Garden bird log for Longniddry, Lothian

This is a log of the more interesting species seen and heard in, and flying over, a small garden on Douglas Road, Longniddry, Lothian, Scotland (map), since August 2004. The garden is in an estate within 500m of high water - Firth of Forth. Unfortunately there is no proper view out to the sea, or indeed anywhere beyond the neighbouring houses in the estate.

Annotated species list

Detailed records (spreadsheet) - updated 1/1/24

2024

Bullfinch family visiting late summer, daily from 26 August, to eat honeysuckle berries.

Juvenile Wood mouse checking organic waste box 14 September.

31 Canada Geese over on 3 September. 70 Barnacles E over on 6 October, many also back and forth along coast, peak count of Pinks was 970 NE over early afternoon on 13 October.

Common frog waiting for the milkman on 1 September.

Poor summer for migrant waders with only 2 Common Sand logged (22:59hrs 27 July and following week), along with Redshank and Curlew. Sandwich Terns heard from coast but noctural migrants only on 28-29 July and 1 September.

Common toad in back garden hiding in heap of pruned branches 18 July.

Reed Warbler in song deep in elderflower/cotoneaster/cherry between us and #17, started 10:02hrs, sang consistently for around an hour, then more intermittently to 12 noon (audio). As per post this appearance represents an amazing transition, from a less than annual vagrant to Lothian less than 10 yrs ago, with first local breeders at Blindwells in 2015, to now a garden bird! Species 120 for garden, subject to acceptance by LBRC, with Hobby also still pending. Update 13:10hrs bird now in garden singing deep in buddleja globosa/red currant, then seen well in rowan 13:30hrs!

Nocturnal migrant Water Rail calling over 23:20hrs 3 May, 2 series of "chip" calls, first recorded since 2020 (when four records Apr-Jun).

Our garden Blackbird has survived to another year - no doubt about it from song phrases used in relaxed mode during the day; interestingly could not really tell from the rich dusk song, seems all new; extensive text in BWP does distinguish, "brilliant" dawn (advertising), daytime (variable) and dusk (territorial) song but surprisingly does not mention the repetition in daytime song - would be a good study (AI analysis?).

Migrant Swallow battling W into SSW7 wind (gusting SSW10) just a foot off the sand down at beach at dusk on 6 April - third earliest here after migrants over house 5/4/09 and 3/4/11.

First territorial Moorhen of the year with calls 01:28hrs 3 April.

Peacock butterfly 30 March, hibernating Small Tortoiseshell gone from garage roof.

First Chiffchaff 23-24 March, then in song from end of month.

Some early bumblebees from 1st week March with queen red-tailed on 19 March.

pr Mallard low over heading inland 2 March.

f/imm Blackcap in garden 29 January.

On 16 January, refound the inland Fieldfare roost - having seen birds again flying in at dusk over recent weeks, and peak of 370 S at 14:25hrs on 11 January, followed 50+ and found they continued over Longniddry farm and alighted in tall trees at Southfield, but continued then to the shelterbelt south-west of Hoprig Mains, near Greendykes (map); this location is about two miles inland and has good views of coast, as mentioned here previously the only historical Fieldfare roosts noted in Lothian were at Tailend Moss Mar-93 and Gullane Bents Dec-07 & Jan-18, the latter also being one of their main feeding sites so not a "dedicated" roost (I've since confirmed feeding birds roosted there at dusk on 26/12/22). Birds flying inland from sunset to 15 mins after and seen arriving in roost at 20 mins after sunset. Pic of staging at Southfield.

Scoping from loft through leafless poplar trees to north on New Year's Day, logged 3 Velvet Scoter W as well as around 20 Common Scoter W, and a couple of auk sp., likely Razorbills; Common Scoter is already on garden list from nocmig, while have not included seabirds previously as a "bit of a cheat" but now getting difficult to draw the line, so now added these and subsumed previously seen Gannet and Eider (scanning in April 2020). Don't really have time to be scanning in hope of adding Long-tailed Duck, RBM and Shag, and ID tricky at range, visible water no closer than about a mile.

[Overview of the year 2023

An excellent year with 79 species recorded, equalling 2019, and several additions to the list - pr Grey Partridge flying over the house on 2 March, Cuckoo W over on 30 April, Hobby S over on 17 June (subject to acceptance by LBRC), ad Little Gull on 10 August (part of huge influx), Red Kite thermalling high over on 30 August and a skua sp. W through on 19 October (probably Arctic); new species total will be 119, plus now two not confirmed to species; also first winter record of Woodcock, bombing down Douglas Road on 28 January and several Waxwings in early winter period including 70 low over on 18 November; a juv Whitethroat among sparrows on 4-5 August (32 of latter the previous day) was also a second record; on nocturals, Coot on 19 March, Moorhen on 18 March (90 mins before the Coot), 24 April, 6 & 10 June, not many waders but Ringed Plover(s) calling over early evening 6 September, Whimbrel early evening 24 June and nocturnal Common Sand 18 July; drake Mallard on 20 March, Nuthatch on 2 April and 10 September, and ad Med Gulls flycatching over on 10 August and flying S over on 15 August; Tawny Owl regular in spring but not later in the year; a much better year for Crossbills with several flocks in July but Willow Warbler absent for second year running and very poor numbers of Sandwich Tern, logged on only two dates.

On insects, yet another Hummingbird Hawkmoth, nectaring on honeysuckle on 9 July, with Holly Blue also regular in July; on mammals, a cute juv Wood Mouse playing on patio, and Soprano Pipistrelle confirmed on detector on several dates June to October.

Not wildlife, but nacreous cloud showed up in December. ]

Older records (to end 2022)