Coastal Scotland - July 2016

Chris Rodger maintains top spot in a quiet July. He along with Andrew Whitehouse at Girdleness added Cuckoo to the year list this month. Stephen Welch closed the gap a little with Roseate Tern and a Kingfisher which graced his isolated little patch of inland water. It is a good time of year to find this fabulous little bird on smaller bodies of water it seems.

Chris and Stephen are the only patchers to have breached the 100% marker so far this year.

Chris Rodger also tops the points league with the gap to Colin Davison still substantial, reduced only slightly as Colin added Roseate Tern in month. Mike Hodgkin at Aberlady Bay makes up the top three, adding just a Kestrel to the patch list in July.

Other highlights in the month a King Eider at Northeast Aberdeen and Donmouth for Andrew Whitehouse and a Curlew Sandpiper, preceding the August invasion at Loch Gilp for Jim Dickson. Finally, a late record of a couple of Spoonbills in June was a fine record for Geoff Morgan at Barns Ness.

Spoonbills are not easy north of the border, a Scottish, Lothian and patch tick for Geoff Morgan in June (c/o Geoff Morgan)