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| Whooper Swan and Mute Swan |
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| Black Redstart |
A wee delve back into the notebooks for an "on this day" sort of post tonight. Just two years ago to Sunday January 8th 2012. An Angus & Dundee Bird Club outing to try and see as many wader species as possible along the Angus coast. A few more good birds around as well.
The route was to take us from our first stop/meeting point at Balmossie, then the short distance to Monifieth, then onto the Elliot reedbeds on the outskirts of Arbroath, then to Montrose Basin visitor centre for lunch.. A short detour to the Lurgies/Maryton Steps, then catching up with the others again at Lunan Bay before the trip was over.
My own list for the day was 60 species. Not bad for January, with 5 new for my yearlist, 3 of which were very good birds - Black Redstart (at Lunan Bay near the chicken coop and old farm machinery), Jack Snipe (at Elliot reedbeds) and Great Northern Diver (at Montrose Basin). We also missed a Black Necked Grebe which would have been a lifer for me at the time, but a decision to eat lunch in the quiet of the RBS hide meant we were unaware of the passing by of firstly, the Great Northern Diver, and then when we went hunting for a closer view, the Grebe showed in front of the visitor centre. Ah well, can't win them all, I suppose.....
Birds seen - Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Pink Footed Goose, Shelduck, Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Eider, Common Scoter, Long Tailed Duck, Goldeneye, Red Breasted Merganser, Pheasant, Red Throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Buzzard, Kestrel, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Bar Tailed Godwit, Curlew, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Black Redstart, Song Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer.