Possible that this bird, which has turned up in Lothian in the past, is making its way north past Northumberland today #NEBirding
Norm Milligan
@normmill.bsky.social
Mainly Birding, mainly Lothian. Occasionally remembering to look up.
29 Sept. A despondent tramp around Torness in F6 south-easterlies resulted in 2 Blue Tit & 2 Skylark! Called into Skateraw not expecting anything but then a smart RF Bluetail popped up unto a branch and sat looking at me from 5 metres. Magic! @birdinglothian.bsky.social #BirdingLothian
22 Sept. Busy watch at Gullane Point this am with birds moving SW in the calmer winds. 785 Kitts, 75 Comm Gull, 72 RT Diver (1GND), 10 Bonxie and first for site of passage Blackwit (2) & Dunnock (2). Single Cory’s & Pom Skua (juv) added some flavour. @birdinglothian.bsky.social #BirdingLothian
9 Sept. This Marsh Harrier came in low off the sea at Aberlady at noon, quickly gained height over the dunes, and then drifted south. @birdinglothian.bsky.social #BirdingLothian
4 Sept. Current Westerly winds drifting these White Wagtails (6+) over to Gladhouse this morning. Not everyone’s target but such smart looking birds compared to the local Pied Wags at this time of year @birdinglothian.bsky.social
Slightly shocked to find a Great Shearwater feeding with a mixed flock of seabirds at Gullane Point this morning. Good that others saw it as well. No images of it so have attached pics of the last one that I saw off Sagres (2nd pic typical of today’s actions.) @birdinglothian.bsky.social
Nice looking juvenile Little Gull amongst resting terns at Gosford Sands this afternoon. @birdinglothian.bsky.social
Good (mostly south-west)Tern passage at Gullane Point this morning with 640 Sandwich, 203 Common, 90 Arctic, 250 Commic and single Roseate and Little. Also a 110 Oystercatcher past and a welcome Cory’s Shearwater - ‘scope views of the latter much better than the image! @birdinglothian.bsky.social
30 April 26. Good to see these two Ruff at Gladhouse this morning. Rare in spring passage (scarce in autumn) in Midlothian @birdinglothian.bsky.social
7 April 26. At Gladhouse this am, watched this 2cy Little Gull glide in from height and eventually settle on water to feed on flies. A site tick. Also FoY Common Sandpiper present. @birdinglothian.bsky.social
Smart adult and bulky 3cy Caspian Gulls at Gosford Sands today. Have only ever seen 1cy Casps so happy with this😊 @birdinglothian.bsky.social
Geese at Gullane Point today. Confiding juvenile Brent Goose and a close pass of a flock of yapping Barnacle Geese #BirdingLothian
Yesterday at Gladhouse, probable Tufted Duck x Scaup, one remaining Slav Grebe and m&f Pochard @birdinglothian.bsky.social
Good to bump into this Siberian Chiffchaff in the gloomy, damp under-storey of the wood at Barns Ness this morning @birdinglothian.bsky.social
Gladhouse this afternoon had 3 Little Egrets for the first time and the cooler conditions brought in 2 Whooper Swan and 2 Goldeneye (both unusual here in September) #birdinglothian
Bumped into this nicely showing Great Egret this morning at Gladhouse. Increasing in Lothian but still scarce inland #Birdinglothian
An eclectic morning at Gullane Point. Wall Browns fluttering around my feet as I watched a Minke Whale feeding below a cloud of diving Gannets. A Sooty Shearwater joined in and a total of 79 Manx Shearwater were seen. Little Tern also and always good to see Little Gulls (5nr) #birdinglothian
Interesting to pick up this albino Sandwich Tern sw past Gullane Point this morning. Assume same as 27 July (see previous post) but also same seen off Ayrshire 31 July. Has it returned after yesterday’s storm? @dorseth.bsky.social @lothianrecorder.bsky.social #birdinglothian
Thought this was a leucistic bird due to dusky underwing from BOC shots but probable photo artefact and more likely to be an albino Sandwich Tern sw past Gullane Point this morning. (3 albinos ringed at Forvie NNR to date). Thanks to @lothianrecorder.bsky.social for info
A common butterfly but I have never seen so many Green-veined White (or butterflies in general) together. 1000 along 1Km of hill road in Midlothian yesterday @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Three juvenile Goldeneye amongst the Eider flock in the mist and murk of Musselburgh last night. Yesterday morning, a moulting Red Kite in the Midlothian hills #birdingscotland
It was good to see my first Sanderling at Gladhouse last night (a single bird). I also enjoyed seeing a brood of three Curlew chicks nearby as I thought that the nest may have been destroyed by the farmer working his field. #birdinglothian
Although not looked for with the same vigour that other migrants are, White Wagtail are almost exclusively a coastal migrant to Lothian during Spring so it was good to see this 2cy female at Gladhouse today - my first inland Spring record #birdinglothian
Relatively rare and scarce birds again at Gladhouse with Geoff’s Wood Sandpiper still and new for today, Whimbrel, two Little Egret and two Shoveler #birdinglothian
Evening trip in Midlothian resulted in 6 Black-tailed Godwit at Caspian Pond and a male Ruff at Gladhouse. The latter a particularly scarce (rare) spring visitor to the county and this bird probably a first Spring record for the site #birdinglothian
Rain influenced birding today. 5 LRP, 12 inland Redshank, flocks of 250 Sand Martin, 75 Meadow Pipit and 200 Fieldfare, and 15 Wheatear bobbing about a field. #birdinglothian
Dull and calm this morning at Gullane Point but immature drake White-winged Scoter, immature White-billed Diver and 2 GN Divers were good to see. The Scoter is that well found by kgbirder.bsky.social at Yellowcraig last week #birdinglothian
