0198 : Incoming! (24/8/15)

With hindsight, not going sea-watching, or to the coast the previous day had been a rather large mistake, with some really good birds being found in relatively easy to get to places. With further easterlies forecast, and the Monday off from work, I decided to get up early and head to Fife to either Fife Ness/Crail or another location near Boarhills where some really good birds had been seen the day before, including 3 species of warbler that would be lifers for me (Reed, Icterine and Greenish).

Garden Warbler
Having perused the usually excellent Traveline Scotland website the previous evening for bus times I was up early and out of the door for the same time I usually leave for work. Again birds were in short supply from the bus stop with only Herring Gull and Woodpigeon seen while waiting. Feral Pigeon was added near the bus station, and Cormorants on Submarine Rock from the bus as we crossed the river. On reaching the Fife side, Carrion Crow and Black Headed Gull joined the others on the day list. A handful of other species were seen from the bus as we headed for St Andrews. Pied Wagtail, Starling and Swallow being the trio seen.

It turned out that the times on the website had been a work of fiction and that I would have to wait until after 0900 for a bus towards Crail. I still hadn't decided on my destination for the day, with arguments possible in favour of both - indeed I considered trying to visit both.. With time to kill, I had a short walk around the area near the bus station. House Martins overhead and a Goldcrest in the trees were seen, while a Magpie and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were both heard as was a Blue Tit. Lastly a single Robin showed well as I wandered back to catch the bus. Although I was early I only just made it, with the bus departing 2 minutes early.

Just after leaving St Andrews, House Sparrow went onto the list.Around 10 minutes after leaving the bus station we approached Boarhills. It was make my mind up time. Having never visited the village, and with a possibility of up to 3 lifers (and maybe more birds arriving), I decided to go for it. I only had the vaguest of ideas where I was going. A pool to the east of the village was how the location was described. Google Earth showed the likely location but just how to get there seemed rather vague. Linnet and Goldfinch welcomed me to the village, while Swallows and House Martins hawked around, and perched on wires. Wandering along the main street I spotted a Blue Tit and Collared Doves as well as a Woodpigeon or two.

When the main street turned into a farm track I continued down past a farm. Movement in a cabbage field turned out to be a juvenile Skylark. Now being able to see the sea, I had a quick scan picking up a Fulmar out over the water. A Curlew flew by. I eventually made it down to the coast by keeping hard up against the edge of a cereal field. The tide was on its way back out, but there wasn't too much shoreline visible yet. A few Sandwich Terns were fishing offshore, with Eiders on the water, and Gannets further out, low over the water. A Great Black Backed Gull and a Grey Heron could be seen among the exposed rocks along with a small number of Oystercatchers.

I made my way carefully over the rocks and pebbles. A large flock of Lapwings lifted from the shore a few 100 metres away, circling round before settling once again. Another stop to scan ahead of me resulted in Redshank, Dunlin and Turnstone being found among the rocks, while a Kittiwake was spotted out over the sea.A Stock Dove flew past overhead.  I found the pool, bordered on 3 sides by trees, and with a reedbed at the beach end and within the tree line. There were a few spots where it was possible to see the water, but despite taking a slow walk round 3 sides of it, I drew a complete blank on birds.

I decided to continue on to the burn outflow a few hundred metres further on. I knew that large numbers of gulls roosted there, having seen them in the past distantly from Kingsbarns. I hoped that any migrants would also work their way up the burn, via the corridor of trees that arched above the burn. A few Knot were seen among the rocks, while 3 Common Sandpipers flushed from the water's edge. A Reed Bunting, a Yellowhammer and a juvenile Greenfinch were found in a small gorse patch. The going was tricky with no real discernible path to follow and I eventually reached the burn. A few Mallards, and Goosander could be seen as wel as large numbers of mostly Herring gulls.

A rather tricky descent down to the beach showed that crossing the burn wasn't going to be an option and neither was working my way upriver on the shore. Vegetation blocked the route into the trees, and the burn sides were rather steep and overgrown too. I was going to have to double back on myself. Another Common Sandpiper and a Wren were seen while I was down by the burn. It took a lot less time to find my way back to the pool, and when I got there I found Rab Shand and Ali checking the area. They had seen the Icterine Warbler, and Rab had seen an interesting looking bird that he wasn't sure about but was potentially a good one. We scanned through the trees for any movement. Bits of birds showed briefly among the leaves. An eye, a wing, a tail, a beak.

Something flitting about in the trees turned out to be just a Great Tit. Not the greatest start. I eventually found a warbler, but it was only a Willow Warbler. Another bird in the same tree looked more interesting. It was. Slightly. A Garden Warbler. Still, this was more activity than there had been earlier. A pied Flycatcher was next. A good bird, even if the views were mostly blocked by leaves. A Common Gull flew by. A call I recognised came from the pool. Kingfisher - I watched it fly low across the water and out of view. Further views of the Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler were had, before I received a text message from Nat, asking where I was. She had said that once she was finished the things she had to do in the morning she would meet up with me. I eventually managed to get a signal to reply and headed back up to the village to wait for her there, as trying to give directions to the pool weren't going to be to easy.

I wandered back up with Ali and Rab, bumping into a squad of birders on their way down, including Willie Irvine, Willie McBay and Davie Waters. More eyes meant the chances of finding other good birds should at least in theory be increased. Tree Sparrow was seen in the village. Nat arrived a short while later and we set off down to the pool. A Painted Lady butterfly appeared just as we were talking about not having seen any this year. Hopefully this was a good omen.At the pool initially it was the same birds as in the morning, the Willow Warblers, Garden Warblers and Pied Flycatchers. A Blue Tailed and a Common Blue Damselfly were seen in the long grass.

A few Golden Plovers overflew after the main crowd headed off back up the hill, leaving Nat and myself to see what we could find. A trip round the outside of the pool gave us a Whimbrel fly past, and just as Nat was about to step onto a small clump of earth in a water filled ditch to use it as a stepping stone I noticed the tail of a mouse disappear into a small hole where she was about to put her foot down. "Mouse!" said I. "Where?" said Nat, partially off balance by the late call while she was in mid-step. The clump wasn't the most stable of places to put a foot, and being a bit off-balance meant Nat's foot met the water rather than the mouse hole. Oops! My fault. Common tern and Razorbill were seen offshore.

As we skirted along the one side of the pool that we hadn't checked out, we spotted Tommy Ross wandering down through the next field up. He gestured, but I couldn't see the reason why. It turned out to be the Icterine Warbler had popped up on thistles ahead of him. We were joined by John Anderson and his birding pal, Beth. Pied Flycatcher gave us fleeting views, along with a Willow Warbler. Two birds shot out into the open, one chasing the other. Lesser Whitethroat being one, a bird I recognised instantly. The other vanished again. A Garden warbler skulked around among the branches. Someone spotted a male Redstart in the same bush. This burst of activity was very welcome after what had been a slow-ish but enjoyable afternoon.

Photos were taken but there was no sign of the one I really wanted to see, the Icterine Warbler. John and Beth headed off uphill again. A pair of Kingfishers were seen on the pond, as was a juvenile Moorhen. Blackbird and Bullfinch were both added as we tried another circuit. A pair of birders arrived who turned out to be the finders of the birds the previous day (Greenish Warbler, Icterine Warbler, 4 Pied Flycatchers, 6 Whinchats, Reed Warbler....) and we had a short chat. They explained where the Iceterine had been and also the Greenish. They were hoping to get photos of the Icterine and the Greenish. I would settle for brief views of either.

We made another circuit but things didn't look promising. Time was against us, with Nat needing to get home for around 1800. Just as we were about to set off uphill, the two birders waved to us. I hopped over the wall and hurried to them. The Icterine Warbler had just showed quite well. I waited, Nat coming to join us. A yellow-ish warbler flitted out. Is it? No, Willow warbler. Same again. We reluctantly had to admit defeat and started off again, only to stop for good views of the Lesser Whitethroat. I even managed a couple of video clips of the bird at rest. The Redstart showed briefly too. A shout went up again. Icky! We hurried back. 30 seconds or so later, out it popped onto a branch in full view. My first ever Icterine Warbler. I raised the camera and it was gone again. Still, we could now go home happy. A lifer for me, and my second in 3 days. It was Nat's 6th (Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat were lifers too).

As we wandered back up the track towards the village, a bird flew in and landed by a puddle not too far in front of us. A juvenile Dunlin. We took a few photos as the bird wandered around the puddle, then moved slowly towards it, expecting it to take flight at any second. It didn't. Instead it came closer towards us, until it was only a few feet away from us, giving me almost full frame shots. As it was a youngster maybe we were the first humans it had encountered, but it certainly wasn't particularly scared. I crouched down for a better photo angle, and Nat stood in the middle of the track. The bird decided to move on. Not by flying away, but by scurrying past Nat's feet a matter of inches away. One of those "shake head and smile" moments that birds sometimes give you.

A few steps on and a small bird flew out from the side of the field and off down the track before landing in  some weedy vegetation. I hurried off to try and identify it, just in case it was a good one. It was only another Willow Warbler but it did give good views for a few seconds. A Whitethroat showed in vegetation near a flock of House Sparrows while a Tree Sparrow and Pied Wagtail shared an overhead wire. A Swift overflew us as a local dog took exception to us, barking loudly and repeatedly jumping up at Nat, despite the owner's loud and repeated shouts to it. Under control it wasn't, though thankfully, it was more excitable than aggressive. Still, you can never quite be sure. A Sand Martin was with the swallows and House Martins as we headed back towards St Michaels where Nat had arranged to collect her nephew, and to drop me off to catch a bus to Dundee again. The Rooks in the trees opposite gave me one last tick for the day.

Quality and a decent quantity, with the Icterine Warbler the icing on a rather rich cake, and a new stopping point.in easterlies during autumn. I never did make it to Crail (where a Wryneck was found by Rab in the afternoon).

61 species seen (year-tick in bold) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Golden Plover, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Icterine Warbler, Kingfisher, Kittiwake, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Whitethroat, Linnet, Mallard, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Pied Wagtail, Razorbill, Redshank, Redstart, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Skylark, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Turnstone, Whimbrel, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.

Skylark

Lapwing

Greenfinch & Yellowhammer

Reed Bunting

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Garden Warbler

Pied Flycatcher

Painted Lady

Garden Warbler

Garden Warbler

Garden Warbler

Curlew

Willow Warbler

Redstart & Lesser Whitethroat

Redstart & Lesser Whitethroat

Moorhen

Lesser Whitethroat

Dunlin

Dunlin

Dunlin

Willow Warbler

Collared Dove

0197 : Return Of The Rings (23/8/15)

Having had such a good birding day the previous day, the Sunday was always likely to be a bit of an anti-climax. Easterlies suggested that sea-watching might be profitable but the combination of not being able to drag myself out of bed and limited public transport meant that I didn't make it anywhere near the coast. I did however still manage to take myself birding, even if it was only to Swannie Ponds for less than 3 hours.

Mallard
Birds were in very short supply when I eventually ventured out at about 1315. A displaying Feral Pigeon and the target of his affections starting what would prove to be a rather short list. oth Herring Gull and Lesser Black Backed Gull were added on Clepington Road, with House Martins and Swallows both passing over as I walked in the direction of the ponds.

Even at the ponds, there didn't appear to be too many birds. I got distracted immediately by the now almost fully grown Coot chicks, all three looking like making it to adulthood. They were now feeding independently of the parents, who lazed around near the island, while the youngsters even swam round to the other side at one point, and all without any adult supervision. In addition to the Coots, there were a few Mallards, mostly hauled out on the island. The Mute Swan pair were further round, near the top end of the ponds.

In addition to Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls, there were only a few Black Headed Gulls to be seen. Three Tufted Ducks (adult female and 2 youngsters) completed the rather short roll-call on my first circuit. I sat on a bench and watched what was going on. Eventually the Moorhen pair showed out on the water. There was no sign of any youngster however, so it doesn't look to have been as successful a year for the Moorhens as it has been for their bigger Coot cousins.

Even the skies above the ponds were relatively quiet with a few Swallows and House Martins passing over from time to time in addition to the gulls coming and going. A Woodpigeon did provide a little bit of variety, though while watching a gull over the island later I did pick up a passing Swift. I was a bit surprised to see the Portuguese ringed Lesser Black Backed Gull F389 had returned (if it had even been away). I managed to get a spot of video of the bird, finding that I was able to pick it out owing to its eye.

A second ringed bird, J4U2, one of the Norwegian Black Headed Gulls had also re-appeared, and I spent some time attempting to get a reasonable video clip of this bird too. There were a lot of Herring Gull/Lesser Black Backed Gull youngsters around and as always I scanned through them hoping to find something different. However, as I've yet to get my head round the features to look for when it comes to identifying Yellow Legged or Caspian Gulls this was never likely to be too successful. There was one bird that looked different enough to be something different, showing some features I think are correct for one of the rarer pair and I spent quite a while getting photos and video of this one from as many different angles as possible. I'm still not convinced it is anything unusual. One day I will find an odd one.

Despite the sun shining, it wasn't as warm as it had been forecast to be, and the wind chill made my decision to dress for summer look like a bad move, so I eventually decided to head for home at around1530. I added one last species on the way home - a pair of Collared Doves.

Only 14 species seen - but it got me out of the house. Species seen - Black Headed Gull, Collared Dove, Coot, Herring Gull, House Martin, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Feral Pigeon, Swallow, Swift, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon.

Mallard

Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck

Coot

Mallard

Coot

Moorhen

Black Headed Gull

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Herring Gull (?)

Herring Gull (?)

Herring Gull (?)

Herring Gull (?)

Herring Gull (?)

Herring Gull ?)

Herring Gull (?)

Herring Gull (?)

Herring Gull (?) & Lesser Black Backed Gull

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Herring Gull & Lesser Black Backed Gull

Herring Gull (?)

Herring Gull (?)

0196 : The Longest Day (22/8/15)

A trip to Loch of Strathbeg always feels more like an expedition, rather than 'just' a day out birding. It also rarely fails to deliver at least something good, usually at least a year-tick, whether at the reserve or at one of the stops on the way up, such as Rigifa pool outside Cove, or the Ythan estuary at Newburgh. There is usually a target species involved when a trip to the reserve is planned. More often than not a long staying 'lifer' for me. It is a long drive, and invariably a long day, for whoever is driving on the trips to the far northeast of Aberdeenshire. With a lingering Black Stork as bait, myself and Nat planned a trip to Strathbeg. With waders on the move there was a chance of one of the less common migrants. Although trafficin Aberdeen on a Saturday can be quite busy we hoped by leaving early enough and taking our time coming home we'd avoid the worst of it.

Great White Egret

The Black Stork had been seen on the Thursday, but there was no report of it on the Friday. However, as there had been a bit of a migrant fall in that part of the country I suspected that the Stork was neglected by local birders who had likely already seen the bird, in favour of the new arrivals. It would be a long way to go to 'dip' on the bird, but there would surely be some sort of compensatory sighting even if we did. Fingers were crossed when Nat arrived to pick me up slightly earlier than our usual departure time.Birds were in short supply on the way up towards Aberdeen with a measly 6 species seen - Starling and Woodpigeon near home, Carrion Crow and Swallow before we reached Forfar and Jackdaw and Buzzard further on.

Rigifa Pool is a large flooded area in a field on the outskirts of Cove, just south of Aberdeen. Being so close to the coast it seems to attract a good selection of waders as they pass through the area. At the right times of year, it is well worth a quick check. Our last trip here gave me and Nat a lifer each in the shape of an American Wigeon. A few Linnets were around as we got out of the car to scan across the area of the pool. It was more a collection of puddles and muddy ridges and dips than it had been. This made looking for waders a bit trickier than just scanning around the edges. However, nothing ventured, nothing gained....

I found a few Mallards near the rear of the pool, and a pair of Ringed Plovers a lot closer. There were also at least 4, possibly more, Ruff. A Magpie flew past, and a calling Siskin passed over us. More scanning found a few Dunlin and a small party of well camouflaged Snipe. A Tree Sparrow perched along from the car, on the fence. A few House Martins and Swallows swept through the area, hawking for insects. Nat found a male Wheatear at the left hand edge, and a trio of Grey wagtails also dropped into that area. A mixed flock of gulls on a roof beyond the pool, held Black Headed, Common, Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gulls.

I spotted a small wader near the Dunlins. It looked smaller, and 'cleaner'. I suspected Little Stint, a species I'd only seen well once previously, at Easthaven a few years ago. Photos and video confirmed the identification and we had our first good bird of the day, and at our very first stop too. At around 10am we headed onwards in the direction of the harbour mouth and Torry. We stopped briefly in Greyhope Bay where Curlew, Grey Heron, Oystercatcher and Redshank were all seen on the rocky shore. Out over the sea we could also see a few Gannets and a Fulmar. A pair of Great Black Backed Gulls calling behind the car gave us another bird for the list. Just as we were about to move off I noticed a Herring Gull on the metal railing with a yellow ring on the left leg, which was mostly hidden from our angle by the right leg. Nat reversed the car for a better angle and I read off the code (T-159 on a yellow ring). I suspect it is probably a locally ringed bird and I've reported it, so will wait for confirmation.

Another brief stop around the north side of the headland added a few more species, with Cormorants on the breakwater, and Eiders along the shore. A few Guillemots could be seen out on the water, while Kittiwake and Shag both flew by. With the time now around 1020 we decided to push on to Strathbeg, missing out the Ythan estuary on the way up, with the intention of popping in there on the way back down the road later in the day. We added Mute Swan and Goosander as we crossed the bridge over the river Dee before we headed along Beach Boulevard and out of Aberdeen to the north. Goldfinch and Kestrel were our only additions before we made it to our destination just before noon.

Into the visitor centre we went, hoping that the Black Stork would be around, and visible. Two birders with scopes were looking at something. We asked if it was around, and were told that they had it in their scopes. We were offered a look, and we gratefully accepted. A lifer for us both, even if it was rather distant. With our target species safely on the list, I took a few record shots with the P900, through the rather dirty window and using teh digital zoom, intending to get a few DSLR shots when the opportunity arose. I checked out the other birds visible around the pools. Lapwings in good numbers, a few Greenshanks, a few Snipe, Ruff
and Dunlin.

An Osprey was pointed out to us, near where the Black Stork was, giving us another new species for the day. An adult and juvenile Common Tern circled around above the pools and we spotted a distant Sparrowhawk, and a Buzzard. The other birders moved on elsewhere. Checking back for the Stork, we were disappointed to see that it had vanished, and that we had no idea in what direction it had gone. A few more birders dropped in hoping to see the Black Stork, disappointed with the news that it had disappeared. Hopefully it would reappear. With the visitor centre getting a bit busy we decided to try the Tower hide, in the hope that the different angle would show the bird out in the open.

Reaching the hide after the walk up, we found a large bird out front, stood in a pool, with a curious cow edging closer and closer. This wasn't the Stork but a Great White Egret, a species I didn't have a decent photo of. I got a few as well as a video clip before the cow got too close and the bird was lost to sight, quite possibly joining the Black Stork in some ditch hidden from view.Feral Pigeon and Rook were seen from the hide as well as a number of Teal and Mallards. We headed back to the Visitor Centre again, stopping to watch a Kestrel perched up on the wires behind the buildings. Nat grabbed a quick bit to eat back at the car while I scanned the pools again. This time I found a small group of Golden Plover that had either been missed first time around, or had only recently arrived. Hopefully the latter.

When Nat joined me again, I pointed out the Plovers, as well as the Snipe. Nat found another Sparrowhawk, as well as a male Pheasant. With still no sign of the Black Stork we decided to head over to the airfield hides instead. The drive round didn't give us anything new, neither did the walk along the boardwalk. From the first hide there were plenty of distant birds out on the Loch, mostly ducks of various species. Mallard, Teal, Wigeon and Goldeneye as well as Mute Swan and a single Whooper Swan. I snapped a quick photo of a duck as it flew past. This turned out to be a Shoveler.

The fixed scope in the hide proved to be very useful for checking out the 'island' where a large number of birds were congregated. A few Coots were visible using the scope, as was a single Pintail, though I failed to get Nat onto the bird when it disappeared into the mix of ducks roosting. With nothing too exciting to be seen we headed off to the second hide. Nat spotted a Great Tit in the trees along the boardwalk as well as a Wren, both new birds for the day. It was more of the same from the second hide, so we didn't stay long, deciding instead to head back towards the Ythan estuary. House Sparrows were seen bathing in the roadside dust as we made it back to the main road through the village.

Checking for Aberdeenshire sightings on Birdguides, we discovered that a Red Backed Shrike had been seen again in Collieston where it had been for a few days. As Collieston was only a few miles north of the Ythan it was a 'no-brainer' to at least try for it. It didn't take too much effort to find the nature reserve that the bird was onthough all we knew was that the bird had been seen at Sand Loch. Thankfully a map on an information board pointed us towards the right part of the reserve, though after that we were flying blind.

Arriving a few minutes later at the Loch I was surprised to see a Hooded Crow (maybe a hybrid) sharing a tree across the other side with a Carrion Crow. With Shrikes liking a prominent perch we set about scanning the tops of all the bushes around the Loch, as well as fence posts and any other likely spot. I spotted a small bird flitting around among some weedy vegetation. I thought we had our bird until I spotted a second bird near the first. Whinchats was what they were, quite likely migrants as with the Shrike, just passing through. A few Tufted Ducks were out on the water. We were joined by a local birder with a scope who set about hunting among the bushes for the bird. We decided to try a little further round, but soon discovered that the bushes were mostly around the northern end of the Loch. We did find a Willow Warbler before we decided to head back to the birder with the scope to see if he'd had any luck.

Just as we reached him, he said 'got it' and we raised our binoculars as he gave us directions to get onto the bird. Thankfully it stayed put long enough for us both to see it, and he let us see it through the scope once he'd adjusted the height. Nat and I decided to try and get around to nearer where the bird was, having noticed that it was unfazed by people walking nearby. By following the route taken by dog walkers we made it the area the bird was frequenting. A Reed Bunting was picked up among the bushes. Eventually after a bit of effort we relocated the Shrike in a small shrub further round than we had been searching. We watched the bird for a while before realising that we had probably move on if we wanted to pop into the Ythan estuary for a worthwhile amount of time.

Blackbird (at last) and a Yellowhammer were seen on the road out, while a pool in the roadside field seemed to be full of Coots and nothing else. When we reached the Ythan estuary, just past the turn for the Waulkmill hide, we found a place to pull in and check through the numerous birds strung out along the edge of the water. Among the Redshanks, Dunlins, Golden Plovers, Grey Herons and gulls were a single Little Egret and a ringed Black Headed Gull (yellow leg ring coded 2XNK). An Eider was further upstream. Midgies biting put paid to the scanning, though we did catch a group of Greylags just before they flew over the crest of the hill behind.

We wandered down to the beach from the car park near the golf course and found a lot of birds. Mostly species we had already seen but still plenty of activity. Hundreds of gulls, hundreds of Eiders and large numbers of waders on the shore. A small group of Arctic Terns were the only new addition but we were treated to some good views of various flocks when walkers across on the other side of the river (are they allowed there? I assume restrictions may only apply to the breeding season?) spooked every bird along that shore as well as the gulls in the middle of the river. With the time now approaching 1930 and with still a long drive home ahead of us we called it a day, after stopping to add one final species with a juvenile Stonechat atop the hut at the end of the car park.

A really good expedition to the far northeast with a grand total of 73 species seen. Quality as well as quantity. A lifer for me plus 3 year ticks (in bold), and 3 lifers for Nat. Well worth the 13 and a half hour round trip.

Species seen - Arctic Tern, Black Stork, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Golden Plover, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Great White Egret, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag, Guillemot, Herring Gull, Hooded Crow, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Little Stint, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pintail, Red Backed Shrike, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Ruff, Shag, Shoveler, Siskin, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stonechat, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Wheatear, Whinchat, Whooper Swan, Wigeon, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.

Ruff

Dunlin

Magpie

Little Stint

Ruff

Wheatear

Little Stint

Herring Gull

Black Stork

Buzzard

Common Tern & Greenshank

Kestrel

Ruff, Golden Plover, Dunlin and Lapwing

Common Tern

Hooded Crow & Carrion Crow

Whinchat

Reed Bunting

Red Backed Shrike

Lapwing & Black Headed Gull

Little Egret

Grey Heron, Lapwing, Black Headed Gull & Dunlin

Common Gull

Dunlin

Ringed Plover & Dunlin

Mixed Gull flock

Ythan estuary

Stonechat