Having had some success with my new Nikon D500 camera in the few hours I was out on Saturday afternoon, I wanted to continue to experiment with settings to see if I could find ones that 'worked' in most situations. With this in mind I decided to once again head to Guardbridge in the morning where the tide would be coming in for most of the morning. Once high tide was reached I would decide where to go next.
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| Osprey |
I headed out at 0900 to walk into town to catch the bus over to Fife. Swifts were first onto the list, a situation soon to be no more when the birds depart back southwards within the next week or so. More typically all year round birds were next, Woodpigeons and Feral Pigeons. Another ostensibly summer bird, the Lesser Black Backed Gull was next as I walked down Dens Road. Blackbird and Magpie were next, the latter now a fairly common sight around Dundee, whereas just a few years ago they were almost entirely absent. Starling and Carrion Crow were added before I reached the bus station.
Collared Dove and Jackdaw were seen from the bus as it passed through Leuchars the only birds seen before I reached Guardbridge. Unsurprisingly the hide was empty and having seen the 'secret' to getting the door open the day before I made it in first time. The tide was still quite low so there was plenty of exposed mud. Mute Swans were on the river, while along the edges were Redshanks, Lapwings and Oystercatchers. A Great Tit family were at the feeders soon joined by a Blue Tit family.
A Common Sandpiper flew across the river calling loudly. A Black Headed Gull flew by. Scanning through the waders found a few Dunlin. A group of Sand Martins skimmed low over the water as they headed upriver. I was joined in the hide by George Adam whose scope was used to pick out an Osprey well out on the river on one of the 'Osprey posts'. Curlews foraged around on the mud and a pair of Black Tailed Godwits were found by George near the Motray outflow. Chaffinches were at the feeders with the Tits.
The first Mallards of the day were spotted swimming near the bend in the river and a Swallow or two zipped over. A party of 4 Dunnocks showed below the feeders. As I watched out the side window a white shape flew up and over the roadbridge, a Little Egret. The first Tree Sparrow of the day appeared at the feeders. A Cormorant fished in the river with some success. The local Buzzard youngsters caused some commotion within the waders flocks from time to time as they practiced their flight skills. A trio of Goldfinches flew over the hide. A single Goosander was spotted further downriver. A Great Black Backed Gull harassed a Cormorant successfully for its catch, not once but twice before the Cormorant gave up and flew off.
A Grey Heron duo chased each other up the far bank, croaking noisily. A Herring Gull flew by, and we had our first close encounter with an Osprey when one overflew the centre with a partially eaten fish in its talons. Nothing new was added as the tide rose to its full height, though there were a few more photo opportunities. I decided rather than going anywhere else that I would stay in the hide and wait for the tide to recede. A number of Eiders appeared, mostly youngsters in the company of a few adult females. It was a long few hours before mud began to show again. A Stock Dove was added during the wait.
I was joined in the hide by a couple who spotted the first Greenfinch of the day as well as a Willow Warbler just to the right of the feeders and a juvenile Robin. A bird of prey flying across the river towards Leuchars turned out to be a Kestrel. House Martins flew by before our second encounter with an Osprey. One had been fishing in Balgove Bay and had landed on the post by the Fife Bird Club hide where it spent some time eating its catch. I spotted a second bird hovering over Balgove Bay and it was this bird that we watched flying in our direction, giving me plenty of opportunity to get some nice flight shots as it carried its catch over the top of the hide.
I found a Whimbrel among the waders opposite the hide and we watched a very successful Cormorant catch a flat fish, an Eel and a strange looking fish in quick succession. The birders who had been in the hide late on Saturday afternoon joined me again at around the same time and a second Little Egret flew eastwards from off to our left. A House Sparrow male visited the feeders and the male Tufted Duck put in an appearance before we all packed up and headed for home around 1700. A good day's photography with plenty of opportunities.
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| Lapwing |
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| Osprey |
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| Lapwing |
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| Small Tortoiseshell & Hoverfly |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Buzzard |
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| Cormorant |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Cormorant |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Common Gull |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Cormorant |
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| Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank & Whimbrel |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Cormorant |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Curlew |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Buzzard |
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| Oystercatcher |
46 species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Whimbrel, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon.
