Wknd 1-2 December

Gosford shore above, where spent a couple of hours in perishing cold Sat/Sun. Not a lot new but added Rock Pipit to NT47P and watched a Goldcrest feeding in buckthorn, pecking below branches and leaves for whatever remains of last summer's insect life. A Herring Gull was feeding in a novel manner by pecking the underside of the outflow pipe, apparently at the crustaceans. 75 Knot and a few Grey Plover arrived to perch on a tiny bit of exposed pipe at high tide, no Ringed Plover still needed for atlas. Wouldn't even a small manmade island be a valuable addition for waders here? A Crossbill went S.

On Saturday found 1900+ Pinks in harvested potato fields at West Fenton. A careful look revealed just one grey collar (LXB, right - probably ringed in Iceland in 2000, as per various other L codes) plus a light brown leucistic bird with some nearly white tertials. Latter previously at Coates 28/11 per Abbie, at still at West Fenton with 2100+ Pinks on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, after a gap of a few weeks since last, a graellsii Lesser Blackback appeared on the Seton Burn, a notably small bird with small rounded head and bright yellow eye - looking suspiciously like "Lucy" - if so her 8th return.

Did the thrush survey again on Sunday, just 7 Blackbird this time, 38 Greylags flew high S over perhaps not locals? Met Fred who told me 11 Waxwings had alighted on the railway walk 150m south of Cottyburn on Friday. At dusk today a Tawny Owl was the focus of much scolding from small passerines around the ivy trees and ruin beside the carpark bridge.

Wknd 24-25 November

Owls were the focus this week as finally got round to doing something more concrete about the gaps mentioned in last week's blog. Summary of sightings on two nocturnal excursions with atlas interpretation:

* Tawny Owl, call, Tyninghame House (NT67E) - tetrad tick
* Tawny Owl, 2, call & in tree by A198, Bruce's Circle, Binning (NT68A) - count increase
* Tawny Owl, on telegraph pole West Craig, Redside (NT58Q)
No Barn Owls along East Lothian lanes, where already recorded in nearly all tetrads!

* Barn Owl, on fence by B6363 Penston (NT47L)
* Tawny Owl, on telegraph pole Nisbet Loanhead, Boggs (NT47K) - tetrad tick
* Tawny Owl, in tree by A6093, Easter Pencaitland, (NT46P) (shown above)
* Tawny Owl, in tree by Halkerston Glen, Middleton (NT35N) - tetrad tick
* Barn Owl, on fence by Pikeham Wood, near Rosebery (NT35I) - tetrad tick
* Barn Owl, on fence by B6372, Arniston (NT35J & NT36F) - both tetrad ticks
* Barn Owl, on fence by A198, St Germains (NT47H)

Also a fresh Barn Owl casualty recovered from A1 by Whitecraig A6124 bridge.

Rain made conditions less than ideal in early hours of Sunday, though seems not to deter hunting Barn Owls. Nice to find some of these in the identified gap in the map in NT35/NT36, clearly they are there and the recorded distribution is still mainly a reflection of coverage; numbers definitely still depressed in East Lothian though, seems a long time ago that I recorded 4 Barn Owls one night along the road to Drem, only 5 miles. The casualty could be a local bird or equally could be a winter migrant from elsewhere, it is well established that dispersing birds are far more likely to perish in this manner.

Missing Tawnies map now updated in last week's blog, still more work to be done in Midlothian. Interesting that one Tawny Owl (Binning Wood) responded to my poor imitation hoot - doubt it was fooled but something stirred it to call; departing from same spot another Tawny was perched not 50m away, it had not called but had perhaps come to investigate the noise?

Another curiosity was to see two Robins out on the road in Longniddry, during continuing rain, at 02:45hrs - presumably taking worms, Jim assures me this is a routine observation under streetlights before dawn.

Switching to white birds, nothing surprising found at Seton - pre-roost on shore at dusk on Saturday included ad Med Gull (probably ringed, but not confirmed), a white darvic BHG (probably one of those reported this autumn from Musselburgh, could not confirm code though), two "pink" Black-headed Gulls of which one was very rosy and two strongly hooded Common Gulls. Had another look for a Cormorant roost at Cockenzie on Sunday afternoon but not many birds there by 15:30hrs, <20.

Tuesday evening - yet again at Seton Chapel in search of Tawny (after several blank visits in the summer), after 10 mins heard a sharp "kwep" which sounded rather more like a Coot than an owl, tried some mouse squeaking and then by the full moon I saw an owl shaped silhouette flying up among the trees south of the east gate, my first confirmed nocturnal visual ID of Tawny Owl. So another is proved to be there where I always suspected it would be given the beautiful habitat, woe betide any mouse creeping around there on a still night like today.

Wknd 17-18 November

The young Red-necked Grebe remained in residence on Saturday, exact same spot on resr; did not disturb it for more photos. The Whoopers had moved from Prora to other ploughed fields, perhaps ex-potatoes, south-west of East Fenton towards Fenton Barns; could not get a good count but 150+ there.

Scanning the Forth produced very little of note - skuas harder to find this year, just a couple of young Gannets and 6+ Slav Grebes off Ferny Ness Saturday, whilst a Black-throated Diver flew W past Port Seton early afternoon Sunday. The latter was my first here since May 2010 - a few possibles/probables in the gap but always tricky to confirm, sometimes easier in flight than on the sea as RTD can often show a white flank patch. Totalled my Lothian divers since 2004 and came to 523 RTD, 15 GND, 11 BTD (and 15 diver sp) which puts confirmed BTD at just below 2%!

Atlas is up and running for the final winter, my main priority will be missing owls and to assist the following two maps show tetrads where recorded in breeding but not yet in winter (updated to 25/11):

Three visits to New Winton/Boggs drew a blank but I believe Tawnies are there so will try again. Any assistance with these gaps most welcome - also for three other resident species shown below. In general struggling to find new tetrad ticks in our area, just 4 so far in 7 trips round East Lothian since 1 November (so 11 in total with those added by Jim/Abbie), though quite a few count increases with flocks of various species feeding inland in mild conditions/following ploughs.

Wknd 10-11 November

A 1st-win Red-necked Grebe at East Fenton Farm resr was a first for me on my WeBS circuit, indeed it may be a first record "inland" in this area. Came within 20m fishing, rather too close to digiscope but got one above and a few below as it sailed away. Checking previous inland winter records these are less than annual in Lothian: Duddingston Jan 2006; Gladhouse Jan 2002; Linlithgow Feb 1999; Gladhouse, Seafield Pond, Lochhouses Pond, Linlithgow, Duddingston, Cobbinshaw Jan-Mar 1996, Linlithgow Nov 1996; Linlithgow Feb 1988, Whiteadder Oct 1982, Feb 1983, Harperrig Apr 1979. Most records on large waters in late winter.

Whoopers still numbered at least 290 on Saturday, now feeding in (presumed) harvested potato fields N of Prora; watched at dusk Sunday to get the roost details, 182 flew from 16:35hrs onwards, with 25% going to Chapel resr and the rest to East Fenton Farm resr (the usual main roost for this herd in recent years), the last birds going at 16:59hrs (50 mins after sunset).

On goose census, 310+ Greylags (including 6 white/grey birds) at East Fortune, also a drake Gadwall there. Drake Pochard back at Chapel (returning?), a fine drake Goosander with 5 f/imm. Approx 100 Greylags roosted on Gosford Sands both nights, observed over an hour after sunset though as pure silhouettes.

Previously, on Friday, small flocks of Waxwings over home, Seton Chapel and Joppa cemetery, all in flight SW observed from my work commute.

Wknd 3-4 November

Whoopers at Prora now number 290+; I made it 39+ juvs (12.8%) but Ian saw 46; these totals obtained Sunday after struggling to count them on Saturday with flock spread all over the ex-landfill site, feeding mainly in stubble but also going onto flood water and roaming around. Two new darvics were confirmed, yellow-P4C (ad) and red-AVJ (juv) - latter on the left above - Ian added red-BLX and yellow-Z3K (ads).

View of most of flock on Sunday obtained from the top of the Hopetoun monument (c. 300 swans visible but 2 were Mutes, 7 more Whoopers on grass west of the railway at Prora Farm), plus some other landscape views - view towards coast (Dunbar cement works visible on horizon) and towards Edinburgh (our power station still operational, but possibly for not that much longer).

Also on Saturday - four domestic Greylags plus the resident white-faced grey hybrid goose in field west of East Fortune. The white birds actually had some brown in primaries and partial tail-bands which may assist it tracking them, presumably the same were reported the previous day from Tyninghame. There was a further pale hybrid goose with them at East Fortune, much paler than the resident grey hybrid.

Later on Sunday, Tawny calling at Drem Ride (NT48V), not a new tetrad though. NB - winter atlas tetrad priorities, for final season, are here. The green is really for diurnal species though, gaps in the nocturnal map are still apparent, I hope to get to Midlothian at some point in the winter as the Tawny map there is still pretty thin.

Wknd 27-28 October

On Saturday morning - a few Fieldfare NW over, 2 Swallows past, Bonxie(s) in the Forth and 185 Velvets off Ferny Ness (breakdown c. 95 ad m, 87 ad f, 3 juv); also an intriguing small falcon high over pursued by crow. Full counts.

Seton at dusk - one ad Med Gull, nice bright bird with good mask, on shallows at Long Craigs, just one ad LBB remaining, 41 Wigeon. Roost disturbed as usual by the resident chap who feeds the swan, tying it to this spot for perhaps 2 years now; noted tonight the other birds which have learnt of this free food source, 6 Carrion Crows appeared and were they only ones brave enough to get in close, swan took a swipe at one; behind them a gathering of gulls led by 2 ad GBB, plus several Herring and BHG - perhaps a selection that had had a poor day trying to get meals of their own?

Started the BTO thrush survey Saturday, choose the railway walk from Cottyburn which is entirely lined with berry bushes, mainly haws, also hips and elderberries, having had hundreds of thrushes there during atlas visits - not so many this time but got Blackbird, Redwing and Fieldfare - hardest part was determining the food source as inevitably they flush from bushes unless you approach with great caution, but two Blackbirds flew from elderberries which are perhaps 1% of all the berries there.

Sunday - 184 Whoopers at Prora/East Fenton; almost all of the 29 juvs were amongst the 52 birds on the west of the ex-landfill towards Prora, breakdown of family parties of juvs perhaps 5, 5, 4, 3, 2, 2 and 1. Overall this is a poor ratio at 15.8% though.

Also at East Fenton - 3 Magpies! My first record here was Feb 2011, following first at Chapel in Jan 2010. We've seen a significant expansion of this species in the local atlas, which is probably mainly due to reduction of persecution, so why are these colonists not being removed?

At Ferny Ness not a great deal passing - 6 Crossbills in the morning and a juv skua, probably Pomarine, at dusk (full counts). Also at dusk 3 ad Med Gulls by the Seton Burn, plus the yellow darvic 2XCN BHG again, fortunately the closest bird (ringed on the Ythan on 2 September, caught while mist-netting terns at night per Calum, for GRG). All gulls cleared off the shore 16:30hrs, this time not the swan man but another common ocurrence, ad m Peregrine flying throo (presumably en route to its roost somewhere west).

10 Waxwings over Wednesday morning, counts. [No pics, camera in poor shape]

Wknd 20-21 October

49 Mutes on St Margaret's on Sunday, looking picturesque but being overfed on white bread as per usual, despite large signs to the contrary! Got 23 rings, though not red-Y710 which was seen last month (info per Allan Brown that the latter was ringed as a cygnet at Pepper Arden Bottoms, North Cowton, near Richmond, Yorkshire (NZ297027) on 27 September 2010, has been at St Margaret's since March; this is the first Mute Swan I've seen locally from further than Northumbs - all that way to sit on a pond eating bread! Apparently some of Allan & Lyndesay's birds reported recently from Newcastle/Durham area, heading in the other direction...).

On the Seton Burn a yellow darvic BHG, brief excitement thinking it might be returning N141 (which may be the only Scottish-Spanish exchange) but found it was a 1st-win with four alpha characters, seemed to be ZXCN.

Turns out it was most likely 2XCN, thus ringed in NE Scotland (the Z codes for Slovak republic don't have four letters, not to mention highly unlikely!) Also on the burn a 1st-win Med Gull.

Out of the area Thu-Sat, in Santander, Cantabria for a conference, spectacular scenery and a nice dusk movement of Yellow-legged Gulls along the coast, and Mediterranean Gulls on the shore. No repeat of the Audouin's we were lucky to find in neighbouring San Vicente de la Barquera in June 2006 (2nd for Cantabria). Best were the egrets, flocks totalling several hundreds milling over the fields inland from Cantabria all visible from the plane as it came in from the south; unfortunately could not distinguish Little from Cattle at that height, on our 2006 trip we saw a large mixed colony at Santillana zoo of roughly equal proportions.