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Regional review for SCOTLAND

This is the regional review for SCOTLAND, covering the period 1st-4th March 2008 – regional reviews for all areas of Britain can be found at the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert email group (subscription membership only). Information for this review was mainly supplied by BIRDLINE SCOTLAND (09068 700234 *To phone in news, 01292 611994), RARE BIRD ALERT (www.rarebirdalert.com) and BIRDGUIDES (www.birdguides.com).

Wintering WHITE-BILLED DIVERS include a single adult off Port Skigersta, at the extreme NW end of Lewis (Outer Hebrides), and 3 in South Nesting Bay (Shetland), whilst small numbers of RED-NECKED GREBE remain offshore in the Firth of Forth, best observed during calm conditions off Longniddry (Lothian). A Black-necked Grebe was seen off Aberlady Bay (Lothian) on 2nd.

The only ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD in Scotland this winter is the well-watched juvenile at Queenamidda (Orkney) whilst WHITE-TAILED SEA and GOLDEN EAGLES are still showing well in Lochmaddy Harbour and elsewhere on North Uist (Outer Hebrides) and in Gruinard Bay (Highland).

The first-winter SPOTTED SANDPIPER remains on the River Avon, adjacent to the Kinneil Lagoon (Forth), favouring the section between the sewage farm and the pipebridge downstream. It is best to park by the sewage works at the end of the approach track from the A904. In Angus, the long-staying first-winter LESSER YELLOWLEGS continues at the Rossie Spit, Montrose Basin LNR (view from near the railway viaduct), the lone vagrant PIED AVOCET also still here. The wintering WHIMBREL remains on Burray (Orkney), favouring the beach just east of the hotel.

Just 3 COMMON CRANES remain in Moray & Nairn (of 11), two adults and a juvenile in ploughed fields between Pitgaveny House and Gordonstown at cNJ 242 648 (moving to near Loch Spynie on 4th),.

In terms of wildfowl, the blue morph adult SNOW GOOSE was in roadside fields at Falside Farm, Anstruther (Fife) on 1st-2nd, a scattering of PALE-BELLIED BRENT GEESE include 8 at Carnoustie (Angus), two off Montrose Pier (Angus) and 7 off Maidens Beach (Ayrshire), 2 GREENLAND WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at Lochlea Farm Pool (Ayrshire) (NS 457 303) and two flocks still in Galloway, a drake LESSER SCAUP reported at Loch Magillie, Stranraer (Galloway), adult drake SURF SCOTERS include singles off Dornoch (Sutherland), Ruddon’s Point, Lower Largo (Fife) and off Lower Largo town (Fife) and a drake NORTH AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL remains on Loch of Tingwall (Shetland).. A pair of SMEW continues at Vane Farm RSPB (Perthshire), with single redheads at Scatness Pool (Shetland), Carlingwark Loch (Dumfries) and Linlithgow Loch (Lothian) and a drake at South Calder Water mouth (Clyde) and at Loch na Bo (Moray), whilst LONG-TAILED DUCKS remain on freshwater at Castle Loch NR (Galloway). At least 132 Greater Scaup were counted on the pond at Auchenharvie Golf Course (Ayrshire) on 2nd March (at NS 258 414) whilst a drake GARGANEY was an exceptional find at Loch Fada, Benbecula (Outer Hebrides) on 4th.

A RED-NECKED GREBE was an unusual occurrence off The Wig, off the west shore of Loch Ryan (Galloway) on 1st (Pete Berry), this same area harbouring up to 15 Slavonian Grebes, 2 Long-tailed Ducks, 4 Great Northern Divers and a wintering flock of 11 Pale-bellied Brent Geese. An adult Mediterranean Gull has been frequenting Soleburm Bridge, with a 2nd-winter Iceland Gull reported behind the cafe in St Agnew Park and an immature Kumlien’s-type gull at Bishop Burn, Stranraer. Some 675 Greater Scaup remain just north of Stranraer.

An adult RING-BILLED GULL has been showing very well on the west side of Strathclyde Loch (Clyde) (Keith Hoey et al), favouring the area by the car park in the SW corner, whilst regular ICELAND GULLS include the adult in Ayr town centre (Ayrshire), a 2nd-winter on Aviemore Tip (Speyside). up to 8 juveniles in Mallaig Harbour (Argyll), several in Fraserburgh Harbour (Aberdeenshire), up to 10 in Carness Bay (Orkney) and up to 5 juveniles in Stornoway Harbour, Lewis (Outer Hebrides). It has been a good year for juvenile GLAUCOUS GULLS, with two on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) and singles at Fraserburgh, Forfar Loch (Angus) and a host of other sites, whilst a 2nd-winter KUMLIEN’S GULL was identified in Fraserburgh Harbour on 2nd (Chris Gibbins).

The ringed Siberian Lesser Whitethroat (blythii) continues to visit garden feeders in Irvine (Ayrshire) whilst a wintering BLACK REDSTART remains at nearby Seamill (Ayrshire), favouring the rocky foreshore south of the burn adjacent to the Hydro. A female BLACK REDSTART is also showing well on the beach between Ardencaple Hotel and Ardencaple burn mouth (NS 278 832) near Hemensburgh (Clyde), with another seen at Dunbar (Lothian) on 3rd. A WATER PIPIT at Dunglass Burn river mouth (Borders) is one of a tiny few wintering in Scotland this year, whilst BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS still lingering in Scotland include 20 on Springfield Road, Aberdeen and 3 in Motherwell (Clyde).

Lee G R Evans
British Birding Association
UK400 Club, Rare Birds Magazine, Ornithological Consultant and Conservationist

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