0298 : Up The Swannies (26/6/16)

Having not got out on Wednesday owing to the weather, and lethargy (mostly the latter), and having spent Saturday afternoon in the uncharacteristic surroundings of a pub for the retiral of a work colleague, I had considered getting up and out early on Sunday. Failing to fall asleep until around 0300 meant that I overslept and wasn't going to bother. However some bass-heavy music from nearby found its low frequency way through my closed double-glazed window and past the background noise of my own music to the extent that I had to get out before I ended up with a sore head. With rain forecast for late afternoon I decided to stay quite local.

Coot

Having not been to Swannie Ponds recently I decided to take the P900 and binoculars and head there. It was around 1400 when I left the house and unsurprisingly there didn't seem to be many birds around. Herring Gull, as almost always, was first on the list. A family group of Starlings flew over as I walked up Court Street. A Lesser Black Backed Gull was perched on a home improvement-type store unit roof. A Rook perched atop the billboards further along the road. Not a particularly common bird around this area though I have seen one around here before (while showing Belgian birder Stefan Van Damme around), possibly the same bird.

I heard a calling House Martin and spotted a few high flying birds over Maryfield Medical Centre, with another few above the houses on the north side of Clepington Road but again these were rather high in the sky. A Goldfinch flew over, calling as it went. A House Sparrow flew across the road in front of me and into a hedge surrounding a garden. A Woodpigeon perched on a TV aerial above someone's driveway as they washed their car. As I neared the ponds the distinctive piping calls of an Oystercatcher made me turn to try and see the source. Two of the birds flew overhead and continued eastwards over the ponds and out of sight, calling insistently as they went.

Not unexpectedly things were rather quiet bird-wise at the ponds, with a handful of Mallards on the water and round the edges. There were no Tufted Ducks at all however. From the island I could hear the chatter of Magpies and an adult bird flew out and away. The other bird I suspect was a youngster with a slightly higher pitched call than the adult, but it remained out of view among the trees. A Moorhen swam out to what had been a Coot's nest by the island and proceeded to have a bath. The Coots were round the other side of the island on a second nest - 3 youngsters, almost fully grown but still with white bibs, and an adult on the nest. A second adult swam in with some weed in its bill for the nest. A second brood planned?

There were plenty of Lesser Black Backed Gulls and some Herring Gulls around, mostly swooping in to grab the bread being fed to the Mallards. I suggested to a few folk that they should drop their offerings close in to the side where the less wary ducks would come in close for it, but the gulls would keep their distance. This seemed to work out rather well, though there were a couple of less wary gulls among the flock. I serached through them for black F389, the Portuguese ringed Lesser Black Backed that summered at the ponds last year, but found no sign of it.

Feral Pigeons overflew and I eventually turned my attention to the lower pond where the majority of the gulls were resting in between feeding opportunities. Also there were the local Mute Swans with two Cygnets, though apparently there had been three. As it was beginning to look less promising weather-wise I decided to head in the general direction of home but via a rather circuitous route to see whether I could add to the rather short species list. A single Jackdaw, Blackbird and Swift were however the only additions before I finally arrived home after around 90 minutes of birding. Although the annoying music was still playing it was quieter and easier to drown out with my own.

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Coot

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Mallard

Coot

Only 18 species seen - Blackbird, Coot, Goldfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Starling, Swift, Woodpigeon.

0297 : Saturday Small Stuff (18/6/16)

With decent weather forecast for a change on a Saturday I didn't want to spend all day indoors. However, I couldn't get motivated to go particularly far to look for birds, so instead I decided to dig out my macro lens and search for insects instead. Any birds seen along the way would be a bonus. It took a bit of deciding where to actually go however, and I eventually settled on walking into town and out along the Perth Road to Seabraes which used to be a decent site for Common Blue butterflies and other insects. It was around 1410 when I eventually emerged into the sunshine.

Diamondback Moth

It seemed to be much colder than forecast as I headed into town, with a rather cold light wind blowing. A Magpie chuckled loudly from a tree round the corner from home but stayed hidden. Blackbird was first onto my list of birds, with Herring Gull added on Dens Road. Woodpigeon and Starling were next, followed by Carrion Crow and Feral Pigeon as I neared the Wellgate Centre. Lesser Black Backed Gull was added in the City Centre.

When I eventually reached Seabraes it was still slightly chilly, so insects seemed to be in rather short supply with only a bumblebee or two seen in the overgrown area to the west of the steps. A Chiffchaff was heard calling, but not seen. A Magpie flew up into the trees, while Dunnock and House Sparrow foraged among the bushes. A Whitethroat was a nice surprise before I crossed the road to search the mostly bare stony ground in front of Vision. Again however insects seemed to be in short supply. A single Wasp - possibly Ancistrocerus gazella, was photographed. Apparently this family of wasps is difficult to ID, so it goes down as only a possible. As far as I could tell this species hadn't been recorded this far north yet (and still hasn't).

There were numerous spiders and ants wandering around and I managed photos of some of them. Flying insects were distinctly few in number with no butterflies or moths at all, and only a few flies and bees, and an Ichneumon wasp. A few Linnets overflew, and a calling Oystercatcher was seen up towards Perth Road. A 7-spot Ladybird and a couple of bugs - possibly a Parent Bug nymph and another unidentified one, were seen before I wandered towards the footbridge over the railway line. Blue Tits were in the bushes by the tracks and the plants here were alive with small moths, which I eventually managed to see well enough to ID as Diamondback moths, of which there has apparently been a massive influx this summer. There were certainly plenty (over 100?) in a small area of ground.

A Pied Wagtail overflew as I headed west towards Roseangle. A second Magpie was seen opposite the car park. A few more Chiffchaffs were heard as I walked up the street, with one in particular near the road at Laing's Bar, but all went unseen. I headed back into town before deciding to detour to the roadbridge landfall to see if the family of 9 Mallard ducklings and their other were still in the pool they had been seen in almost a fortnight ago. When I arrived I didn't see them, until I turned around and noticed the ducklings in the mouth of the flood drain with the mother duck sleeping alongside. With the sun now rather warm I headed home.

Wasp sp. (possibly Ancistrocerus gazella)

Spider sp.

Ichneumon sp.

Shieldbug nymph sp. (possibly Parent Bug)

Bug sp.

7-Spotted Ladybird

Spider sp.

Fly sp.

Bluebottle

Mallard

Not many birds seen, nor many insects but a decent wee wander for what was essentially a city centre Saturday afternoon outing. 16 bird species seen - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Dunnock, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon.

0296 : Terns And Roundabouts (15/6/16)

Once again the choice of destinations for our midweek outing was looking rather limited, owing to a combination of a lack of 'good' birds and wet weather forecast for most of Fife and Angus again. It looked like a trip further afield was our best option. Having never visited the likes of Baron's Haugh and Lochwinnoch RSPB reserves we decided that a trip south and west was a decent enough idea. Essentially it would be a reconnaissance trip, so that we would know where to go, in future, if anything "good" turned up. Black Guillemot on the west coast near Glasgow were also a possibility if we made it that far. Having made arrangements a thought occurred to me, the Gull Billed Tern at Kinneil Lagoons was sort of on the route.

Common Tern

When Nat arrived at 0900 we decided to head first to Kinneil in the hope that we would be lucky enough to catch the bird that had been showing in the mornings before heading off down the Forth. It was fairly typical fayre as we set off first towards Perth then down to the Forth bridge, with Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Woodpigeon seen. Starling and Buzzard were seen in Fife while the numbers of Magpies slowly increased the further south we got. Lesser Black Backed Gull, Stock Dove, Pied Wagtail and Lapwing along with Swallow, Collared Dove, Swift and House Sparrow were all seen between the bridges and Bo'ness. Jackdaws vied with Magpies to be the most numerous corvids.

We easily found the place to park for Kinneil Lagoons, having checked Google streetview the previous evening. A Whitethroat was perched in a small tree near the car park. The river held plenty of Black Headed Gulls and Shelduck. A Dunnock was in the bushes by the track as we walked along the edge of the river. A Grasshopper Warbler reeled from a reedbed but went unseen. An Oystercatcher flew by. A singing Sedge Warbler was spotted in the reeds and a tern flew by. Unfortunately it was only a Common Tern.

We found a few birders scoping the lagoon and stopped beside them. One of them I recognised from Fife Bird Club (I think). Another was the renowned bird artist Darren Woodhead who I'd met a few years ago at the Red Flanked Bluetail twitch, unfortunately on the day it had disappeared. The third birder I didn't recognise. A quick question of "is it about?" was answered with "it left about 20 minutes ago and we haven't seen it since". This wasn't great news but we were in the right place if it returned. On the lagoons were a flock of Black Headed Gulls, a few Oystercatchers, a Curlew, a couple of Redshanks and a few Woodpigeons around the edges. A Great Black Backed Gull overflew.

I scanned out across the river picking out a few distant Common Terns and surprisingly a pair of Great Crested Grebes. A Bar Tailed Godwit was on the lagoon. There were a few Grey Herons stood around the edges. We decided to have a wee wander further east along the track to see what else the site had to offer. There were a few Linnets, a family of Long tailed Tits flew between some bushes, while further back a Kestrel hovered. A Willow Warbler sang loudly from a tree before we wandered back. A Cormorant was out on the river and a Stock Dove took off from the bank. A couple of Sand Martins overflew as we wandered back to the car for something to eat. A Goldfinch was added to the list near the car.

We worked out a route to Motherwell, taking the backroads to Airdrie then south to the town. This would hopefully give us a better chance of seeing some birds than taking the motorway. Unfortunately, the reality was somewhat different with only Greenfinch added, though we did see a few other species that we'd already seen earlier too. Motherwell proved to be a nightmare to navigate around with traffic roundabouts at seemingly every junction. Eventually with the help of google maps on my phone we made it to the reserve.

A pair of Garden Warblers were singing at the car park but the foliage was too thick to see them. Great Tit was added on our way down the hill. Our first Ringlet butterfly of the year was seen on the way. We headed first to the Marsh hide. Out on the water things were relatively disappointing with a few Mallards, some gulls, the odd Moorhen, some distant Coots, a few Teal and a single drake Wigeon seen. There were 3 Grey Herons perched in trees. A Mute Swan family was seen from the next hide but we decided it wasn't looking worth wandering any further round. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was another 'heard only' bird. A Robin showed well though and our second 'new' butterfly of the day was a Small Heath as we headed back to the car. A Blue Tit was another late addition on the way back uphill.

With the time now after 1520 we decided to double back on ourselves to Kinneil in the hope that the Gull Billed Tern might have returned. Getting out of Motherwell wasn't straightforward either, with a junction near Fir Park being a nightmare to get out of in particular. We encountered some rain, but few birds, on our way back to Kinneil. A wrong turn meant we ended up in California. Not the US state obviously but a very small village. Feral Pigeon was the only addition along the way. A Pheasant wandered across the access road as we arrived back at Kinneil. The tide was well out and there were lots of Shelduck out on the mud as well as Black Headed Gulls. A Wren sang loudly from among the bushes. A few Common Terns were seen but no Gull Billed Tern. We eventually headed for home adding only Rook on the way.

Although we were ultimately unsuccessful in seeing our target bird we did manage to see 2 new butterfly species for the year and visited 2 new birding sites seeing a total of 50 species on the day.

Black Headed Gull

Sedge Warbler

Common Tern

Great Crested Grebe

Shelduck

Common Tern

Shelduck

Species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.

There were a number of heard only birds, mostly at Baron's Haugh - Blackcap, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Little Grebe, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Song Thrush, Water Rail.

0295 : Laggan And Lochans (8/6/16)

With June being a fairly quiet month it looked like our Wednesday outing this week would be to see a very tame Cuckoo in the Angus Glens discovered by my birding buddy, Steph. Having discussed this possibility with Nat, a thought occurred to me. There had been an Icterine Warbler at Laggan for a while and it had been showing well and seemed fairly settled. Having both only had an exceedingly brief view of a bird at Boarhills pool last Autumn, with no chance to even raise the camera for a photo, it would be a nice bird to visit. But where was Laggan? I wasn't sure, so out came the road atlas, and I was happy to see that it was not far off the A9 and not as far up as Aviemore. For a midweek outing this seemed doable, as long as Nat was up for it. A message was sent, and fingers were crossed.

Icterine Warbler

Having arranged an 0800 pick-up anyway, Nat duly arrived and after a very brief chat a decision to head north for the Icterine Warbler was made, so off we went. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gulls and Carrion Crow kick-starting the list as we headed out of Dundee in the direction of Pitlochry. A missed turn meant a slightly amended route but it didn't make a huge difference as we added most of the expected species along the way with Buzzard, Starling, Pheasant, Rook, House Martin, Swallow, Swift, Jackdaw and House Sparrow all seen before we left Blairgowrie.

Pied Wagtails foraged along the back roads, flying off the road when the car drew near, Common Gulls were in and around the fields along with a single Black Headed Gull. Our first Meadow Pipit was seen on the Moulin road but there was little to see here. A flock of Greylag Geese were in flooded fields near Loch Garry. The drive up the A9 is generally rather boring with only the scenery to break the rather monotonous journey. Thankfully, having taken the cross-country route to reach Pitlochry our time on the A9 would be much shorter and we were soon turning off for Laggan. Having used Google Streetview to find the location, and where to park (thankfully both in the same place), we were soon getting out of the car at a small lay-by by some recycling bins and a picnic site.

Another birder who we recognised, and who recognised me, arrived seconds later. He was from Kinross and a member of Fife Bird Club and our paths had indeed crossed in the past. Siskins overflew and within a few minutes the sound of a Curlew coming from a tall tree nearby signalled something different. Sure enough, the mimicry was coming from the Icterine Warbler perched above us. Trying to get a decent angle that provided favourable light and a clear view proved tricky but we were rewarded with prolonged views and a chance to study the species properly, meaning we should have a better chance of finding one of our own in future. I found out later that it was Ian Ford, - the Riverside Nature Park Friends group chairman,  who had found the bird.

In addition to the Icterine Warbler, there were other birds around at the picnic site - Robin, Dunnock, Song Thrush, Blackbird, and Greenfinch. At one point I happened to turn around and spotted a bird perched on the wire that hung above the field across the road from us. A Cuckoo, and relatively close. Photos were taken during the less co-operative times from the warbler. A few Lesser Redpolls overflew and I found a Large Red Damselfy in the grass near the picnic tables. With the time approaching mid-day we decided to head off for a bit of exploring nearby. We continued along the road we were on, which turned out to be the wrong road from the one we expected to be on. Mallards, Oystercatcher and Common Sandpiper were spotted on our way out, with a Wheatear seen on the return leg. A Collared Dove was in the village when we reached Laggan again.

After lunch we decided to go exploring further east, first to Insh Marshes then from there to Uath Lochans. Insh Marshes always seems to be very quiet and so it was again. Great Tit at the car park, Blue Tit, Coal Tit and Chaffinch at the feeders in front of the visitor centre, plus Lapwings and Curlews out on the marsh along with a distant Red Deer and a few corvids plus a Greylag Goose were the grand total. A Grey Wagtail flew alongside the car for a short distance as we moved on again hoping to find the correct road to Uath Lochans.

We eventually found the right place, though it seemed further down the road than the map suggested. We found that there was a choice of two routes - one longer uphill one and a shorter route around the Lochans. With no need to rush we headed up the hill. Siskins could be heard high in the trees but were tricky to see given the conifer coverage. Thankfully the sun was behind a screen of clouds which kept things quite cool, meaning the uphill climb wasn't as bad as it could have been. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen but Goldcrests calling proved elusive. Our first Treecreeper of the day was also seen on our way to the top.

When we did eventually reach the top, we found the view was worth the climb, with a blanket of thousands of trees edged by mountains stretching for miles into the distance. It was also possible to see Loch Insh to the north and from further on the Lochans themselves could be seen. A Willow Warbler sang from the top of a tree in front of the viewpoint, though Nat's directions of "at the top of the conifer" wasn't particularly specific when faced with at least ten thousand conifers, though it was rather obvious which ones she meant and I found the bird easily.

We headed on after a few minutes, a Robin flying across the path in front of us, with a beakful of insects being one of the few birds around. Seconds later I spotted movement just ahead of us in the trees off to the left of the path. Crested Tits, foraging among the trees, and completely unphased by our presence nearby. This meant we were able to watch them, and get some photos of them eating something that wasn't peanuts from a feeder. A Great Tit was also nearby. Unfortunately, as I was photographing the Cresties my D7100 camera decided to stop working properly. turning it on and off, removing and replacing the battery and even removing and refitting the lens made no difference. This was definitely not handy, though I had the fall back option of the P900 bridge camera with me, thankfully.

We met a couple of birders from England who were hoping for Cresties as we detoured round the white route having reached the bottom of the hill. They mentioned they'd had flyover Crossbills and we told them where we'd seen the Cresties. Not too much further on, I heard Crossbills calling and looked up to see a flight of four overhead. A year-tick for me, the second of the day, though Nat had seen the species already elsewhere. Around the Lochans we found a few Damselflies and Dragonflies. Common Blue and Large Red Damselflies plus 4-Spotted Chaser Dragonflies. A single Wood Ant and 2 different species of Dor Beetle plus a Longhorn Beetle species of some sort were also seen. A Reed Bunting sang from a tree on the bog.

Reaching the cooler area below the trees again, the sun having escaped from behind the clouds, we found a Tree Pipit hunting around high among the branches and a Great Spotted Woodpecker nest, with an adult bird coming and going. The calls from inside sounded shriller than those heard at the Tay reedbeds suggesting younger chicks, though none were seen. We'd heard a Redstart but we failed to find it, though we did find a pair of Treecreepers. Further on as we headed back to the car park, a young Siskin fed on the ground a short distance ahead of us.

We intended to head back to the A9 after a spot of exploration along the road in from the Lochans (it reached a wooden bridge with a dirt track across the other side), but somehow we managed to miss our turn. We did find a pair of skateboarders skating down the road miles from anywhere and then a man painting the gable end of a house while stood atop a landrover - neither particularly expected sights. Thanks to the flaws in my navigation (in my defence I was relying on the excellent Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands for maps, which weren't shown as a whole, but as a series of smaller maps, rather than my usual small street atlases) we found ourselves at a small Lochan where in addition to a Little Grebe and a pair of Goldeneye we were treated to the sight of a full breeding plumaged Slavonian Grebe, while a Sand Martin and Great Black Backed Gull overflew.

We headed back to the A9 and homewards. An accident meant we were actually stopped south of the Dalwhinnie junction for a few minutes, where we saw Black Headed Gull, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtails. When we reached Dunkeld, we headed cross country again rather than down the A9. Tufted Ducks and Grey Herons were the only additions before we made it back to Dundee just short of 13 hours after our departure time after what had been a really good day out - despite the camera fault.

Icterine Warbler

Icterine Warbler

Icterine Warbler

Icterine Warbler

Song Thrush

Cuckoo

Cuckoo

Red Deer

Crested Tit

Crested Tit

4-Spotted Chaser

Common Blue Damselfly

Large Red Damselfly

Slavonian Grebe

Pied Wagtail

53 species seen including 2 year-ticks (in bold) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Crossbill, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Crested Tit, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldeneye, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Icterine Warbler, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Little Grebe, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Rook, Sand Martin, Siskin, Slavonian Grebe, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tree Pipit, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Wheatear, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon.

0294 : To The West And To The East(1/6/16)

Wednesdays seem to come around so quickly these days, which is no bad thing. June and July are a bit of a lull time for birding. The incoming migrants have mostly arrived, the waders on passage have more or less moved through, birdsong is starting to dwindle in quantity as breeding and then moult takes place with birds keeping a relatively low profile with the foliage on the trees and bushes adding to the difficulty in observing birds. This can mean it becomes a bit tricky to decide where to go birding, especially when still trying to add to a year-list. A species I've never seen anywhere is Reed Warbler, so with this in mind we decided to see if we could strike lucky by finding one among the extensive Tay reedbeds. This would potentially be a good bit harder than looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack (though needles don't tend to advertise their position by singing). The plan would be to pick a spot and stand watching and listening in the hope one would sing atop a reed stem. There was also the potential for a consolation Bearded Tit or two.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

With the wind light to start with but increasing as the day went on, we decided to head straight for Errol and the reedbeds after Nat picked me up at 0800. Swifts, Blackbird, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Oystercatcher, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow got the list off to a decent start before we reached Kingoodie. A brief check of the bay gave us Mallards, Shelducks and Mute Swans. Further on along the back roads we added House Martin, Collared Dove and House Sparrow to the list.

Arriving at Errol around 0840, we wandered down Gas Brae soon picking up the first Yellowhammer of the day, followed soon after by a Great Tit at the small community garden. A pair of Grey Wagtails flew by, which was a slight surprise. Jackdaws picked around in the fields and Skylarks ascended above them. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew up into one of the large oak trees by the track. A few Rooks flew around back towards the village and a Blue Tit was seen in one of the smaller bushes.

We decided to head through the trees towards Port Allen and the large pools. There are a couple of points where it is possible to see reasonably large areas of reeds from above or at least eye level. We were distracted by the loud, insistent calling of what sounded a bit like a Great Spotted Woodpecker but despite searching where we though the noise was coming from we drew a blank and moved on again. A Chaffinch was the only new species added on our walk through the trees though we heard Song Thrush, Chiffchaff and Blackcap but saw none of the three.

We found a spot near the pools where we could see across some of the reeds. A potential Reed Warbler called from close by, but it vanished into the reeds before I managed a decent view. There were plenty of Reed Buntings and Sedge Warblers dotted around but despite plenty of calls that might have been Reed Warbler we failed to get any convincing views despite spending around 2 hours trying from the one spot. On the pools were a pair of Great Crested Grebes, a few Tufted Ducks, a Mallard family, a Coot, and a small group of Goldeneye. Also among the reeds were a few Wrens and a Dunnock.

A Swallow took a drink as it flew a few centimetres above the water. There were a few prospective glimpses of what might have been Bearded Tits flying above the reeds but we eventually both managed good views of an adult male Bearded Tit with a bill full of food as it flew past. Unfortunately, neither of us managed any photos. An unindentified chat - either a Whinchat or a young Stonechat was photographed but the backlighting made identifying which it actaully was, rather difficult, so it remains one that got away.

Walking back through the trees after giving up on Reed Warblers, we heard a possible Jay but failed to see it. There were also a few calls which may have been young Tawny Owls but there was too much foliage on the trees to try and see them among the branches, assuming that is what they were. We heard another lot of possible woodpecker calls and with more time available to search properly we eventually succeeded in finding the source. A hole in a tree trunk around 10 feet up, mostly hidden from the track, and with a rather quaint bracket fungus 'canopy' above it seemed to be the source, and when an adult bird flew in with food, our suspicions were confirmed. A Chiiffchaff was seen among the hedges bordering the farmland to the north of the track.

A Song Thrush was seen as I attempted to see the Amsterdam-Dundee Flybe flight as it passed over Errol. The original woodpecker sound was investigated more thoroughly and this time we were rewarded with the sight of a fairly well-advanced juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker popping its head out of another nest hole. With no cover to hide us from view, we quickly moved on so as not to keep any adult bird from returning to the youngster(s) in the nest. Reaching the open area near the house at the bottom of Gas Brae we stopped to chat to two other visiting birders (from Loch Lomond area). A Grey Heron overflew, as did a trio of Greylags, and I had a brief glimpse of a male Marsh Harrier tangling, distantly, with a Carrion Crow. A Linnet flew past before we headed back uphill to the car.

A circling Buzzard towards the village, a fly-by Tree Sparrow around the community garden area and a singing Whitethroat among the brambles at the top of Gas Brae completed our morning list.. So, no success with the target species, but the bonus Beardie was 'in the bag'. We discussed our options for the afternoon, eventually settling for a few spots on the Angus coast. After lunch we headed for Balmossie from where we could see Goosanders on the outflow pipe further east towards Monifieth. A pair of Goldfinches landed on the seaweed on the shore. There were plenty of Mute Swans, and a family of Mallards were very easy to overlook among the small seaweed covered pebbles at the mouth of the Dighty burn.

Next we headed to Westhaven where a 10 minute stop added a few more species to our list. A Pied Wagtail on the beach, a large number of Eiders asleep on the rocks, Cormorants on the water not far offshore, a Black Headed Gull close in to shore and a Great Black Backed Gull much further out on the rocks. Some scanning well out yielded a small group of Gannets and while Nat helped guide me onto them, a Fulmar flew by in the opposite direction. Also out on the rocks I found a single Curlew. Surprisingly there were no obvious other waders around and also no Sandwich Terns. We decided not to walk along the beach to the burn as someone was already doing so, choosing to head for Craigmill Den instead.

A Pied Wagtail on the wires above the road greeted us, with another nearby on the derelict cottage. Things were relatively quiet with Blackbird and Song Thrush seen ahead of us on the path. A few birds were seen in the trees on the opposite bank of the burn and we eventually managed to spot a pair of Blackcaps. Blue Tits and Great Tits were also in the trees while a female Chaffinch was on our side of the water. We bumped into Jon Cook and Bob McCurley who told us they'd seen Sedge Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher. We succeeded in seeing the former but there was no sign of the latter. A juvenile Robin showed on the path a few feet from us at one point, while a family group of Song Thrushes were in the Hawthorns beside us. Goldfinches and Mallards were also seen. A Willow Warbler on wires across by the farm was our first of the day. Pheasant was heard but not seen, and a Rook fed two youngsters in a tall tree opposite.

Rather than head for home immediately on exiting the Den we decided to check out the pool in the field to the north of where the car was parked. Again a Pheasant was heard calling but wasn't seen. There were no birds to be seen on the pool but above it a pair of Sand Martins and a Swallow were hawking for insects. With the time now around 1600 we headed for home having managed once again to see 57 species including a year-tick (in bold) for both of us.

Reed Bunting

Sedge Warbler

Wren

Sedge Warbler

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Pied Wagtail

Blackcap

Robin

Sedge Warbler

Brown Trout

Pied Wagtail

Species seen - Bearded Tit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.