Bempton dip, with plentiful Tree Sparrows & seabirds (except the BBA)

On Saturday 17th July, I took a trip up to Bempton RSPB, the east riding of Yorkshire, 208 miles and over 4 hours driving away, with Rob H kindly doing the driving. On the drive up we saw both Barn Owl and Yawny Owl. Nice to be back after almost 18 years since my last visit. We left at 12 midnight and by 4.30am we had arrived. We were there in the hope of seeing the BBA, a bird I had missed twice in the past once on a Shetland at Hermaness in the 1980's, when maruading Bonxies prevented me from crossing a field in August and just last year when one flew south past Lowestoft, just 20 minutes after I had left Ness Point after a brief seawatch. We were unsuccessful with the bird not being seen all day, not surprising with my luck, but this was still bitterly disappointing, especially as the bird seems show well during the week does a bunk at weekends (only time Ii can visit). However, early morning with the Tree Sparrows which were very much in evidence around the visitor's centre with rows of nest boxes front and back and posing occasionally in more natural poses in the bushes behind the vistors centre, were very nice to see. The weather was extremely hot (28 degrees celsius) and the sun was really bright making seabird photography almost impossible to do. We had to retire back at the centre 3X to stay in the shade out of the sun and have the delicious refreshments on offer. Walking out I heard a Corn Bunting jagling keys song and eventially saw it perched on a bush. Whilst on the sea, Puffins, Razorbills and ther odd Guillemot seen. The intense heat was also wafting up the smell of the Gannet guano, not very plesant! Many Gannets seen on the cliffs and drifting by and the odd Fulmar seen too, gliding on the eddying wind. On the drive back going through South lincolnshire at Brotherton we saw a fine Turtle Dove on the overhead wires, our first of the year.