St.Monan's, Kenmore and Aberfeldy

From the window and during a short walk at St.Monan's this morning, we encountered a Red-throated Diver and small numbers of Razorbills, Guillemots, Gannets, Kittiwakes, Shags and so on offshore. A flock of seven Siskins flew over.

Redshank at St.Monan's

We moved on to Kenmore, where we had a pair of Goldeneye, half-a-dozen Bramblings, four Treecreepers, a female Sparrowhawk, three Siskins, two Buzzards and a singing Mistle Thrush. Another Mistle Thrush was singing in Aberfeldy.

male Brambling at Kenmore

Rook at Kenmore

Song Thrushes at Kenmore

Musselburgh Lagoons and Kenmore

Up in Scotland for a do with Ingrid's family, I couldn't resist nipping out first thing this morning to Musselburgh Lagoons despite the wet and windy forecast. I realised that my hopes of finding scarce/rare ducks etc on the sea was rather fanciful given the conditions, and spent most of my limited time enjoying the birds on the scrapes. These included 191 Bar-tailed Godwits, two Black-tailed Godwits, perhaps 1,500 Oystercatchers and over 150 Lapwings. In a hurried look at the Firth of Forth I picked up a drake Long-tailed Duck and a Goosander, small numbers of Velvet Scoters, Eiders, Goldeneyes and Red-breasted Mergansers, while a Rock Pipit was along the sea wall.

The lunch party was in Kenmore, where we spotted three Bramblings, a smart drake Goosander and a couple of Goldeneyes, two Mistle Thrushes, as well as a handful of Siskins, Treecreepers, Coal Tits and Goldcrests.