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| Red Kite |
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| Wheatear |
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| Red Grouse |
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| Redwing |
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| Roe Deer |
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| Pied Wagtails |
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| Puffin |
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| Wigeon |
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| Iceland Gull |
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Iceland Gull
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The weather was quite windy with light drizzly rain forecast for part of the morning in the Angus glens, where the first part of our day out was to be centred on. However, a lot of the birds and other wildlife can be seen from a car, so the rain wasn't going to be a big issue. I left the house around 0750 and headed along to the rendezvous point, picking up the usual suspects on the way - Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Feral Pigeon, Starling and Carrion Crow. We headed for the Angus glens up the A90 adding Woodpigeon and Jackdaw plus a roadside field with a small gaggle of Greylags near Forfar. Buzzard and a couple of Skylarks lifting from a field were added before we stopped off for a few minutes to allow Jacqui's small dog a bit of exercise. Here we added a nice mixture of garden birds - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Wren, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch as well as Woodpigeons and some rather noisy Rooks at a treetop Rookery.
It wasn't too long after as we headed on towards the road into the main part of the glen that we spotted some Common Gulls in another field and Pheasants began to increase in number along the verges and pottering around together behind the fences. Oystercatchers were the next birds to go on the day-list, noisily flying around while others probed the earth below them. A raptor drifted over towards a wood a bit away from us. Initially we suspected Buzzard but when Jacqui stopped the car for a better view, we were pleasantly surprised to see that it was a Red Kite. Always a good bird to find, and the reason for a lack of detail in which of the Angus glens we were visiting, given the depressing news from Ross-shire.
Further on we spotted a Pied Wagtail scurrying around by a dried-up pool in a field and the opportunity to stop the car came up not long after. We clambered out and scanned around. A few Siskins called as they flew out from a stand of conifers and a Goldcrest sang, but went unseen. Meadow Pipits were much in evidence with a small group of 4 flitting around on the grass together. A landrover drew up and the driver (a shepherd) had a chat for a few minutes with us about the birds that were around (and what wasn't yet back for the summer). While we chatted, I managed to add a few Lapwings displaying over a hillside and a Stock Dove which flew by, albeit distantly. A Raven 'prukked', allowing it to be picked out above the skyline. A few more Pheasants fed on the other side of the road and the first Wheatear of the day flew off a short distance its telltale white rump showing well.
We wandered the short distance back to the car and set off again, scanning as we drove further into the glen. A few Woodpigeons were seen, as well as a Buzzard which lifted from the ground and flew over the road away from us. We stopped for another scan. Jacqui found a nice male Wheatear not too far away from the car, and we could hear a Red Grouse calling from not too far away. The rain was rather drizzly but wasn't making photography too difficult. We moved on a bit further, spotting a pair of Red Grouse mails chasing around among the heather. Another few birds were spotted a little further on, with one in particular showing very well by the roadside, and allowing quite a close approach by the car. More Meadow Pipits flew up as we drove by. A Snipe was a bit of a surprise, zig-zagging up and away across the heather-clad terrain.
We stopped again to let a landrover pass, and to have another look around. A Great Tit flew from one group of trees to another, while Curlew and Mistle Thrush fed in a grassy field. A few Carrion Crows went over and Oystercatcher and Lapwing could be seen foraging around in a field not too far away. I looked for Ring Ouzel, but drew a blank. Jacqui spotted what she initially thought was a pipit fly up from the ground to perch in a tree. Tree Pipit would be a nice year-tick but it actually turned out to be a Redwing, which have been in quite short supply this winter. Probably on its way back northwards. Robin, Chaffinch, Blackbird and a few Starlings were also seen here.
Further on down the road we stumbled upon a small group of five Black Grouse males hunkered down from the strong wind blowing through the glen. As they were the other side of a wire fence, getting a decent photo would be tricky, so I didn't try for one. A female Black Grouse was also tucked down into a small dip not much further on, though it wasn't initially obvious that it wasn't just another Red Grouse. Jacqui's photo provided the ID later. There were quite large numbers of Oystercatchers, Lapwings, Woodpigeons and Mistle Thrush in a field by the road but they flew a little further away as the car slowed.
There was no sign of any Ring Ouzels near the end of the road, and a very strong wind made walking too far a not particularly enjoyable thought, so after about 100 yards of Meadow Pipit and Lapwings only we turned around and headed back to the car. We didn't add anything else of note on our way back down the glen with Meadow Pipits being the most numerous birds, as before. A few Feral Pigeons and Jackdaws were seen but not much else.
As we were heading for the coast to try to get Puffins on the list we decided to detour via Montreathmont Forest in the hope of getting a few woodland species onto the list. We managed to find a small group of 6 Roe Deer together in a field and a Buzzard glided past them as we watched. A Mistle Thrush allowed me a few photos, though a broken fence between me and it made getting a clean shot a bit tricky. A small flock of Yellowhammers flew alongside the car for a few yards as headed in an easterly direction.
There was only one car parked at Montreathmont Forest and we could hear a Chiffchaff calling from not too far off the track in. We didn't manage to see this particular bird though. Chaffinch, Siskin and Goldcrest were all seen before we did manage to see a calling Chiffchaff briefly in a tree by the side of the track. The hide was occupied so we didn't go in but we did succeed in seeing a Green Woodpecker in the clearing in front. There were at least another 2 calling Greens, one further north and another closer, but neither was seen. A few Carrion Crows flapped their way over, with a Herring Gull or two drifting over on the wind. Heading back to the car again a Buzzard was seen off to the east, disappearing behind the treetops before circling up again. two Pied Wagtails on the track together was a bit of a surprise, possibly managing to find a few insects around within the shelter provided by the forest itself.
We headed eastwards again towards Inverkeillor to take the road to Auchmithie via Bighead Farm and its selection of farmyard birds. A Stoat darted across the road in front of the car, though we didin't add too many birds on this particular stretch of the trip. At Boghead Farm we could hear Tree Sparrows chirping from the trees and bushes by the cottages, and didn't have to try too hard to see them. A few Yellowhammers and two Corn Buntings plus a few Chaffinches flitted around between the bushes, fields and ground. In the pond, there were a few Mallards and some Tufted Ducks. The wind was a bit chilly so we didn't hang around for too long, instead heading off towards Auchmithie.
A few House Sparrows in the hedge near the church welcomed us to the village, and a Yellowhammer landed on a roof as we parked up. There wasn't much to see as we wandered off downhill towards the pebble beach (famous from its appearance in the Hollywood film "Under The Skin" starring Scarlett Johanssen). We managed to get a bit of respite from the wind about two-thirds of the way downhill where the road sloped down to the left and back on itself again as it descended the final stretch to the beach. We found a relatively comfortable perch on the grass by the road and scanned out across the bay to try and see Puffins. There was no sign of any. There were plenty Fulmars playing in the gale, and on the cliffs with Herring Gulls. A pair of Eiders were where the Puffins usually were, but there were none of the big-beaked auks to be seen. I kept looking and eventually did succeed at spotting a distant black and white bird in the water. It was an auk, but only a Razorbill. New for the list, but not for the year. A Shag flew low over the water and a Cormorant dived for fish further out. A Great Black Backed Gull glided south out over the bay. It wasn't looking promising for finding Puffin, but I knew there had to be at least one somewhere. Thankfully, I was proved right, finding one surprisingly close to where we were, not too far offshore. Result. The third year tick of the day - a lone Puffin.
Monikie, where Little Gull had been seen earlier in the week, was to be the next stop, so we headed off through Arbroath. A pair of Lesser Black Backed Gulls stood on a chimney of a house by the main road through the town. Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Herring Gull and Carrion Crow were also spotted as we headed west. It didn't take long to reach Monikie and we parked outside the country park by the recycling bins to scan the Denfind Pond. It was full of Black Headed Gulls but despite repeated scans, there was to be no Little Gulls added to the day-list. We did get a selection of waterbirds though. Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Mute Swan and Little Grebe sharing the water with the gulls. A few Herring Gulls plus Carrion Crows and Woodpigeons were also seen here.
Next stop was Balmossie to try and add a few waders to the list. The tide was well in when we arrived but the wader numbers were quite low. Oystercatchers and Redshanks being the most numerous with a small number of Turnstones well camouflaged among the rocks and stones. Offshore, a few groups of Wigeon and a pair of Eiders further out swam around among the waves. A Rock Pipit flew past. One or two Carrion Crows and the ubiquitous Herring Gulls made up the remainder of the list for here. We headed back to the car with Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon and Starlings all being seen as we crossed the footbridge.
Final stop was to be Swannie Ponds (Stobsmuir Ponds officially) in the hope that the Iceland Gull was still around. When we arrived there was a mixed flock of gulls on the water. Mostly Herring Gulls but with a few Lesser Black Backeds among them. Mallards, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan and surprisingly 5 Goosanders were also on the pond. We scanned through the gulls and Jacqui managed to find the Iceland Gull on the pond near the rear of the flock. We both took a number of photos as it swam around. Jacqui decided to try for a photo of the Goosanders which were out off the water on the path further round. The Iceland Gull opened its bill fully, maybe yawning, allowing me to get an unusual shot of the bird and in perfect lighting conditions. It then flew up to the pond edge and landed on the path. I shouted to Jacqui, but the bird flew back down to the water again. It didn't stay in the water for long, flying off to join a feeding frenzy at the lower pond. The strong headwind meant that the bird hung in the wind above us at times, again allowing some really nice shots. As Jacqui had an evening outing planned we called it a day and she headed back to Fife. I stayed around for another wee while getting more photos of the other gulls as well as a few of the Goosanders.
All in all a very good day out with 63 species seen. 3 year-ticks in bold.
Black Grouse, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Curlew, Eider, Fulmar, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Green Woodpecker, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Iceland Gull, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Grebe, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Puffin, Raven, Razorbill, Red Grouse, Red Kite, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Shag, Siskin, Skylark, Snipe, Starling, Stock Dove, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wheatear, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.