Wknd 1-2 September

At dusk on Saturday turned right at the road end (instead of left to Seton) and had a look at Gosford Sands (above) - good choice as there were in excess of a thousand each of gulls/terns and waders. Quickly totalled 540 Knot, 50 Sanderling and 40 Grey Plover, then spotted a "black dot" amongst distant terns towards Ferny Ness - knew what it must be but had to get to the saw mill entrance to confirm. Fortunately was still there, one tiny juv Black Tern, my first on the ground here (after one feeding off Seton last October). Also 5 Arctics in the tern flock. They flushed, and as they flew low along the shore the little one deftly "dipped" from a puddle whilst keeping up with the group. Resettled and looked set to roost, photos below from half an hour after sunset. Soon after that yet more birds began to arrive with the Greylags coming in to roost.

Earlier had passed Aberlady - 8 Wigeon first I'd seen this autumn. Scanning off Cockenzie early afternoon auks still in evidence, one being eaten by a Herring Gull though. 40 Kittiwakes in a feeding flock way offshore which a single Manx flew through, few migrants (though a probably whale sp on the Fife side).

Sunday morning - very little vismig at Ferny Ness, contrast passerines moving at Elie Ness and Inverkeithing opposite, though I probably started a bit too late. ad Med on shore.

Dusk Sunday - 5 Med Gulls along shore: 2nd-win on Gosford Sands, 2 ads on Longniddry beach, 2 more 2nd-win by Seton Burn, though one of latter may have been a 3rd-win. Less expected was a juv Common Gull on Gosford Sands with a dark orange darvic on left leg, too distant unfortunately [PS - seems to have been one ringed in NE Scotland this summer]. An ad GBB was consuming a freshly dead auk by the Seton Burn.

Back to Friday, the Seton roost held a 2nd-win Mediterranean Gull, unringed, also some darker birds amongst 57 LBB.