Monday 1 January 2024

Garden bird log for Longniddry, Lothian

This is a log of the more interesting species seen and heard in, and flying over, a small garden on Douglas Road, Longniddry, Lothian, Scotland (map), since August 2004. The garden is in an estate within 500m of high water - Firth of Forth. Unfortunately there is no proper view out to the sea, or indeed anywhere beyond the neighbouring houses in the estate.

Annotated species list

Detailed records (spreadsheet) - updated 1/1/24

2024

On 16 January, refound the inland Fieldfare roost - having seen birds again flying in at dusk over recent weeks, and peak of 370 S at 14:25hrs on 11 January, followed 50+ and found they continued over Longniddry farm and alighted in tall trees at Southfield, but continued then to the shelterbelt south-west of Hoprig Mains, near Greendykes (map); this location is about two miles inland and has good views of coast, as mentioned here previously the only historical Fieldfare roosts noted in Lothian were at Tailend Moss Mar-93 and Gullane Bents Dec-07 & Jan-18, the latter also being one of their main feeding sites so not a "dedicated" roost (I've since confirmed feeding birds roosted there at dusk on 26/12/22). Birds flying inland from sunset to 15 mins after and seen arriving in roost at 20 mins after sunset. Pic of staging at Southfield.

Scoping from loft through leafless poplar trees to north on New Year's Day, logged 3 Velvet Scoter W as well as around 20 Common Scoter W, and a couple of auk sp., likely Razorbills; Common Scoter is already on garden list from nocmig, while have not included seabirds previously as a "bit of a cheat" but now getting difficult to draw the line, so now added these and subsumed previously seen Gannet and Eider (scanning in April 2020). Don't really have time to be scanning in hope of adding Long-tailed Duck, RBM and Shag, and ID tricky at range, visible water no closer than about a mile.

[Overview of the year 2023

An excellent year with 79 species recorded, equalling 2019, and several additions to the list - pr Grey Partridge flying over the house on 2 March, Cuckoo W over on 30 April, Hobby S over on 17 June (subject to acceptance by LBRC), ad Little Gull on 10 August (part of huge influx), Red Kite thermalling high over on 30 August and a skua sp. W through on 19 October (probably Arctic); new species total will be 119, plus now two not confirmed to species; also first winter record of Woodcock, bombing down Douglas Road on 28 January and several Waxwings in early winter period including 70 low over on 18 November; a juv Whitethroat among sparrows on 4-5 August (32 of latter the previous day) was also a second record; on nocturals, Coot on 19 March, Moorhen on 18 March (90 mins before the Coot), 24 April, 6 & 10 June, not many waders but Ringed Plover(s) calling over early evening 6 September, Whimbrel early evening 24 June and nocturnal Common Sand 18 July; drake Mallard on 20 March, Nuthatch on 2 April and 10 September, and ad Med Gulls flycatching over on 10 August and flying S over on 15 August; Tawny Owl regular in spring but not later in the year; a much better year for Crossbills with several flocks in July but Willow Warbler absent for second year running and very poor numbers of Sandwich Tern, logged on only two dates.

On insects, yet another Hummingbird Hawkmoth, nectaring on honeysuckle on 9 July, with Holly Blue also regular in July; on mammals, a cute juv Wood Mouse playing on patio, and Soprano Pipistrelle confirmed on detector on several dates June to October.

Not wildlife, but nacreous cloud showed up in December. ]

Older records (to end 2022)

3 comments:

  1. Hi
    apologies for getting in touch via blog comments. Thought you could help re BH Gull darvic rings. Ad Esk Mouth 29/8/11 white ring J1J4 and Ad Esk Mouth 30/8//11 black ring P834. Also had 2nd winter Med Gull with white ring but no details - watched for 2 hours with no luck!
    all the best
    Stuart (sgillies126@aol.com)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Stuart, good to hear from you and these seem to be Norwegian (white) and Lithuanian (black) - I'll chase them down.

    Your Med would be 32A4 reported on LBN* at Musselburgh 20 August*, a new one - ringed as a pullus on 24/06/2010 at De Kreupel Island, Ijsselmeer, Noord-Holland, also reported in Wexford on 06/04/2011; in general white is for Netherlands/Belgium/Denmark: http://medgull.free.fr/pages/coordinators.php

    * http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lothianbirdnews/message/16668

    ReplyDelete
  3. J1J4 ringed Frognerpark, Oslo, 1/4/00 - thus a friend of metal-6158812, ringed same place same day and present at Eskside last December (see blog post*). Perhaps the colour ring had dropped off the latter bird? NB - same seen again at Musselburgh this evening (per Ian Andrews).

    * http://sedgewarbler.blogspot.com/2010/12/wknd-11-12-december.html

    ReplyDelete