Local Birding

Part of the 150 strong Goldeneye flock at Strathclyde Park at present:

Musselburgh & Aberlady

After all the recent wind & rain, today was finally reasonable for some birding.

The light was awful at Musselburgh when I arrived but it was entirely windless & this was favourable for scanning the sea. There was the expected scatterings of Velvet Scoter, Long Tailed Duck and Slav Grebes however, a Black Throated Diver was excellent particularly since I failed to see any at all in 2013.

At the River Esk Mouth waders included Knot, Grey Plover & Bar Tailed Godwit.

Aberlady was much brighter and although there was no sign of the Queen Eider there was Common Scoter and 3 Red Throated Divers. The sea buckthorn was full of Fieldfare and I got lucky with a female Blackcap.

Sunset over Aberlady

Finished 2013 on 233 BOU

Patricia, me & the girls spent Hogmanay at my cousin's caravan near Stranraer & this finally allowed me to hear Tawny Owl and finish on 233 bird species for the year. This total represents my best return for quite some years.

I was out  first thing on the 1st of January and among some common birds I saw Brambling & Jay. On the way home on the 2nd had a quick stop in at the Bishopburn and picked up Scaup. 

Possible Tundra Bean Goose

A walk round Strathclyde Loch with Patricia this morning produced a possible Tundra Bean Goose of unknown origin with Greylags at the north end of the loch.

Female Long Tailed Duck & young male Scaup at the mouth of the River Calder yesterday.

Strathclyde Park

Have had a couple of trips to the park over the last few days. Notable birds have included a young male Scaup, a female Scaup, 1 Kingfisher, 70+ Lapwing and a single Redshank.

No White Wingers Yet

An Arctic blast is predicted for later on this week so we might get a Glaucous or an Iceland soon but there were none today at a sunny Hogganfield.

Black Headed Gull

Gadwall

Goosander

Year Ticking

I managed to fill 2 gaping holes in my year list today.

At Turnberry, I finally caught up with Purple Sandpiper and at Rouken Glen I had great views of a Dipper. The only remaining 'gimme' now is Tawny Owl. Must hear one soon !