Wednesday 4 June 2014

May 2014: best birding yet!

The first dark morph Montagu's Harrier in Scotland - my best find since moving to Lothian in 1994

Well it looks like May 2014 provided some of my best birding ever - and that's after about 40 years of birding to choose from! Here are some of the highlights... Pictures mainly from inland and upland Lothian and Fair Isle...

Rough-legged Buzzard - found while trying to re-locate the Monties!
Male Quail at Aberlady Bay - another find and my first ever view of the species rather than 'heard only record'
One of the highlights of the Fair Isle - awesome male 'Caspian' Siberian Stonechat
Re-finding the Hermit Thrush very early on its second day
Western Subalpine Warbler - another British tick for me on Fair Isle - took several days and a cat to locate it!
Fast declining even on Fair Isle - the Arctic Skua
Twite - even closer views in the hand for the whole group
Puffins a highlight of the Northern Isles trip for most of the group
A twitch for Avocets at Musselburgh was interrupted by this hunting Peregrine
Black Grouse were splendidly showy this month
A southern Golden Plover is presumably a local breeder
A brood of Red Grouse provided entertainment in the Lammermuirs
Although this Lapwing was far more cute
This Stoat killed a Rabbit right in front of me
Plenty of views of Redpolls - Common Redpolls in the Northern Isles and Lesser Redpolls like this one in Lothian
And, finally, gulls - my best hybrid candidate at Musselburgh - although it could be a pure LBBG (watch this space?)