Last week..

I was doing some VP work at a location I've been to alot in recent months and it's been pretty unremarkable for birds but I had a electric 3/4 of an hr here last week. The highlight had to be a group of 3 very unexpected Honey Buzzard moving along a river valley together. These birds gave the impression they were on the move and slowly drifted away high to the SW. Studies of a breeding population of HB's in Central Scotland have shown that there are frequently several non-breeding birds around an area in addition to breeding pairs. It would seem likely that these were non-breeders starting out on an unhurried southward migration perhaps exploring potential breeding areas on route.

Saturday

The Wilderness is proving to be the Fife site in best condition for waders this autumn and highlights were 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, the long staying male Ruff, 2 Greenshank.

Sunday

Ferryhills Vis Mig

The Tree Pipits got going in spectacular style with a total of 54 over between 0615-0945-a really good early season count, the 6th highest for the site. The calm weather at dawn was probably a big factor in getting them moving, but another reason was Clive McKay was also present ringing the birds and playing a tape to attract them in!
Clive had been hoping to start a ringing project here after the discovery of Ferryhills attraction to Tree Pipits on autumn passage and he obtained landowner permission ready for autumn 2017.
Today on only his second day of ringing at the site he trapped 25 Tree Pipit!  It was fascinating to see this species in the hand and I felt privileged to be able to hold and release some birds too.

Another Visible Migration highlight was a flock of 23 Black-tailed Godwit heading W up the Forth.

A pretty classic looking Tree Pipit-in comparison to Meadow Pipit the rather stout bill and fine flank streaks are good ID pointers.

Almost all the birds trapped were Juveniles,  the rather pale creamy fringing to the Greater Coverts compares with darker brown in Adults, there is also some moult contrast-it's typical for Juveniles to start with replacing the innermost GC.