Wknd 15-16 December

In reverse chronology - towards dusk on Sunday a small bunch of Waxwings milling over centre of Aberlady village; sensing a chance to track their roost flight pulled in at Gosford bothy and within 5 minutes spotted them (12) striking out across open fields towards Gosford woods, flew in over bothy; can't say how far they were going though! (Appeared again in Douglas Road 08:4hrs Monday).

Aberlady at high tide was covered in wildfowl, well over 1000, of which 275 were Shelduck (rest too tedious to count in failing light!). Other ducks on WeBS were a 1st-win drake Scaup at Chapel and the ad drake Gadwall remaining at East Fortune.

Still 450+ Greylags at potatoes, and the Reed Bunting shown above. Whooper red-BLX remained at Prora where swans gathered at a mound of provided potatoes. Negative on hybrid gulls round Athelstaneford, 42 Golden Plover headed E over Kilduff.

Early afternoon scanned a glassy flat Gosford Bay, totalled 45 Slav Grebes, 55 Long-tailed Duck, 625+ Velvet Scoter, 29 RBM, 4 RTD, most interesting was an all dark apparently larger diver but headed off before I could clinch it. Just shows how much there can be out there when you can see it for once!

Saturday - 12 Waxwings again around west end of Douglas Road, perched in tall birch by tennis courts then going to berries in back gardens south of the road. At least 9 Cormorant and 22 Shag gathered on Cockenzie pier to roost with 8 Common Scoter on the sea there slightly unusual (atlas count increase from one!). Very high tide with water breeching the rebuilt upper shore and spilling onto main road at Seton Burn, much to the delight of a great flock of Black-headed Gulls feeding on debris in the sea.

Back to Friday when there was a bit more wind - scanning off Seton harbour early afternoon, what may be a regular wintering Red-necked Grebe was on the sea with 2 Slavs, also passing: 5 Gannets (4 juvs W), 1 Kittiwake E, 5 Goldeneye W and RTD W/E. 2 Purple Sandpipers on the harbour wall.