Red-breasted Flycatcher, Half Moon Slack, Holy Island
An early start today, last crossing time was 9am and I was on there for 8am. The bonus was that only a dozen vehicles made it over before the tide came in but that included a bus load of Singaporean tourists ;-). All of them queued up outside the only public loo on the island.
Lots of waders by the Causeway including Greenshank, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plovers and Dunlin. A few Little Egrets were there also.
I was headed along the Straight Lonnen but had a look on the freshwater pools in the Rocket Field. Lots of waders including the surprise of the day in the form of a juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper. A Little Stint close by made a fine accompaniment. The only other birds I saw for the next two hours were Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Snipe, Chiffchaff and Robin.
At high tide about a thousand Brent Geese, both Light- and Dark-bellied, were present along the causeway.
Greenshank, Holy Island
Little Egret, Holy Island
Curlew, Holy Island
Light-bellied Brent Geese, Holy Island
Lindisfarne from the Causeway
Swallows, Holy Island
After lunch I made the trek to Half Moon Slack and The Snook on the West side of island. Hidden amongst the dunes these places are true oases for migrants. I was fortunate enough to see the long staying Red-breasted Flycatcher at Half Moon Slack. This was followed up with a Yellow-browed Warbler in the Vicars Garden and a fly past Lapland Bunting.
Red-breasted Flycatcher, Half Moon Slack, Holy Island
I finally came off the island at 2pm and stopped off at Budle Bay where another vast array of ducks and waders were present including at least 1 Spotted Redshank. At Stag Rocks I watched various Auks alongside hundreds of Gannets in one mad feeding frenzy. Knot and 8 Black-tailed Godwits added to the wader list. Last stop was the banks of the river Coquet between Warkworth and Amble where there were even more waders and duck of different varieties. Bird of the hour was a female Peregrine. She took out a Wigeon and ate it on the saltmarsh. Not for the squeamish.
Other wildlife today included a whale sp. off Holy Island, possibly Minke but I'm no expert on whales. Migrant insects included Silver Y and Painted Lady. I also had my first Orange Orb Spider. She was a big girl!
Eider, female, R. Coquet. Sitting on a weir.
Some of the luckier Wigeon at Amble Braid
Hmm! off to Scotland tomorrow...where to go? where to go? Oh, never been to Anstruther. I'll pop in and see what's about.
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