BIRDING LOTHIAN
www.birdinglothian.co.uk
birdinglothian@hotmail.co.uk
The highlight for many in a very reasonable month was 2 Shore Larks in the Skateraw / Torness area which, despite being elusive at times, showed really well to most from the 17th - 28th at least. Bird of the month though, considering recent records, was a very brief Corn Bunting at Barns Ness on the 6th… resident birds of this species are now thought to be extinct in the county and this individual migrant is the first record in seven years.
One of two Shore Larks at Skateraw that proved popular, the pair where still present into April.
Picture by Jim Wood.
Best of the rest during March included a Black-necked Grebe around Skateraw from the 3rd which offered some cracking views in the harbour, Black Redstarts in Dunbar (2) on the 26th - 27th and Torness (1) on the 27th, the wintering Green Sandpiper at Tyninghame was
reported again on the 3rd, and the Brent Goose flock around Torness which again peaked at 27 on the 8th before departing. In a good month for Snow Buntings high counts came from Belhaven Bay with 32 on the 7th and Barns Ness with 10 on the 22nd - 23rd, there was also a good showing of Mediterranean Gulls with up to 10 birds reported including an impressive 5 together at Eastfield (Edinburgh) on the 26th. A drake Mandarin Duck on the River Tyne in Haddington entertained birdwatchers and photographers in particular by showing extremely well in the second half of the month, up to 3 birds may have been present here and as always their origin is questionable.
An estimated total of 76 Waxwings wasn’t bad considering the poor winter for this species, this included the larger flocks in Edinburgh with 14 in Granton on the 3rd, 21 near Slateford Road on the 9th and 15 in The Meadows on the 31st.
The Firecrest in Gosford Estate (found in January) remained elusive and was last reported on the 18th, the female Smew continued to winter on Linlithgow Loch throughout, and up to 3 Water Pipits were still on show with at least 2 at Barns Ness and a single bird at Skateraw during the month.
Early migrants and first arrivals started with a Sand Martin in Livingston on the 16th (just one day later
than the earliest Lothian record), a Northern Wheatear at Skateraw on the 20th, a Swallow at Musselburgh on the 23rd, Sandwich Tern off Skateraw on the 25th and 2 Ospreys on the 26th with birds over Musselburgh & Dunbar. With Chiffchaff and Blackcap now wintering in the county it is difficult to determine which are migrants, although a definite increase in birds towards the end of the month suggested many Chiffchaffs at least were new in.
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