Musselburgh, 22nd July 2017

Managed to slink away to the lagoons for an hour. I'm glad I did as, on the approach to the wader scrapes, I heard a distant Grasshopper Warbler reeling. I carried on walking and eventually pinned it down to the pathside about a hundred metres along, where to my surprise it actually appeared in the open for a minute or two! Another pleasant surprise was in store on the scrapes, with two Ruffs representing yet another site tick. The adult Little Gull was showing again, as were two Greenshanks and four Whimbrel of note.

Grasshopper Warbler

Musselburgh, 19-21st July 2017

Some highly enjoyable short visits to Musselburgh over the last three days. A quick summary for each:

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.

A flock of Whimbrel heads out from the scrapes on the ebbing tide this afternoon

the adult Little Gull on the scrapes yesterday

Musselburgh, 18th July 2017

The day started with a Siskin over the Edinburgh garden - another quick Musselburgh trip was then in order for the morning before other stuff later in the day. Highlights today included two each of Greenshank, Common Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit. Other bits included 480 Eiders, 117 Goosanders, 102 Mute Swans, the Wigeon, four Common and 12 Velvet Scoters, two Red-throated Divers, a Fulmar, 83 Bar-tailed Godwits, 97 Dunlin, representatives of all the common auks and a lone Grey Partridge. Several juvenile Herring Gulls and a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull were at the River Esk mouth.

chilling Goosanders

Curlew

Red-throated Diver

Musselburgh Lagoons, 17th July 2017

Another nice quick morning visit to the lagoons. Came across visiting U.S. birder Bernard and managed to find him a few lifers. There was an increase in the number of Dunlin and Bar-tailed Godwit present on the scrapes, with 47 and 90 counted respectively. Two Greenshanks, 11 Black-tailed Godwits and three Common Sandpipers were also seen. The biggest surprises while scanning the margins, however, were a Yellow Wagtail and a pair of Grey Partridges! A raft of around 20 Velvet Scoters was offshore, along with a Puffin and some other usuals; Eiders still numbered over 300 but only 29 Goosanders were logged. A lone Wigeon was also new for the trip and a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull put in an appearance.

In the evening in the Edinburgh garden, two Oystercatchers, three Swallows and a Sparrowhawk put in overhead appearances.

Bar-tailed Godwits and Curlew heading out to feed on the falling tide

a lone Wigeon

Grey Partridges visiting the scrapes

juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lothian, 12-16th July 2017

In Edinburgh for a while, I'm managing to fit in a little ornithological activity here and there, through ringing in the garden and local trips. The single net stretching over the lawn has had its moments, catching a Bullfinch, five House Sparrows and a Coal Tit of note so far. Musselburgh Lagoons is the best site within easy reach and welcomed me back with a Wood Sandpiper on Thursday, this being among a good variety of expected waders. Activity in the adjacent Firth of Forth has also provided much interest (for my southern inland eyes at least), with Goosanders peaking at 97, Eiders at 300, Velvet Scoters at 14, Common Scoters at 60 and seabirds such as Red-throated Diver, Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill, Fulmar and Gannet featuring. A trip to Aberlady Bay on Friday produced my first two Scottish Little Egrets and a Lesser Redpoll.

2cy female Bullfinch in the garden on Wednesday

Wood Sandpiper at Musselburgh on Thursday

adult Black-tailed Godwit at Musselburgh on Thursday

Little Egret at Aberlady Bay on Friday, a Scottish tick for me

Lesser Redpoll at Aberlady Bay on Friday

juvenile Sandwich Tern at Musselburgh on Friday

some kind of escaped butterfly at Musselburgh on Friday

one of five House Sparrows caught in the garden yesterday

part of the mass of Goosanders at Musselburgh today

adult Kittiwake at Musselburgh today

eclipse drake Eider at Musselburgh today

some of the 96 Mute Swans at the River Esk mouth at Musselburgh today

Beddington Farmlands, 9th July 2017

A great evening session with Christian C, with a few anticipated and less expected highlights! A Water Rail swimming across the main lake came under the latter category, as did an early Yellow Wagtail overhead. A small number of large gulls on the main lake had a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a juvenile Herring Gull and a striking 2cy Norwegian-ringed intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull in their midst. Two Sedge Warblers showing in the southeast corner of the main lake were the first we'd seen on site for several weeks. Over on Hundred Acre, Green Sandpiper numbers around Jim's Pit had grown to 11 while other waders included singles of Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover on the southern lake

Water Rail

juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

striking intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull bearing Norwegian ring

Green Sandpipers building up...

Canons Farm, 8th July 2017

Just a quick walk around the farm today. I spent a few enjoyable minutes watching a family of Kestrels, with recently fledged juveniles, around Canons Farmyard then keeping an eye on a pair of Swallows near Perrotts Farmhouse. They looked to be prospecting, the male singing and dropping onto the ground and flying into the buildings.

Swallow

Polgigga, 7th July 2017

Setting off just before midnight, I picked up Magnus A and Ed S then pointed the car in the direction of Land's End. We arrived at around 6am as positive news came through and joined the assembling crowd along a public footpath through a pasture, scopes fixed on the first-summer female AMUR FALCON. It didn't do a whole lot while we were there, other than look a little forlorn at that hour and coughing up three pellets. Other birds around included a Raven and a tireless singing Sedge Warbler. After soaking it in for an hour or so, we headed back to get back home in good time. It was a good plan as the return was a nightmare and I only arrived home at 17:50. Thanks very much to Ed and Mag for keeping me going on the numbing drive, as well as two Corn Buntings heard singing as we crawled east through Salisbury Plan!

2cy ♀ Amur Falcon at Polgigga

Belmont, 6th July 2017

19 Swifts put on a great show at home.

Canons Farm, Banstead Woods and Beddington Farmlands, 29th June - 5th July 2017

I do love walking the sludge lagoons of Beddington at this time of year. The returning Green and Common Sandpipers offer hope of scarcer returning waders, though I seldom come across anything unusual. This does not matter, however, as an evening stroll resounding with these characterful waders' calls is more than satisfactory. I've noted a single Common Sandpiper on the South Lake on both Monday and Tuesday, while Green Sandpipers peaked at seven on Jim's Pit on Monday. Little Ringed Plovers have also featured, with four (including a juvenile), last Friday being my highest count. Dispersing, presumably juvenile, Kingfishers are now something to look out for and the species featured on my visits on Friday and Sunday. Two Little Egrets were a pleasant surprise last Friday, too, and a singleton was on the main lake on Monday, when a Cetti's Warbler was calling by the hide (these have been rather mute of late). A Red Kite flew over the site on Tuesday.

It's also that time when the gull flocks contain fresh interest and it is fortunate that residents of the borough of Sutton cannot be arsed to sort their food waste as there are still hordes of Larids at Beddington. The main target as June hands over to July is juvenile Yellow-legged Gull - so far, the only juvenile gulls I have picked out have been two Lesser Black-backeds on yesterday but I was pleased to pick out a 2cy YLG then. Great Black-backed Gulls have also featured, with an adult on Monday and a 2cy yesterday.

I guess I have somewhat neglected the main patch of CFBW this week but a birthday stroll there last Thursday produced a Red Kite over the farm. On Saturday, I connected with my 35th species of butterfly thanks to the recently discovered colony of White-letter Hairstreaks in Banstead Woods. These were my first examples of the species since I stumbled upon one by the bridge in my village, Belmont, a few years ago, before I was particularly interested in butterfly identification. My Saturday visit was also worthwhile for the unseasonable Meadow Pipit which was singing by Broadfield.

Red Kite at Canons Farm last Thursday

one of at least four White-letter Hairstreaks at Banstead Woods on Saturday, my 35th patch butterfly species

a bit of a random Meadow Pipit at Canons Farm on Saturday

Swallow at Canons Farm on Saturday

juvenile Song Thrush at Beddington on Sunday

Green Sandpiper at Beddington on Sunday

Little Egret at Beddington on Monday

adult Great Black-backed Gull at Beddington on Monday

Common Sandpiper at Beddington on Monday

2cy Yellow-legged Gull at Beddington yesterday

juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull at Beddington yesterday

Gatekeeper at Beddington yesterday, my first of the year