Ferryhills Visible Migration watches continue...

The Tree Pipits continue to pile through (123 Thursday, 99 Friday, 115 Sat and 108 Sunday)but as we get towards the end of August the variety and number of other species has picked up.
Thurs was a good day for variety with a cracking summer Ad Black-throated Diver flying inland (with a Red-throated Diver), the first skuas heading inland (5 Arctic, 2 Bonxie) as well as of course the Tree Pips and over 200 Meadow Pips. The Mipits have really increased now as expected and starting to overtake the TP's with a high August count of 535 through today (Sunday). A second highest site count of 41 Grey Wagtail today as well and steady passage of swallows and sand martins.

Grounded migrants have included a Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Spotted Flycatcher on Sat while today a Spotted Fly was seen in active migration departing high to the SW. The excellent run of Merlin sightings continued with another flying out to Lothian today.

Bonxie heading inland up the Forth

Juv Gannet heading inland 

Clive introduced me to the finer points of Icelandic Meadow Pipit ID-more olive toned upperparts and bold breast markings.

Clive and Laura with Tree Pipit (stout bill with pink base, pure pink legs/feet, fine flank streaks.) top and Meadow Pipit (longer finer bill with yellow base, more orangey feet/legs and coarser flank streaks).