19th. A Peregrine knocking a Dunlin out of the sky was the biggest pulse-raiser of the day while the best 'rarity' value came courtesy of a fly-over Wood Sandpiper, hesitant to touch down. A juvenile Yellow Wagtail crept around the margins again, as did two Grey Partridges, and two Red-breasted Mergansers offshore were a site tick for me. Other birds on the Forth included two Red-throated Divers, 110 Goosanders, 127 Mute Swans, 17 Common and just one Velvet Scoter. Further waders included three Greenshanks, two Common Sandpipers, 109 Bar-tailed Godwits and, again a new site bird for me, a Whimbrel. A party of Shoveler and pair of Shelduck were also site ticks.
20th. No time to look offshore. A stonking adult Little Gull and an apparently different juvenile Yellow Wagtail were on the scrapes, where waders included a Knot (site tick), 10 Whimbrel, four Greenshanks, two Black-tailed and 135 Bar-tailed Godwits. Another site tick came when a redpoll flew over.
21st. An afternoon trip revealed its highlight late on when a flock of 10 Manx Shearwaters flew east along the Forth. Two Little Grebes on the boating lake must have always been there but it evidently took me eight visits to notice them! The adult Little Gull was again on the scrapes, along with 13 Whimbrel, the Knot again and 169 Bar-tailed Godwits. Other bits included 600 Eiders, 80 Goosanders, 17 Common and three Velvet Scoters, a Grey Partridge, two Red-throated Divers, a Turnstone and 110 Sandwich Terns.
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| A flock of Whimbrel heads out from the scrapes on the ebbing tide this afternoon |
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| the adult Little Gull on the scrapes yesterday |
