flurry of migrants

At last a flurry of migrants.

I was demolishing the last of my breakfast kipper when Dave Elliott tweeted to say he was watching was avocet and ruff on the Budge fields. My morning cuppa was soon glugged and I soon joined Dave at the Budge screen, watching both birds.

Pied wagtail

Ruff, once a prospecting breeder at Druridge, is now scarce on passage, I dipped them for the last two years. Avocet is another great patch bird, the morning had gotten off to a good start. A pair of pintail were also on the Budge fields, but no garganey yet. A drake red-breasted merganser was on the big pool and the female common scoter is still hanging around.

drake wigeon on the big pool

Walking through the bushes, a redwing lifted and move along in front of me. Redwings at this time of year are in 'breeding nick' and look very smart. An unusual spring record.

A trudge around the northern dunes produced nothing, it was very windy, but a scan along the beach finally added sand martin to the year-list. Alan Gilbertson had let me know about a dead white-beaked dolphin on the beach near the Dunbar Burn, so I went for a look.

the dead white-beaked dolphin looked quite odd as a silhouette on the beach

close-up of the deceased dolphin. It looked quite small, so I guess it wasn't an adult?

A heavy rain shower made its way up the bay from the south, so I scarpered back to the car, but not before I clocked two swallows dropped down by the impending rain. A quick check of the plantation on the way home turned up nothing.

A photo of one of last week's black redstarts in the gloom

97 avocet
98 ruff
99 redwing
100 sand martin
101 swallow

PWC score 125