Given how well my year-list is going this year, thanks in part to being able to get around with Jacqui, Susan and Paul, it is getting trickier to add new species. This Wednesday would have been a day out with Paul but he was otherwise indisposed, so having looked at what was 'available' to try for, I decided that there really was no other option than Musselburgh. The 2 birds I was hoping to be able to see were a Pectoral Sandpiper at the Scrapes, and a Red Necked Grebe offshore. If I was successful, I would pass my previous best year total. Incentive enough. However, a dental appointment would mean a later start than ideal but once again, nothing ventured, nothing gained....
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| Cormorant |
I headed out at 0825 to walk to the dentists. Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon and Herring Gull started the list and a surprise Grey Heron flew over Dens Road at the foot of Arklay Street. A small flock of around 7 or 8 Meadow Pipits passed over Victoria Road. I had also heard at least 1 Grey Wagtail earlier but failed to spot it. After my appointment I headed to the railway station to catch the 0935 train. Sightings from the train were rather limited with only Lesser Black Backed Gull, Buzzard, Cormorant, Grey Seal and Roe Deer spoted from the train.
I caught the bus out to Musselburgh and arrived at 1135. I walked down the side of the Esk noting Black Headed Gulls, Mute Swans, Mallards, Jackdaws and Black Headed Gulls. A few Swallows swept over the water. The sun was shining and the Forth was rather calm. House Sparrows, Linnet and Pied Wagtail were added while Wigeon and Oystercatcher roosted among the gulls onshore. There were a few large flocks of gulls out on the river including Kittiwakes, Common Gulls and Great Black Backed Gulls as well as the species seen earlier. A few Gannets milled around as well.
A small flock of Goldfinches dropped into the trees and a few Woodpigeons clattered noisily away as I passed. Goosander and Eider were hauled out along the water's edge and a Painted Lady butterfly flitted along beside me for a short stretch. Sandwich Terns called loudly and a few Guillemot parent and youngsters kept in contact by calling constantly. A Magpie flew on ahead of me and a surprise Common Blue butterfly was spotted as I neared the track off to the scrapes. A pair of Curlew flew over together as I headed towards a few birders scoping the river. I spotted a very distant Red Throated Diver flying off beyond a large flock of Velvet Scoters. A few young Starlings posed on the wall and as I reached the birders another distant pair of Red Throated Divers were seen flying off.
I had a quick chat to the birders who were looking for the Red Necked Grebe but who had had no luck and was pleased to hear that the Pectoral Sandpiper was still around. I wandered in along the track, adding Blackbird and Coal Tit as I headed up to the first screen. Redshanks, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwits and a few hundred Oystercatchers were on the scrapes. Thee were a few Teal around as well. A quick chat with the birders present confirmed that my target bird was tucked out of sight from the ground level. However by balancing on the ledge and peering over the top it was possible to see the
Pectoral Sandpiper though heat haze made photographing it was rather difficult. Still my first target bird was on the list.
I decided to check the other scrapes just in case there was anything hidden among the Oystercatchers. I did get sistracted by a few Speckled Wood butterflies, my first of the year and a species I thought I'd missed out on this summer. A Kestrel flew along the back of the scrapes. Greylag Geese and Shelduck were noted but there was little else. I headed back for another look from the first screen and had a short chat to Andy Stirrat, who I follow on Twitter before I headed back to the seawall. I bumped into the birder I'd spoken to earlier who had been looking for the Red Necked Grebe who told me he had managed to see it, as well as a Slavonian Grebe still in summer plumage.
There were plenty of birds on the river, though the water was slightly less calm than it had been earlier. Among the Velvet Scoters I found a few Razorbills. A Turnstone flew low along the seawall. I had asked Ptolemy McKinnon on Twitter where he had seen the Grebe on Tuesday and using his information as a guide I decided I should probably walk a bit further to the east. I stopped and scanned at various points before picking up the Slavonian Grebe with a pair of Velvet Scoters. A Large White butterfly flitted around nearby. Having reached the 'corner' of the seawall I scanned again and picked out a promising looking bird near a group of Eider. A flap of the wings showed an area of white. I suspected I had my
Red Necked Grebe and once I managed to find the right bird with the camera, I confirmed it with a few photos.
Mission accomplished with both birds successfully twitched and a new record year-list total for myself and almost another 4 months worth of birding time ahead. I decided to head back for another look at the Pectoral Sandpiper in the hope the bird was now showing better. It had also clouded over a bit, which would hopefully mean less heat shimmer. This proved to be the case and the bird did come a bit closer. At one point something unseen spooked the waders though the Pectoral Sandpiper crouched down until whatever it was had passed. A pair of Ruff were also on the same scrape, both noticeably larger birds. As it was now almost 1500 I decided to head for the bus back to Edinburgh as there was a slim chance of catching the 1600 train home. I cut along the edge of the racecouse, adding a few more Speckled Wood butterflies and a party of Magpies. Near the river mouth I looked up to see a Sparrowhawk flying over. I caught a bus back and a short run to the station meant I caught the 1600 train with about 20 seconds to spare. The only addition on the way back to Dundee was Rook, near St Michaels.
Only 51 species seen but the record equalling and record breaking year-ticks (in bold) rendered that particular number of little real interest. So glad that I decided to make the journey to Musselburgh and put in the effort required to get both birds. As things panned out, both Paul and Susan missed out on the birds on Thursday. The weather was also unseasonably hot and coupled with the low wind speed it was a very comfortable afternoon's birding. I also saw 4 species of butterfly including my 17th species of the year (Speckled Wood) and 2 mammals.
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| Mixed gull flock |
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| Lesser Black Backed Gull |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Starling |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Curlew |
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| Velvet Scoter |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Oystercatcher, Redshank & Dunlin |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Velvet Scoter & Herring Gull |
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| Velvet Scoter & Herring Gull |
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| Velvet Scoter |
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| Linnet |
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| Red Necked Grebe & Eider |
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| Red Necked Grebe & Eider |
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| Ruff |
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| Pectoral Sandpiper & Ruff |
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| Pectoral Sandpiper |
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| Pectoral Sandpiper & Pied Wagtail |
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| Pectoral Sandpiper |
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| Pectoral Sandpiper |
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| Pectoral Sandpiper |
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Pectoral Sandpiper
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Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher,
Pectoral Sandpiper, Pied Wagtail, Razorbill,
Red Necked Grebe, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Ruff, Sandwich Tern, Shelduck, Slavonian Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Teal, Turnstone, Velvet Scoter, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.
Butterflies seen - Common Blue, Large White, Painted Lady, Speckled Wood.
Mammals seen - Grey Seal, Roe Deer.
