Wknd 29-30 September

Grey goose count on Sunday - did a big circuit of East Lothian - Pinks included 3470 at Elvingston/Cottyburn, 2230 at Brownrigg, 1550 at Queenstonbank (one silver collar, probably TVT, see below), plus another 1800 over the house at dusk when arriving home; some of c. 1k Barnacles at Aberlady pictured above. Also en route: 2 Shoveler and f/imm Scaup at Chapel, f/imm Wheatear Brownrigg, 8 ad Whoopers Lochhouses with 55 Pied Wags with one ad m White Wag in turf fields by entrance road, and a fine ad Peregrine hunting Scoughall.

Predictable stuff too on morning watch from Ferny Ness, 2 Bonxie & 8 RTD W past, ad Med Gull on the shore. Sandwich Terns still in residence with 8 feeding way offshore out in a windy Forth. Ailing Guillemots still apparent, one still alive was dispatched in a messy manner by a young Great Blackback in Gosford Sands shallows, which was later displaced by an adult, whilst 4 more lay on the shore at Ferny Ness, 3 in a row on the upper beach.

Just before midnight on Monday a flock of yapping Barnacle Geese went over SW (full moon, cloudless) whilst early Tuesday more went over in a clear blue sky, flock 130 plus 8 in another flock of Pinks. House Martins suddenly absent.

Wednesday - recovered this fresh Barn Owl casualty of the A1 westbound entrance slip at A720 junction, Old Craighall. 21 Barnacles went S over house.

Thursday - 4 ad Whoopers SE over Port Seton shops, also c. 875 Golden Plovers on the rocky shore at Long Craigs and ad Med Gull (unringed) by the burn. At Blindwells lots of Skylarks chasing around, some in song in the sunshine, also f/imm Shoveler and f/imm Gadwall still in with the 20 Wigeon. Chiffchaffs constantly calling.