Gull Billed Tern at Kinneil Lagoon

Images from today at Kinneil:

Damn!!!!

Went to East Lothian more in hope than expectation of seeing yesterday's Gull Billed Tern at Belhaven Bay. Given it had flown off east at 18:00 the previous evening I wasn't too keen on the chances of connecting.

With negative news from the pager service first thing I checked out Tyninghame collecting both Little Stint & Curlew Sand for the year.

At Torness I had a nice Yellow Wagtail,Spot Fly and 3 Peregrines. I spent about 90 mins at Belhaven & with no sign and no real prospect, I felt, of it reappearing I left for home at about 1:45. It turned up again about 3pm. Bugger!

Shelduck where the Tern had been the previous day :(

North West Highlands

Its been 4 years since I did Handa & I had forgotten just how far it is from Glasgow. Some 290 miles nearly at the top of Scotland.

Anyway the weather was set to be glorious and even at 8:30 am in Ullapool on the first morning it was very pleasant. The long staying juvenile Glaucous Gull however, was no where to be seen about the harbour.

Forty miles further on I arrived at the boat for Handa.

Boat to Handa

I spent about 5 hours on the island. Seabirds are the main attraction including Puffins, Arctic Terns and both Arctic Skua & Bonxie.

Glorious Weather....

.... and views

Fulmar

Oystercatcher & Sea Pink

Arctic Skua

Bonxie

Raven

Camped overnight at Scourie serenaded by the calls of Cuckoo, Song Thrush, Common Sand & drumming Snipe.

Scourie

Next morning I called back in at Ullapool & got the Glaucous Gull. At Loch Gruiniard I had 1 Great Northern Diver, 3 Red Throated Diver but despite 2 hours consistent watching no Sea Eagles.

Fuerteventura 17th to 24th May 2016

Staying in the Corralejo Beach Hotel on a B&B basis. Flights Ryanair from Prestwick.

1. Houbara Bustard - 1 Tindaya
2. Fuerteventura Chat - 1 Betancuria
3. White Stork - 50 Parque Nacional
4. Egyptian Vulture - 1 Betancuria
5. Kentish Plover - 4 El Cotillo
6. Berthelot's Pipit
7. Canary Island Swift
8. Spectacled Warbler
9. Sardinian Warbler
10. Cory's Shearwater
11. Hoopoe
12. Southern Grey Shrike
13. Ruddy Shelduck
14. Raven
15. Whimbrel
16. Sanderling
17. Turnstone
18. Little Egret
19. Kestrel
20. Linnet
21. Spanish Sparrow
22. Swallow

Corralejo

Corralejo

Betancuria

Ajuy

Ajuy

Corralejo

Parque Nacional

Parque Nacional

Parque Nacional

Antigua

Antigua

Antigua

Antigua

Inversnaid

A reasonably bright & warm day with little wind. I started off at the upland section with the main aim of Black Grouse. Despite frequent & detailed scanning of the surrounding hillside I could not locate any.

I heard several Cuckoos but again I failed to see them. Other notables were drumming Snipe, Wheatear, Twite & Hooded Crow.

Down by the loch side I faired a bit better. Several Wood Warblers were singing & after a bit of patience I got on several Pied Flycatcher.

Good views of Redstart & Tree Pipit were had as well as a singing Garden Warbler. Down on the shores of Loch Lomond I had Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper & a  Dipper feeding close to the shore. A male RB Merganser was also seen close in to the bank.

View across Loch Lomond

Milarrochy Bay - Balmaha

After a very wet start to the bank holiday Monday, it brightened enough to get out past Drymen in the hope of some oak woodland specialists.

Despite the frequent squally showers & breezy conditions I was soon hearing Wood Warblers, Redstarts & Tree Pipits. With some perseverance I also got some good views.

Redstart

Wood Warbler

Leighton Moss

Saturday looked by far the best day of the long weekend & I was at Killington Lake services for 7am for my McDonalds style breakfast. My arrival coincided with a coach load of kids, so it took a bit longer than I envisaged.

By 7:30 I was at Leighton Moss. With high tide at Morecambe Bay not until mid afternoon I started off down towards the Public Hide that had been replaced since my last visit. It was cold for late April & this probably suppressed bird song but nonetheless I could still hear Reed, Sedge, Cettis & Willow Warblers.

Pochard from the Public Hide

Disappointingly there was no sight or sound of either Bittern or Bearded Tit but Water Rail was calling. Even this early several Marsh Harriers were quartering the reserve.

Around the Centre the feeders encouraged Nuthatch, Marsh Tit & Bullfinch as well as tame Pheasants.

Great Opportunities for a close up

The Grizedale hide had c20 Black Tailed Godwit & 5 Ruff as well as Lapwing.

With Marsh Marigolds

I drove round at Warton Crag where I had both Raven & Peregine & after coffee to the Allen Pools.

Wader wise there were hundreds of Black Tailed Godwit, along with a main supporting cast of Avocets & a single Spotted Redshank. I got on 2 summer plumage adult Med Gulls for good measure.

I also got a snatch of Lesser Whitethroat in the scrub surrounding the pools.

Finished back at the Public Hide.

Black Headed Gull a feature at Leighton Moss in the summer