St. Seawatch

17:00-17:30 from Black Gable produced 1 Long-tailed skua, 2 Bonxie and 25 Manxie all north, plus the usual stuff. Almost the first bird I picked up was the cracking long-tailed… sweet.

The swell was still pretty big after the wind but has dropped now and the sea it pretty calm this evening.

Numbers down!

Lizy enjoying some sea watching

Double up and ID my duck!

Today...

Two Male Red-backed shrike, one mid way along the east side of the Mire Loch in Hawthorn and one still in the Mire Dean. Slightly better weather for pics so heres one...

Other birds include Lesser Whitethroat 4, Garden Warbler 1, Willow w 12, Chiff 4, Spotted fly 3, Blackcap 2 and a drake Garganey at Millar’s Moss, which could be the same drake as on the 8/5 when a pair were seen on the Mire Loch and flew north, but more likely to be a new bird I guess..? 

Thats what I call a duck!

Millar’s Moss was also heaving with Tufties with 20m and 14f as well as 8m and 4f Mallard, 4 Coot and 2 Moorhen and the duck pictured below?... ID would be appreciated. Perhaps a hybrid... it didn't look quite right.

?

?

RBS.. money in the bank!

Spent a couple of hours in the rain after work today...

Stunning Red-backed shrike (male) in the mire dean, about level with the second pole down from the top at 6pm. Spotted flycatcher 5 around the boathouse/bottom of the mire dean. Redstart 1m 1f around tree guards near boathouse, Garden warbler 1 near boathouse, Lesser whitethroat 1 near boathouse, Willow w 14 ML/MD, Chiff 5 ML/MD, Blackcap 1 singing by boardwalk, Whitethroat 7 ML/MD area, Little Grebe 2 (one at either end of the ML calling).

Unfortunately I didn’t have the DSLR with me so the best I could manage was some crappy record shots with the compact. Hopefully get some better photos tomorrow.

Spotted-fly, taken last week in better weather!

Also taken in better weather!

Ram!

All quiet at St Abb’s, well apart from the huge seabird colony. Strong north westerly winds have been a feature of the last few days and as a result very little has happened in terms of migration. The odd Whimbrel and good numbers of hirundines have been the only things of note, so I've taken time to catch up with some breeders, mainly waterfowl.

  

Yesterday 12/05/2013

Millars Moss;

Tufted Duck 11m 10f, Greylag 1, Mute Swan, 1f on island nest (male sat in Bell Hill field all week). Scaup m (still around), Coot 3 (1 with mat), Wigeon 1f, Mallard 5m 3f, Oystercatcher pair, no sign of nest yet, Moorhen 2

Mire Loch (counted after MM to get an idea of totals, birds changing between the two)

Tufted Duck 7m 3f, Mute Swan pair with nest, Coot 4, Moorhen 2, Little Grebe 1 (only seen single bird so far). 

Today 13/05/2013

Not much around today the only thing of note being 1 Swift N (first of year) and 4 Wheatear. Also a C Crow with mottled brown and white wings… weird looking thing. Oh and the drake Scaup has switched back to the mire loch after spending yesterday at MM.

With few migrants around here is a picture of a nice ram. These guys are quality, got such a ‘I don’t give a shit, I’m chilled out attitude’. 

Ram!

Do the Hokey Croakey!

After work today I stopped to give the reserve a good once over. It was misty and slightly easterly but failed to produce any real fall so I sat by the loch to photograph the long staying drake Scaup. As I was taking a few pictures a pair of Garganey appeared and drifted out of the mist towards me. They didn’t stay long and soon flew north back into the mist… just time for a photo or two. What a great noise Garganey make, never heard them before until today… very croakey!

As I was photographing the Garganeys a common sand flew north and a mystery bird flew over (pictured below) ideas?. I had the camera in my hand at the time... should have been the bins... could have been the common sand again?

and away...

Plenty of these around

Still here

Mist-ery bird (common sand??)

Nest Building

Photo update

Some pics from the last couple of days...

Female Black Red at the Lighthouse

Dowlaw, Looking North

One for the moth men (and women) out there. Water Carpet

Looking like the wind is turning easterly tomorrow so eyes to the skies everyone.

Lemon tart!

Bit of a semi fall this afternoon here at St Abb’s Head.

Mire Loch/Mire Dean (most birds being around the boathouse and south end of the loch;

Redstart 1f, Wood Warbler 1 at the bottom of the Mire Dean at 7:30pm, Willow Warbler 28, Chiff 9, Blackcap 11 (6 in one tree… must have been fresh in), Whitethroat 1, Sedge Warbler 3, Goldcrest 4 Wheatear 7.

Apologies for some of the out of focus pics but what a bird! Shame it wasn't singing.

  

Lemon on your face!

Nice breeding pair to finish the day

  With a hint of east forecast for tomorrow I’ll definitely be up early.