Lothian Birding (1 Viewer)

[Morg]

Great stuff, Calum - you are miles ahead of me - I'm on 107 self-found in Lothian this year so far (same rules). List is on Bubo - look under Lothian yearlist self-found - Stephen is there as well. He'll certainly be a few ahead of me by now - his list is almost purely self-found of course.

I haven't had time for any real birding for over a month - though I've had a few decent species over the garden the last couple of days - Snow Bunt, Crossbill and Fulmar all racked up with zero mileage! That said I certainly won't be a serious Lothian lister this year as I'll have about 8 weeks out of the county hitting some of the best migration periods - though I'm not complaining as there'll be a few lifers along the way...

Any way good luck - I'll be interested to hear what goodies you find along the way.

Geoff

p.s. Have you any target figure in mind? The best I have managed was 160 in 2010, and I think Mike had 178 that year. Wonder what is possible - maybe others have already gone much higher?

 

[Birdspotter]

p.s. Have you any target figure in mind? The best I have managed was 160 in 2010, and I think Mike had 178 that year. Wonder what is possible - maybe others have already gone much higher?

Hi Geoff,

I havent got a clue what I would get as this is the first time I have tried/counted my yearly find list, however I will just hopefully enjoy the experiance and see what I get.

 

[Birdspotter]

Great stuff, Calum - you are miles ahead of me

Having just put my list on Bubo also I see that I was previously miles ahead of myself at 122, Bubo put's me at 118.

 

[Mike swims like a fish]

Surely you started a self found list in 2010? There were several of us who did it, you did a blog on here and had your list on Bubo too, or am I in some kind of parallel déjà vu universe? ;-)

 

[Birdspotter]

Surely you started a self found list in 2010? There were several of us who did it, you did a blog on here and had your list on Bubo too, or am I in some kind of parallel déjà vu universe? ;-)

Found it in the My lists section of this website. 2010 was the year but lost interest it seems despite some good birds found.

Maybe I will stick to it this year!

 

[markgrubb]

Out for an early morning walk on Arthur's Seat-a snow bunting flushed from Crow Hill and flew away to the hill top. Biggest surprise was below, first time I've seen one on the local hill

 

[markgrubb]

Back up on Arthurs Seat this pm-the single snow bunting was very confiding and not bothered by the human traffic on Crow Hill

 

[markgrubb]

It rained a fair bit overnight and cleared at 7 so it looked ideal for a walk up Arthur's Seat to look for migrants. Unfortunately the only one was the one in the pic below. No sign of the snow bunting today

Had a look in Figgate Park. Good to see a pair of dippers that look as if they are nesting under Duddingston Road and a grey wagtail-the first I've seen there in breeding season. A shoveler was on the pond

 

[James22]

After 5 attempts at seeing the Brent geese at Cramond, I finally seen one at Mussleburgh today. Just as I was about to give up, turned the scope out to sea and stopped right on it.

 

[turkish van]

Some nuthatch news, one on a feeder in the wildlife garden of blackhall primary school yesterday, a nice surprise!

 

[Birdspotter]

Very pleased to find 2 mm Black Grouse at an undisclosed site today, my first in Lothian in many years!B

 

[markgrubb]

Very pleased to find 2 mm Black Grouse at an undisclosed site today, my first in Lothian in many years!B

Were they lekking or just feeding, Cal ?

I had one just over the Lothian border in March. My brother and his friend had one some 4 or 5 miles in to Lothian last year. Certainly they seem to have done well in the Borders in the last year or so. I counted 8 leks with a maximum of 14 and 12 on the Innerleithen road last month and just under 50 birds. They benefited from feed that the keepers put out in the hard winters. A keeper I know says he counted over 30 one day coming to feed. I guess the hard weather will have made it harder for predators. The same keeper said he had killed just 6 foxes last year compared to over 20 the previous year

Was up at Woodhall dean yeserday. The oaks have barely passed the budding stage so viewing was easy. Few warblers other than chiffchaffs and willow warblers. One redstart singing to the right of the bridge. Driving down to Spott there was an almighty bang that scared the hell out of me, A deer jumped up from a ditch and hit the side of the car. It seemed OK and ran off. The car paintwork has suffered somewhat

 

[Birdspotter]

Driving down to Spott there was an almighty bang that scared the hell out of me, A deer jumped up from a ditch and hit the side of the car. It seemed OK and ran off. The car paintwork has suffered somewhat

Oh Deer8-P

Sorry couldn't resist that one

The BK's were just feeding although I suspect a lek is somewhere in that general area as I could swear I could hear leking birds nearby one morning but unfortunatly the wind was just a little too strong to be sure.

Yesterday I went bush bashing for migs and saw nowt!!!

 

[James22]

Went to Mussleburgh today. 1 grasshopper warbler beside the hides. 1 swift over boating pond and 6 Wheatear was the best of it.

 

[david kelly]

This afternoon I went to Musselburgh and to Blindwells. There was a Grasshopper Warbler by scrapes, but the main event was a mass arrival of Swallows, House Martins and Swifts.

There were a few swallows a Blindwells too but also 1 Common Sandpiper.

David

 

[markgrubb]

A couple of hours first thing down the east coast. At least 3 yellow wagtails on the fences round Torness and thankfully no police. Nearly mashed another yellow wag on the way back up the A1 to the Barns Ness turn off. 3 whimbrels and a spotted flycatcher were all that I could muster there

 

[Phil-Johnston]

Blackcaps,Wheatears,Winchats, Stonechat,Sparrowhawk,Buzzard,Oystercatcher,Shelducks,Tawny Owlet,Sedge Warbler,Whitethroat,Reed Bunting,Yellowhammer,Tree Sparrow,Chiffchaff,Moorhen and topped off with a small flock of Linnets. All at Cammo estate and surrounding farmland this morn. The place is alive with birds!

Phil Johnston

 

[gus guthrie]

had a trip with my daughter down to Torness power station today.....despite her misgivings about nuclear power ( too much Simpsons ! )
With excellent directions from Mark Grubb we soon found 3 Yellow Wagtails....and they even posed for pictures !
Great birds to get ....well worth the drive.

 

[jogresh]

Hi, i'm not sure if i've posted in the right thread, but i'd be grateful for any info on the Skinflats Savi's, as i'll be heading up to Scotland in a few days.
TIA.

 

[bongofury]

Hi, i'm not sure if i've posted in the right thread, but i'd be grateful for any info on the Skinflats Savi's, as i'll be heading up to Scotland in a few days.
TIA.

I can't help, unfortunately (I wasn't even aware there were Savis at Skinflats) but you may like to start a new thread as Skinflats is in the Forth birding area.