Lothian Birding (1 Viewer)

Went up to Harperrig thinking that somewhere more westerly and a bit inland would have less haar. It didn't-it had more. The most notable thing was how low the water level was. The shore was 70-80 yards from the fishery road. Only waders were 8 ringed plover and a few dunlin but could be good in the next few weeks

I saw about 20 crossbills near West Mains with 6 or 7 juveniles-this seemed the only area that had a decent amount of cones that I saw. Had at least a dozen redpoll and a spotted flycatcher with juvenile

Red footed Falcon over Queens Ferry 6.15-6.22 then drifted south according to RBA pager report.

I see from the East Lothian council's website that they are planning car park charges for all 13 of their coastal car parks this forthcoming April.

It was just a couple of years back that the same proposal was dumped due to public reaction to this, so why now are they proposing it again?

I see from their shiny new leaflet that all money made will go towards brand new toilet blocks and the general upkeep of the car-parks, does that include the car park at Thorntonloch were users can use the camp site toilets as was the case at Barns Ness before they moved away?

I fear this will just be another political ploy on how to make money and see no real benefit in it than empty the tax payers pocket even more:C

Birders who reguarly bird East Lothian will know that they can easily be in half a dozen of these car parks on one day, so that's a lot of lolly to put out, that's if you pay that is

Birdspotter said:

I see from the East Lothian council's website that they are planning car park charges for all 13 of their coastal car parks this forthcoming April.

It was just a couple of years back that the same proposal was dumped due to public reaction to this, so why now are they proposing it again?

I see from their shiny new leaflet that all money made will go towards brand new toilet blocks and the general upkeep of the car-parks, does that include the car park at Thorntonloch were users can use the camp site toilets as was the case at Barns Ness before they moved away?

I fear this will just be another political ploy on how to make money and see no real benefit in it than empty the tax payers pocket even more:C

Birders who reguarly bird East Lothian will know that they can easily be in half a dozen of these car parks on one day, so that's a lot of lolly to put out, that's if you pay that is

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There is a consultation ongoing regarding the proposed charges. Either pick up one of the leaflets from a library or such usual places or download it from the council website. The councillors are saying this is a genuine consultation and if the public don't want the charges then there won't be any; aye right!!

Birded Tyninghame today after a couple of weeks off the birding, lots of waders passing through, highlight was an excellent flock of 61 Whimbrel that took off as the tide rose and flew directly over me calling away.

Whimbrel 64 inc flock of 61
Greenshank 9
Knot 150 all in full summer plumage, stunning!
Grey plover c60
very few smalls however, with only around 20 dunlin seen and a few Sanderling and Turnstone(again one or two in stunning summer plumage) with no Ringed Plover at all!

Now for my rant!!!

RANT :C
So the East Lothian Council has decided to have a public consultation (their words) before they implement parking charges on us all who use the car parks!
Why then are the people who use these car parks not having the chance to be consulted,I made a point in looking out for any of the Public Consultation leaflets that have been printed NONE COULD BE SEEN ANYWHERE, I thought "I know I will look at the notice board, that will tell me where I and others can get one" forget that all I could see was a tide timetable:C

So in essence the ELC has a public consultation exercise in process but none of the public who are using these car parks seem to be getting the chance to have their say, unless they have heard about it by word of mouth!

A case of keeping it all very quiet, then we can sneak it through!!

Rant:C:C

If the council doe's go ahead with the car park charging then perhaps they can get their Ranger Service to hand out violations to litter bugs!!
Not any litter bugs I might add but DOG WALKERS!!!
I cant seem to get my head round this but here's the scenario........

It's a fine day so Mrs Arse decides to take Fido out for walkies, after a while Fido deposits his previous nights tea on the path.

Now Mrs Arse knows that to leave the steaming pile of cess on the path will be illegal with a fine imposed, no problem though as she has thoughtfully brought along a bag!!

Mrs Arse is soon on her way happy in the knowledge that she and Fido have done their bit and are now free from prosecution, after 100 yards and a mere 200 from the Dog Fouling Bins that the coucil have provided she has a quick look around and slings the bag over the wall:C
WTF is that all about?
That bag will now take much longer to break down organically than that steaming pile of crap Mrs Arse!!

Rant:C:C:C
Tyninghame is one big dog walking park, fine but do they have to chase all the waders off, also walkers take great delight in walking right up to a group of waders untill they flush them:C
Yes okay perhaps it is a romantic thing to do in their eyes as couples walk hand in hand down the beach, but for a Wader who needs to stop, rest and feed before they continue south this is a real pain in the butt, and for the birder watching the flock it is also a pain in the butt as he watches them being flushed for the third time in 5 minutes.
These people need educated, were is the East Lothian Ranger? In all my years of birding Tyninghame I have never seen a Ranger past the car park whilst he/she empties the bins, some signs pointing this out might not go amiss, but then again getting back to the public consultation leaflets, perhaps not!!!

VICTOR:C

Good day today with Little Egret, Little Gull ad summ, Green Sand(2) and an ad + juv Roseatte Tern

Dipped the reported Pacific Goldie at Aberlady this evening, but not surprising really as the tide was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy out!!

there's alway's tommorrow

Kept fairly local this weekend spending 2-3 hours each day at Musselburgh. Nothing that special but good numbers of returning waders. Lots of birds in summer plumage still-75 knot particularly smart, 330+ barwits, 4 blackwits the highlight. Also up to 75 golden plover, 20 ringed plover with one strange leucistic bird, 4 common sands, 1 green sand and 1 greenshank. The showery weather brought in small numbers of whimbrels. I had 7-8 groups flying in/over or roosting, all between 2 and 4 birds. Also 3 little gulls and an arctic skua and 7 snipe sunbathing in front of the hides one just 10 yards away with it's rather beautiful tail feathers on display

Not surprisinly I spent the whole day at Aberlady, highlights were Greenshank (2), Green Sand(1) Blackwit(2) and whimbrel(5) with no sign of yesterday's Pacific Goldie, nor any Goldies for that matter with me a total of 2 seen!

Pacific Goldie was last seen in Lothian in 1977 so it was long overdue.

Birdspotter said:

Not surprisinly I spent the whole day at Aberlady, highlights were Greenshank (2), Green Sand(1) Blackwit(2) and whimbrel(5) with no sign of yesterday's Pacific Goldie, nor any Goldies for that matter with me a total of 2 seen!

Pacific Goldie was last seen in Lothian in 1977 so it was long overdue.

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Do you know anthing about the sighting on Sat? Was it a definite? Any pics?

markgrubb said:

Do you know anthing about the sighting on Sat? Was it a definite? Any pics?

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I know who the single observer is, and without trying to sound judgemental I see no real problem with the ID, hence why I tried today and Sat evening.
As far as I am aware no photo.

Most of Lothian's top listers were out in force, but they will all have to wait that little bit longer I am afraid!

Musselburgh 5/8 pm - 1 imm Scaup on the boating pond, 1 f Shoveler and a Little Gull on the Scrapes. Very quiet and very windy.

David

Birdspotter said:

Not surprisinly I spent the whole day at Aberlady, highlights were Greenshank (2), Green Sand(1) Blackwit(2) and whimbrel(5) with no sign of yesterday's Pacific Goldie, nor any Goldies for that matter with me a total of 2 seen!

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There were a few Goldies along the Seton shore Sunday, 22 at Wrecked Craigs at high tide. Having heard the report I had a good look at them and they were in a whole array of plumages from full breeding to almost complete winter plumage, all adults. Got my scope on the smallest and darkest one, thinking that must be "it", but knowing it couldn't be, and it flew to reveal - all white underwings.

I'm guessing the PGP would be in full summer plumage - certainly AGP retains this for longer and hence are easier to pick out into the autumn, cf. adult AGP at Aberlady 1st wk October last year. But have not checked literature.

Whilst I don't chase rarities it's very interesting to know what's about and what to be on the alert for. Good to see extra info available on this forum, which I've just discovered!

Vaguely related to plovers and car parks, as we all know one of the key problems we have along the Lothian coast is disturbance. High tide normally covers the rocks at Wrecked Craigs and birds cling on there till forced off by the water - once off, their nearest reliable refuge is either Craigielaw or Musselburgh - Ferny Ness would be an alternative but is generally too disturbed. Also at the Seton Burn waders often gather on the shore west at high tide, but usually get flushed by (dog) walkers. I've seen 40 Turnstones covering the last tiny exposed rock there. I was pondering this and wondered why we don't just heap up a few extra boulders at one of these locations - could make a real difference in providing a high tide refuge. Any volunteers?

Well after 48 hrs continuous rain it was good to get out early to Dunbar for high tide. Disappointingly quiet though. Belhaven was a giant lake after the rain-there was the consolation of a kingfisher diving repeatedly at Seafield Pond. Bumped into Dave Allan and we wandered round Tyninghame. Very few waders and the highlight was 5 or 6 adult arctic terns with a couple of juveniles

Musselburgh fairly quiet with not a lot of small waders due to the high water levels. There was an elusive juvenile little stint on one of the back scrapes

New garden tick today. A young Buzzard just flew through my garden below my 1st storey window. Made me think about what is on my garen list. It's a very small garden but backs on to a wooded, disused railway cutting called The Heugh. I have seen Buzzard from the garden and high over the house before but although it did not land this was was definitely in the garden.

David

Quiet at Tyninghame yesterday, however with the wind veering round to south-south east yeserday afternoon and heavy rain forcast for overnight it was off early Sunday for the first of the autumn's bush bashing exercise!

Woke up this morning to find the rain hadn't materialised:C sack the weather forecasters!!!

The wind had strenghened so we gave it a go anyway as you never know.

Highlights were

Torness; 3+ juv Yellow Wags as well as a Chiff/Willow and a very elusive Sylvia that was thought to be a Whitethroat.

Skateraw; Whitethroat in bushes not used by local breeders so thought most likely a migrant.

Thorntonloch; Green Sand flew up from the beach and headed off south.

Barns Ness; Greenshank.

Dunbar; 30 min seawatch produced 3 Manxies, Arctic Skua seen also yesterday off here.

It was off to Tyninghame for the waders with quite a few hundred Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Sanderling to go through, but nothing of note except an adult pale phase Arctic Skua in the Inner Bay.

Last thoughts for the day whilst watching a migrant Willow Warbler flitting about the sand dunes at the tip of Spike Island was the feeling of if only we had got some rain!!

Bush bashing after work @ Barns Ness and Torness resulted in SFA with not a migrant, or much else for that matter:-C

Tyninghame; 3 Ruff, at least 2 Whimbrel.

A report about the state of local farmers crops due to flooding, particuarly @ Lochhouses on BBC Reporting Scotland last night alerted me to the fact that some decent wader habitat had been created.

This hunch came up with a Wood Sand:t:

Elsewhere Little Egret @ Tyninghame

This is a really exciting discovery, I'm moving to Edinburgh in a fortnight I think I'll be spending quite some time in Musselburgh. Thanks

There were a few Skuas thru hound point two days ago , 2 poms 2 Arctics & 2 Bonxies ;_))