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| Greylag Goose |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Skylark |
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| Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Turnstone |
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| Dunlin and Peregrine |
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| Wigeon |
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| Eider |
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| Common Tern |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Linnet |
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| Common Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| House Sparrow |
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| 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.