Some More Quality Birding!

Following on from our trip to Pitlochry and Loch of Kinnordy on the 9th, we joined the RSPB Glasgow Group outing to Ardmore Point on the 11th, thanks to Judith and Mike.

I saw around 30 species prior to the rain, including Red-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe, although others saw a few more as they ventured out after lunch in a downpour!

Ardmore Point - 11 November 2015

 

On the Friday we travelled through to Joppa and Musselburgh, this time with Stephen, and had a superb day. We started with Surf Scoter from Joppa (west of the River Esk mouth) as well as a host of other wildfowl and waders. Moving on to Musselburgh we were entertained by at least 5 Short-eared Owls ................

 

 

 

 ..............and were also pleased to find 3 Snow Buntings .............

 

 

 ............ around the ash lagoons.  Off the sea wall we got great views of Long-tailed Duck, Slavonian Grebe and Velvet Scoters ...

 

Velvet Scoters

Whilst views of a solitary Whooper Swan was a nice way to finish the day ....

 

 

Stephen was up for more birding so the next day it was back to Musselburgh where a White-rumped Sandpiper had been found approximately 30 minutes after we left on the Friday!!! When we arrived it was showing reasonably well and I managed a record shot ..

 

 

Having watched it for c40 minutes we decided to move on and from reading other reports it looks as if it might have been taken by a Sparrowhawk shortly after we left.

 

We reached Torness and tried to find one of the Black Redstarts that I had seen last week but sadly there was no sign of them. However, there was a nice range of waders present including these Golden Plovers ..

 

 

 ... as well as good numbers of Ringed Plover and Sanderling. We saw the 'local' Peregrine and were surprised to see a juvenile Gannet offshore before it was time to head back into the forecast rain; but even that couldn't dampen our spirits after a brilliant weeks birding!