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| Linnet and Reed Bunting |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| My First Osprey of 2014 |
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| My first Wheatear of 2014 |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Curlew |
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| Buzzards |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Tree Sparrow |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Little Ringed Plover |
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| Shovelers |
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| Ringed Plover |
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| Mute Swan with ring |
Following on from Saturday's quite successful visit to Riverside Nature Park, I was determined to get out on Sunday morning as heavy rain was forecast over much of the local area in the early afternoon. I decided the best option to add a few new species to the year-list was likely to be the Eden estuary again, but instead of going to the hide at Guardbridge and watching from there, I would be more pro-active and walk from St Andrews to Guardbridge along the Eden. I was hoping for at least Wheatear, with a chance of an Osprey passing through, maybe a Sand Martin or two and an outside chance of White Tailed Eagle. Anything else would be a bonus.
I left the house at around 0830 to walk into town to catch the bus to St Andrews. Herring Gull and House Sparrow were on the list within a few seconds with a pair of Goldfinches overflying and a Woodpigeon landing in a tree also quickly added. Next up was a Collared Dove which flew up onto a lamp post on Dens Road. A few Blackbirds and a Dunnock were foraging around in the gardens of the flats. A small flock of Feral Pigeons circled above Victoria Road and a Pied Wagtail with its telltale undulating flight and 'chissick' call headed over. A few more Herring Gulls and Feral Pigeons were seen as I made my way to the bus station. A Carrion Crow was seen as I boarded the 96A to St Andrews.
The 96A takes a rather circuitous route to its destination, going via Tayport and late routing via Strathkinness. Although the journey was longer, it offered the chance of more species at least in theory, than the more direct 99 bus. Theory turned out to be more productive than practice with only Herring Gulls, Starlings and Woodpigeons seen in any sort of numbers until we reached Leuchars where the rookery on the outskirts was active with the Rooks chasing each other around noisily. A few Jackdaws perched on chimneys in the village, with one upending and then disappearing down out of sight into one as the bus passed. A Grey Heron was stood by the Motray staring intently into the waters. It was very much a case of more of the same between here and St Andrews with Woodpigeons and Carrion Crows being very conspicuous in the fields and trees by the road.
At the bus station in St Andrews I decided to not take my usual route down to the Golf Museum to scan St Andrews Bay which would likely have added at least Fulmar and maybe a Red Throated Diver and Common Scoter to the list, choosing instead the more direct route down towards the Old Course Hotel. Long Tailed Tits acrobatically fed above the path, hanging from the branches a few feet above my head as I passed by. A couple of Robins squabbled territorially by the path and a Greenfinch called from a tree. A Wren peered at me from among the tangle of vegetation before disappearing into the thick of it. Crossing the main road to the golf complex, grey clouds were much in evidence over Angus but the sun was shining over the Eden. How long this situation would last was anyone's guess. As it turned out, it didn't last too long with clouds covering the sun before I had gone much further.
A few Oystercatchers probed around on the grass with Woodpigeons further over on the rugby pitches by the main road. A small group of Linnets nervously flitted onwards as I walked along by the wall. Rooks were again noisily proclaiming their territories in the tall trees by the car park. A male Chaffinch called from a small tree by the path across the golf course. Skylarks spiraled up singing loudly and a Reed Bunting perched in the top of a gorse bush next to a Linnet. A Meadow Pipit displayed and a few Woodpigeons flew up from an empty fairway. A few Yellowhammers flitted around among the bushes along the fairways. I hadn't gone much further when I heard someone hit a golf ball from a nearby fairway. Looking up I spotted the ball arcing quickly right at me. It bounced and ricocheted up, hitting me in the thigh as I turned to try and avoid it. Thankfully, it didn't hit me any higher on the body, or on my camera, but it was still a rather annoying moment, there having been no 'Fore!' shouted. To be fair, the golfer who hit the shot was very apologetic and as my leg didn't seem to be too sore, I accepted the apology and headed further on to the area near the George Evans hide.
Looking out over Balgove Bay, Shelducks were obvious out on the mud with the tide a bit further out than I was hoping. A pair of Meadow Pipits chased each other around and landed not far in front of me allowing me to get a couple of reasonable photos. Passing the hide, I clambered up onto the top of the seawall banking and scanned across the bay. As well as the Shelduck, Oystercatchers and around 7 distant pale-bellied Brent Geese could be seen well out in the bay. Curlews, Woodpigeons and a pair of Shelducks lifted from the fields to my left as I approached, with more Curlews and a few Redshanks noisily flying off further into the bay from the mud to the right. There are a couple of large wooden posts well out in the river which are favourite perches of Ospreys over the summer months, so these were an obvious place to search for the early returning birds. On the first post I checked, there was a large brown and white bird perched upright atop it. My first Osprey of 2014 and my first year-tick of the day.
Rain started to blow through, though it wasn't too heavy, but I hoped it wouldn't last as shelter was non-existent. I stopped briefly to have another look out over the bay and let out a loud cough. Suddenly a male Pheasant erupted loudly from practically right beneath my feet, where it had been resting in below some bent over long grass, unseen by me. A bit of a surprise, for me and the bird. A little further on I scanned along a field of turf and spotted my second new bird of the day - a rather smart male Wheatear. In the next field along, I could see a few swans dotted around so I dropped down onto the beach to avoid spooking them before I got a better view. When I popped up for a better look, I could see that they were Mute Swans with a single Greylag among them. They eyed me nervously but largely ignored me and I moved further on.
The grassy verge I was walking on was ridden with rabbit holes and I was spending as much time looking down as I was looking for birds. At one point, the ground gave way beneath one of my feet as the roof of a rabbit burrow collapsed under my weight. Thankfully, I felt it go and avoided injury. A Pied Wagtail flew down onto the beach where it wagged its tail and watched me pass by. I scanned the pools in the fenced off nature reserve area but there was nothing obvious. A male Sparrowhawk flew through low putting up the Teal which were well hidden among the tussocks by the pool edges. Without the hawk's intervention, the ducks would likely have remained unseen. I reached the tip of the triangular area of land and decided to stop for a breather and see what was around. This turned out to be a good decision as there was a lot of activity both further downriver and upriver too.
Among the Shelducks dotted around in pairs, Oystercatchers, Redshanks and Curlews were the most numerous waders though a large flock of Black Tailed Godwits were bunched together, some of the birds showing a lot of orange summer plumage. A small flock of waders in flight caught my eye and I snapped a short sequence of photos to try and ID them. These turned out to be Bar Tailed Godwits though two smaller birds with them couldn't be confidently identified. A pair of Eiders swam past a small sandbank where a Cormorant stood with its wings outstretched as a Carrion Crow hopped around behind it. I checked to see if the Osprey was still visible on its post further out in the estuary. It was, and it appeared to have a rather sizable fish hanging from below its talons, as a small group of Carrion Crows and a Great Black Backed Gulls loitered hoping for an opportunity to steal the catch. A flock of Wigeon flew downstream, followed a few minutes later by 4 Long tailed Ducks, 2 males and 2 females. A Grey Heron flew in to the sand bank where the Cormorant was resting and I managed to find a drake Mallard close in to shore. A few Herring Gulls were loitering on the mud over towards the paper mill.
As I set off again, I heard a bird calling and saw a lone wader fly past. It swung back round towards me and landed on another small islet out in the river. My suspicions proved correct and Greenshank was added to the list for the day. A Meadow Pipit landed on the shore and a Rook flew by slightly further out. A few Skylarks lifted skywards, drifting over on the wind singing continuously. Out to the east, a crow was harassing a raptor. It turned out to be a Buzzard, rather than the hoped for White Tailed Eagle. A Lesser Black Backed Gull glided by as I wandered up the dirt track to the main road. A Woodpigeon struggled to gain sufficient height to clear a hedge and landed more against it than on it as it tried to avoid flying in front of the fast moving traffic while still getting away from me. It did clear the hedge at the second attempt though. A Skylark flew over the horses at the farm as I neared Guardbridge. A Magpie flying over the fields opposite struggled to make headway against the wind. A few Starlings and a small vociferous flock of House Sparrows were seen before I reached the bridge over the Eden. A pair of Mallards fed out of the current between the bridges and flocks of Redshanks roosted along both banks of the river.
I headed to the hide next encountering a singing Chaffinch just inside the park gate by the shop. The hide was empty and I pulled up a chair and opened the window. A pair of Oystercatchers were on the mud in front of the hide with a few Redshanks nearby and also opposite. Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Blue Tit and Great Tit congregated at the feeders. A few Curlews probed their long curved bills in the soft mud on the far shoreline. Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls bathed by the bend in the river. A few Teal roosted along the bank though waterfowl was in short supply. A single Mallard, and much later a Mute Swan, swam in the river in front of the hide. The Osprey was still perched on its post way out in the river, although there was very little heat haze to distort the view. A Grey Heron around a mile away was easy to identify despite the distance as it wandered along the river's edge. Scanning through binoculars I found a Black Headed Gull wandering around on the mud towards RAF Leuchars. A young Cormorant with a prominent white belly stood in characteristic pose further downstream.
Two Buzzards rested in a small tree by the conifers looking very like a pair. They relocated down onto the small wildfowling hide a little later. Two Grey Herons hunted around the edges of the pools opposite the hide.
Another birder who I know from visiting the hide, Richard Bennie, and his son came in and we chatted while scanning through the birds. A few Carrion Crows foraged out on the mud. A Great Black Backed Gull flew out in front of the hide before swinging back round down the river. As a shower of rain began, Feral Pigeons from the paper mill flew over the river in a flock, wings whirring audibly. A wren sang from among the rocky slope directly in front of the hide before disappearing from sight again. Redshank numbers increased as the flock wandered along the mud below the hide. A Dunnock fed quietly below the feeders and a Tree Sparrow made a couple of visits to take advantage of the peanut supply while another bird chirped from a bush to the north of the hide. A few Siskins flew in for some food and a pair of Goldfinches argued and harried one another in the trees. A Woodpigeon strolled around below the feeders by the south facing window dwarfing the Chaffinches around it. A flock of Starlings flew up over by the Fife Bird Club hide. A small group of Pink Footed Geese wandered around by the horses at the farm, before flying a short distance as two young girls crossed the field. Another three geese flew past upriver.
I received a text message from Fife Bird Club notifying me of the sighting of Little Ringed Plover and Shoveler at Letham Pools. Both species that I hadn't yet seen this year. I read out the message, musing that I 'needed' both birds but that this time they would have to go unseen, given the location. Richard offered the chance to go for them as there wasn't much happening out front, and I very gratefully accepted. We headed for Cupar and then towards Howe of Fife. Birds were in short supply en route, with a few Buzzards and an unidentified flock of thrushes overflying the road, in addition to a few Pheasants dotted around.
There were plenty birds to be seen at Letham Pools however. We all scanned in different directions calling out species as we did so. I picked up a small plover on the shore which turned out to be a Ringed Plover. Two Little Ringed Plovers were a little further along and when they got too near, the slightly larger Ringed Plover chased them off. Tufted Ducks and Shoveler were on the water on my side of the car, with three Black Headed Gulls flying in to land by the Ringed Plover. A pair of Wigeon fed on the bank while a male Gadwall slept. Coot, Oystercatcher and a Curlew fed in the field. A Redshank wandered along the shoreline as the wind whipped across the large pools, shaking the car. On the other side, three Common Gulls perched on the fence dividing the flooded field. Two Shelducks swam among the Tufted Ducks and Gadwall. A female Goosander dived and resurfaced closer to us. Teal were dotted around along the edges, mostly sleeping with the odd Mallard around too. I heard a Pied Wagtail and couldn't locate it until I spotted it in the middle of the road not far in front of the car.
Richard moved the car forward to scan a different part of the pool. Three Greylags and a small group of Mute Swans were feeding on the grass. The Little Ringed Plovers scooted around to different parts of the pool edges, but never particularly close. There were also a few Lapwings around at various points but surprisingly we didn't manage to see any Snipe. A Carrion Crow perched on a distant fence post as a Lesser Black Backed Gull dropped in. Three Sand Martins, another year-tick, flew across the road in front of the car before doubling back with the wind behind them. A Buzzard hovered over Mountcastle Quarry, hanging in the strong wind. We could see that one of the Mute Swans was ringed so we pulled further forward to try and read the code, a male Reed Bunting touched down briefly on the fence by the road as we drove off. After a bit of effort and a few photos we decided that the adult Mute Swan was coded JVF on a pale green ring. Richard spotted that a young bird was also ringed. This one took a bit more effort to ascertain but we eventually settled on PJT. I suspect that they are both probably birds from around Dundee somewhere, as I have seen others with similar coloured rings but I could be wrong, and I will report the birds online and see what the reply says about the birds' histories. Another distant bird was a Grey Heron hunting along the far side of the pool.
We headed back to Leuchars and then to Dundee via the back road to Tayport but once again the strong wind appeared to be keeping most birds out of sight. Four Buzzards together over trees near the five roads roundabout was the largest group, though there were a couple of other pairs seen, and a Kestrel hovered above the roadside verge near Kilmany. Woodpigeons and a few Pheasants were the only other birds around except for the Rooks at Leuchars. Richard dropped me off in Dundee and I headed for home after a really good day out.
5 new species for the year (in bold) from a day list of 65 species.
Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Brent Goose, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Ringed Plover, Long Tailed Duck, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Siskin, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Wheatear, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.