STONEFACTION BIRDING: 06/18/15

0170 : Summer Arrival (10/6/15)

There can be times when it can be tricky to decide where to go for a day's birding. June and July are generally relatively quiet months though July has the sea-watching season starting and waders moving through again after breeding. With an Iceterine Warbler in Aberdeenshire as the only really good bird seen the day before within striking distance I swithered what to do for my latest day out with Nat. In the end we decided to head for Fife Ness for some 'no pressure' sea-watching practice in the sunshine.

Marsh Harrier

I was out the door slightly earlier than normal picking up Blackbird and House Sparrow on the way to meet Nat. As I was early I had a very short wait before she arrived though I did also add Herring Gull, Starling and Swift as I did so. Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow were added from the car as we discussed the plan for the day before setting off for Fife. Swallows were seen swooping over the grass verge by the side of the road at the Fife end of the roadbridge. House Martins were seen at St Michaels as they circled above the Inn. Jackdaws on the roofs in Leuchars joined them on the list.

We decided on a quick visit to the hide at Guardbridge although as it was before 9am we knew we would have to view from outside. Blue Tit and Pied Wagtail were seen on the way in, with Feral Pigeons overhead the paper mill to the north. It was very quiet out front of the hide with a few Mute Swans and the gull flock of mostly Herring Gulls, a few Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a Great Black Backed Gull the most visible. Around the feeders were a handful of other birds - Greenfinch, Tree Sparrows and a Wren. A rather distant Buzzard was spotted way out over the former Leuchars airfield before we set off again for Fife Ness.

A Grey Heron overflew as we were stuck at roadworks in St Andrews and there were plenty Swifts zipping around also. On reaching Crail we decided to have a quick walk through Denburn Wood hoping that there might be something interesting around. There was plenty noise but the birds were in the main rather elusive. A female Blackcap high in a tree near the southern end of the wood was a good start but the rest was rather more mundane - Great Tit, Chaffinch and Goldfinch with the resident Stock Doves boosting the 'uncommon' factor a little. Collared Doves landed on the roofs of the houses opposite the entrance to the wood as we walked back to the car.

We drove out to the Ness, crossing the golf course and parking on the grass by the rocky shoreline. An Eider creche was just offshore with 3 adult females and a number of ducklings swimming and feeding close in, in a small bay. A Shag flew by off the end of the rocks. A bird on the wires abover the static caravans turned out to be a Whitethroat. The first string of Gannets glided and flapped their way north low over the water. Ahead of us a Linnet lifted from where it had been feeding among the pebbles on the beach and flew off. Off to the north Cormorants stood on the rocks with a few gulls.

We found a spot out in front of the hide on as flat a section of rock as we could find. There was still a bit of a chill to the light wind and although there was warmth in the sun we did think we had both probably under-dressed slightly for the conditions, though the forecast was for it to get much warmer. A Razorbill bobbed and dived just offshore and among the Gannet passage we picked up the first few Kittiwakes and Sandwich Terns of the morning. A Red Throated Diver passing north at speed was a nice addition, as was the small group of Red Breasted Mergansers which overflew us as they cut the corner. Common Gull and Guillemot completed our haul of species for the sea-watching. With passage over the water being rather quiet we decided to head up to Kilminning for a look.

A Fulmar glided behind us as we stood up. Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting were both added near 'Stinky pool' before we headed back up over the golf course again where a Magpie was seen. There wasn't much to see at Kilminning either with Willow Warbler and Buzzard the only things seen at the top end. The bottom end was even quieter with only Yellowhammer and some overflying Oystercatchers to be seen. we decided to head back to Guardbridge to eat our lunch and then to head back over the Tay to the reedbeds in the hope that somehow we might get lucky and see a Reed Warbler - though not knowing where best to even start to look limited our chances of finding one even more than they already were.

There was marginally more to see from the hide at Guardbridge than there had been a few hours before. Black Headed Gull, Mallard and Shelduck could all be seen without too much effort. A Great Spotted Woodpecker dropped in to the feeders. Scanning along the river further downstream found a few Teal and a Wigeon. I managed to pick up two Ospreys well out towards St Andrews and one of them caught a fish unseen (must have been following the other one at the time) and landed on the large pole by the Fife Bird Club hide to eat it. Heat haze made getting a decent photo impossible though.

We headed back to Dundee and out to Errol once we had eaten. The chill from earlier had gone, to be replaced by probably the warmest weather so far this year. Thankfully we would be in the shade for large parts of the afternoon rather than out in the hot sun. We walked down Gas Brae past the House Sparrows in the verges and added a singing Skylark to the day list. Chiffchaff was heard but not seen, and there was no sign of any Marsh Harriers from out in front of the house at the bottom end of the path. We headed along through the trees. Again it was rather quiet, though there were a few Blackcaps, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Chaffinches along the way. A family party of Chiffchaffs (or possibly Willow Warbler) foraged above us and beside us.

We scanned from the nettle patch area that overlooks the expanse of the reedbeds but only a distant Buzzard was seen. No Marsh Harrier, no Bearded Tits and certainly no Reed Warblers. Nat was keen to see Bearded Tit, as up till now they had eluded her. I knew an area where it was possible to watch a small section of reeds on the other side of the pools through a small 'window' in the foliage of the trees. To do so however meant standing on a slippery slope covered in Beech nuts. We gave it a try anyway. Sedge Warblers, Reed Buntings and eventually a Bearded Tit or two were seen, which pleased Nat. A song that sounded subtly different to Sedge Warbler was heard but the photo was inconclusive due to heat haze and reeds in the way. It did look quite promising but there just wasn't enough to be 100% sure.

We could hear the pinging calls of Bearded Tits but the birds were mostly elusive. We did get a flyby from a Marsh Harrier, the same rather pale bird seen earlier this year at the reedbeds. We decided against heading along to the small bridge at the western end of the pool instead heading back through the trees and up the hill back to Errol. We did succeed in adding a Robin to the day list on the way giving us a total of 57 species. Not too bad, considering that everywhere was a bit on the quiet side.

Species seen - Bearded Tit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Red Throated Diver, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shag, Shelduck, Skylark, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.