
  • Rachel Knapp - Rachel’s Birding Blog

    BLOG
    (Nothing added since 2015) My name is Rachel and I have been birdwatching since the late 1980's. I am originally from Norfolk, but now live in East Yorkshire. I have birded in several countries, including France, Spain and Cyprus. I studied at Bishop Burton College and gained in a BSc Hons degree in Countryside Management and Ornithology. My interests cover all wildlife, but mainly birds. I am not a regular birdwatcher but I get out when I can…
  • Steven Farley - Yorkshire Wild

    BLOG
    I consider my patch to be anywhere in the Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire area. My favourite places being, Bank Island, Wheldrake, Alkborough Flats, Spurn Point, North Cave Wetlands and the many other sites around the Humber.
  • Tim Jones - Tim's Birding Blog

    BLOG
    Tim Jones Spurn. Ringer. Graduate.
Photographers & Artists
  • Artist - Robert E Fuller

    Gallery
    Born in 1972, Robert E Fuller was brought up on a farm in Great Givendale, East Yorkshire, not far from where he still lives today. His father, Richard Fuller, is an award-winning farmer conservationist and author whose sensitive response to the rush to modernise farming practices in the seventies was ahead of its time…
  • Photographer - Mike Robinson Bird Photo's

    Gallery
    Photo's of birds taken by me in the local area and the occasional holiday. Also includes my Great Tit Nest Box Live Stream

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