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| Mallard |
Reaching the hide I was very disappointed to find the tide already covering all the mud, and even the pipe. There were very few birds around except Herring Gulls and Black Headed Gulls out on the water, Mallards roosting by the burn mouth and a small group of Teal near the reeds across the far side of the bay. No waders to be seen, and what was more or less a wasted journey, given that I had arrived a bit too late for the situation I wanted to see. I could choose to hang around until the tide turned but that could be 2 or 3 hours away and it was unlikely that there would be enough activity in the park to keep me occupied until then. A Cormorant dived out in the bay and I headed into the park anyway.
Swallows whizzed over in ones and twos. I decided to walk along the paths overlooking the bay to the car park, then to double back over the hill, then along past the Lochan then a quick once around of the lower half then to head for home. There were a few Lesser Black Backed Gulls still out among the Herring Gulls. I could also hear the occasional Lapwing and Oystercatcher calls but the vegetation blocked the view to the shoreline. Thankfully just as I reached the bend to take me away from the bay, something caused the waders to fly up from their roost and to head round towards the airport. Lapwings, Redshanks and Dunlin were picked out as the flock passed by, but they were a bit too quick for me to check the flock properly, or get a photo with the P900 (DSLR was still in the bag). Still it was a few more species for the list, even if there weren't any apparent rarities among the flock.
Someone had dumped an old electric fire by the dog-poo bin. I can only assume that they had carried it in from the Invergowrie end and couldn't be bothered walking the extra wee bit to the recycling area. I suppose they did leave it by a bin of sorts.... There were a few insects around, despite the strong wind, with a few White butterflies as well as Small Tortoiseshell and Meadow Brown, plus a Sawfly all seen on my ay around the park.
From the hill I managed to pick out a few Curlews on the grass at the airport, near the Lapwing flock. Mallards were the only birds at the Lochan despite the high tide. A Goldfinch flew out from the bushes as I headed towards the car park. A Grey Heron flew over from the direction of the airport as I headed towards Buzzard Wood. A Pied Wagtail passed overhead, while there were a few Chaffinches in Buzzard Wood as well as a Robin. Crossing the road to head up to catch a bus I stopped to watch a mixed flock foraging in the trees by the railway line, mostly Long tailed Tits but also Chaffinch, Blue Tit and Coal Tit.
Not the most exciting of afternoons, but it did get me out of the house for a few hours. The migrant waders would have to wait....
3 species seen -Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldfnch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Mallard, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sparrowhawk, Swallow, Teal, Woodpigeon.
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Mallard |
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| Meadow Brown |
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| Chaffinch |