May Blog

Welcome to May, and what a great month I had in April.

I started with a trip to The River Esk in Musselburgh. I really like Birding there even though most families feed the birds there I can continue walking and watching Seabirds. Last time I was there was looking for a Mandarin Duck but had no luck. There was nothing out of the ordinary there just the usual Gulls, Mallards, Canada Geese & one Graylag Goose. It can be good watching people feed the ducks though don’t approve of them feeding them bread, but managed to get some action shots like this picture.

I left the families feed the birds and continued and watched Canada Geese with a few Mallards it was nice to see that.

It started to get a bit damp so I called it a day but I will be back at The River Esk soon.

One weekend I was looking at the birds in the garden feeding on the feeders and I got some very exciting visitors. First I noticed a few Goldfinches actually feeding out my feeder, normally I see them high above the trees they never ever come to the feeders so I quickly took a picture.

Then suddenly this bird appeared I glanced at it through my telescope and said to myself that looks like a Blackcap and sure enough it was. It did return back to the feeders the next day as well.

The following week I was reading through Twitter and read that a few people had spotted a Ring Necked Duck at Blackford Pond. It is from North America so it was causing quite a stir and a lot of people were going hoping to get a glance, some were successful others were not. I decided to go and have a look and as soon as I got there I kid you not I spotted it straight away. It was with Tufted Ducks and while I was looking at it a lady came over with binoculars and asked me have I seen it? I said yes and pointed it out to her, she looked at it for a few minutes and walked away, I stayed a little longer watching it until it went out of sight it was a very successful Twitch.

I do have exciting news my Great Tit has returned to the camera nestbox. After the weekend I saw The Ring Necked Duck, on the Monday morning I thought I checked the camera nestbox on the tv and hoping she will be back and bingo there she was busy preparing her nest, I’m so excited she had returned. She’s bit late coming this year but I think it is due to a lot of bad weather we’ve been having, I will tell you more on her updates in the next blog but she’s at the moment laid 6 eggs.

Yesterday I went Birding at Figgate Park it was a glorious day while I was watching Black Backed Gulls, Mallards, Goosesnders, Moorhens & Coots I saw my first Swallow of the year so I can say Spring is finally here, once I see my first Swallow of the year that to me is the start of Spring I hope you get to see them.