Heading out for WeBS/ICG goose count Sunday afternoon spotted this imm m Sprawk which had just taken a Feral Pigeon, still flapping, at Mungoswells. Was immediately plucking it and within 20 seconds 2 crows had arrived to engage in jackal like behaviour sniping around the edges.
One crow lost heart and flew off, the other looked more wary when the Sprawk was plucking, short video.
Goose-wise just c. 350 Greylags plus the domestics at East Fortune; found just 45 Whoopers at East Fenton but amongst them was yellow-46I, ringed on left tibia (unusual, vast majority are tarsus rings), thus confirming suspicion about ringed bird photographed by Abbie at Prora on 25 October. This is the bird which wintered on the Blackwater in southern Ireland 3 winters from 08/09, first seen here on 18 Feb 2012 (ringed in Iceland August 2003). A covey of Grey Partridge south of Redside was another pleasing sight, though too late now for a breeding confirm likely a family, if so the 11th brood I'm aware of this season in Lothian (thanks also to Mike, Abbie, LBN and twitter):
Certainly would have hoped for a few extra young after such a good summer, regardless they are just a shadow of former status here. 700 corvids, mainly Jackdaws, went to roost in adjacent Craig Wood. The East Fenton Whoopers flew to roost at Chapel at 17:01hrs, 46 minutes after sunset (typical here).
A urban oddity was this cock Pheasant at the miner's club in Macmerry:
Dawn on Lammermuir edge at Stobshiel was pretty but a poor Woodpigeon passage, my 500-odd being less that 0.1% of the UK vismig total for today (map)! Did find a nest along road past Stobshiel Mains which is a confirm for NT46W and confirmed crow in NT56C, Aikeyside.
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