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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Lothian Birding (1 Viewer)

Managed to get up there last week thanks mark Redstart and Wood Warbler found ;-)

ta rik

I cycled up there on Monday after work and had 2 wood warblers singing, dipper, spotted flycatcher and a garden warbler singing.

The redstart is a really good record and worth submitting. I don't think there has been a record of one in Midlothian for a number of years-maybe David can let us know as he is the Lothian recorder.
 
Day off today so went and did one of my 2 my TTV's-first time I've taken part-it's out by Leadburn and on the surface an uninspiring piece of open farmland/moorland. The one main piece of wood is a community woodland but it has been cut down and small trees are regrowing-it's fairly impenetrable on foot being both boggy and full of wooden detritius from the logging. This was my fourth visit and it's been surprisingly good fun seeing what I can find. Looking for breeding evidence was hard work and I spent 2 hours rather than the usual one.

Highlights were oystercatcher chicks on the rubble that once was the Leadburn Inn, a buzzards nest, 2 crossbills on a small conifer stand, house martin and swallow nests at 2 spots and seeing a mipits nest with those beautiful chocolate eggs-32 species in all. The one surprise was flushing a pair of shelducks from a small pond on some moorland-it took me a few seconds to realise what they were being rather out of context where they were.

Had lunch with my good lady at Aberlady and dropped in to see the male ruff in full breeding plumage at the reserve-a very smart bird!!
 
stork

Yesterday was my dad's last day before retiring from his work at Borders General Hospital. He's an avid birder who will be known to many of you out there. The attached photo is the view he had from his office all of yesterday!!!
 

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Yesterday was my dad's last day before retiring from his work at Borders General Hospital. He's an avid birder who will be known to many of you out there. The attached photo is the view he had from his office all of yesterday!!!

Blimey not a bad view as well as a retirment present:t:

Of interest was it ringed, and also was it delivering some babies at the aformentioned hospital;)
 
Today's highlights at Tyninghame inc

Arctic Skua
3 Greenshank
2 male skinnydippers accompanied by 3 bikini clad young ladies who then proceeded to have a mud fight!
1 presumed poacher picking up his net from the long grass.
1 very fat lady who gave me a wave on a horse that was buckling under her weight
200 dog walkers
100 surfers
several kite flyers

just another average day in the life of Tyninghame
 
Flock of 20 Xbill's near Holy corner today, saw them there last week so obviously utilising local gardens.

Yesterday a Barnie @ Abo was about it
 
Birdspotter - is that Holy Corner in Edinburgh?

(Hi! I'm new to birdforums but am based in Edinburgh)

Yes, saw them fly over low over Abbosford Cresent at the junction of Colinton Road (directly opposite the college), I think they came from gardens in the next street along, Abbotsford ? ? and went over Colinton Road down towards the big gardens in that area.

If you really want to see Xbill's though get yourself up to Harperrig Res and walk west along the road and forestry tracks.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks Birdspotter - I'm away this weekend but might try to get out there later next week, as I've not really seen crossbills close up and I'd like to!

My first list - I'm lucky enough to work outdoors surveying bits of wildlife and veg, so I like to keep track of birds I see while I'm out and about. Today I was up in the Lammermuirs, near one of the windfarms there:

Loads of Meadow Pippits and Skylarks, presumably everyone is fledging
One Snipe
Goldfinch
Stonechat
A family of Whinchat
Two male Kestrels interacting

So, typically for me, nothing very interesting. But pleasant none the less - last week I was investigating bat roosts in an abandoned farmhouse when a barn owl burst out of an old roll-top bureau!
 
Saw 30 Crossbill on the south side of Tyninghame today as well as a Greenshank in the inner bay.

Sandwich Tern's were on the move with several small parties seen moving north all day, incuding an estimate of 50+ in half an hour past Barns Ness, several of which were flying low over the beach.
Also a male Yellow Wag on the beach, with a juv midway between Barns Ness & Skater's
 
Musselburgh 4/7 &5/7

yesterday

3 Greenshank on the scrapes

Today

4 Common Sandpiper
3 Black-tailed Godwit

Both days Little Plover not seen by me.

David
 
Today's highlights at Tyninghame inc

Arctic Skua
3 Greenshank
2 male skinnydippers accompanied by 3 bikini clad young ladies who then proceeded to have a mud fight!
1 presumed poacher picking up his net from the long grass.
1 very fat lady who gave me a wave on a horse that was buckling under her weight
200 dog walkers
100 surfers
several kite flyers

just another average day in the life of Tyninghame

Birdspotter - I'm just back from my hols and read the above; I've a personal interest in the poacher you mentioned (I know who it will have been and have no doubt he was poaching), any chance you could forward me a grid reference of the exact spot he was at also can you describe him at all. If you're reluctant to leave details on this forum could you contact Dunbar Police Station (01368 862718) and ask for or leave a message for PC4821E who I know will be interested; Ta.
 
Very slow today with only 4 summer plumaged Red-necked Grebes at Gosford and a Shoveler elsewhere.

Summering Whooper still at Mussi river mouth, noticed it was ringed with a yellow darvic, S54 presumablly someone will have some gen on it by now?

Off cycling tommorrow at Calender as birding is so slow:-C
 
Very slow today with only 4 summer plumaged Red-necked Grebes at Gosford and a Shoveler elsewhere.

Summering Whooper still at Mussi river mouth, noticed it was ringed with a yellow darvic, S54 presumablly someone will have some gen on it by now?

Off cycling tommorrow at Calender as birding is so slow:-C

Back from hols visited M'burgh this am. Little gull on scrapes and grasshopper warbler reeling by the boating pond. At least wader numbers are starting to build........
 
Eclipse drake Ring-necked Duck found today at 10:40 at Linlithgow Loch, with Tufties at the east end & showing well - still present mid afternoon at least according to the pager. Really glad I decided to drive through to see the Spooners at Kinneil because there is no way I would have made the effort to visit otherwise!

13 RN Grebes at Gosford and Little Gull, Whimbrel, 4 Black-wits & 7 Common Sands at Mussi scrapes, amongst good numbers of commoner waders (160+ Dunlin, etc)

Mike
 
Eclipse drake Ring-necked Duck found today at 10:40 at Linlithgow Loch, with Tufties at the east end & showing well - still present mid afternoon at least according to the pager. Really glad I decided to drive through to see the Spooners at Kinneil because there is no way I would have made the effort to visit otherwise!

13 RN Grebes at Gosford and Little Gull, Whimbrel, 4 Black-wits & 7 Common Sands at Mussi scrapes, amongst good numbers of commoner waders (160+ Dunlin, etc)

Mike

Nice find by Mike although he was a naughty lad for straying out of Lothian in the first place although I think we can perhaps forgive him in the circumstances, the 6th Lothian record by my calculations and the second at that site.

previous records were if anyone is remotely interested were

female Drem & East Fortune 6 Feb-9th May 1977
male Duddingston 24 Mar 1982
male Linlithgow 26 Feb-16th Mar 1989
female Gladhouse 12-16th May 2002
male "no date"c 2005 or 2006 Seafield Pond (found by CND but no bird report has been published for these years yet so I am unsure of the correct dates).

As Mike stated in his post good numbers of waders on the move at the moment, seen today at Tyninghame were

Greenshank 24
Common Sand 10
Whimbrel 14
Sanderling 69
Dunlin c100
also drake Scaup flew into the inner bay at high tide, with 7 Crossbill west there.
An adult intermediate phase Arctic Skua patroling off shore also was a fine sight.
 
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