Dylan Daunt

@alpine-swift.bsky.social

18 y/o Scottish birder based in Lothian.

Absolutely crazy morning in East Lothian. My biggest early autumn fall ever! Highlights being 1 Ortolan Bunting, 1 Icterine W, 1 RB Fly, 1 Hawfinch, 1 Wood W, 18+ Pied Fly, 8 Redstart, 1 Black Red, 2 Spot Fly, 4 Tree Pipit and 1 Yellow Wag. No photos due to rain all morning! #BirdingScotland

Superb days seawatching off Eyemouth. Just under 12 hours spent watching. Highlights were 1 Great Shearwater, 2 Cory’s Shearwater, 3 Long-tailed Skua (including 1 adult), 1 Black Tern, 1 Pom Skua and 22 Sooty Shearwaters. Everything was reasonably close in allowing nice views. #BirdingScotland

I decided to head out to Gullane Point for a day of seawatching due to the NE winds. My totals were way better than expected! 1 ad Sabine’s Gull 1 juv Long-tailed Skua 5 Sooty Shearwater 13 Arctic Skua 5 Great Skua 36 Manx Shearwater 2 Little Gull 2 Roseate Tern #BirdingScotland

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A great day at Aberlady/Gullane Point. My morning started with a surprise Cory’s Shearwater off Gullane Point heading into the Forth, my first in Lothian. I then saw the six Lothian tern species including the juv Black Tern again that unfortunately left before the haze stopped! #BirdingScotland

Juvenile Black Tern preeningJuvenile Black Tern taking off

I was super pleased that the Red-footed Falcon stayed at Aberlady long enough for me to see it. It performed brilliantly, hunting on the ground, hovering and perching in the open. I was also happy to find a Wood Sandpiper at the footbridge. My first of the autumn. #BirdingScotland

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An unforgettable day of seawatching with my brother off of the North of Lewis (10+ hours)! 1 Wilson’s Storm Petrel 5 Leach’s Storm Petrel 381 European Storm Petrel 1 Cory’s Shearwater 27 Sooty Shearwater 827 Manx Shearwater 1 Pomarine Skua 3 Arctic Skua 11 Great Skua #BirdingScotland

Our main viewpoint from Port Stoth. We also watched a bit from the Butt of Lewis when the suns position got worse.Bild

A lovely morning around Loch Leven NNR today. It has been a long time since I have been! Obvious highlights were seeing the Caspian Tern early on, a late Scaup, Great White Egret, Marsh Harrier and Osprey. I will definitely be back for the winter ducks! #BirdingScotland

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Yesterday, my brother and I did a big day in Lothian on the bikes. I was very surprised to find a female Red-crested Pochard at Whitesands. They are still rare in Scotland. We also recorded lots of other nice species like Quail, Whinchat, Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail. #BirdingScotland

Species list from today
Moorfoot Valley just South of Gladhouse Reservoir
Female Red-crested Pochard at Whitesands yesterday eveningGrasshopper Warbler

Yesterday was my last full day in Denmark. It was incredibly fun with a self found Bonelli’s Warbler (3rd for Skagen), plus both Red-backed Shrike and Black Redstart ringed. The night was then spent catching nightjars! We caught a young male which is my first ever in the hand.

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Ringing at Skagen has been excellent recently! Blyth’s Reed Warbler (2nd), Red-breasted Flycatchers (29th), Red-backed Shrikes (2nd) and a melanistic Marsh Warbler (1st). I have been super lucky to find both the Blyth’s Reed and Red-breasted Flycatchers in the nets. #birdringing

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I have also had a bit more luck with finding birds in the last week or so. My best being an Iberian Chiffchaff (1st for Skagen and 7th record for Denmark), Red-throated Pipit, Thrush Nightingale, Lapland Bunting, Red-footed Falcon and Great Snipe. Sonogram of Ibe Chiff below.

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Bird ringing with Skagen Fuglestation has been excellent over the last few days. We have caught some nice species in the nets like Thunbergi wagtails, Wood Warbler and Icterine Warblers. But the highlight for me was night catching this Short-eared Owl very early this morning! #birdringing

Grey-headed (Thunbergi) WagtailWood WarblerIcterine WarblerShort-eared Owl

The last few days in Skagen have been excellent. Highlights for me being Black-winged Kites, Spotted Crake, Shore Larks, Montagu’s Harrier and more spring species arriving. Hopefully the winds will turn more to south to bring some different species to the last few weeks.

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Another fun spring day a Skagen. I was at ringing again this morning with highlights being the first Willow Warblers of the spring and a Coal Tit. Birding in the afternoon was also good with White Stork, Golden Eagle, Black Kite and this Wryneck!

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It has been a couple stormy days at Skagen so night catching over the last couple days has been possible, but not successful. So it was a real surprise to be able to hand catch this Cormorant last night. It was even already carrying a ring. So hopefully we get some cool data from that.

Cormorants are difficult birds to handle so it is important to have good control of the neck at all times whilst handling. It is also important not to hold the neck too tight. This means that injury to the bird and the handler can be prevented.

Another really fun day at Skagen. Ringing was really nice with 5 more Twite, 1 Snow Bunting, 2 Bullfinch and 3 Northern LTT. Migration was nice with 9 Taiga Bean Goose and a male Hen Harrier. I then went into town to shop for food and saw a lovely flock of 23 Waxwings!

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