Wknd 18-19 May

Getting going on the Woodcock survey, at least the local version thereof where we are attempting to discover if the dire status revealed in the local atlas thus far is a fair picture or not. I started at Cuddie Wood where a roding bird reported for 2011 by local resident. Fortunately one was immediately apparent as I arrived, and perhaps same was heard later over Butterdean. I'd had roding birds are Butterdean and nearby Hodges at dawn in 2008 atlas visits. A single Tawny calling from Liberty Hall and 2 Barn Owls on way home made a good first excusion.

Less success on Sunday will pre-dawn visits to Harelaw by Longniddry, and Kilduff. Thereafter did BBS at Whitekirk/New Mains. The highlight was a pair of Lapwings on the "set-aside" S of main road by New Mains, anxious female and full display by male, what joy to see after eight barren years for this species here! Also Sedge Warbler continuing to expand in oilseed rape crops. Lowlight was a roe buck with its antlers tangled in an electric fence. Got a hold of it but very badly tangled so could not free it without tools. Clearly had been there some time, also had pulled most of the fence bases out so was in danger of getting free trailing the whole fence, or getting body tangled too, or injuring itself by wild thrashing. Decided no time to waste calling for help so went home for a knife and brought my son Michael to assist. Initially was still thrashing badly and got rear leg to knife to kick it off. Also now had a loop of the fence round neck and would not tolerate that being touched. Finally managed to hold him again by one antler and he allowed me to cut steadily through the 20 odd nylon cords, each with embedded wire mesh, without ever pushing back towards me. Once free, though still decorated with a bunch of orange twine, he hurtled away over nearby fence, but then in field beyond leaping with a kick and clearly very glad to be free. There is very useful guidance online on handling stranded deer and the dangers thereof, nevertheless I think confronted by a similar situation I'd do the same again as it could have ended much worse.

Evening at Blindwells Minewater Treatment Scheme (top) was impressed by the now matured reedbed, with at least one singing Sedge Warblers at each level (a few others outside) and several prs Reed Bunting. Perhaps still too wet for other waterbirds to nest but one Moorhen resident seen. En route a Yellowhammer in song from within Longniddry, in trees between A198 Main Street and Glassel Park Road. Also one Short-eared Owl seen over the top of Blindwells, wheeling to plunge on prey at frequent intervals, a wonderful sight (my first there). Finally at home while posting this blog, one Common Sand calling over 00:05hrs, then two screech calls from Barn Owl at 01:15hrs, (fourth record from the house) and then another Coot NW 02:05hrs.

Wknd 11-12 May

Spotted various goslings at large on the Eskbank accompanied by a range of Canada and Greylag parents/guardians (flickr photos). The bunch immediately above certainly belong to Canada Geese parent and look pretty distinctive with rather yellowish hue, also a hint of an ear spot and a darker patch on crown. Contrast the Greylag goslings immediately below and the most reliable distinction is in fact the bill, both the structure (with a noticeably larger nostril) and the colour, the Greylag goslings having a pale tip.

The ones below being looked after by a Canada and Greylag are a little more tricky to ID! Not as obviously yellow as the Canada goslings, but seemingly with a distinct nostril but no pale tip, they seem not to be Greylag either. Though they could be hybrid young I expect could also be slightly older Canada goslings - time will tell. I dug up one other set of young goslings in care of mixed parents, these actually look like Canadas to me, also posted on the hybridbirds Canada x Greylag page but with no further comment yet.

I have certainly seen a precedent for Canada goslings being cared for by a Greylag "parent", this at East Fenton in June 2007, no doubt about those:

One of the regular local Canada x Greylags on Eskbank here too:

Otherwise still busy with Rooks this weekend, getting to Midlothian and polishing off several in NT26 needing 2013 counts: 116 The Glen Road, Flotterstone (in sight of ranger's hut), 98 Woodhouselee, 154 Pentlandfield, 80 Thornton; also 25+25 at Kingsacre golf course. This completes 6150 nests at 200+ colonies in Lothian this year, the only remaining omissions of possibly >10 nests being Soutra Farm (NT45P) and Woodhall Dean (NT67R) - could not find the rookery at the latter but birds present in fields.

WeBS was unremarkable, Mute Swans on nests Drem and East Fortune. The issues at one site are worth mentioning though. When I log on to BTO WeBS online for all Lothian sites I get a list of 6 "key sites" in Lothian, automatically selected on basis of submitted counts, these go as follows: Forth Estuary (83420), Gladhouse Reservoir (83139), Linlithgow Loch (83001), Lochhill (83304), Threipmuir and Harlaw Reservoirs including Bavelaw Marsh (83111), Tyninghame Estuary (83405). Spot the odd one out? Lochhill the flood pool on the edge of the Garletons was drained by the landowner in September 2009. Consultation with various parties at the time, and RSPB representatives meeting the farmer, led to advice that from a protection point of view it was a grey area. SPAs (and other "international" sites in Britain) are "underpinned" by SSSI's, the guidelines of which cover only semi-natural habitats; thus there is no intensive agriculture land within SPA's. The Firth of Forth is an SPA, and land that is "functionally linked" to an SPA, in spite of being outside the site boundary, ought to derive protection from the Habitats Regulations - i.e. the protection should follow the birds, but that this is the grey bit. Formalising the protection by getting "cropped land" extensions to SPA's might also be feasible, RSPB have been pressing for, but not currently and likely to take many years. In terms of the drainage itself, this is another complexity since it is not regulated per se but existing drains are required to be maintained. The latter may be different for a field within the actual SPA. Beyond this are the impact of flood risk on which SEPA might have a view, I consulted separately on that and was informed there are another set of considerations here and that enforcement is the weak link. I kept quiet about all this at the time in the hope that things might change and sure enough in the last couple of years the pool had mainly recovered, presumably as the drains blocked, and things were looking up [PS - however, did not last, no water there for many years susequently]. Nothing to log for May WeBS though with the scene below, re-drained:

So left again just with the happy memory of seeing those hundreds of Wigeon grazing in an undisturbed setting (such a rare and valuable commodity along our Lothian coast) a peak of 562 birds in December 2007, the vast flocks of geese (including wintering Barnacles at times), not to mention quite a few "good" waders :(

Wknd 27-28 April

Showery with some SW wind on Sunday so I popped down to c/p 2 for a very brief look into the Forth early evening - there were many sheering birds moving west, most were Fulmars but also Manx Shearwaters, welcome back. View above of silhouetted Inchkeith, plus a shower mid-Forth. Welcome also to the local Sedge Warbler, was hoping this would be back after successful breeding last year and sure enough on arrival a subdued warbler was rattling through various species in a mimicry-laden song from hawthorn scrub (not many reeds yet).

Back in the village only 3 Willow Warblers seen along the burn left over from influx last weekend, still all silent. With them now both a male and female Blackcap, presumably just back as I have checked the area every day.

On Saturday went for the rookery recount of the great colony at Pishwanton near Gifford. Made it 525 full-sized nests this time, of which perhaps 450+ occupied (???) and a great cloud of birds swirling over. Breakdown by tree species was c. 68% scots pine, 12% larch, the rest in deciduous trees along burn ranked as alder, sycamore, oak and birch. This appears to be the largest colony in Lothian at present by some margin. Pics above from Longniddry rookery, now rather rearranged with now slightly fewer nests in main wood but a new batch at Longniddry farm.

Kevin provided a Tawny Owl from Roslin, seems to be an adult male (4+ cy), rufous morph; wing entirely adult, no retained juvenile feathers which can persist to 4th spring, but careful scrutiny of the wing shows s3 is rather worn - not all secondaries are replaced every year. The undertail also shows the very speckled patterning, much more defined bands on a juvenile. Sex by length of central claw (c. 15.0mm, <17.8mm = male), also wing length c. 260mm (female 275mm). Recovered not far from a road, so possibly hit by a car - or maybe old age given it was likely born in 2010 or earlier, thus must have lived through one of the very severe winters. Bad news for its family too, young Tawny's out since a while back in some parts of the country.

Wknd 20-21 April

Tried vismig at Gullane, the King's Chair, early Saturday - not a lot moving but my first spring migrant Bramblings, also two Tree Pipits and Grasshopper Warbler in song (full counts). Constant song from Willow Warblers.

Friday - 2 Yellow Wags low N over cereal east of East Bearsford, east of Haddington (11:45hrs); several Swallow and Sand Martin back at Abbeymill; early afternoon a minimum of 550 Velvet Scoter on flat calm sea spread over Gosford Bay and Gullane Bay, also 27 Long-tailed Ducks and 6 courting Common Scoter close in. 14 Sandwich Tern.

Sunday back on rookeries, got up to Lammermuirs edge in search of historic colonies extracted from cards at SOC for the 1975 census; found one in an exposed location in a high shelter belt near Snawdon Farm, 250m asl, but well down on its former 290 nests. Views above of Quarryford pond (first visit!), 55 Greylags there, and an different view of Cockenzie power station looking down Daneskine Burn/B6355 from Darent House. A pleasure to see displaying Lapwings and hear chipping Snipe at same spot.

Monday evening - 12 phylloscs within 100m along the tiny Wemyss burn past Longniddry community centre - all definitely identified were Willow Warblers. An unprecedented fall here, no more than a single ever previously! Strangely silent, in half a hour just one short bout of hooet calls from one bird, clearly none believe this will be their breeding territory. With them, a pair each of Goldcrest and Long-tailed Tit. Tuesday evening, still 8+ Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff and the Goldcrest, all feeding low down close to burn with frequent fly catching sallies, still silent. Chiff settled on an exposed bramble stem a foot off the ground at dusk and looked set to roost. First juv Robins out being fed! Wednesday, still 7 Willow Warblers, all entirely silent. Thursday, still 5 Willow Warbler, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Chiffchaff still along burn. Good practice on naked eye ID, more confident on separating the Chiff since Monday.

Wknd 6-7 April

Been neglecting my Port Seton "patch" in favour of rookeries of late, so no surprise when last weekend heard of another good bird dug out by Keith when I was off duty, a drake Surf Scoter. Presumably one of same as had been seen on same patch of sea in 2010 and last year, those visits being well into May, there were also mid-April records in 2009 and 2010 for Gosford Bay. Finally got round to looking on way home from work Friday and was surprised to see two drakes there, not that far offshore c. 1km. Brief rising display then a chase round on the sea with lots of splashing; hope they impressed the single associating female scoter, presumably a Velvet but would have been nice to see closer! Then resumed diving. Exceedingly poor record shot showing two white napes below.

Called in again the following morning but by the time I arrived the action was all over, missed a juv Glaucous which had been on sea, flew to harbour and north. Also heard that a Great Northern Diver had passed. Mipit passage was well underway though, accompanied by Siskins and a single Pied Wag, a Shelduck flew east. My usual deserted corner of the prom had five guys with scopes and after half an hour one drake Surfie was detected amongst a small bunch of Velvets, probably a good mile offshore. Prior to that I had had a glimpse of white nape amongst 4 scoter much further out, not far below the horizon, but could not confirm - however the two had been present earlier.

Not aware at the time but the wintering drake Surfie had still been at Ruddon's Point on 2 April, so presumably our second drake is that bird - how did it find the other? I made a small chart of late spring Surfie records in the Forth which shows their patterns of occurrence, after a period of some stability more changes of late. All gets very messy when assessing under self-found listing rules, needed to be >10km from other sighting of same (OK, c. 22km), also >6 days since previous report, so strictly I could have added this in 2010 (20 days gap) but did not feel right!

Rest of Saturday back on rookeries, first young heard and some colonies still expanding, one small one also found abandoned. Still 15 Mute Swans at Rogarth.

Sunday - nearly 7 hours in Longniddry's Dean Wood (finally fixing the rope swing), hoping that Chiffchaffs might finally be back too - only one heard very briefly early afternoon, interestingly sang just once, then 10 seconds later a good distance north and not again, clearly a true migrant hurrying on.

Back to Friday, Pencraig rookery recounted at 36 nests and a decent one spotted at Monkrigg, not counted but 30+ nests. Also observed a presumed pair of Stock Doves performing a sychronised high flight for over a minute, rising and falling in parallel over a wood by the Tyne at Sandy's Mill, near Haddington, and finally descending to a large tree - this type of behaviour seems not to be included within descriptions of display flight in BWP.

Back to Thursday - out of the area on trip to Banchory, saw 16 Waxwings there at the top of Arbeadie Road, was lucky to detect them via hearing the trills of flock in a back garden as car windows were shut - a gentle call but can be far-carrying. Only Barn Owl noted was a casualty on central reservation of A90 at Nether Careston just south of Brechin. Also saw a juv Whooper Swan on Forfar Loch, no Sand Martins.

Earlier last week, a fresh Barn Owl casualty on A1 westbound, on the embankment opposite entrance to Queen Margaret University, sadly crushed.

Easter weekend

Saturday - despite the snow the last batch of Whoopers seem to have bailed out during the week, just two ad+juv remaining amongst Mutes at Rogarth, West Fortune, later looking isolated grazing alone on the grass at Muirton. Photo of juv above, green-NFU darvic behind (also NLD, NLT and NZU (juv) there), ad below. Per Abbie there had still been 39 Whoopers there on Wednesday and the Bewick's was still amongst 54 present on Tuesday. Anyway, there they go for another year, and no sign of much in the way of migrants to replace them yet - though will be busy again soon with effort towards the final breeding atlas about to commence on Monday!

En route today an ad m Peregrine in transit, and remains of a Barn Owl found, feathers of most of right wing and some body feathers just off the road near North Berwick Law rookery/pond, bird must have perished, perhaps some time in the winter but for unknown reasons but possibly a road casualty? The last recovered from A1 at St Clements Wells in last week of atlas was another young female, in excellent physical condition (5/5 body score, ample fat, 2 small field mice in gizzard, well-filled intestines, uterus pregravida).

Recent rookery counts: 141 Craig Wood, Whitekirk [NT58V] (up from 106 7/4/12), 116 North Berwick Law [NT58L] (108 in 2008, 67 in 2006), 112 Common Strip, Archerfield, 108 Traprain [NT57X], 84 Cairndinnis [NT57S] (breeding not confirmed yet in atlas!), 81 Longniddry station/Kitchener's Crescent [NT47N] (92 on 24/3/12, rising to 117 final count), 59 East Fortune [NT57P] (39 nests in December), 44 Coldale [NT57L], 32 Gladsmuir church [NT47L], 29 Phantassie, East Linton [NT57Y], 24 Meadowmill [NT47C] (28 last year), 21 Macmerry [NT47L] (24 last year), 19 Seton Sands [NT47C] (18 last year), c. 18 Pencraig Wood [NT57T] (48 in 1993), 16 Dirleton Main Road [NT58C] (52 in 1991), 12 Drem [NT57E] (19 last year, 33 in 1992), 12 Haddington memorial garden [NT57C], just 6 Amisfield Park, Haddington [NT57C] (22 last year, 21 in 2009); where no previous counts mentioned in this list there are none in database since 1991. Aiming to get complete 10km counts for NT47 and NT57 (expect both to top 400 nests) and assist Mark/Jim with theirs in NT48, NT58 (now 385) and NT68, then to compare to data from 1975 census.

Sunday - rookery trek round NT57 as per above additions, highlight was a female Merlin in fields between Seggarsdean and West Bearford, SE of Haddington. Also a great number of Buzzard including one in a full blown sky-diving display over Fernyness Wood by Gosford sawmill. Per BWP "Sky-dance display-flight of plunge-and-swoop type by male, sometimes while still holding object in feet. Bird: (1) sweeps up into wind with a few wing-beats and fast glide, (2) stalls as body becomes vertical, (3) tips forward and dives on closed or part-closed wings for up to 200 m before (4) checking on spread wings and (5) shooting up again; may loop-the-loop, at least occasionally. Sequence often repeated 12 or more times." I witnessed two consective steep plunges but was too far off (at Garleton monument) to see if it was playing the associated dropping and catching game.

Wknd 23-24 March

Sunday - checked Whoopers at Muirton, finally got the left leg yellow darvic, V6P, also a new red darvic AFD (probably same as unconfirmed at same location 25/2/12, 11/3/12), with red-BLX still present, 11 juvs in 38, rising to 44 birds at dusk; these two new rings suggest some of these are passage birds, the main flock have already left; nearby in oilseed rape by Rogath, West Fortune, only 6 Whoopers (2 juvs) remained, with 23 Mutes, also smaller dusky juv swan asleep in middle of field, which when I went back at 17:25hrs and was able to see only 100m in from the road was clearly a Bewick's, pic above (my first in Lothian, indeed Scotland, I never caught up with this species in NE Scotland - my only previous flock was at Marshside RSPB a very long time ago!). Bewick's were a former scare wintering species in this area (Drem/Fenton Barns/Brownrigg) from at least 1980, but last recorded in winter 1995/96.

On Saturday, with an E6 wind continuing it seemed a good day to look out to sea - managed an hour from Dunbar seafront before the kids were fed up; nothing unusual seen, Fulmars most promiment just playing in the wind as they glided past barely a flap needed (69, all the near ones were double-light), adult Gannets and the odd Kittiwake, plus a pair each of Shelduck and Wigeon both S. 4 Goldeneye flew in to join 2 the bay, with a single Red-throated Diver also present. Will have missed some birds due to strong buffetting of wind and poor visibility at times due to snow.

In the harbour some uneaten sandwiches brought in a instant cloud of gulls, one ringed Herring G****29, presumably a local bird.

Only 17 Whoopers at Muirton but found another 12 (3 juv) with 19 Mutes about a mile south in cereal south of West Fortune farm, never previously seen swans there. Will check for rings Sunday, assuming they are unlikely to depart in current weather! [Postscript - see above, one of the 3 juvs must have been the Bewick's, birds were west of B1343 so c. 1km distant - should have been alert to possibility of Bewick's then but was in a hurry to get kids to pool in Dunbar!]

Rookery count - 27 nests at Phantassie, East Linton; attempting to do a full 10km count for NT47/NT57, needs to be done in next couple of weeks.

Best came last with a stunningly beautiful Barn Owl hunting the B1377 verges in full daylight just before 18:00hrs. Perhaps hungry due to wind impacting night hunting, though daylight hunting also attributed to males provisioning females for egg laying. Hard to know from flight views but the rather buff upper breast made me suspect it was a female. Camera batteries had expired but Joanne acted quickly to get it on video via mobile phone (link).