So what’s been kicking off at St Abb’s Head…
Time to break it down…
Birds
Since my last post a Spoonbill flew past north on the 11/06
(a first for the reserve). Other recent highlights have been a drake Mandarin
at Millar’s Moss on the 16/06 and a female on the 23/06. A Cuckoo was also
briefly seen on the 22/06 at Northfield.
 |
| Buzzard with food |
The breeders have also been keeping busy. Most of the
seabirds now have young and guillemots will be jumping soon. Meadow pipits, Rock pipits, Carrion crow,
Rook, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow warbler, Sedge warbler, Blue tits and
Great tits are all fledging and Coots and Mallards have plenty of young on the
Mire Loch and at Millar’s Moss.
2 pairs of Little grebe have been spotted acting
very territorial on the Mire Loch so hopes for some little, little grebes soon.
Reed warbler has also been singing in the reedbed for a while now… breeding?
 |
| Rock pipit first bath! |
 |
| Time for a rest |
Lepidoptera
Plenty of NB Argus around as well as Small Copper, Wall
Brown and the first Common Blues have begun to emerge.
 |
| NB Argus |
 |
| Small Heath (at John Muir Country Park) |
Things have also slightly improved on the moth front with
Marbled Coronet, Scalloped Hazel, Common and Map-winged Swift, Silver Ground
Carpet and Brimstone all being recent additions. The trap is out again tonight,
although with a monster of a moon it might not be much of a catch.
 |
| Map-winged Swift |
Cetaceans
No further sightings
of Dolphins but rumours of a Whale spotted off the head are filtering in. A Harbour
Porpoise on the 18/06 went south.
Odonata
Hordes of Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies around the
dam end of the Mire Loch today, but still awaiting the first dragons.
 |
| Common Blue Damselfly |
 |
| Blue-tailed Damselfly |
