Sunday 23 July 2017

Musselburgh, 23rd July 2017

Squeezed in a final quick trip to Musselburgh before heading to Finland tomorrow morning. A loose gathering of 20 Knot was a surprise on the scrapes, where the adult Little Gull, two Black-tailed Godwit, nine Shovelers, a Turnstone and three Greenshanks were among the other birds present. A Yellow Wagtail flew over and the male Peregrine flew by with what was apparently an unfortunate Knot in his clasp. This clean killer is in and out so quickly that the birds barely have a chance to panic, so it's easy to miss a hunt. The ENE breeze seemed to have brought a few birds into the Forth, an adult pale morph Arctic Skua, a Bonxie, 10 Manx Shearwaters, 30 Puffins, six Fulmar, 32 Velvet Scoters and 70 Common Scoters the highlights. 

Knot