| The month got off to a promising start with the first spring migrants arriving along the coast. At Skateraw, a couple of female Black Redstarts were feeding on the clouds of flies that were swarming over the decaying seaweed. |
|
|
|
|
|
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) - Skateraw, Lothian
|
| The few remaining Scandinavian Rock Pipits that had not yet departed for their breeding grounds were almost in full summer plumage, and some birds were starting to atain a faint pink wash to their throat and upper breasts. |
|
|
|
Scandinavian Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus littoralis) - Skateraw, Lothian
|
| Numerous Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits were also taking advantage of the abundant food supply... |
|
|
|
Male (above) & female (below) Pied Wagtails (Motacilla alba yarrellii) - Skateraw, Lothian
|
|
|
|
|
|
Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) - Skateraw, Lothian
|
|
|
|
Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) - Barns Ness, Lothian
|
| The Meadow Pipit below was behaving quite oddly. It held this pose for about 10seconds without moving or making a sound. It almost looks like it was gaping to cool itself down...but since it was about 4ºC with a 20mph westerly wind I don't think that is a particularly likely explaination! |
|
|
|
Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) - Musselburgh, Lothian
|
|
|
|
Reed Bunting (Emberiza shoeniclus) - Barns Ness, Lothian
|
| A small group of Whooper Swans that briefly visited the small boating pond at Musselburgh were probably just stopping for a rest on their northward migration. |
|
|
|
|
|
Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus) - Musselburgh, Lothian
|
| The strong westerly winds probably slowed the migration down a bit, but by the end of the month most of the usual early migrants had started to arrive, and the Wheatear stopping off at Barns Ness were well into double figures. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) - Barns Ness, Lothian
|
| Of course, you can't really pass by easter without taking at least a few pictures of cute easter bunnies... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) - Barns Ness, Lothian
|
|
