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| Little Gulls |
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| Common Scoters |
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| Dunlin |
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| Tern flock |
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| Buzzard |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Linnets |
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| Red Admiral |
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| House Martin |
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| Fish jumping |
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| Peregrine |
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| Crossbill |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Wren |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Siskin |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Moth Fly |
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| Snipe and Moorhen |
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| Snipe |
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| Osprey |
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| Little Ringed Plover |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Ospreys |
One of the good things about the internet and social media is that you cross paths with folk you otherwise might never meet. One of these is now an avid reader of this very blog, Rhona Forrester. I first chanced upon Rhona via Facebook as she is involved with the Beavers on the Ericht with Bob Smith, whose blog page I had 'liked'. I met Rhona in person earlier in the year to show her round Riverside Nature Park where we managed to see a good mix of wildlife and had a good chat on the way round. With a day off work planned for a Monday, I had posted on Facebook pondering on where to go. Rhona said she was at a loose end and wouldn't mind a day out birding if the opportunity was there. We arranged to meet at around 0830 the following morning and head around Angus stopping at various good spots for birds, hopefully allowing Rhona to see, and photograph, some species she hadn't seen before. It turned out to be a very good day out....
Rhona was early by a few minutes, arriving just before 0830. I ran through the rough plan for the day which met with her approval. We set off, Herring Gull and Swift the first few species onto the list for the day. Passing Swannie Ponds allowed Mallard to be added, with Carrion Crow seen on the central reservation of the Kingsway. Woodpigeon was seen as we headed out past Douglas heading towards Broughty Ferry and our first stop at Balmossie where the Dighty Burn meets the Tay.
House Sparrows and Starlings were on the roofs and in the bushes in the gardens when we got out of the car, with Goldfinches flying over as we crossed the footbridge over the railway line. A few Swallows swept by heading westwards upriver, most likely on migration. Down by the water's edge a small flock of Oystercatchers and Redshanks were roosting, with Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gulls further out on the water. A large number of Mute Swans completed the easily seen birds. A bit of scanning through the birds out on the water produced Mallards, Eiders and Goosander. Black Headed Gulls flew by but there was no sign of the usual small waders flock. A Pied Wagtail flew down onto the beach. Sand Martins and House Martins followed the flight path of the earlier Swallows heading west, a few feet above the ground, into the wind. I scanned out towards Tentsmuir Point and managed to pick up a single Gannet which I managed to get Rhona onto eventually, watching it flying upriver, with the forest behind it.
We headed for Carnoustie next, deciding against stopping at Monifieth. Curlews were in the fields opposite the golf course as we left Monifieth giving us another day tick. Lesser Black Backed and Herring Gulls were side by side on the beach at Carnoustie, near the leisure centre. A few Sandwich Terns flitted past noisily. Well out in the bay a single Common Scoter was with a small group of Eiders. My attention was drawn to a small group of birds at first on the water then taking flight. These turned out to be a small group of Little Gulls soon joined by a couple of Common Terns. A few Goosanders were also seen closer in to shore with Mallards also around. A few House Sparrows flew down to feed among the seaweed alongside Pied Wagtails but there were no Rock Pipits to be seen. Swallows streamed by westwards as they had at Balmossie. Carrion Crows and Woodpigeons were seen as we drove along towards Westhaven.
At Westhaven there was no shortage of birds with hundreds of Terns out on the rocky shore, all taking to the air in a great cloud of Common, Arctic and Sandwich Terns with a few Herring, Lesser Black Backed, Common and Black Headed Gulls amongst them. More Swallows headed west. Oystercatcher and a single Dunlin fed in the shallows by the edge of the beach. Whimbrel was heard but only a couple of Curlews were picked out among the Tern frenzy. A few Eiders slept on the rocks, and a couple of Redshanks flew ahead of us as we attempted to get better views of the Terns. Pied Wagtails foraged in the washed up seaweed picking on the flies. The House Sparrows were in their usual haunts in the ivy and the hedges by the houses.
Our next stop was at Craigmill Den, where we hoped to see Dipper and Grey Wagtail in particular. The burn to the north end of the road was completely hidden by the rhubarb-like plants that covered the area. With no chance of seeing most of the burn, we headed towards the path through the Den. Woodpigeons clattered up through the trees but it was initially at least rather quiet with nothing to see until we were around halfway along the path. A few Yellowhammers and Linnets were up on the wires but flew off as we got closer. Goldfinches provided closer views in one of the Elders. With the sun at our back, birds were easier to see as we turned back towards where the car was parked. A family of Linnets showed very well for a few seconds, along with a Reed Bunting nearby. A Wren showed briefly among the undergrowth. Great Tit and Willow Warbler shared a bush with what hinted at a possible Garden Warbler, though it disappeared further into the trees before I got a conclusive view. A Buzzard took to the air from the trees near the farm as House Martins and Swallows milled around above. A Red Admiral butterfly in pristine condition showed well on the path in front of us. A Common Sandpiper was a surprise near the right angle bend at the top of the Den, flying off before we spotted it stood by the river. The same, or possibly a second, bird was seen a moment or two later just before we bumped into Bob McCurley who was out touring round Angus too.
Arbroath near the harbour was our next stop, in the hope of Mediterranean Gull. I suspect we were a bit too far to the east, but we did have good views of House Martins stopping for a few seconds down on the beach with Swallows landing on the grass near the car. Cormorants, Great Black Backed and Herring Gulls were on the breakwater. A few Pied Wagtails and Starlings foraged around with Oystercatchers dotted around in the harbour area. A Curlew was on the rocks near the water.
We headed off towards the cliffs for another stop. More Pied Wagtails flitted around on the grass by the road in, with a few Linnets and Goldfinches too. Black Headed Gulls roosted on the football pitches. One or two Carrion Crows flew down onto the beach. Terns - Arctic, Common and Sandwich again called as they flapped their way back and forwards not too far offshore with a spot of diving to liven things up from time to time. Below the terns a few Oystercatchers and Redshanks foraged among the seaweed, with Eiders in eclipse plumage roosting on the rocks. A few Gannets passed much further out to sea. A calling Rock Pipit turned out to be a youngster calling for its parents to come and feed it, which they did. A Woodpigeon flew down for a drink. As we headed out of Arbroath we added a Jackdaw to the list.
We were hoping to see Corn Bunting at Boghead Farm but a calling bird was heard but not seen. A few Mallards were on the pool. Two Linnets overflew and a Pied Wagtail was on the farm buildings with a beakful of insects bound for a nearby nest or youngster. A singing Yellowhammer was scant consolation for the lack of Corn Buntings but the strong wind was probably the reason for the dearth of Corn Buntings at this usually reliable site. No Tree Sparrows were seen but a few House Sparrows were. Woodpigeons and Carrion Crows were the main birds seen as we made our way to Montrose Basin and The Lurgies.
The Lurgies can be hit or miss and with 'Autumn' wader passage having began we were hopeful that the former would be the case. As we got out of the car, we could hear the repetitive call of a raptor. Stepping out into the open from the small car park an Osprey overhead was the first bird seen, and our first, but not the last, of the day. A few Mallards were further down river with Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls stood around on the mud opposite. Mute Swans were a bit more distant but still very obvious, their white shapes easily picked out. Before setting off along the path I spotted some splashing just out from the burn outflow. This turned out to be a very active shoal of fish, some jumping in unison, others alone, in a very small patch of water. Quite unusual to see.
We stopped and scanned at various points along the path, adding Black Headed Gull, Curlew, .Redshanks and Lapwings. In the bushes along the path, a Chiffchaff, a few Blackbirds and a Dunnock were seen. As we neared the bend, more Lapwings lifted as we came into view. A Curlew and a Common Sandpiper were nearer the river. A Common Tern flew in. A small group of Canada Geese wandered over the mud, stopping to pick at things from time to time. Sand Martins flew overhead and a single Goosander swam downstream. Butterflies showed quite well - Whites, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral in particular though as it was quite warm they never settled for very long. One or two Oystercatchers picked through the mud near the other waders and geese, as Jackdaws and Carrion Crows hung around nearby.
We moved further on upriver, hoping for Green Sandpiper. I spotted a Greenshank flying into the inlet opposite where it joined a small wader which turned out to be a Green Sandpiper. Another Common Sandpiper was nearby. Surprisingly, what was our first Grey Heron of the day flew into the same area. A Mallard with a youngster was up near the next bend but with a few more planned stops inland we decided to head back to the car. A Little Egret had been seen in the area but we drew a blank on it. While we stopped to look at a few butterflies, Swallows and Linnets overflew. A little further on, we had a pleasant surprise when a pair of Kingfishers shot by in tandem, like two low flying fast jets following the line of the river but at eye level rather than a foot above the water. A cacophony of noise broke out from the far side of the river as a large flock of mostly Sandwich Terns (with a few Common Terns and Black Headed Gulls amongst them) took to the air en masse. I suspected the presence of a raptor as the cause of the commotion and after taking a few quick photos of the Terns I spotted the culprit causing further disturbance downstream. A Peregrine Falcon. Both myself and Rhona managed to get poor photos of the bird and we watched it swoop at birds much further away before we lost sight of it in the melee.
We had a brief detour to Bridge of Dun where Linnets and Goldfinches were flying down onto the stones to drink while more Swallows zipped by. House Sparrows were in the bushes and weeds to the north of the bridge in good numbers. A few Sand Martins scooted around near what appeared to be nest holes in the banking. We jumped back in the car to head further inland to Montreathmont Forest in search of Green Woodpecker in particular. What may have been a Kestrel skimmed over the top of the roadside hedge as we headed up towards Maryton but the brief glimpse wasn't enough to positively ID the bird.
At Montreathmont Forest a few Wrens scolded from the vegetation as we set off along the path towards the hide, though they remained unseen. A Robin popped out as we passed. Ahead of us we could hear a repetitive call that I couldn't identify. It didn't sound quite right for a Great Spotted Woodpecker but I was struggling to think of what else it could be. It got louder as we neared the source and we stopped to scan the treetops as the call kept on repeating. Suddenly I spotted a bird much closer than I had suspected. The culprit was a Crossbill and it sat unconcerned by the two of us staring up at it and I snapped a sequence of photos though only a couple were even in focus. Rhona had left her big lens back in the car but took a few record shots anyway. We headed on after a minute or two.
At the Angus & Dundee Bird Club hide we sat and watched a selection of birds come down to the feeders with some perching a few feet in front of the hide before landing on the feeders. Blue, Coal and Great Tits were the most numerous, though Chaffinches and a pair of Yellowhammers also popped in. A young Wren peered into the hide from the tree at one end. Great Spotted Woodpeckers landed on the feeders before departing immediately without feeding, the sound of the cameras appearing to be enough to have them fly off. A Willow Warbler hunted for insects in a small bush behind the feeders. What may have been a Green Woodpecker swept through our field of view at speed but was nowhere to be seen when I peeked outside at the trees where it looked to be landing. A Dunnock foraged below the feeders and Rhona spotted a Siskin at the peanuts as we left the hide to head back to the car. Another Crossbill was spotted at the top of a tree as we walked back down the track before it flew off eastwards. A small family group of Bullfinches flew across the path into the trees to our left as we neared the car.
With time wearing on we moved on to our next stop at Balgavies Loch where we bumped into Jim Brown from Fife photographing the Osprey family, one of which took exception to a Carrion Crow and swooped at it. The feeders were rather quiet although Rhona was pleased to see, and photograph, a Red Squirrel which posed for a few minutes while nibbling on a peanut or two. Out on the water were Greylags, Mute Swans, Mallards and Tufted Ducks. There was no sign of any Jays but Woodpigeons and a Buzzard were seen along with Grey Heron. We had mistimed things slightly for a hoped for stop at Murton so decided to pop into Forfar Loch for our final stop of the day. A Collared Dove, our first of the day was seen near Rescobie Loch.
We parked by the Leisure Centre and wandered round to scan across Forfar Loch. Coot, Great Crested Grebe (1 still on a nest), Mallard, Tufted Duck, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull and Black Headed Gull were out on the water. Mute Swans and Little Grebes were dotted around as well with a few Greylags near the caravan park corner. A few Swifts overflew at speed. A Sedge Warbler popped up briefly before disappearing back down into the vegetation. A silted up area in the northeastern corner had a juvenile Black Headed Gull and a Moorhen wandering around on it, as well as four Common Snipe. We managed closer views of the Snipe before we headed off to the sailing club area to scan the 'spit'. House Sparrows, Goldfinches, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Woodpigeon were all seen with a Magpie calling but remaining frustratingly out of sight, Further on along the path Dunnock and Robin were added. House Martins, Sand Martins and Swallows glided round above the trees picking off insects.
Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull and Mute Swan were the first birds noticed out on the stony spit at the sailing club. We sat by the end of the hauled out boats and scanned through the birds and weedy ground. A couple of Dunlin, at least two Little Ringed Plovers juveniles, a Common Sandpiper plus Oystercatchers added to the list of waders at the Loch, with views of varying quality as the birds wandered around in front of us. We were chatting about some of the birds we had seen earlier in the day, as we sat in the early evening sunshine when the subject of Ospreys came up. I remarked that they could be seen at almost any decent sized stretch of water between Montrose Basin and Backwater Dam when I happened to glance up at a large bird off to me left. I nudged Rhona and gestured upwards with my head. An Osprey, right on cue. The bird made one unsuccessful dive and headed off down the loch, before returning and passing us again. We snapped away as the bird searched the Loch for potential targets. Swallows swooped around nearby, with Sand Martins skimming the water to drink.
A little later I asked Rhona if she was still watching the Osprey. She was. I had done a double-take when a second bird appeared to my right, a bit higher than the first. The two birds cruised down the Loch and there was a bit of a tussle between them with one swooping at the other and a short chase down to low level before they got back to their hunting. Although neither bird dived again while we watched, we had great views as they circled and passed back and forwards down the Loch. A Common Sandpiper wandered along below the boats by the shore but flew off a short distance when I edged towards it. While trying to relocate it a previously unseen Grey Wagtail flew out and across the water to the north side. There was still time to get another species on the day list before we headed back to the car with an overflying Lesser Redpoll being spotted as it flew over calling loudly. Finches and Tits were seen as we walked back to head back to Dundee and Rhona back to Perthshire.
A very enjoyable and bird-filled day out with a final total of 71 species seen (including 5 Ospreys). If we'd had the time we could probably have squeezed in a spot of seawatching at Scurdie Ness, a quick visit to Murton and maybe a wee run up Glen Moy as well as Kinnordy which may well have taken the total a good bit higher with a bit of luck, but as we had already been out for around 10 hours it was probably time to give up....although rather surprisingly we never managed to see a Feral Pigeon, as far as I can recall.
Species seen - Arctic Tern, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Crossbill, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Common Scoter, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Little Grebe, Little Gull, Little Ringed Plover, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Rock Pipit, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Siskin, Snipe, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tufted Duck, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.