Wknd 24-25 July

In early hours of Saturday morning collected latest Barn Owl off A1 by Beanston; seems to be a juv female, first casualty of the new season [Correction - post mortem reveals adult female!]. More positively, two seen on hunting en route, one at Amisfield over the A199 verge near the A1 junction and one perched on the road sign by West Garleton House. Sandwich Terns (ad + juv) were also heard heading off south inland over Waterstone House, Aberlady.

Later on Saturday we got into Butterdean Wood for atlas top-up and found there families of Treecreeper, Chiffchaff and Wren. 2+ Jays heard. This brings up NT47 to an average of 19 confirmed in all land squares (summary analysis for Forth coast 10kms), with only NT47B below 10. Max species total is 93 in NT47P overlapping Gosford shore.

First thing Sunday went back to Fernyness Wood to check up on the Spotted Flycatcher seen earlier; negative, but after failing to prove Treecreeper breeding last time had the pleasure of watching a parent feeding a youngster right in front of me, plus Nuthatch heard.

Later we joined the Wildlife Information Centre outing to Lennoxlove and were educated about various plant and insect species - Joanne finding the fungus "dead man's fingers", plus mushroom Amanita spissa; we also found the escape Maltese Cross (Silene chalcendonica) on waste ground (right). Best bird was a Kingfisher on the Colstoun Water, we also heard at least 2 Nuthatches and saw a juv GSW by the main house, and Jays and Buzzards were about with vociferous juvenile of the latter very audible. A Spotted Flycatcher was also seen.

At end of the previous week an afternoon (work) outing to Glentress, Borders, produced 6+ Crossbill and a female Peregrine passing over. House Sparrow FF in the car park turned out to be first confirmed breeding in NT23!