Scotland

Day 5:  the weather remained persistently grotty, so another sea watch was the only real option for us.
Fife Ness, a place I'd been past before but had never actually stopped at, was the chosen watch point. I was really impressed with it too. For one thing: it has a hide (take note St Cath's) and also most sea birds pass by remarkably close, aided by the right conditions.
Highlights included two sooty shearwaters, couple more roseates and arctic terns, bonxies and arctic skuas, ruff and whimbrel close to the hide, a juv med gull (still fairly scarce this far north), little gulls, and an osprey that caused a stir.

 

 



 

 







Local birding - tree pipits

Shanklin Down to Luccombe down (V.P near the south car park) 06:45 - 08:30

10 Tree pipits over at least (good count for the island. Most were up high and no doubt many more were passing over undetected).
Also the first decent count of spotted fly with six along the fence line.

 

 

Road trip

Day 1: Goole (Yorks & Humber) was my first destination and overnight stop. As Blacktoft sands is close by, and as a buff-breasted sandpiper had been there 'showing well' the day before at least, I duly paid it a visit; but... it had gone.
If I have found out anything about myself during this trip it is that I am probably the worst at twitching.

Day2: Undeterred the following morning I decided to try and twitch another 'local' rare before making the second part of the journey to Scotland: a franklin's gull had been knocking about; but.. ... it had relocated to a field away from the area I'd visited called Scaling dam where it had also been frequenting. Dip 2.
So it goes.

Day 3: First proper day in Scotland with fine and pleasant conditions, me and the bro headed up to somewhere close to Aviemore with a couple of targets in mind: crested tit and parrot/Scottish crossbill. We heard crossbills (probably common though) and saw and heard crested tits - job done really. Also tree pipits heard going over.
The second part of the day was spent in different areas, which understandably I have to be considerately vague about; but the highlight was seeing a soaring golden eagle for about 15mins or so. Plus another one of my favourite raptors was also seen too.

Day 4: The weather had deteriorated somewhat. What else to do but to sea watch. So in the afternoon we did a sea watch from a place called Kinghorn and had nice views of terns, skuas etc.
The highlight was two roseate terns (ad & juv) passing by quite close. Plus many common and a few arctic terns. Puffins, manxies, and arctic skuas also seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Road trip - Scotland 2018

Just got back from having a pleasurable time in Scotland visiting the brother and his wife. Mostly bird-oriented - no surprises there. Also stopped off en-route a few times.

Shanklin down

Tree pipit (1 heard), whinchat and redstart - of note. Other wise quiet. Weather has finally broken a bit.

Mix

 

Hummingbird hawkmoth - St Cath's

 

Newtown

 

Luccombe down

 

 

On Ryde 'sands' this juv gull seemed to tick all the right boxes for a yellow-legged, including the views of it in flight. (Hastily grabbed digiscope shots before it left due to much disturbance from an unleashed dog).