Whitby Naturalists

5 of the 13 Whooper Swans currently on Scaling Dam. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

Sat 11th Oct 2025 2pm
Normanby Room, Whitby Museum

The Rarity Garden
By Richard Baines

This talk is the story of his decade spent observing wildlife in one small garden perched on the cliffs of Flamborough Headland leading to his recently published book
Copies available

Members £1 Visitors £2

Sat 4th Oct 2025 at 2 pm
Normanby Room Whitby Museum
Our first talk of 2025/26

'What is the Non-native Species Inspectorate and what do we do?

Speaker Courtney Graham from the Animal and Plant Agency

Current projects and information about non- native species

Members £1, Visitors £2

Had an excellent 2.5 hours Whale watching with Whitby Coastal Cruises this morning. Hard to give an exact number but about 12 Minkies were seen. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

'Pebbles on the Beach at Stoupe Beck ' with Tony Kearsley
Sun 21st Sept 2025 10 am, new date
Meet at Boggle Hole slipway
Parking on Mill Bank YO22 4UQ
Steep walk down
Walk along beach to Stoupe Beck
Examine diverse pebbles from many different places
Returning to BH YHA to review + refreshments

Sat 4th Oct 2025 at 2 pm
Normanby Room Whitby Museum
Our first talk of 2025/26

'What is the Non-native Species Inspectorate and what do we do?

Speaker Courtney Graham from the Animal and Plant Agency

Current projects and information about non- native species

Members £1, Visitors £2

Pied Flycatcher in the Willows at Whitestone Point this evening. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

Tonight's Lunar eclipse. @whitbynats.bsky.social

Poster advertising a talk on Remembering St Hilda from the 7th to the 21st century in Whitby on Monday 8 September at the Coliseum. It's got a picture of St Hilda's well in Hinderwell and one of the window in St Hilda's church West Cliff.

Haven't got long to get this presentation finished! How to keep it to an hour?

3 Whinchats and 4 Wheatears at Ness Point this afternoon. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

Curlew Sandpiper still at Scaling Dam this morning. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

Introduction to Danby beacon hollows ways and relationship of Bronze Age round barrows.

Smoke rising from Fylingdales moor fire in the far distance. Burnt heather to create fire break in foreground

Stump Cross and Club members listening to David.

David showing the profile of a hollow way intersecting a bridle way.

Yesterday's walk with York PhD student David Stapley looking at Hollow Ways, Bronze Age barrows, (medieval?) standing crosses and (old) cross roads around Danby Beacon. 18 @whitbynats.bsky.social members, 3 couldn't make it. We saw the smoke from the Fylingdales fire.

A good morning at Scaling Dam with Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Greenshank, 2 Gadwall and Great White Egret. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

White-tailed eagle at Scaling just now @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social @whitbynats.bsky.social #birds Unfortunately, it took an interest in a fish left on the bank, and one that had a length of fishing line, weight, and, presumably hook, still attached.

A surprise on a walk around Hawsker Bottoms and Ness Point this morning was a Clouded Yellow Butterfly which is only the second one that I've ever seen. Also 3 Wheatears. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

In 2024, St Hilda's Church, West Cliff, Whitby gave permission to Whitby Swifts for specially made swift boxes to be installed in the belfry. A swift call system was used to attract the birds. This year, swifts used at least 3 of the boxes. Success! @rspbengland.bsky.social

An enjoyable few hours by the Esk at Ruswarp this morning. Flyover Whimbrel, 2 Common Sands, 2 Kingfishers, 3 Little Egrets, Goosander, Lesser Whitethroat, Green Woodpecker and this Heron which struggled to swallow this Dab. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

5 hours between Hawsker Bottoms and Ness Point with Mark Eldridge this morning. Arctic and Great Skua, 3 Manx Shearwaters, 102 Common Scoters, 3 Teal, 1 Ringed Plover and a Wheatear. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #northyorksbirds.

2 Deaths head hawkmoth cattys found in Sleights today, VC62 !Absolute beasts !! @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

Dolphins off Cowbar and Staithes harbour this morning. Linnet flocks building up nicely too @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social @teeswildlife.bsky.social #birds

2 Great White Egrets at Scaling Dam this morning. Also Ruff and Black Tailed Godwit. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

Excellent views of Kingfisher at Ruswarp this morning. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

Greenshank by the Esk at Ruswarp this evening. Also 2 Little Egrets and Kingfisher. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

I've had some good Waders on my Ruswarp patch over the last week. A Dunlin in the creek on the flood plain this afternoon was only my 5th patch record. No sign of last night's Greenshank. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

An excellent 3 hours on my Ruswarp patch this morning with a patch first fly over Whimbrel, new for the year LBB Gull, Kingfisher, 3 Little Egrets, Jay and Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

Brilliant views of White Tailed Eagle on the moors this morning. Also a Peregrine having a paddle. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

The YNU have joined Bluesky! We an association of amateur and professional naturalists are devoted to studying and recording Yorkshire's natural history. We are one of the country's oldest wildlife organisations, dating back to 1861: www.ynu.org.uk

6 Whimbrel flew south at Hawsker Bottoms this morning. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

Little Gull, Green Sandpiper, Shoveler, 2 Black Tailed Godwits and 6 Little Egrets at Scaling Dam this morning. @whitbynats.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social #northyorksbirds

The stunning Buck moon rising at 10.45 tonight. @whitbynats.bsky.social