Ferryhills Update

I've been been able to get to the patch a fair bit lately with a combination of working from home and the start of some annual leave.

Wen Aug 30th was a really nice watch for variety, best bird was a first winter Little Gull heading inland with a flock of Sandwich Tern while a flock of 17 Black-tailed Godwit heading W up the Fort also contained a single Knot. Also 2 each of Arctic Skua, Bonxie heading inland, 454 Mipit and (only!) 23 Tree Pipit over. Grounded migrants also chipped in with single Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher.

Meadow Pipit passage was impressive Friday Sept 1st and Sat 2nd with a peak of 906 on Sat and Tree Pipits were excellent considering it is late in the season for them up here-64 Friday and 77 Sat.

Sunday 3rd saw a switch to E winds which isn't so good for passerine visible migration although 19 Grey Wagtail went through. It's a good direction for wildfowl, wader and seabird movement and dabbling duck were prominent including a flock of 16 Pintail W up the Forth.
The most unusual bird on Sunday was a Ross's Goose flying NE with a flock of Greylag. Obviously of dodgy origin but not something I'm likely to see from the patch every day! It was also not totally unexpected as a bird has been hanging around in Fife recently (and presumably the same one seen earlier in the spring in Lothian).

Full Visible Migration Totals are here

http://www.trektellen.nl/count/view/1563/20170903

Small numbers of Great Skua have been migrating overland the last few days.

Spot the Lesser Whitethroat 

Nice comparison of Tree Pipit (left) and Meadow Pipit (Right)

Comparison of British Meadow Pipit (Left) and Icelandic (Right); the olive tones of the Icelandic bird are prominent on this individual.

FH is a good site for passage Spotted Flycatcher

Of distinctly suspect origin but a surprise none the less; Ross's Goose flying along the Forth with Greylag!