Ferry Hills Update
The great autumn continues..


YBW still present Oct 14th.

The 2 Yellow-browed warbler first picked up on 13th were still around, as was a Ring Ouzel. A Merlin flew through carrying prey and went south across the Forth, presumably keeping a snack for the journey!

Yet more Hawfinch..

Singles over on 16th and 18th to bring the autumn total to 6. The 18th also a decent movement of Redwing (490) and an obvious arrival of Blackbird and Song Thrush.

Spoonbill October 17th.

A first winter bird picked up flying ESE over the bridges, only the second site record. Also 2 Taiga Bean Geese flew west, this species is scarce but now annual in small numbers here.

Oct 19th -dipped 5 Common Crane

You can't win them all, it had already been an interesting morning with a strong NE wind pushing large numbers of Kttiwake up the Forth (1,000 were lingering over the Forth and another 350 went inland) There were 4 Little Gull amongst the Kitts and 8 Twite flew over.

But then I had to leave before John Nadin, seawatching from nearby at St Davids Harbour, had five Common Crane heading west over the bridges,they would have been a lot to closer to Ferry Hills. But well done John and another great record for the area.

Oct 20th

A good mix with the highlights-

1371 Pink-footed Geese
23 Goldeneye
25 Red-throated Diver
1 Sparrowhawk (way out over the Forth heading south)
3 Brambling
16 Lesser Redpoll

Also the unusual sight of 31 Magpie in small groups flying to the end of the headland, presumably some kind of movement

Oct 26th -27th
Northern Bullfinch

Mirroring events in autumn 2017, an influx of Bullfinch (At least 20 birds present in total) included 8 stunning Northern Bullfinch (2 male, 6 female). As in 2017 these birds were feeding on Whitebeam Berries in the gully west of the covered reservoir.

As well as being large and bulky this stunning male ticks all the boxes plumage wise; pure grey mantle, pale rosy pink underparts and a classic 'saw tooth' pattern on the upper edge of the wing bar

The second male had a narrower wing bar but another bulky beast with pale plumage 

The females were large and pale, the pale greyish mantle, almost uniform in paleness with the underparts is a good feature for females.