Saturday 13 November 2010

Wknd 13-14 November

First trip to NT57 for atlas 10km top-ups. c. 36 Waxwings were circling the A1 bridge to Abbeymill east of Haddington and then flew NE and settled at berry bushes btwn A1 and A199 near entrance to Abbey Mains, new for 2 tetrads. Checked some gull flocks around Traprain but negative for GBB and also no Pochard at the only possible spots in 10km at Markle ponds and resr.

[Postscript - whilst at Markle, A.N.Other had logged 5 ads + 2nd-win Med Gull at Seton Burn, reclaiming the Scottish record for max count, formerly the 5 here on 13/11/06, since matched at Buckhaven in Fife 13-17/8/09, and more recently at Eastield on 26/3/10 (BG); the previous record of 4 birds was set at Musselburgh on 10/2/02; not sure when first record of 3 was, in Lothian may have been from 1999 onwards, but 2 together in Lothian was at least as far back as 1983; nice to have the max count back at Seton, credit to the finder!]

Off Ferny Ness earlier a single juv Gannet out on the horizon at a fishing boat (from map comparison, c. 5 miles out, i.e. mid-channel) and many small gulls moving in strong NW wind.

Sunday around WeBS - 126 Whoopers in stubble by Rattlebags quarry (top), in grass at Muirton and in crop south of Chapel included a whopping 39 juvs (31%). East Fenton held pr RBM and 2 f/imm Goosander. 555 Golden Plover in fields btwn Chapel and Prora included a remarkable ginger colour variant individual (right). 140 duck at East Fortune included a f/imm Pintail.

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