Monday 30 July 2012

Wknd 28-29 July

Out of the area for a week our M6/M1 journey this year produced more Kestrels than last year but greatly outnumbered by Buzzard. Road kill Buzzards, Tawny and Sparrowhawk. In Luton, Swifts were impressive, also Crossbills moving.

A701 over Beeftub produced a GSW on one of the bare trunks left in lunar landscape near source of Tweed, a tetrad tick NT01N, also confirmed House Martins in further tetrads (one of which, at Hearthstanes, could be confirmed by typing that word into Google, clicking twice to "Street view" on Google Maps and viewing image on screen, perhaps more UN can be found that way?!). Fledged Swallows right up to watershed at 450m. 670 large gulls at cut hay by Blyth Bridge were mainly LBB, a darker Herring type probably merited more attention but couldn't stop!

Back at Seton Burn on Monday pleased to see first returning ad Med Gull, disappointingly unringed (red-7P8 was back at Musselburgh 10 days ago, deserting us the second year running!), but compensated by two colour-ringed birds, orange-1787 Herring Gull (back for 4th year running, we only missed it in 2008 after it was ringed at Seamer Carr on 30/11/07), and the first Forvie Sandwich Tern chick of 2012, seemed to be light-green over white right (amongst 19 juv, 27 ads).

Tuesday morning - 85 Sandwich Tern by Seton Burn, many juvs, whilst at dusk amongst c. 1300 gulls (1050 small gulls) were 3 ad Med Gulls, too dark to see rings though. Also 7 bright Turnstones back - one can only imagine where they have been since last seen in May.

Wednesday - same tiny ad f Med Gull (smaller than adjacent BHG, see below) and orange-1787 HG by burn, "better" photos now added above.

Thursday - a different ad Med at Seton in morning, and a 2nd-win plus 2 ads there at dusk including a familiar shape, indeed a Med Gull of superior elegance also sporting a right-leg red ring - seems Cherry has seen sense and returned from Musselburgh as she did last year - this her 9th year in residence (12+ yrs old), welcome back.

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