Wknd 19-20 January

Slim pickings, view from Seton harbour above but the place was deserted by large gulls, seems very few fishing boats coming in this winter - though even when there were, last year with a white-winged gull influx, none of the latter were seen :( Only addition was now two Mute Swans on Seton golf course pond - surely there is nothing to eat in it yet?!

Sunday went out to Longskelly Point at Yellowcraig to see anything could be added to atlas for NT58I (Lamb), expecting very little in perishing cold; on first scan there seemed to be almost no birds on the sea but over an hour of careful scanning found 72+ Common Scoter, with another 65+ west around Fidra, also pr LTD and 1 RTD. 5 Greylags were grazing the grass of the Lamb, one of their winter refuges. Waders on rocks included 6 Purple Sand, 6 Golden Plover. Fulmars back in fair numbers, on ledges on Craigleith and Fidra - amazing to think some species are getting underway with breeding when you are frozen and wondering how anything can survive in that bitter cold. Best was last with a pair of hardy Stonechat along the largely snow-covered upper shore, presumably they get sufficient pickings from seaweed wrack to sustain them.

En route back totalled 345 Barwits and 76 Sanderling on Gosford Sands, not bad totals but falling short of previous (376 31/12/10, 80 1/11/09, respectively) needed for atlas count increases!