Monday 20 July 2015

Wknd 18-19 July

As usual, Blindwells grassland is thick with Ringlets and burnet moths, the latter are mainly Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Zygaena lonicerae which are increasing in southern Scotland but replaced by the Six-spot further north.

On mid-summer swan census and WeBS the main species apparent was Lapwing, with 240 milling over Drem then west, 45 at East Fortune, 20 at Chapel and 14 at Blindwells. The only other waders were a couple of Common Sandpipers at Chapel. Mute Swans were just a pair at Chapel and the Blindwells brood now reduced from five to four, though a further batch of Coots have hatched there (3rd brood of 3). Another notable success was 3 Tufted ducklings at Chapel Farm resr, remarkable considering it has next to no vegetation and the first breeding in NT58F, 3 more on East Fortune main pond.

Down at the coast 46 Knot were new on Saturday and a few Red-necked Grebes still present, no big numbers yet. On Sunday evening the lighting over Edinburgh and the Forth was amazing, photos don't really do justice to the atmosphere - of course accompanied by the noise of the terns and gulls.

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