Wknd 4-5 May

A Great Crested Grebe was a welcome sight off Ferny Ness on Saturday morning, having only seen one in Lothian last year. Also on the sea a Puffin, 6 Red-throated Divers, only 9 summer Long-tailed Ducks and 90-odd Velvets in sight. 99 Barwits on Gosford Sands.

Later at Wrecked Craigs, Port Seton, 61 Sandwich Terns on rocks included 5 ringed, of which only one colour-ringed, shown above. The same combination seen here previously (Forvies tern), one of 300 young marked at Forvie National Nature Reserve, Aberdeenshire, in 2008.

Also during the day, first Whitethroat for me back at Blindwells, definitely late (still no Common Sand there!), also my first Swift over Esk at Musselburgh.

Sunday - Whitekirk BBS turned up very little, single House Martin back at church tower, single Sedgie in song on Peffer Burn, Crossbill heard at Binning, and 2 Wheatears nearby at Waughton, migrants presumably. Further Whitethroats at Whitekirk and Prora.

Late Sunday - female Wheatear at Ferny Ness, had me stumped when flew out of buckthorn but refound it on N shore. Offshore, 19 Long-tailed Ducks, one RTD NE, but could not see grebes of any sort. Also Lesser Redpoll over, could this be a very late migrant or are they lurking somewhere locally? We have them most years in spring, have recorded song flight in April and July. Checked trektellen, migrants passing N Norfolk till last week so certainly it could still be a migrant, perhaps from a more northerly location?