Sunday, 17 November 2013

So far in November...
Most of my birding has been vantage point surveys in the Borders. November is often a good month for vis mig but it seems to have been pretty quiet in this respect. No doubt the frequent very strong winds and squally showers haven't helped. A brief respite from the wind and rain on the 8th while I was in the Borders saw 18 Brambling including a flock of 14 go through soon after dawn along with other odds and ends including a few Redwing.
Down at Carlingnose Pt on the Forth on Sunday 9th was a bit of a let down. A cracking calm crisp morning but not much moving. Back in the Borders 13th and 14th, 28 Blackbird feeding in a field with 100 Fieldfare, the Blackbirds had presumably come from the same part of the world as the Fieldfare. Also 2 Juv Peregrine sparring and a Merlin provided further entertainment.
Sunday 17th, a replay of the weather the previous one, calm crisp and clear. A cracking morning to be out and Carlingnose Pt had more vis mig than expected for so late in the season. The highlight was easily a loose flock of 360 Kittiwake. They spent a long time milling around, some landing on the water before they all spiralled up high and went inland over the Forth Bridges. Nothing else in amazing numbers but a few flocks of Pinkies, 97 RTD including 66 high inland. A very light trickle of finches and even some apparent Woodpig movement, not something you see much of here.
Later I checked fields near Rossie Bog for geese, 370 Pinkie in stubble along the Dunshalt road, but nothing with them.


Magic sight; migrant Kittiwakes making their way inland on a short cut to the west coast of Scotland. It was so calm I could even hear them calling. You have also got to wonder where they will end up. When me and the missus did the transatlantic cruise last winter we had them riding out severe gales in Biscay and between Portugal and the Azores.

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