Wire dump warblers

Warblers at Barns Ness today included this record shot of a Barred Warbler found by Jeremy W in the wire dump. Me - I could only manage a Sedge Warbler though it was very elusive and got the pulse rate quickening for a wee while... Here it is with a Stonechat

Water Pipit at Barns Ness

Just a few poor shots of one of the Barns Ness Water Pipits photographed last Saturday. I think that there were probably two, but could not be sure as I couldn't manage both in view at the same time.

This bird seemed very relaxed for a Water Pipit - it certainly did not disappear over the horizon as soon as it was spotted, which is a trait that often seems to come to the fore with this species.

Stuart

Here are some shots of (possibly the same?) Water Pipit at Barns Ness on 31 March last year... Very poor shots, but some indication of how much the plumage will change in the next few months.

Sunrise over Barns Ness Lighthouse

Headed out to the east coast before dawn arriving just in time to see this fantastic view of the sunrise over Barns Ness Lighthouse.

As I was travelling east along the A1, I had a good view of the cement factory 'windsock'. Sadly the plume was heading rapidly out to sea rather than in the other direction. Of course, an even better sign for grounded migrants is the plume heading westwards and also rendered invisible by low cloud and light rain...

Birdwise, I was pleased to stumble into another (or the same) Short-eared Owl a little bit further NW along the coast from yesterday's sighting. Today's bird rose up from rough grass and then gained height over the sea before drifting inland to allow the mobbing gulls to be replaced by corvids (fuzzy pic below...).

More exciting was a brief sparring encounter with a Peregrine. The latter then buzzed a curlew that was feeding on the shore before reappearing close by for a rapid flypast.

Migrants were few and far apart with a few small skeins of Pink-footed Geese, a total of 6 Lapland Buntings, 3 Redpoll sp., 5 Blackcap and a probable Yellow-browed Warbler which allowed a few silent glimpses as it flitted in the canopy. Fingers crossed that the wind heads east sometime soon...

Winter buntings

Bird of the day on Sunday was a male Snow Bunting that was bombing around Musselburgh first thing in the morning. As soon as I heard the repeated 'teu' flight call I knew it was one of the winter buntings. As soon as I clapped eyes on its pied wings there was little doubt over which species this was.

On its second flypast the Snow Bunting added its second flight call - a 'trilidididid'. This call is quite different from the dry buzzy version of the call given by the Lapland Bunting. I was disappointed not to be able to nail the identification on the first call alone, especially given the ample opportunities for committing both to memory last autumn. Next time I'll be ready though as both of the calls of the Snow Bunting are more musical and pleasing to the ear.

Nov '11: Looking carefully at the above flight pic, it looks as if this individual is of the nivalis subspecies, given the extent of white in the wing.

I have now photographed both species in flight at Musselburgh this winter. Most shots end up looking like these two - as both species have a bounding flight pattern with the wings held in tightly against the body for most of the time. Snow Bunting on the left here and Lapland Bunting on the right.


 Maybe these shots do not show the species off to their best advantage, so here are a few more...

Here are Snow Buntings photographed at Barn's Ness in September and November 2010. This first photo is of the November bird and this appears to be one of the paler rumped Scandinavian subspecies nivalis, which although regular is apparently less common than the Icelandic insulae. Both subspecies breed in Scotland. Nov'11: The second bird is difficult to classify - probably insulae.

Finally, here is a Lapland Bunting photographed on Fair Isle in October. What a great autumn 2010 was for this species across much of Britain. I wonder whether there might be a surge of spring records this year as they move North(-West?). It is quite a few years since I found a male in breeding plumage on my old patch at Nercwys Mountain in North Wales, now that would be something to repeat.

2010: Year of the Auk?

As the year draws to a close, we are preparing for an Edinburgh Hogmanay celebration to see in the New Year. For me, 2010 has been year of the auk with a couple of trips on the Pacific from Monterey and San Francisco more than doubling my tally of auks, as well as seeing the usual suspects off the Scottish coastline. The auk highlights of the year were Tufted Puffin, Cassin's Auklet and Pigeon Guillemot (among others) at the Farallon Islands, California, and a great passage of Little Auks at Barns Ness in early November.

Of course, tonight is the night that birders all over the world will be toasting birds just like these...

Should auld auk-uaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?
Should auld auk-uaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

All the best for 2011.