Having had a very good year in 2015, I was hoping for 2016 to continue that run of good birds and at least a similar total at the end of the year. Things looked rather promising for a large chunk of the year but a strangely poor Autumn locally, given what was going on almost everywhere else on the east coast put paid to the lead I had over last year's total. However, there were still plenty of good birds seen during the year and a strange coincidence thrown into the mix in October.
 |
| Fieldfare |
 |
| Pochard |
 |
| Waxwing |
 |
| Waxwing |
 |
| Bittern |
 |
| Bittern |
 |
| Pintail |
 |
| Glaucous Gull |
 |
| Glaucous Gull |
 |
| Turnstone |
 |
| Great Northern Diver |
 |
| King Eider |
 |
| Barnacle Goose |
 |
| Little Gull |
 |
| Little Auk |
January started in a different manner from most of my year-listing efforts with the opportunity to get out and about with Nat meaning that birds such as Waxwing, Twite, Pochard were all tied up on the 1st as we explored Angus. Usually I'm limited to how much of Dundee I can explore on foot on the 1st. Over the next few days the weather deteriorated to a spell of strong easterlies and lots of rain. This did mean that there was a massive 'wreck' of Little Auks - a bird I'd only seen once previously. I got my second on the Tay by Broughty Castle on a wet and wild afternoon and a nice, very close and early Little Gull struggled into the wind a few feet in front of me. More Little Auks were seen on the 5th with Ian Ford. Brent Geese, both dark bellied and pale bellied were seen with Nat on the 6th.
 |
| Great Black Backed Gull |
 |
| Great Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull & Dark Bellied Brent Goose |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Ring Necked Duck |
 |
| Ring Necked Duck & Mallard |
 |
| Reed Bunting |
 |
| Snow Bunting |
 |
| Buzzard |
 |
| Redwing |
 |
| Bullfinch |
 |
| Hawfinch |
 |
| Bittern |
 |
| Green Woodpecker |
 |
| Yellowhammer |
The decision to not join the ADBC wader outing on the Sunday proved to be a mistake when an Avocet (which would have been a lifer for me) was found by the group. However, while hoping that it had hung around proved a forlorn hope on the Wednesday it meant we were almost in the right place to see a Bittern which had been found in front of the Bank of Scotland hide at Montrose. This bird proved even more showy at various times on its stay in the reedbeds at the site, though we never managed to get as good views as those who sat in the hide for long periods. On the 20th myself and Nat headed along the coast to Westhaven to connect with a rather nice Glaucous Gull.
 |
| Brambling |
 |
| Corn Bunting |
 |
| Snow Bunting |
 |
| Raven |
 |
| Grey Plover |
 |
| Stonechat |
 |
| Rock Pipit |
 |
| Water Pipit |
 |
| Linnet |
 |
| Teal |
 |
| Little Egret |
 |
| Redshank & Turnstone & Purple Sandpiper |
 |
| Fulmar |
 |
| Bar Tailed Godwit |
 |
| Velvet Scoter |
On the 23rd we joined Fife Bird Club's outing around the Largo Bay area which proved to be a good move with Dipper, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Velvet & Common Scoters, Slavonian Grebe and Great Northern Diver as well as the female King Eider all being added to the year list. Another trip out with Nat in an attempt to see American Wigeon at Birnie & Gaddon drew a blank but a redhead Smew at Loch Leven was a nice consolation bird. My first walk from Tayport to Leuchars around the coast started at Morton Lochs for a change though it was on the main walk that 2 of the targets were found - Raven & Green Woodpecker. This blog passed the 250 posts mark around this time also.
 |
| Great Black Backed Gull |
 |
| Red Grouse |
 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
 |
| Goldeneye |
 |
| Tufted Duck |
 |
| Song Thrush |
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Willow Warbler |
 |
| Lesser Whitethroat |
 |
| Tree Sparrow |
 |
| Grey Heron |
 |
| Greylag Goose |
 |
| Common Sandpiper |
 |
| Reed Bunting |
February started with a trip with Nat to Perthshire to try for Nuthatch and Ring Necked Duck around Pitlochry. Canada Goose, Black Grouse and Red Kite were all great bonus birds. We added the Tentsmuir Snow Bunting flock the following week. On the 14th we started at Riverside Nature Park and managed to add Jack Snipe to the year-list, then headed to Scone Palace for the annual Hawfinch pilgrimage. Corn Bunting and Scaup were added on the 17th (along with better Bittern views at Montrose). A run round Angus with a photographer pal, Ally Preston, added Bramblings, Red Grouse and Peregrine to the list. Water Rail and some Bottle Nosed Dolphins were added from St Cyrus & Kinnaber on the 24th.
 |
| Tree Pipit |
 |
| Ring Ouzel |
 |
| Black Grouse |
 |
| Red Grouse |
 |
| Guillemot |
 |
| Gadwall |
 |
| Tree Sparrow |
 |
| Blue Tit |
 |
| Goldfinch |
 |
| Marsh Harrier |
 |
| Osprey |
 |
| Goldcrest |
 |
| Brambling |
 |
| Brambling |
 |
| Black Redstart |
A trip to Lothian with birding pal Rhona Forrester got me my first lifer of the year in the shape of Water Pipit. Black Necked Grebe and Grey Partridge also made for a worthwhile trip. A trip to Speyside with Rhona the following weekend got us Crested Tit eventually, though the photos were poor. Little Egret was added at Guardbridge on the 14th. Spring migrants turned up on the 2nd of April with both Chiffchaff and Sand Martin being spotted for the first time in 2016. White Tailed Eagle, albeit very distantly, was another good addition. More Spring migrants - Marsh Harrier and Osprey were seen at Kinnordy on the 3rd, along with the first Lesser Redpolls of the year. The run continued on the 6th with Blackcap, Swallow, Wheatear, Willow Warbler and a lovely pair of Black Redstarts in Fife. A Greenland White Fronted Goose and clear, but distant, views of a bobbing Jack Snipe out in the open at Letham Pools were had on the 10th of April. A possible Redstart and the first Sandwich Terns were seen around Fife on the 16th.
 |
| Black Redstart |
 |
| Swallow |
 |
| Jack Snipe |
 |
| Greenland White Fronted Goose |
 |
| Merlin |
 |
| Lapwing |
 |
| Marsh Harrier |
 |
| Marsh Harrier & Carrion Crow |
 |
| Black Grouse |
 |
| Little Ringed Plover |
 |
| Lesser Redpoll |
 |
| Long Tailed Tit |
 |
| Spotted Redshank & Common Redshank |
 |
| Yellow Wagtail |
 |
| Barnacle Goose |
Common Sandpiper, House Martin, Little Ringed Plover, Merlin and Sedge Warbler was a bumper haul around Angus with Nat on the 20th. I found the first Lesser Whitethroat of the year at Riverside Nature Park on the 23rd. Puffin, Redstart, Tree Pipit and Ring Ouzel were all searched for and found in Angus on the 27th. While leading a guided walk at Riverside Nature Park on the 7th of May, news came in of Yellow Wagtails near Anstruther. I made arrangements to meet my pal Jacqui at Guardbridge around lunchtime to try for a year-tick for me, and a Scottish life tick for her. While waiting I found a summer plumage Spotted Redshank opposite the hide and when we reached the Anstruther site a Yellow Wagtail actually landed on the road in front of the car. We had good views of a few of the birds when we got out of the car also.
 |
| Great White Egret |
 |
| House Martin |
 |
| Little Tern |
 |
| Tufted Duck & Garganey |
 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs |
 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs |
 |
| Spotted Flycatcher |
 |
| Little Egret |
 |
| Redshank |
 |
| Wood Warbler |
 |
| Pied Flycatcher |
 |
| Whitethroat |
 |
| Greenfinch |
 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
An attempt to get King Eider onto Nat's list for the year meant a trip north to Aberdeenshire. "Elvis" was nowhere to be seen but a lifer in the shape of a Lesser Yellowlegs was a great bonus. Add to that year ticks in Arctic, Common and Little Terns plus Great White Egret and Garganey meant the trip had been very worthwhile (as Aberdeenshire outings usually are). A day out with Stuart Green of Angus Birdtours at the coast added Whimbrel to my year-list and some good tips on how to find good migrants. Cuckoo, Mealy Redpoll and Spotted Flycatcher were seen on the 10th. Manx Shearwater and Ruff were seen in Fife on the 11th along with only the second record of Speckled Wood butterfly for the county. A young Mistle Thrush was rescued from possible drowning on the North Esk in Glen Esk but we dipped on Whinchat and Woodcock.
 |
| Icterine Warbler |
 |
| Icterine Warbler |
 |
| Cuckoo |
 |
| Crested Tit |
 |
| Common Tern |
 |
| King Eider |
 |
| Common Tern |
 |
| Great Crested Grebe |
 |
| Slavonian Grebe |
 |
| Little Egret |
 |
| Osprey |
 |
| Cormorant |
 |
| Woodpigeon |
 |
| Cormorant |
 |
| Curlew |
A Dundee Naturalists Society outing to Killiecrankie got me Wood Warbler, Garden Warbler and Pied Flycatcher on the 14th. Bearded Tits were seen at the Errol reedbeds on the 1st of June, though they were rather distant. A trip up the A9 on the 8th to see Icterine Warbler was successful and Crossbill was a new year-tick as well. We also had great views of Crested Tits just before my D7100 decided to die on me. A showy Cuckoo and a Slavonian Grebe in breeding plumage were also nice birds on the day. Another Aberdeenshire trip on the 29th to try for White-Winged Scoter and Mandarin Duck was unsuccessful though an Arctic Skua and an American Wigeon were good to get (not to mention 'Elvis' for Nat). It took a few attempts to get the Spoonbill at Montrose Basin before we were finally successful on the 1st of July.
 |
| Spoonbill |
 |
| Sedge Warbler |
 |
| Goosander |
 |
| Chaffinch |
 |
| Puffin |
 |
| Water Rail |
 |
| Jay |
 |
| Little Ringed Plover |
 |
| Dunlin & Common Sandpiper |
 |
| Whimbrel |
 |
| Sparrowhawk |
 |
| Grasshopper Warbler |
 |
| Grasshopper Warbler |
 |
| Mediterranean Gull & Black Headed Gull |
 |
| Black Throated Diver |
A Green Sandpiper at The Wilderness in Fife on the 6th was good to get. Another Aberdeenshire visit to try for Mandarin Duck and White Winged Black Tern was unsuccessful. A tip-off from Stuart Green of Angus Birdtours got me a Grasshopper Warbler before I headed to Arbroath for a Mediterranean Gull at Arbroath on the 27th. August started with a breeding plumaged Black Throated Diver and an eventual White Rumped Sandpiper on the 3rd. Wood Sandpiper was tried for a few times but more Green Sandpipers were nice to get, even if they weren't year-ticks. An injured/ill Great Skua at the mouth of the Craigmill Burn was seen up close on the 25th before the SSPCA came to collect it. Curlew Sandpiper was added at Montrose Basin later in the day. A good haul of 52 species at Riverside Nature Park was had on the 27th, including 2 Ospreys, a few Tree Pipits, Kingfisher, 5 Curlew Sandpipers and a Ruff.
 |
| Black Throated Diver |
 |
| Raven |
 |
| Osprey |
 |
| Dunlin |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Wheatear |
 |
| Yellowhammer |
 |
| Willow Warbler |
 |
| Osprey |
 |
| Coot |
 |
| Little Egret |
 |
| Robin |
 |
| Lapwing |
 |
| Grey Heron |
 |
| Green Sandpiper |
Despite rather poor weather and Nat not feeling 100%, we headed out to try for Little Stint and Black Tern on the 14th of September and were successful with both species. I showed a lady from Malaysia around Riverside Nature Park on the 19th. A very unexpected Brunnich's Guillemot turned up in Anstruther harbour late in September but it was the Wednesday before we were able to attempt to see it. Thankfully, we had great views of the bird which was a lifer, though sadly the bird was found dead on the Friday. I led another guided walk at Riverside Nature Park on the 1st of October which though unspectacular did give a good overview of the park species, and also some nice vis-mig.
 |
| White Wagtail |
 |
| Gannet |
 |
| Sandwich Tern |
 |
| Great Skua |
 |
| Great Skua |
 |
| Little Gull |
 |
| Peregrine |
 |
| Water Rail |
 |
| Curlew Sandpiper & Ruff |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
 |
| Greenshank |
 |
| Spotted Flycatcher |
 |
| Reed Bunting |
 |
| Shoveler |
 |
| Sparrowhawk |
A stop in Denburn Wood on the 5th of October proved to be a very good move when a small bird popped out in front of me. To my disbelief it was a Red Flanked Bluetail - only the 5th for Fife (though the 3rd for the wood!). It then disappeared and proved to be very shy though we did eventually get further views. Coincidentally, on 13th October in 2013 I had found a Red Flanked Bluetail just slightly further up the path in the same small wood. Despite this bird's elusive nature compared to the 2013 individual, others did manage to see the bird, though Nat's blurry photo was apparently the only photo anyone managed to get. I'm waiting for the British Birds Rarities Committee to 'accept' the record.
 |
| Little Stint & Lapwing, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull |
 |
| Black Tern |
 |
| Black Tailed Godwit |
 |
| Eider |
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Great Black Backed Gull |
 |
| Shag |
 |
| Eider |
 |
| Red Throated Diver |
 |
| Robin |
 |
| Tufted Duck |
 |
| Kingfisher |
 |
| Wigeon |
 |
| Lapwing |
 |
| Curlew |
My annual October week off work proved to be ultimately slightly disappointing. Yellow Browed Warbler was seen on the 9th at Kilminning but a possible Pallas's Warbler was one that got away. A Pomarine Skua was seen past Fife Ness along with a Mediterranean Gull on the 11th. Another that got away was a potential Arctic Redpoll at Fife Ness on the 13th. Despite major rarities turning up along the east coast including Siberian Accentors October rather fizzled out and with it my lead over last year's year-list total. I headed out with a few folk from BirdForum on the 29th but we missed out on Ring Necked Parakeet in Arbroath.
 |
| Ringed Plover |
 |
| Pintail |
 |
| Greenshank |
 |
| Brunnich's Guillemot |
 |
| Brunnich's Guillemot |
 |
| Arctic Tern |
 |
| Whimbrel |
 |
| Red Throated Diver |
 |
| Whooper Swan |
 |
| Treecreeper |
 |
| Skylark |
 |
| Linnet |
 |
| Greenfinch |
 |
| Wren |
 |
| Goldcrest |
Nat and I had good close views of a Merlin flying past in front of the hide at Fife Ness on the 9th of November, though a Sooty Shearwater was a very unexpected year-tick for me (and a lifer for Nat). I did my Tayport-Leuchars walk again on 10th November finding a Little Egret, 3 Brent Geese and 3 Snow Buntings along the way. A trip to Kinnordy on the 11th got me Hen Harrier for the year, though I missed out on Woodcock again. Waxwings in Montrose and good views of the Bittern also made it a good day. I led a guided walk around Riverside Nature Park for Dundee Naturalists Society on the 12th but there were no unexpected bonus birds seen.
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Redstart |
 |
| Goldcrest |
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Redwing |
 |
| Goldfinch |
 |
| Magpie |
 |
| Yellow Browed Warbler |
 |
| Mediterranean Gull |
 |
| Pheasant |
 |
| Stoat |
 |
| Grey Heron |
 |
| Redshank |
 |
| Pink Footed Goose |
 |
| Grey Plover |
16th November added decent views of American Wigeon at Loch of Lintrathen, though it was our second of the species following the Ythan estuary bird from earlier in the year. On the 30th of November I did the Tayport-Leuchars walk again but it proved relatively disappointing though a pair of Crossbills and a close flypast by the local White Tailed Eagles were a big plus, even if my camera decided not to co-operate fully when the opportunity arose.
 |
| House Sparrow |
 |
| Dipper |
 |
| Jay |
 |
| Dipper |
 |
| Meadow Pipit |
 |
| Pochard |
 |
| Goosander |
 |
| Gadwall |
 |
| Moorhen |
 |
| Teal |
 |
| Blackcap |
 |
| Goosander |
 |
| Mallard |
 |
| Coot |
 |
| Mallard |
I spent most of December not actively birding and a trip to the recycling bins nearby on the 18th was interrupted by a flypast of around 100 Waxwings low overhead. Despite fairly poor weather forecast on the 21st, I decided to take a chance to try to see Shorelarks at Tentsmuir, which bird photographer Eric McCabe had alerted me to (having been found on the Sunday by a birder Eric knows). Thankfully, the rain did stop and the sun even came out and myself and Willie Irvine who I bumped into had amazingly close views of the birds which were a lifer for me, as they fed within 10 feet of us at times.
 |
| Sooty Shearwater |
 |
| Long Tailed Duck |
 |
| Wigeon & Pintail |
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Merlin |
 |
| Great Northern Diver |
 |
| Curlew |
 |
| Bar Tailed Godwit |
 |
| Wigeon |
 |
| Pale Bellied Brent Geese & Grey Plover |
 |
| Green Woodpecker |
 |
| Snow Bunting |
 |
| Snow Bunting |
 |
| Velvet Scoter |
 |
| Common Scoter |
I found a "Sinensis" race Cormorant at City Quay on Christmas Day, and had close views of 3 Roe Deer and also managed to see the local Kingfisher in Caird Park during a 6 mile walk in unseasonal mild temperatures. An early start on the 27th to try for Woodcock with Jacqui drew a blank though we continued on to the Shorelarks (a lifer for Jacqui) and found a ringed Snow Bunting also. A 'new' ringed Black Headed Gull (ringed in Norway) was found at City Quay on my way home.
 |
| Red Breasted Merganser |
 |
| Bullfinch |
 |
| Bittern |
 |
| Waxwing |
 |
| Waxwing |
 |
| Greenfinch |
 |
| Dunnock |
 |
| Magpie |
 |
| Black Tailed Godwit |
 |
| Canada Goose |
 |
| Wigeon & American Wigeon |
 |
| Whooper Swan |
 |
| Ringed Plover |
 |
| Goldfinch |
 |
| Redwing |
My total for 2016 ended on 202 (203 if I count White Wagtail as a species), compared to 205 (206 with White Wagtail) last year. All in all a good year nonetheless with 5 lifers - Water Pipit, Lesser Yellowlegs, White Rumped Sandpiper, Brunnich's Guillemot and Shorelark. Also I managed to get decent photos (and video clips) of some species that had previously eluded my camera. So what will 2017 bring....?
 |
| Tree Sparrow |
 |
| Crossbill |
 |
| White Tailed Eagle |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
 |
| Purple Sandpiper |
 |
| Robin |
 |
| Shorelark |
 |
| Shorelark |
 |
| Shorelark |
 |
| Snow Bunting |
 |
| Black Headed Gull |
 |
| Siskin |
 |
| Goosander |
 |
| Cormorant (Sinensis) |
The only things left to do is to once again thank everyone who reads this blog, wherever you are in the world, and also thank all those folk who have made it possible to see the birds and other wildlife that make up the bulk of this blog of mine. Especially big thanks to Nat who has provided the transport, company and extra pair of eyes and ears for the majority of my outings in 2016. In addition all the others, including good friends and birding buddies who have given me a lift to wherever, have spent time birding with me, who have seen and reported good birds around the country and to those who have offered snippets of info that have gone towards furthering my own knowledge of what I'm hearing and seeing, be it in conversation or in book form or online. Birding means you never stop learning and there's always something new to be learnt. If you fancy getting out and about birding with me sometime, then just give me a shout.....
Oh, and Happy New Year and good birding in 2017.
