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

Lothian Birding (2 Viewers)

Nice pics, Neil though never easy to get the exposure right in bright light as in the waxwing pics.

Just looked though the Lothian Bird Reports of 2005. 10 records so far and single records in 2000, 03 and 05-don't think there have been any in the last 2 years. So 2 more makes 5 in the last ten years and almost half of all records

Very smart birds, Pallas's warblers though maybe they don't quite cut it when it comes down to avian cool ie waxwings ;)
 
markgrubb said:
Nice pics, Neil though never easy to get the exposure right in bright light as in the waxwing pics.

Just looked though the Lothian Bird Reports of 2005. 10 records so far and single records in 2000, 03 and 05-don't think there have been any in the last 2 years. So 2 more makes 5 in the last ten years and almost half of all records

Very smart birds, Pallas's warblers though maybe they don't quite cut it when it comes down to avian cool ie waxwings ;)
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Pallas's Warblers are certainly becoming more frequent - but this doesn't diminish there mind-blowingness! ;)Neils' pictures show this bright birds crown stripe well.

Similarly, with 11 Bluetails reported down the east coast this Autumn surely one is going to turn up in Lothian within a few years ? Exciting times ! G

P.s. A next new bird(s) for the Lothian list sweepstake anyone??

P.p.s. Thats me done 100 posts now! What do I win?;);)

***stop press*** flock of about 30 Waxwing over the house (nr Eskmouth,Musselburgh) going west at 1040. 'They come here - this is Waxwing country!8-P
 
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area man said:
Pallas's Warblers are certainly becoming more frequent - but this doesn't diminish there mind-blowingness! ;)Neils' pictures show this bright birds crown stripe well.

Similarly, with 11 Bluetails reported down the east coast this Autumn surely one is going to turn up in Lothian within a few years ? Exciting times ! G

P.s. A next new bird(s) for the Lothian list sweepstake anyone??

P.p.s. Thats me done 100 posts now! What do I win?;);)

***stop press*** flock of about 30 Waxwing over the house (nr Eskmouth,Musselburgh) going west at 1040. 'They come here - this is Waxwing country!8-P
Click to expand...

Well I'll be boring and suggest cattle egret as next for the Lothian list-they seem to pop up everywhere else. The Lothian list is at http://www.lsoc.btinternet.co.uk/Species.htm for anyone interested

100 posts eh-well that should just about allow you the privilege of buying this veteran 1000+ poster a beer after a days birding at M'burgh to celebrate ;)

Went up to Mount Lothian with my brother to see the finch flocks and for him to try out his new camera. It was quite impressive driving along sending clouds of birds into the air. They seemed to be feeding in a turnip field. The best moment came at the start as I saw a merlin whistling in and catching a finch-awesome!! Chaffies were by far the most numerous but there were very good numbers of bramblings -always very smart birds
 
Mount Lothian 9th November

Following on from Mark's posting above, I took a drive to Mt Lothian at around 9 am. When I arrived I can only describe the scene as a huge swarm of finches all around the car, certainly more than 1000 birds, very mobile and feeding off the fields on either side of the road. Most were chaffinches but there were good numbers of brambling, accounting for perhaps 5% of the birds seen. There were a few goldfinch but we didn't see any linnet. Also present were a couple of decent sized starling flocks (300-400 birds each), 30-40 fieldfare and 15-20 redwing. Two kestrels were hunting up near Cockpen, and the usual resident stonechat pair seems set to overwinter again (there are several pairs present here in the summer but only one pair stays each winter - strange!).

Attached are a few photos of the brambling.
 

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Mount Lothian can be reached if you take the A6094 Bonnyrigg-Howgate road. Coming from Bonnyrigg, you will see a sign, left, for Mount Lothian when you get to the Rosslynlee trout fishery. Follow this minor road for a mile or so until you come to a crossroads (with the B6372); the farm you see is Mount Lothian farm. Go across the crossroads along the minor road, which goes to Cockmuir (another farm). The road is single track and passes through a belt of tall conifers; once you are past this, keep an eye out along the next half mile or so of road for the finch flocks which fly in and out of the small trees at the side of the road. A good spot to pull over is where the power lines cross the road (a kestrel is often seen hunting here too).

The map link below gives you an idea. The road you are looking for is the minor road which bisects the B6372; the crossroads is where the label 'B6372' is shown, southeast of Howgate; the brambling are found on the part of the minor road that goes south from there and seems to end in the middle of nowhere!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=55.802101,-3.172474&spn=0.033817,0.076904&z=12

There is a nice spot on this road after you cross a small stone bridge. Keep an eye out on your left hand side, because stonechat are often seen on the downslope and on the fenceposts at the roadside. Beyond this there is a convenient place to turn on the left.

Good luck!

Neil
 
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markgrubb said:
Well I'll be boring and suggest cattle egret as next for the Lothian list-they seem to pop up everywhere else. The Lothian list is at http://www.lsoc.btinternet.co.uk/Species.htm for anyone interested

That's probably a pretty good call with Cattle Egret. I've given this some thought - 10 minutes! and suggest the following : Two-barred Crossbill, Least Sand (!), well we have had a few rarer waders! and the aforementioned Red-flanked Bluetail. Very tricky to predict the future I find!

Ok, Mark since you started the thread, well you probably deserve a pint!;)

An ad med gull (unringed!) at the Eskmouth, but a different bird to last week. (red not black legs.) 32 Waxwings by the River Esk this evening were probably this mornings birds seen from window. G
Click to expand...
 
Neil Grubb said:
Mount Lothian can be reached if you take the A6094 Bonnyrigg-Howgate road. Coming from Bonnyrigg, you will see a sign, left, for Mount Lothian when you get to the Rosslynlee trout fishery. Follow this minor road for a mile or so until you come to a crossroads (with the B6372); the farm you see is Mount Lothian farm. Go across the crossroads along the minor road, which goes to Cockmuir (another farm). The road is single track and passes through a belt of tall conifers; once you are past this, keep an eye out along the next half mile or so of road for the finch flocks which fly in and out of the small trees at the side of the road. A good spot to pull over is where the power lines cross the road (a kestrel is often seen hunting here too).

The map link below gives you an idea. The road you are looking for is the minor road which bisects the B6372; the crossroads is where the label 'B6372' is shown, southeast of Howgate; the brambling are found on the part of the minor road that goes south from there and seems to end in the middle of nowhere!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=55.802101,-3.172474&spn=0.033817,0.076904&z=12

There is a nice spot on this road after you cross a small stone bridge. Keep an eye out on your left hand side, because stonechat are often seen on the downslope and on the fenceposts at the roadside. Beyond this there is a convenient place to turn on the left.

Good luck!

Neil
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Awesome, got some time to myself tomorrow morning so I'll give it a bash. Thanking you!
 
area man said:
markgrubb said:
Well I'll be boring and suggest cattle egret as next for the Lothian list-they seem to pop up everywhere else. The Lothian list is at http://www.lsoc.btinternet.co.uk/Species.htm for anyone interested

That's probably a pretty good call with Cattle Egret. I've given this some thought - 10 minutes! and suggest the following : Two-barred Crossbill, Least Sand (!), well we have had a few rarer waders! and the aforementioned Red-flanked Bluetail. Very tricky to predict the future I find!

Ok, Mark since you started the thread, well you probably deserve a pint!;)

An ad med gull (unringed!) at the Eskmouth, but a different bird to last week. (red not black legs.) 32 Waxwings by the River Esk this evening were probably this mornings birds seen from window. G
Click to expand...

I'm quoting myself, and it's not to get my post count up.;) No, I wanted to change one of my choice's - Semi-p Sandpiper instead of Least. Don't think there has been an accepted one yet in Lothian and more likely than Least (what isn't?).
So my choices in no order (your allowed to make your own rules up!)are 1. Two-barred Crossbill (this winter!),2. Semi P and 3.Bluetail.

Lets see...! Cheers G
Click to expand...
 
markgrubb said:
The Lothian list is at http://www.lsoc.btinternet.co.uk/Species.htm for anyone interested

Hi Mark,

This list needs updating, no Hume's YB or Paddyfield on it for instance.

I have recently compiled a list and I get 353 species with 1 other in Cat D.

PM me if you wish a copy.

Weekends highlights were B n Grebe Aberlady, Med Gull Muss today with 94 Waxwing @ Beltonford r/about yesterday.

Stomped around Dunglass,Bilsdean onwards across the fields to Thorntonloch, then Skateraw and Barns Ness on Saturday and saw SFA.

So pissed off I refused to go near the coast today, only for the mates pager to rub it in evon more with news of Siberian waifs arriving in both Northumberland and Aberdeen.
I really do wish we had a decent coastline!

Mind you I did see a Chiffchaff,shit even that wasn't a Sibe!!

Roll on the spring:-C
Click to expand...
 
Birdspotter said:
markgrubb said:
The Lothian list is at http://www.lsoc.btinternet.co.uk/Species.htm for anyone interested

Hi Mark,

This list needs updating, no Hume's YB or Paddyfield on it for instance.

I have recently compiled a list and I get 353 species with 1 other in Cat D.

PM me if you wish a copy.

Weekends highlights were B n Grebe Aberlady, Med Gull Muss today with 94 Waxwing @ Beltonford r/about yesterday.

Stomped around Dunglass,Bilsdean onwards across the fields to Thorntonloch, then Skateraw and Barns Ness on Saturday and saw SFA.

So pissed off I refused to go near the coast today, only for the mates pager to rub it in evon more with news of Siberian waifs arriving in both Northumberland and Aberdeen.
I really do wish we had a decent coastline!

Mind you I did see a Chiffchaff,shit even that wasn't a Sibe!!

Roll on the spring:-C
Click to expand...

Good to see you back on the thread mate! I'd like a copy of your new list (is it gonna be published?)
You like to predict the next new Lothian bird(s)? Just for fun!;)Gordon
Click to expand...
 
Birdspotter said:
Stomped around Dunglass,Bilsdean onwards across the fields to Thorntonloch, then Skateraw and Barns Ness on Saturday and saw SFA.
Click to expand...

Well It couldn't have been any worse than being at Easter road on Saturday :C

Good to see you posting again after your travels. How were Barra/Fair Isle?

On a more worrying note my sources tell me that we seem to have a poster on this thread ,rumours have it, from the dark side and who needs to be outed (areaman-a suspected j***o) . A shame, outwardly he seems almost a decent guy ;)
 
mark grubb said:
Well It couldn't have been any worse than being at Easter road on Saturday :C

Good to see you posting again after your travels. How were Barra/Fair Isle?

On a more worrying note my sources tell me that we seem to have a poster on this thread ,rumours have it, from the dark side and who needs to be outed (areaman-a suspected j***o) . A shame, outwardly he seems almost a decent guy ;)
Click to expand...

Barra was fine, 2 find ticks;)
Fair Isle was very hard work in what seemed like ever increasing westerlies, but just good to be there.

As for Areaman, perhaps he can remind us of a certain New Year's derby anniversary coming up that finished 7-0;)
 
Birdspotter said:
Barra was fine, 2 find ticks;)
Fair Isle was very hard work in what seemed like ever increasing westerlies, but just good to be there.

As for Areaman, perhaps he can remind us of a certain New Year's derby anniversary coming up that finished 7-0;)
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I'm sure I don't know what your talking about Birdspotter! Well I shouldn,t mention the Scottish Cup, probably.;)

Maybe best to start a new thread in 'Ruffled Feathers', so as others don't get too annoyed by football talk? Mind, this could be difficult come an Edinburgh derby!

I,ll send you a PM for your new list! (by the way, folks, Birdspotter is way ahead of me on his Lothian bird list) Drats! G;)
 
Barn Owl hunt E Lothian

I took a spin out to East Lothian this evening, with the idea of trying out the low light ISO modes on my new camera. I regularly see barn owls when I visit friends near Garvald so I set off in that direction. An hours stake out was fruitless so I took the back road home via Bolton and Humbie (the B6368). Just after I passed the sign to Ewingston heading east, I saw a barn owl out of the corner of my eye quartering the field. I drove on until I could turn, drove back and there it was, sat on a post at the roadside. Fortunately (i) there was no traffic, and (ii) I had taken some test shots to get the exposure right and focus set for a 'road width' shot when I was at Garvald. Preparation is everything when you have ten seconds to get your shots in! Here are the results :)

Neil
 

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area man said:
I,ll send you a PM for your new list! (by the way, folks, Birdspotter is way ahead of me on his Lothian bird list) Drats! G;)
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278 dont forget it boy;)

Although I have to say for someone who has spent several years out of Lothian, yours aint too bad either:t:

Cracking shots Neil, well done:t:
LEO next perhaps;)
 
Made a silly comment about list's, which I've removed! Hopefully, I will learn my lesson! Sorry folks! G

Fantastic Barn Owl shots Neil!
 
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area man said:
Made a silly comment about list's, which I've removed! Hopefully, I will learn my lesson! Sorry folks! G

I for one didn't think it was a silly comment bud, in fact I quite like the banter on this forum with it being either about birding, lists, footie or otherwise.
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