0067 : Duck, Did It Stay? (22/6/14)

Great Crested Grebe

Redshank

Shoveler

Dunnock

Lesser Redpoll

Sedge Warbler

Moorhen

Black Headed Gulls

Yellow Shell moth

Common Blue Damselfly

Common Blue butterfly

Possible Ring Necked Duck?

Osprey

Jay

Jay

Osprey

Grey Heron

Osprey

My pal, Jacqui Herrington was quite keen to try and get some photos of the Great Crested Grebe chicks at Forfar Loch so we arranged to head up there and then onto Murton Natuer Reserve to try for the recently reported Ring Necked Duck before finishing off a slightly shorter day out than usual at Balgavies Loch further on. The weather forecast was relatively favourable so things were promising for a decent day out.

The usual suspects went on the list just after leaving the house - Herring Gull, Starling and House Sparrow. House Martin was slightly more unusual close to home. Jacqui had driven closer to home to pick me up, although had I not decided to pop into the wee shop she was parked outside I might have walked right past without noticing her car, being distracted as usual by the sounds and sights of the birds.

Heading up the Forfar Road with the top down on Jacqui's wee convertible allowed us to add Swifts, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and eventually a Swallow as we turned off the dual carriageway near Forfar. As we turned in towards the leisure centre car park we spotted a Dunnock. Black Headed and Herring Gulls were both apparent over the water as we walked down towards the water. As well as a few nests close in to the shoreline, there were quite a few pairs of Great Crested Grebes dotted round out on the loch, some with youngsters. There were also plenty Mallards around as always, mostly congregated where they might easily get fed by passers-by.

While Jacqui headed down to try to get shots of the nearer nests, I scanned around the Loch to see what else was around. Coots argued with themselves and other birds out on the water. A few Greylags hung around near the Mallards. A Moorhen swam by and a Grey Heron flew in. A few Mute Swans could be seen much further out towards the western end of the Loch. A few Sand Martins scooted round above the birds on the water with one or two Swifts and Swallows doing likewise, feeding on the insects in the air. Tufted Ducks dived below the surface for a few seconds before bobbing back up again. A Lesser Black Backed Gull glided over in company with the Herring Gulls. A Little Grebe swam along the waters' edge
near the overhanging vegetation on the north side where the Gadwall and some Mallards were roosting. A small area of exposed mud held a family group of five Redshanks, not a particularly common sight at the eastern end of the Loch.

Another family group of birds flitted through the trees behind us with contact calls ringing out. A group of around a dozen Long Tailed Tits broke cover to fly to the larger group of trees by the corner. A sleeping Shoveler drake was another surprise in the same area as the Redshank family, but on the water rather than the mud. A few Oystercatchers flew by peeping loudly as always.  We headed up towards the trees, adding Reed Bunting and Sedge Warbler en route and Robin, Blackbird and Chaffinch once we were on the path through the trees. A couple of male Blackcaps showed reasonably well in among the greenery. From the trees by the path a Woodpigeon watched us as we walked by.

Further along the path we found a male Yellowhammer and a party of three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 adults and a youngster, stopped briefly in the trees near where we were standing. We headed along the path, passing dog walkers and families out for a wee Sunday wander. Goldfinches sang in the treetops, and a Wren loudly proclaimeed his territory from an exposed branch. We heard a Goldcrest singing in the conifers and managed to spot it among the thin branches as it foraged around above our heads.

As we neared the sailing club spit I heard Lesser Redpoll overhead and spotted another high in a tree. Jacqui managed to find a pair of Bullfinches but I missed them while watching the Redpoll. On the stones at the spit, a Common Sandpiper and a Pied Wagtail crossed paths as they searched for food. A Cormorant flew by low over the water. We headed back to the car adding Blue Tit, a family of Great Tits and a Song Thrush to the day list before heading off towards our next stop at Murton.

Driving into the car park we passed a small group of Rooks loitering near the entrance, unconcerned by the car passing by so close. We headed into the hide by the car park to scan around in the hope of picking out the Ring Necked Duck which had been seen a few times during the previous week or so. Unfortunately the Tufted Duck flock was mostly sleeping on the mud by the other main pool, and a scope would be needed to go through them properly. Out in front of the hide, the Black Headed Gull colony was very busy with brown and white youngsters hard to pick out against the dry earth and scattered feathers and droppings. Coot, Mallard and Mute Swans were on the water with a few Lapwings, Oystercatchers and Pied Wagtails around the edges. A few Greylags could also be seen further away. A Great Crested Grebe was a surprise here too.

We wandered down to the next hide but as it was locked we had to scan the other pool from the side. As there was no sign of movement among the Tufties it was difficult to even decide if the Ring Necked Duck was even possibly there among the flock. There were one or two contenders but I couldn't be sure without seeing the bill, which was tucked away among the feathers. We wandered round the path through the reserve, with lots of Yellow Shell moths and Common Blue damselflies and Ringlet and Meadow Brown butterflies flying around among the long grass and wild flowers. There were plenty Sand Martins around the nest bank and we stopped here briefly to watch them zip around. Heading up through the small young wooded area we found two Willow Warblers flycatching. A female Tufted Duck was on the small pool near the eastern end and a pair of Collared Doves flew up from the other side of the road beyond the fence.

We stopped in at the third hide and scanned again. Greylags, Coot, Lapwings, Gadwall, Mallards and a Pink Footed Goose, as well as a few Teal were spotted from here as well as more Pied Wagtails flitting around and a Reed Bunting singing. Once again it was difficult to be sure whether we could see the Ring Necked Duck with one bird in particular looking like a possibility owing to the shape of the white patch on its side. Although the shape was different to the more squared off general appearance of the same patch on the other ducks, google later confirmed that Tufted Ducks can also show a similar shape to the white area. The head shape was not distinct enough to make the call however, but I did take some photos with the hope of being able to check on the computer at home later.

We wandered back to the car to pick up the scope to scan through the Tufties with a bit of help, but despite having a better view the bills stayed mostly tucked away, although once or twice a promising looking candidate would lift its head showing the tuft on the back of the head briefly and ruling it out of the running. All mildly frustrating but good practice for looking 'properly' at birds. We then headed back to the car to head for our last stop at Balgavies not too far along the road.

The breeding Osprey pair here were perched on the dead tree next to the nest tree with their backs to us. The feeders were pretty quiet but a Jay flew in for a minute or two, although it spent most of the time on the feeders which is never a great option for a photo opportunity, but we both took photos anyway. Out on the water, Mallards, Greylags, Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks all swam around in small groups. A Goldeneye pair was a slight surprise but gave us another species for the list. Woodpigeons and Jackdaws overflew, while a Reed Bunting sang from the reeds out front. A Moorhen picked its way through the water lilies and an adult and juvenile Grey Heron loafed around near one another. A Cormorant flew west past the hide. One, then the other, Osprey took to the air with both birds circling round together for a short while. As Jacqui had to be home quite early we headed back to the car to head for home. A Buzzard was seen from the A90 just outside Forfar and walking back from the drop off point I watched House Martins, Swifts, Blackbirds and Herring Gulls.

A decent enough day out, though not seeing the Ring Necked Duck was a minor disappointment. The species was a bogey bird of mine about 4 years ago when it took repeated visits to a site in Fife to finally see the species. 55 species seen was a decent return for our efforts.


Species seen - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Rook, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Shoveler, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Tufted Duck, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer. 

0066 : Birds And Beasties (21/6/14)

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Feral Pigeon

House Sparrow

Cormorant

Red Throated Diver

Whitethroat

Common Carpet moth

Azure Damselfly

Shaded Broad Bar

Roe Deer kid

Bumblebee on Orchid

Clouded Border moth

Meadow Brown

Straw Dot moth

Nettle Tap moth

unidentified micro moth

Ringlet

Blue Tailed Damselflies

Brown China-Mark

Bearded Tit

June tends to be a quiet time for birds and birding in general with too much foliage on the trees and nothing new around, although there is still a good chance of something out of the ordinary showing up. If you get a dry, sunny and not too windy day however, there can be plenty of insect life around to catch the eye (and the camera). My pal, Steph Cowie has been very busy for most of the year so our trips out have been fairly limited in number. However, with a large chunk of the day free we made arrangements to get out for 5 or 6 hours. Killiecrankie was a bit too far for Steph to drive, so we settled on the Tay Reedbeds around Errol.

Steph arranged to pick me up around 0930, so I made the decision to pop down to City Quay to check on the current moult state of Dave, the resident Red Throated Diver at City Quay. Dave (who could just as easily be a Davina) has been 'trapped' in City Quay for at least 18 months with a combination of a badly damaged wingtip and a damaged lock gate contributing to his enforced stay. Despite this, he remains healthy with plenty of fish to feed on and mostly disinterest from the local gulls and public alike.

I left the house at around 0835 to walk down to the river. The birds en route were fairly typical fare with Herring Gull, Swift, Starling and Woodpigeon all seen within the first few minutes.Lesser Black Backed Gull, Feral Pigeon and House Sparrow were added as I neared the City Centre area. Passing the bus station, there were plenty of Herring Gulls in evidence on the shed roofs where they breed.

It didn't take any effort at all to locate Dave at City Quay, as he was sleeping in front of the Taza restaurant out on the water. He did wake up but was unconcerned by my presence, proceeding to preen and give himself a shake after his sleep. Since my last visit he was showing a lot less white on his face and there was the start of the red patch on his throat just beginning to form. Not quite in breeding plumage but certainly heading in that direction. I managed a nice selection of photos before wandering off to see if there was anything else around. A Cormorant was in the outer Quay, a Feral Pigeon posed on the rope holding the Unicorn in place and a small family group of House Sparrows foraged around on the ground among the cobble stones. The Herring Gulls eyed me suspiciously as I passed by the dry dock.

I headed along the front of the flats scanning out over the river. Only Herring Gulls and a single Great Black Backed Gull were to be seen though. I headed back to get a few more photos of Dave and to wait for Steph to arrive. When she did we headed off along Riverside Drive to join the dual carriageway to Perth. Black Headed Gulls and Carrion Crow were added by the playing fields, with a Swallow over the airport car park and a Buzzard circling above Riverside Nature Park.

A Chaffinch near Grange was next onto the list for the day but there was little else to see until we parked in Errol at the top of Gas Brae. House Martin, Swallow and Swift all swept around the roofs as Steph got herself organised. A few Jackdaws perched on the chimneys and Goldfinch and Feral Pigeon both overflew. Heading off downhill there were House Sparrows by the edge of the village. A wildlife garden has been created near the foot of the hill and this is always a good place to see Whitethroat and Yellowhammer, both of which showed on cue. In addition another flock of House Sparrows and a couple of Blackbirds were seen here. I heard a commotion across the fields to the west with lots of calling from clearly agitated Carrion Crows. As expected a raptor was to blame for the noise. Not a Buzzard or Sparrowhawk as would usually be the case but a female Marsh Harrier. The Crows saw it off across the fields and we lost sight of it as it headed over the mature tree line towards the reedbeds and river.

A singing Skylark was picked out high in the sky. By the small drainage ditch, Steph stopped to photograph a male Reed Bunting while I looked for a singing Sedge Warbler and a Yellowhammer doing likewise. We were accosted by a barking dog whose owner, as is usually the case, failed to either control her dog, or apologise for the disturbance. My monopod got the blame for her dog's irritation and off she wandered.

We headed down to scan over the reeds past the house. We could hear Chiffchaff in the trees and a Blackcap singing as well, but neither were seen. A Roe Deer broke cover and headed back into the reeds. There was no sign of any Bearded Tits or Marsh Harriers unfortunately but our first moth of the day, a Common Carpet was seen here. A singing Linnet was in a small tree and we loitered for a short while in the hope that our luck would bring us Beardies, but it wasn't to be so we headed up into the trees to walk along the path to the pools at Port Allen. I spotted a Grey Squirrel darting into cover as we walked up towards the start of the path but there was no sign of it. We could hear plenty of birds - Wrens, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Sedge Warblers and even a Grasshopper Warbler, but they remained out of sight. On reaching the nettlebed area that overlooks the reeds we stopped to scan.

Blue Tailed Damselflies floated above and through the nettles while Chiffchaffs sang from the trees nearby. Sedge Warbler and a Blue Tit perched in a small tree in front of us. Reed Buntings were the most numerous birds out in the reeds but again we drew a blank on Bearded Tits. We eventually managed to see a Chiffchaff in the trees behind us and an Azure Damselfly munching on a greenfly was a nice bonus. By the remains of a couple of puddles on the path the vegetation and muddy ruts were alive with toadlets and just one lone froglet. Two male Blackcaps were spotted in the trees a little further on. The track along the back of the pools was overgrown with bracken and nettles so we decided to scan the reeds as best we could from within the trees along the path. Scanning through a gap in the branches I spotted the first definite Bearded Tit of the day as it flew just above the reed tops, wings whirring.


Out on the pools, we could see Mallards and Coots and a Grey Heron lifted from the waters edge as we approached. Not too much further on a second bird did likewise. Better views of the pools gave us Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe and Tufted Duck, plus Shoveler and Wigeon too. An Oystercatcher flew by, calling loudly. Steph decided to stop for lunch by the wee bridge and I decided to explore along by the second pool. A Great Tit flew into the bushes and the two Grey Herons flew past again. There were lots of small grass moths and damselflies apparent as I walked through the grass. I was hoping to hear Grasshopper Warbler with a slim chance of seeing one but I was out of luck. The insect life however made up for it with a nice selection of moths, some of which I hadn't seen before. Shaded Broad Bar, Clouded Border and Nettle Tap I had seen before, but Straw Dot and Brown China-Mark as well as a small micro moth species I hadn't. There were also lots of Ringlet butterflies and a few Meadow Browns.

I had a close encounter with a Roe Deer kid which I could hear running around in the trees, calling for its mum. I stood quietly as it ran down the hill towards me before stopping around 20 feet away from me, peering out from below an overhanging branch. I took a few photos then walked back to tell Steph. She was on her way to join me having finished lunch, but there was no sign of the deer. A family of Great Tits showed in the bushes and we spotted a distant Osprey out over the river to the east as we headed back from our exploration. We spent a bit more time photographing the insects though a few Clegs taking an interest in my legs had me moving on quickly to avoid a bite or two. The vegetation down by the water was alive with Brown China-Mark moths and I managed to get a variety of photos.

A shower of rain began so we headed into the trees to head back towards Errol. We stopped to scan the reeds and I immediately spotted a perched Bearded Tit near the bank on the other side of the pool. Unfortunately it chose the moment I raised my camera to get a photo to fly away. I did manage two poor blurry record shots though. Sand Martins, Swallows, House Martins, Reed Buntings and Sedge Warbler added to the challenge of picking out a Beardie through a very limited field of view. We wandered around to the nettle bed again, careful to avoid stepping on the toadlets, to scan again. We did manage to spot a distant Marsh Harrier as it quartered above the reeds. It flew in our general direction before turning backeastwards again. We decided to hurry along and hope that the bird was near the open area in front of the house.

Robin, Chaffinch, Wren and another Grey Squirrel were seen as we made our way through the trees. Unfortunately the view out over the reeds was quite poor so we drew a blank on the Harrier and birds in general were in short supply. With time wearing on we headed back uphill towards the village. Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting and Whitethroat being seen on the way with House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Swallow, House Martin and Swift in the village. We headed back to Dundee, having been out an hour or so longer than planned but having had an enjoyable day.

45 species of birds seen - Bearded Tit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coot, Cormorant, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Grebe, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Red Throated Diver, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Shoveler, Skylark, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tufted Duck, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.

Butterflies - Ringlet, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Green Veined White.
Moths - Straw Dot, Shaded Broad Bar, Common Carpet, Clouded Border, Nettle Tap, Brown China-Mark, (unidentified micro moth), Grass Veneer.
Damselflies - Azure Damselfly, Blue Tailed Damselfly
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit, Roe Deer, Seal
Amphibians - Common Toad, Common Frog

0065 : Northern Lights (15/6/14)

Little Tern

King Eider

King Eider

Juvenile Black Headed Gull

Arctic Tern

Grey Seal

Common Eider

Sandwich Tern

Grey Heron

Tree Sparrow juvenile

Blue Winged Teal

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Guillemot and Puffin

Kittiwake, Razorbills and Guillemots

Loch of Strathbeg is probably one of my favourite nature reserves as you never know what might turn up, and anything can and does from Caspian Terns to Bluethroats. Unfortunately the distance from Dundee makes it a reserve I have only been lucky enough to visit a handful of times. However, the presence of a Hoopoe a few miles down the road at Mintlaw tempted my pal, Jacqui Herrington into a trip northwards to try and get a colourful lifer for her 260th Scottish bird. With both Strathbeg and Ythan estuary within striking distance a plan was hatched to try and see some good birds.

We had planned tentatively to start early but the England v Italy World Cup match late kick off meant that we would instead leave around 0845, arriving at Strathbeg somewhere around 11am, hopefully with a Hoopoe on the list en route. Jacqui arranged to pick me up at our regular spot, so I left the house at about 0835. Most of the usual suspects were seen as I walked along the road - Starling, Blackbird, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, a rather noisy Oystercatcher and a Lesser Black Backed Gull or two. While waiting I also added House Martins, Swifts and House Sparrow then Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow as Jacqui arrived.

The road north was relatively quiet but so was the birdlife with only a few species seen between Dundee and Aberdeen. A Curlew flew across the road and a Buzzard drifted by, Jackdaws and Rooks were by the roadside in fields but overall there wasn't much to see. Mallard and Mute Swan were seen as we passed by Loirston Loch and a few Swallows swooped around. On the northern outskirts of Aberdeen we added Magpie and on the road into Newburgh we saw a few Pied Wagtails.

As the tide was quite low we had decided to pop in to the Ythan estuary first to try and see the local celebrity bird, Elvis the King Eider, a rather handsome drake who spends a large chunk of the year with the resident Common Eider flock. We also had the added bonus of Little Terns, a scarce species in Angus these days. Anything else would be a bonus. As we parked the car and got out armed with cameras and binoculars, a local lady asked us if we were here to see Elvis. Answering in the affirmative with a smile, off we headed through the dunes towards the mouth of the river. Swallows and House Martins were circling round high above the golf course with a few Sand Martins among the group. Black Headed Gulls glided over and a Great Tit flew ahead of us into the gorse.

On reaching the edge of the dunes we could see the river with a few hundred Eiders on the water and on the opposite shoreline. Arctic Terns and Herring Gulls flapped ad glided by. A few Oystercatchers foraged along the waters' edge among the ducks. Little Terns swept past at speed, their calls and size making them rather obvious among their larger family members, and giving me a year tick in the process. We both scanned through the ducks with Jacqui succeeding in locating Elvis first, near the far shore as he bathed and preened before waddling up the bank. We took plenty of photos of him with the Grey Seals coming to within a few feet of us to check us out, giving us yet another subject to photograph. Having twice seen the female King Eider on the Forth this year, the King Eider wasn't a year tick but it was my first opportunity to get close photos of a drake, my only previous sighting being a very distant bird off Burghead.

A Grey Heron with a fish in its bill flew upstream and we wandered along the exposed oyster beds to check out the Tern colony opposite. In addition to the Little and Arctics we also managed to see some Commons and Sandwich Terns also. A Cormorant flew over from the direction of the river mouth, and a Shelduck flew round behind us heading upriver. A singing Skylark high in the sky above the golf course was pin-pointed against the clouds, before a Ringed Plover took flight from the shoreline. Having decided to not spend too long at the Ythan we headed back for a few more photos of Elvis before heading back through the dunes to the car to head for Mintlaw. We added Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Wren, Sedge Warbler and Yellowhammer as we walked back along the sandy tracks.

We stopped just to the north of the village to scan the river in the hope of a possible Spoonbill but in addition to Mute Swan, Mallard and Shelduck the only new bird seen was Great Black Backed Gull. With some very precise directions to the garden where the Hoopoe had been seen we located the site, but the lady who had seen the bird and allowed access to her garden informed us that the bird had only been seen for a short while on the previous Wednesday. Slightly disappointed but not too surprised by the bird no longer being present we headed off towards Loch of Strathbeg via the back roads. More Pied Wagtails, Jackdaws, Pheasant, Starlings and Swallows were seen before we reached the reserve.

A few Swallows swept around the shed where the car park is located and Tree Sparrows could be heard chirping in the trees behind. The visitor centre was rather busy with around half a dozen other birders already in. Thankfully, one of them, Trevor Donaldson from Aberdeen (who had been the first birder I reached when I rushed back to raise the alarm about the Red Flanked Bluetail in Denburn Wood last October) recognised me and proceeded to tell us what was around. The list included a Blue Winged Teal - a lifer for both myself and Jacqui, which Trevor showed us with the benefit of having his scope already on the bird. A roosting Little Gull was also a nice bonus. An American Wigeon had also been seen but as with a previous visit it remained hidden while Jacqui and I were around. A drake Wigeon, a few Teal, Mallards and Common and Arctic Terns completed the list from the centre. I managed a few distant record shots of the Blue Winged Teal but the bird slept most of the time in the long grass with only a hint of the white crescent on the face visible.

We decided to walk to the other nearby hide, just in case there was anything interesting around. En route we were joined by a juvenile Tree Sparrow which flew along the path in front of us. A Blue Tit flew over and a Whitethroat sang from the bushes before giving a short display flight. From the hide we could see Oystercatcher, Jackdaw, Mallard, Mute Swan and Reed Bunting but it was mostly pretty quiet so we decided to head back to take the car round to the airfield hides. A few more Tree Sparrow youngsters posed for a few photos and a female Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over and landed on a dead tree.

We added Collared Dove as we passed through the village heading towards the old airfield where a stock car event was taking place. We managed to get lost slightly but worked out where we had gone wrong and headed along to the correct car park area. We had been tipped off about Sparrowhawk and Great Spotted Woodpecker nests by the track to the hide. We saw both but the Sparrowhawk nest was empty. The GSW nest was rather noisy although the tree didn't look big enough to have a nest chamber in it. An adult bird flew off as we approached. The wind was increasing so the hoped for Bearded Tits were going to be tricky and the Savi's Warbler which had been seen and heard from the hide even more so. Swallows and Common Terns flew by over the water. Distant Mute Swans and Cormorants plus Mallards and Tufted Ducks could be seen out on the water. A Bearded Tit flew by but too fast to get a photo. My first of the year. We did manage a few more sightings of these wee birds but they were very fleeting glimpses. Jacqui spotted a Greylag flying by. As there was some rain beginning to blow through we decided to head back to the car.

Rather than make one long journey straight back home we decided to make a short detour to the seabird colony at the Bullers of Buchan near Cruden Bay. From the car park we heard and then saw a Corn Bunting across the road in the vegetation. We walked down to the cliffs where we could see some of the breeding seabirds. A few Fulmars glided round over the bay, with Kittiwakes and a few Carrion Crows visible on the cliffs. A Razorbill was down on the water and a Herring Gull drifted by. More seabirds were on the cliffs at the next inlet, with a mixture of Fulmar, Kittiwake, Razorbill, Guiilemot (including a "bridled" bird) and Shag. I spotted a Puffin flying out over the water, and another in the water near a Guillemot. Unlike off Angus and Fife there were no Gannets to be seen. Great Black Backed Gull and Feral Pigeon completed the list here before we headed back to the car. A few miles further south our last new species of the day, Common Gull was seen in the fields by the road. Rook, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Swallow were all seen before we reached Dundee, with Swift, House Martin and a juvenile Carrion Crow seen as I walked back doen the road.

Checking online later we discovered that in addition to the Savi's Warbler and American Wigeon that had eluded us at Strathbeg, a Roseate Tern had shown up too. Had we somehow managed to connect with all three of us these what had been a very good day with 4 year ticks including a lifer for both of us, would have been an exceptional day of 4 lifers and 3 further year ticks in June (the quiet month)! Still, that would be getting greedy...

We saw 62 species in total (year ticks in bold) -
Arctic Tern, Bearded Tit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Blue Winged Teal, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Tern, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Curlew, Eider, Fulmar, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, King Eider, Kittiwake, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Gull, Little Tern, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Puffin, Razorbill, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shag, Shelduck, Skylark, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.