BIRDING LOTHIAN
www.birdinglothian.co.uk
birdinglothian@hotmail.co.uk
Birders in southern Scotland had their eyebrows raised once again by yet another rare wader in Lothian. A juvenile north american peep found at Tyninghame on the 27th was soon identified as Lothian’s first Semipalmated Sandpiper, this being only the second Scottish Mainland record following one in Dumfries & Galloway in 1999. Thankfully the bird did hang around, favouring the inner bay with a large flock of mixed small waders, and continued to show (extremely well at times) into September. This is the fifth species of american wader to have reached Lothian in the last 10 months, made all the more impressive by the absence of both Pectoral & Buff-breasted Sandpipers in this time!
Even without this Lothian first, it was a pretty good month for waders. Dotterel in the Pentlands away from spring passage is out of the ordinary, so 2 adults from the 21st-24th were unexpected. A Wood Sandpiper was at Bavelaw (12th-14th), the only Green Sandpiper was at Musselburgh (4th) and a reasonably quiet Aberlady still managed to produce both Spotted Redshank (12th) & Little Ringed Plover (15th).
Up to 6 Little Stints were seen (inc. 2 at Tyninghame on the 12th), around 10 Curlew Sandpipers in total (with birds
present at Musselburgh pretty much daily from the 20th onwards), a decent showing of Black-tailed Godwits (with the high count being 25+ at Musselburgh on the 10th) and there was an impressive 21 Greenshank at Tyninghame (26th).
2 adult Dotterel on Scald Law (21st-24th) showed really well during their stay!
Picture by Mike Thrower.
This juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper at Tyninghame (from the 27th) was a Lothian first!
Picture by Dave Allan.
In a good month for Little Stints, this bird was one of two at Tyninghame mid month.
Picture by Keith Gillon.
In another really good month for Little Egrets singles were in Belhaven Bay (3rd-8th), near Dunglass (7th), Aberlady Bay (11th), Tyninghame (21st-22nd) and Musselburgh (22nd). This mini influx involved at least 3 different birds, the Belhaven bird was colour ringed as a nestling in Lincolnshire (May 2010).
Seawatching highlights included Balearic Shearwaters past Dunbar (15th) & Barns Ness (17th), Long-tailed Skua’s off Hounds Point (24th) & Musselburgh (29th), Pomarine Skua’s also off Hounds Point including up to 12 (29th) & 3 (31st), Black Terns were off Barns Ness (22nd & 24th) with another inland at Cobbinshaw Loch (23rd). Steady numbers of Arctic & Great Skua were reported along with small numbers of Manx Shearwater, only 3 Sooty Shearwaters were reported which included one off Hounds Point (30th). Red-necked Grebes off Ferny Ness peaked at 34 (23rd) and 2 Great Northern Divers were off Musselburgh (11th).
A sinensis race Cormorant was again at the Esk Mouth in Musselburgh (from 8th) and 2 Roseate Terns stopped off there on the 15th.
Raptors began making their way south and Hobbies were seen over Longniddry (4th) & Penicuik (15th). Ospreys were seen at Cobbinshaw Loch (6th), Aberlady (10th), Hounds Point (20th), Musselburgh (22nd) & over Edinburgh (29th). A Marsh Harrier went over Aberlady (9th) and reports of Red Kite in the Pentlands included one by Scald Law (25th).
The only disappointment during August was the almost entire absence of any early migrant passerines, although a Black Redstart reported from Dunbar Harbour (23rd) was notable.
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