Sunday commenced with an attempt to cut short the goose count by getting them at roost on Gosford Sands before dawn, as per last month; failed, already vacated (also, vis there nearly non-existant, done for the year now). So trawled around usual sites in East Lothian - Whoopers now discovered unharvested potatoes in fields btwn Chapel and Congalton, but no repeat of the mass influx (389 birds) this time two years ago - only 90 present/remaining (10 juvs), and deep ruts made it impossible to get any darvics.
At East Fortune, 291 Greylags was another decent count, Icelandic immigrants betrayed by a single silver collar NAX, a regular bird in Lothian since 2002 (ringed on Iceland, July 2000, all records here). But no sign of its mate, SFJ! Also there on the resr, Northumberland Mute red-UXC (at Gleghornie last winter, and Waughton the previous year), and 550 Pinks nearby.
Back to Gosford towards dusk, and a Kingfisher was heard at the ponds. Counted at least 332 Greylags around island, plus usual accompanying 2 Greylag x Canada, 2 domestic/hybrid mainly white and grey variants, and their mate a probable Swan Goose x Greylag hybrid (similar to these), and a single lost Pinkfoot; in addition, several Greylags have some hints of white feathering on cheeks and may be back-crosses of Greylags with Greylag x Canada hybrids, or some such. They commenced flying to roost 16:30hrs and c. 355 counted out - all headed NE towards Aberlady, but 10 mins later they all flew back SW and were located on Gosford shore well after sunset; there a total of 377 birds was logged, minus variants giving 662 birds in total - marginally the biggest count yet.
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