0059 : One Last Hurrah (18/5/14)


Little Ringed Plover

Coot

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Greylag Geese

Tree Pipit

Osprey
Cuckoo

Kestrel

Whinchat

Pied Wagtail

Tree Pipit

Wheatear

Leucistic Juvenile Robin

Marsh Harrier

Sunday 18th May was my last day before I had to go back to work after a week's holiday and the final day of 9 days birding in a row. As plans for a day out on the Friday with my pal, Jacqui Herrington, had fallen through owing to Jacqui being ill, we made alternative plans to see if we could get Cuckoo onto my year list. The weather was once again favourable but as it was a Sunday we decided on a slightly later start.

I left the house about 0935 to meet Jacqui at our "new" pick-up point. Starling, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Swift were all seen within a minute or so of setting off with Lesser Black Backed Gull and Feral Pigeon also seen as I walked along the road. While waiting I added House Sparrow and House Martin before Jacqui arrived. We were headed to Loch of Kinnordy first for a wee look then take things from there. While waiting at traffic lights at the bottom of Caird Park 4 Mallards flew past. We took the backroads route via Glamis to Kinnordy, adding Pheasant and Lapwing near Glamis.

Arriving at Loch of Kinnordy just after 1015 we headed into the Gullery hide where we looked out at the small bogbean islands which were dotted with Black Headed Gulls. I immediately picked up a Little Ringed Plover amongst them. This year has been my best year yet for sightings of this normally uncommon wader locally for me. Out on the water was a mixture of ducks - Gadwall, Mallard, Shelduck, Tufted Duck and Wigeon. Coots and a few Moorhen also swam around. A couple of Grey Herons were stood along the reedbed opposite the hides. Mute Swans glided across the water and Oystercatchers noisily fed and flew about with Lapwings doing likewise in smaller numbers.

A Reed Bunting flew past and then we managed to find the Wood Sandpiper feeding among the Black Headed Gulls and near the Little Ringed Plover. I finally managed to get reasonable record shots of this species which until now I have tended to find difficult to see, let alone photograph. A Common Sandpiper flew in and landed on a stick angled out of the water, calling excitedly. Swallows zipped in below the hide where they tend to nest in summer. The Rooks along to the west kept up a constant raucous backing track with the occasional bird flying out from the rookery trees. A Buzzard showed before we left the hide to head for Backwater Reservoir.

We stopped briefly at the bend in the road at the western end of Kinnordy so Jacqui could photograph a couple of families of Greylag Geese. We also added Curlew and Carrion Crow here while we were stopped. Once we set off again we hadn't gone too far when we added Jackdaw and a single Stock Dove to the list. Further on Song Thrush and Blackbird were seen. A brief stop at a recently clear-felled area allowed us to add Tree Pipit and Dunnock, while Whitethroat was heard but not seen. As we neared the turn off for Backwater I spotted a raptor slightly to the south circling upwards. This turned out to be an Osprey, a species which we had failed to see at Kinnordy.

Backwater Reservoir can be incredibly hit or miss. When it is good, it is very very good, when it is bad, it is almost devoid of bird life. Thankfully, luck was on our side and we picked a very good day. Tree Pipit was seen on wires, a Great Tit flew across the road and a Kestrel hovered looking for prey, all before we reached the dam. Crossing the dam we added Common Gull and Mistle Thrush to the list, with Oystercatcher also seen. Scanning the water further on I picked up a distant bird out on the water which turned out to be a Cormorant. As we drove on we saw a few Chaffinches with a few more Mistle Thrushes about as well. A bird flew directly towards the car, and initially I thought it was a raptor species but quickly corrected myself. A Cuckoo. My first of the year. It kept going, disappearing behind the trees.

We parked at the car park and scanned around. A family was camping in the woods and was making a fair bit of noise resulting in the birds being mostly rather distant. A pair of Ravens were picked up flying along the ridge line to the north. Another bird down on the water turned out to be my first Great Crested Grebe at this site. A Mistle Thrush sang from the trees down towards the reservoir, and a Chaffinch fflew into a lower branch in the same tree. Siskins flew over before dropping into the small trees that split the car park into two distinct areas.

We decided to visit Glen Isla next as we were relatively close already and Jacqui hadn't been there before. Just like Backwater, Glen Isla can be unproductive but we were willing to take that chance. On our way back down the road we spotted a Robin by the road, then a Meadow Pipit on the fence, a few Mistle Thrushes in the fields and another Cuckoo perched on the wires. We had a very brief sighting of a Black Grouse which flew off over the fence by the road before either of us could get our cameras onto it. We had stopped to look at a bird on the wires which turned out be a male Whinchat. By the end of the dam we stopped to watch a Pied Wagtail and a pair of Willow Warblers for a few minutes. We saw another (or possibly the same ) Kestrel before we made it back onto the main road.

Heading for Glen Isla we added Linnet and a few Oystercatchers and Woodpigeons too. We spotted a promising looking area by the road where we thought we might get Redstart among other things so we planned to stop on our way back to check it out. It was pretty quiet in the glen with a few Sand Martins and Meadow Pipits but very little else on our way in, except a Blackbird. We finally got Wheatear onto the day list when I spotted a female on a boulder on the other side of the fence. A little further on by a forested area we saw a bird perched on the wires. A rather unexpected, but very welcome, Spotted Flycatcher. My second new bird for the year of the day. Unfortunately it flew into the trees and I didn't manage a photo. There was another Willow Warbler feeding in the same tree which showed a lot better.

We headed back to the area we had earmarked earlier. A very pale small bird was flitting around but was very elusive, never stopping for more than a second it seemed. We finally managed to ascertain that it was actually a leucistic juvenile Robin. There was also a Tree Pipit high in the tree tops here. Jacqui went for a wander after clambering over a small stile as I tried for photos of the Robin. Jacqui shouted to me and I hurried along to join her. She had seen a Ring Ouzel, which I managed to hear calling but failed to see. A nice bonus bird. We heard a Redstart but couldn't pick it out.

We headed back towards Kinnordy again for a second attempt to add a few more species. With the top down on Jacqui's car, we managed to add a flyover Magpie. A Goldfinch and a Whitethroat were at the clear-felled area where we had the Tree Pipit earlier in the day. Back at Kinnordy most of the species we had seen earlier were still around. In addition we had three Pink Footed Geese fly out. The male tagged Marsh Harrier (yellow Y) quartered over the reedbeds for a while before dropping down out of sight again. We popped into the Marsh hide where we managed to see Shoveler as well, before we headed back down the road.

We managed to see 64 species in all, including 2 year-ticks (in bold). Species seen - Black Grouse, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Ringed Plover, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Raven, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Siskin, Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tree Pipit, Tufted Duck, Wheatear, Whinchat, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Willow Warbler, Wood Sandpiper, Woodpigeon.

0058 : Guided Tour (17/5/14)

Swift

Goldfinch

Curlew

Shelduck

Reed Bunting

Long Tailed Tit

Blackcap

Ancylis badiana
One of the cool things about social media is the people you chance upon that ordinarily might never cross your path. One of these people is now an avid reader of this very blog. Her name is Rhona Forrester, a lady from Perthshire who I came into contact with through the facebook page  "Bobby's Beaver and Wildlife Blog of the Ericht and round about ". During a recent discussion, the subject of Riverside Nature Park came up and I offered to show Rhona around the park. We arranged for an early start on Saturday 17th May (hoping to be there before the majority of dog walkers) meeting at the car park in the park around 8.20am.

I left the house around 0740 to walk into town to catch the bus out to the park. Swift and Lesser Black Backed Gull were the first species seen, with Starling, Feral Pigeon and Herring Gull all seen before I reached Dens Road. Blackbird and Woodpigeon plus more Feral Pigeons were seen on Victoria Road. I caught the number X5 bus out the Perth Road and hurried into the park where Rhona was already waiting for me. Woodpigeon and Blackbird were the first two birds seen with a Kestrel hunting near Buzzard Wood.

I met Rhona in the car park as a couple of Swifts flew over from the direction of the composting area. Swallows zipped through the car park and there was even a House Martin above too. A Whitethroat took a little bit of finding, eventually making it easy for us by carrying out a short display flight. We added the male Blackcap to the list before we set off in the direction of the bay seeing Goldfinch and Herring Gull on our way round. A single Linnet overflew us.

The tide was around halfway out but there weren't too many birds around, the majority of waders having already moved on to their breeding areas leaving a few Oystercatchers and a Curlew or two. Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed and Black Headed Gulls were dotted around on the mud. Shelduck wandered around in pairs and a few Mallard were on the water. There were three Cormorants on the pipe. There were also some Carrion Crows around on the mud. A Chaffinch called from the trees in front of us and another Whitethroat sang from a bush before flying to another tree.
 

We headed round in the direction of the hide managing to spot a Skylark as it spiralled upwards singing as it did so, even though it was quite distant. From the hide we saw a few Jackdaws bathing and slightly unusually a Rook by the water as well. Not a common bird in the park.  A few Feral Pigeons came in and landed on the pipe. A Willow Warbler was in the trees behind the hide and we managed good clear views as it worked its way through the branches.

On our way to the Lochan a Pied Wagtail flew past us. The Lochan was rather quiet with only the Shelduck pair to be seen there. Starlings shuttled back and forward going to and from nest sites. Another Willow Warbler sang from the top of a tree and a Blackcap proved elusive. There was no sign of the Lesser Whitethroats however which was slightly disappointing but given the secretive nature of these wee birds, not a big surprise.

We heard Long Tailed Tit contact calls and spotted a couple of the birds as they flew across the path in front of us. A Great Tit flew back in the opposite direction and into the lower reaches of a bush. Our next find was a singing Yellowhammer, and a Robin flitted through the hedge. A male Reed Bunting called and we found it after a short search through the trees with binoculars. We walked around the back of Buzzard Wood and a bird showing a flash of white flew out from a small bush by the path. My initial reaction was Chaffinch but better views when it landed in a tree on the edge of the wood showed it be a male Bullfinch. A little further on we had a pleasant surprise when something scurried across the path in front of us. Having seen where it had gone into the grass we spotted a wee Vole looking back at us before it turned and disappeared back down its run through the undergrowth.

Buzzard Wood proved to be very productive with Chaffinch, Long Tailed Tit (including youngsters), Blackbird, Great Tit, Blackcap and even a House Sparrow seen here. A Greenfinch flew in to join a small group of Goldfinches working their way through the tops. We decided to head back to the car park, then head to the Lochan again. A Wren which we could hear singing turned out to be perched much higher than usual in the trees. Another Reed Bunting was seen here, and once again we had a few glimpses of Blackcap. A few Woodpigeons flew out from the trees.

We discovered a few feathers dotted around, some of which were a soft blue grey, most likely from a Woodpigeon, and some pale feathers with brown V markings on them. These were most likely to be from a female duck, I think. While picking up a selection of these I spotted a colourful micro moth on a plant. It was of a species that I saw in the park last summer - Ancylis Badiana. We discovered another of these further on, having seen it in flight and following it until it landed.


There was nothing unusual to see at the Lochan with only a few Jackdaws and a Woodpigeon in addition to the Shelduck pair. Starlings, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Feral Pigeon were all seen as we headed back to look over the bay. The tide was fully out now, and most of the birds were more distant than earlier. We managed to see around half a dozen distant Seals hauled out on the sand banks. As Rhona had other arrangements for later in the morning we headed back to the car park to call an end to our wee wander.

We had managed to see 36 species. Having said cheerio to Rhona I discovered a small family group of Song Thrushes feeding on the ground below the bushes at the back of the car park. On my way past Buzzard Wood I spotted a Buzzard over the airport taking the morning's total to 38 species.

Species seen - Backbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Curlew, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.  



0057 : Plan B (16/5/14)

Greylag Goose

Yellowhammer

Sedge Warbler

Woodpigeon

Skylark

Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Turnstone

Dunlin and Peregrine

Wigeon

Eider

Common Tern

Reed Bunting

Linnet

Common Tern

Sandwich Tern

House Sparrow

Cormorant

After two trips out with my pal Jacqui Herrington earlier in the week, the provisional plan for the Friday was to get out and about again, maybe up a glen or two. However, as there was nothing in place and I hadn't heard anything from Jacqui by around 8am, I decided to head into town to catch a train to Montrose and to walk out to Ferryden for a spot of sea-watching, hoping to get at least Common Tern, and possibly Little Tern on my yearlist.

Heading out around 0805 I spotted Swifts zipping around above the houses almost straight away. A Lesser Black Backed Gull was next. Starling, Woodpigeon and Blackbird were all added on the way down Dens Road. I received an apologetic text message from Jacqui saying that she was ill and wouldn't get out and about after all. Herring Gull and Feral Pigeon were added on Victoria Road. A Pied Wagtail was seen from the platform at the station while I waited for the train.

From the train I managed to see Mute Swans off Balmossie, a hovering Kestrel and a perched Carrion Crow while passing Barry Buddon. Jackdaw and Collared Dove were seen as the train pulled into Arbroath station with Swallows a few minutes before. A few Herring Gulls and Woodpigeons were seen on the roofs on the way out of Arbroath.

While waiting to get off the train as it pulled into Montrose station, I could see lots of Eiders in the Basin, along with Oystercatchers and Shelduck. A Grey Heron flew in to land. I did a bit more scanning from the platform but only added Curlew to the list before setting off towards Ferryden. Cutting through the small park near Tesco, I found Goldfinch in the top of a tree and a Great Tit called noisily. Reaching the bridge, there were a few Eiders in the water but very little else.

A Collared Dove was perched on a fence just a few feet in front of me as I passed along beside the harbour buildings at Ferryden. A Blackbird flew into a garden. On reaching the river, I could see more Eiders and Herring Gulls further out. A few House Sparrows foraged among the lobster creels stacked up opposite the houses and a Cormorant flew downriver. When I reached the open area/car park at the end of the road, I scanned once again. A young Great Black Backed Gull flew upriver and I heard terns calling. Looking out over the river I picked up the two birds. Common Terns. My first of the year.

I saw a large bird flying upriver directly towards me, but relatively high. I expected it to be a Cormorant but was surprised to find that it was actually a Greylag Goose. I headed up the steps to continue the walk out to Scurdie Ness lighthouse. A Sedge Warbler sung from within the bushes but was difficult to see at first. When I reached the top of the steps and looked down into the bushes I managed to pick it out. A Yellowhammer was in the same area and a Woodpigeon was partially hidden in a small tree.

A few more Common Terns flew out downriver, with Eiders down on the river in quite a large group. A pair of Linnets landed on the barbed wire fence for a few seconds before flying off to a gorse bush nearby. Swallows swooped low over the fields and in and out of a small brick shed. A Skylark headed skywards and I picked out a Reed Bunting singing from atop a fence post. I could see a large flock of terns on the sand on the Montrose beach side of the river, but there didn't appear to be any Little Terns among them.

The sun came out and my legs felt very heavy having walked so far the day before, so I decided not to push on further, knowing that I still had to find the energy to walk back to the station later. I had a look over the shoreline picking up a Ringed Plover perched on top of a lichen encrusted rock. A little further over another Ringed Plover was perched alongside a Dunlin and Turnstone, all three in breeding plumage. A Rock Pipit flew in and landed on the rocks near the lighthouse. A Meadow Pipit providing a comparison a moment or two later.


Common Terns came and went just offshore with some perching on the ropes surrounding a pole marking lobster creels. Eiders flew by in ones and twos. Further out there were very few birds to be seen. A Guillemot swam around, diving periodically. I sat and watched the birds come and go. Something made me turn and I caught sight of a Peregrine climbing higher in the sky before diving down towards the water at something unseen, before rising up again and stooping again. I managed to catch a poor photo which showed the falcon overshooting its target, a Dunlin, which managed to shake off the larger bird. The Peregrine flew off inland again. I watched a Fulmar do a passable Shearwater impression, gliding wings outstretched over the waves then sweeping up and then back down low again.

Two ducks flew in from the direction of the river and seemed unsure of where to land. I identified them as Wigeon but looking at the photos later, the female seemed to show a few potential American Wigeon features. However checking online with a few folk that know better than me, ruled that out, though the angles of the two admittedly poor photos I had managed meant that there was still a little bit of doubt. I decided to head back along to the visitor centre overlooking the basin to see if there was anything else around. A drake Mallard was a bit of a surprise swimming around by the rocks just inland from the lighthouse. The tern flock on the far shore was very flighty, ballooning upwards at times before settling back down again. Two small waders fed along the water's edge beside them and I managed to ID them later from the photos as Sanderling.

Terns came and went, some fishing and some not as I wandered back. The male Reed Bunting showed well and the Swallows swept by. I missed the chance to get Swallows and Common Terns in the same photo as they passed each other low over the river. A Common Gull was added to the list as I got closer to Ferryden. Two terns flew upstream but something about them drew my attention to them. They turned out to be the first Sandwich Terns of the day. The House Sparrows flitted around among the lobster creels by the houses and a Cormorant splashed down in the river as I reached the harbour buildings once again.


There wasn't much to see as I wandered uphill towards the visitor centre, though a few House Martins feeding above the gardens were a new bird for the list. A coach parked outside the visitor centre should have rang alarm bells for me. When I got into the centre I discovered that a primary school trip visit was underway. Scopes were pointed at the gift shop and children milled around, very few actually looking out at the wildlife outside the windows. I had a bit of a look around but with the tide almost fully in there was little to add to the terns on the raft and the Eiders. I checked the time of the next train and discovered that there was one that I could probably catch if I set off immediately. A room full of kids, or a train home? There was only going to be one winner, so I headed back out to walk back to Montrose station.

There wasn't too much seen on the way, a few Woodpigeons and Herring Gulls, with Eiders on the river. A nice addition was a female Sparrowhawk giving chase to a small bird before disappearing behind the houses. Whether the hunt was successful or not, I didn't find out. I only had 5 minutes or so to wait for the train back to Dundee but I had a quick check round the basin managing to find a Red Breasted Merganser. I spent most of the train journey back to Dundee chatting via text message rather than looking out the windows.

I ended the day with 47 species, including 1 new for the year (in bold).
Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Tern, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Fulmar, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Red Breasted Merganser, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Sanderling, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.

0056 : A Long Walk With Added Twitch. (15/5/14)

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Pied Wagtail

Wheatear

House Sparrow

Grey Wagtail

Blackcap

Kestrel

Skylark

Juvenile Blackbird

Coot

Lapwing

With another day of reasonable weather forecast and no actual target birds pencilled in to try and get for my yearlist I was unsure where to spend the day. After some deliberation, I finally settled on a plan to get the bus to Balmossie then bus hop along the coast stopping at various points and seeing what I could find. Hopefully I might see something good, or at least get some decent photos.

I left home around 0820 to walk down to Arbroath Road to catch the 73 bus to Balmossie. House Sparrow and Herring Gull were first on the list, with Lesser Black Backed Gull shortly after. Blackbird and Carrion Crow were seen as well before I reached the bus stop. From the bus to Broughty Ferry, Woodpigeon, Starling, House Martin and Feral Pigeon were all seen, some more than once.

I got off the bus a bit earlier than I should have, giving myself a slightly longer walk than intended to get down to the shore. Great Tit, Starling, Woodpigeon and House Sparrow were all seen around the houses as I made my way down to the footbridge over the railway line. Scanning out across the exposed mud with the tide still rather low, I found some more Herring Gulls, and a few Great Black Backed Gulls quite far out. Mallard and Mute Swan were out near the burn outflow with a few Oystercatchers dotted around. A Goldfinch flew in and landed among the seaweed on the beach. A rather distant Goosander flew upriver and a few Swallows dashed past as I walked along the path towards Monifieth.

A Song Thrush was singing in a small tree by the dunes at Monifieth but I failed to see it. I did however see one feeding on the grass a minute or so later. A small flock of Linnets took flight from among the gorse bushes. passing the caravan park, I added Black Headed Gull to the list and spotted a Pied Wagtail in beside the caravans. Herring Gulls and Oystercatchers were seen in ones and twos along the shore. A few Starlings were on the football pitches, although they were staying well clear of the numerous dogs. I spotted two Bar Tailed Godwits and a Shelduck out at the edge of the river before I headed across the pitches to walk along the cycle path towards Carnoustie as the red flags flying showed the range was active.  I was once again the subject of unwanted attention by a barking dog and two others which ran aggressively at me. The dog walker who was failing to control the 6 or 7 dogs she was walking rather than apologise for the dogs' behaviour merely offered the opinion that it was my bag that they was causing them to bark at me. No apology or attempt to get the dogs back under control. I do prefer dogs to cats but certain dog owners raise my hackles, and this woman was certainly one of those. I bit my tongue rather than give her the mouthful her attitude warranted.

I headed onto the cycle path, still angry at the woman, before spotting a distant buzzard circling far off over the trees on the camp. A Whitethroat, the first of many displayed from the gorse bushes by the railway line. A Wren singing high up in a small tree was next to go on the list, and a  pair of Blue Tits flitted around among the bushes. A rather vocal and showy Yellowhammer perched atop a Gorse bush sang loudly. Skylarks lifted from the long grass and flew upwards singing as they went higher into the sky. The first Sedge Warbler of the morning proved elusive at first before popping into the open, calling loudly. The rest of the walk along parallel to the military training area seemed to be filled with either Whitethroat or Sedge Warbler song, sometimes both at the same time. The odd Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon flew over the golf course. A Rook followed suit. I watched a Whitethroat singing in a tree just a few feet away from me, and the first Willow Warbler of the morning popped up in the same tree but a clear photo was a bit more difficult.

Walking on a bit I spotted a Coal Tit perched right at the top of a conifer. A male Reed Bunting was next on the list for the day. A pair of Linnets perched on the fence but flew off as I got a bit closer. Surprisingly up until this point around 2/3s of the way through the camp I hadn't yet seen Chaffinch. A pair in a small tree put this right. I heard a Pheasant from over the railway line and managed to see it, a male bird, tucked in close in the corner of the field opposite, half-hidden behind the wooden fence. Reaching Barry Buddon station, I had the choice of continuing on over the golf course to Carnoustie, or cutting up towards Barry village to catch a bus through Carnoustie. I chose the former option and pushed onwards. Swallows darted low over the fairways with Starlings and Oystercatchers foraging around on the short grass, with the occasional House Sparrow joining them. Pied Wagtail was also seen along by the golf course with Woodpigeons and a few Feral Pigeons on the roofs of the houses. A Whitethroat sang from a piece of waste ground near the Leisure Centre.

I scanned the shoreline on reaching the beach beyond the golf course. There were plenty Eiders by the water's edge and a Herring Gull and a Lesser Black Backed Gull side by side showed the differences between the two species well. A bit more scanning found a few Cormorants drying their wings further along the shore towards Westhaven, and a passing Common Gull. Swallows passed low along the beach catching flies. Starlings and House Sparrows were in the gardens. I wandered back down onto the beach to walk round to Westhaven. I was surprised to see a Wheatear hunting around among the seaweed halfway up the beach. A Pied Wagtail looked semi-promising for White Wagtail but I just wasn't 100% certain. I spotted a second Wheatear a few minutes later, a male this time, the earlier bird being a female. An Oystercatcher eyed me warily as it fed along the water's edge. I heard and then spotted a pair of Sandwich Terns which eventually dropped onto the rocks where another half dozen or so were standing. I headed up to cross the railway line, House Sparrows popping in and out of the ivy on the side of a house. A pair of Swifts swept round above the houses adding another species to the expanding day list. A Collared Dove was on a streetlight as I wandered out of the town towards Craigmill Den.

There wasn't much to be seen en route with only a few gulls out over the water and Woodpigeons and Carrion Crows closer to the road to be seen. There was nothing to be seen down on the burn at the bridge, so I headed up past the house where the dogs always manage to hear you pass, no matter how quietly you try to go. Loud barking ensued, as always. It was quiet in the Den, with not many birds out in the open. A Whitethroat flew down over the path and into the bushes. Further on a female Grey Wagtail called from up on the wires, and her mate called back and looked around for her from a small tree below. Further on I stopped to get better views of a Goldfinch when a male Blackcap landed on a branch just a few feet away for less than 5 seconds allowing me time enough to grab two photos. Up at the bridge another pair of Grey Wagtails were seen. There was no sign of the usual Buzzard in the area, so I headed back down along the path. A Robin popped out and the original Grey Wagtail pair were now down by the burn perched on the fence, the female with her bill holding two dead hoverflies. She disappeared down out of sight, to where I suspect they had a nest. The Whitethroat perched out in the open on the fence but my view was impeded by a fencepost so I didn't manage any photos.

I tried to decide whether to head back to Carnoustie and get the bus further on along the coast to Arbroath, or continue to walk on to Easthaven. As I reached the road I spotted a Kestrel hovering over the field by the railway line. It dropped into the long grass and came up with a vole in its grasp, flying up the Den with a Herring Gull following on a little behind. I decided to head for Easthaven. It was quiet with only a few Skylarks and a Reed Bunting seen before I reached the edge of the village. As usual, House Sparrows were in evidence and a Song Thrush hopped in below the hedge behind the bus shelter as two juvenile Blackbirds foraged on the grass. There was a small mixed group of birds on the grass beyond the railway line consisting of Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Starling and Pied Wagtail. I headed down to the beach but there were no waders to be seen. I wandered along the track to look for Stonechats but only succeeded in finding Reed Bunting. Walking back to try and catch the bus I spotted a Wheatear down on the beach but I lost sight of it before I could get a photo. Cutting back across the grass I found that three Greenfinches had joined the flock.

I didn't have too long to wait for the bus back towards Dundee. On the way back through Carnoustie I received a text message about a Temminck's Stint over at Letham Pools in Fife. I checked the times of the buses from Dundee bus station and worked out that it might just about be possible to catch the bus over, have a look for the bird, hopefully find it, then catch the next bus back. As we arrived back in Dundee, we seemed to catch every traffic light and the window of opportunity narrowed that little bit more. As things worked out a quick sprint down to the bus station resulted in me being the last passenger on board the X54 to Edinburgh and I was of to Fife to twitch a small wader without a scope to help me. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was worth a try.

I got to Letham around 1510 and wandered along the road to scan the pools. A few Coots were out on the water, with one or two Lapwings around the edges. Gadwall, Shoveler, Mallard and Shelduck plus a few Tufted Ducks shared the water, mostly in the left hand pool. I scanned the shoreline slowly and carefully finding a surprising Pink Footed Goose lying in the grass beyond the pool. Oystercatchers and a single Redshank were easy to spot, but a Little Ringed Plover demonstrated just how tricky my task was with just a pair of binoculars to help me, appearing tiny and very hard to see. With the Stint being even smaller the lack of other birders and/or a scope was making things very tricky. I kept trying however and found a single Dunlin. A few Greylags were in the field with Mute Swans. I changed viewpoint a few times but still had little luck.

As I headed back towards the bus stop I spotted a small grey and white wader near the top corner. Unfortunately the bus was more or less due. I decided to scan from the bus stop and hope that if it was the Stint I could get some pics, or if need be spend an extra hour trying for better views to confirm the ID. As it turned out I managed to identify not one but two birds which were feeding near to each other. They weren't the Stint but a pair of Common Sandpipers. I got a few photos then packed up quickly as the bus came round the bend.  I headed for home having seen 59 species and walked further than planned.

Species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Dunlin, Eider, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Ringed Plover, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Shoveler, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tufted Duck, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.