Wknd 4-5 August

Started a new post but more of the same really, this yellow darvic 3rd-sum GBB has returned to Seton - seen previously in Seton harbour on 22 March last year, and at Wrecked Craigs on 25 July, a Berriedale chick originally ringed on 22/6/09. Indeed given its return it looks likely it is one and the same as a yellow darvic juvenile I saw at Wrecked Craigs on 16 October 2009 in its first autumn - it will hopefully return for years to come as per its cousins orange-1787 and red-7P8 which are still here.

Also Shags blue-ZXZ, green-USS and red-*ED.

Early evening - 13 RNG, mainly off Longniddry Bents and well out into Gosford Bay, also 451 moulting Eider, 197 Velvet Scoter and a couple of Puffin; c. 400 large waders disturbed and wheeling over Craigielaw then whiffling back, mainly Barwit.

Swift movements getting underway, also 75 over Oldcraighall ystdy and 25 screaming over Seton Burn of all places last night.

Saturday - excursion to New Winton in effort to plug some of those annoying atlas gaps, slow going but finally found a tiny juv Dunnock in wood behind village and also confirmed Wren - umpteen trips to New Winton for Wren in winter and breeding but hopefully that's it!

On way back conditions became very atmospheric with thunderclouds and mist rolling in, this scene at Cockenzie harbour. 2 ad Med Gulls on Seton Burn, also 41 LBB (high count) of which two were very dark. After some consideration believe these are intermedius. Checking Lothian database/LBR to 1980 it seems we have records only for Oct-Mar, one each in April/May, except for a small flock in Aug 1993, but perhaps under-recorded?

Sunday - went up into Garleton Hills to add hirundines to remaining atlas gaps, generally productive confirming Swallow, House Martin, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Goldfinch & Linnet to NT47Y (Byres/West Garleton); Coal Tit, Willow Warbler, Chaffinch & House Sparrow to NT47T (Lochhill), plus a few others confirmed and upgraded. Many juvs amongst 40+ hirundines over crop at Jinging Hill, surely there are few farms in this area without fledged young now and many more gaps could still be easily plugged!

Monday - yellow-E29 GBB still at Seton, along with Shag white-HLL (and two red darvics), also Common Sandpiper.

Tuesday - never ending rings, this time a new Sandwich Tern, white-ELT, ringed as an adult on Ythan on 30 August 2010 and not seen since (above). Amongst 105 Sandwich Terns on Wrecked Craigs rocks as tide came in, 31 juvs (only 2 metal rings in those). Interesting comment from ringers that numbers had dropped drastically overnight to Tuesday, 2000 to 400 at Fraserburgh - the night after migrants were heard S over our house in Longniddry. Also had first Common Terns back this week, just a couple with their juvenile, though one adult apparently ringed on both legs (?); nothing to compare with the vast numbers at Muss/Aberlady, neither any other tern species.

Also there Turnstone numbers increased to 39, with first two juvs amongst them, 31 Golden Plover included 3 juvs. Common Sand again. Finally some confiding Ringed Plovers as per below: