Having added 2 new year-ticks on Saturday in Fife, I was keen to get back out on Sunday to see what else I could possibly add. Jacqui was keen to get out and about too, so we decided to see what we could find around and about in Angus. With high tide being very early, I decided we should try the coast first, in the chance of some migrants heading north on southerly winds, and then up to Auchmithie to try for Puffins and then head inland.
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| Stonechat |
We arranged for Jacqui to pick me up at 0830, but a bit of a mix up meant that she left early and I rushed to get out for an earlier pick-up time and was out for 0800. However, it transpired that rather than arrive a bit too early Jacqui made a brief detour to Morton Lochs and I did some urban birding while waiting for her to arrive. Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, a flyover Meadow Pipit, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Starling were all seen despite not being in the best of spots for seeing around about. I also heard but didn't see a Magpie.
Once Jacqui arrived we set off for Craigmill Den to walk down to the mouth of the burn. On the way we added Curlews and Jackdaws to the list but nothing else. Arriving at the small lay-by at the top end of the Den we added Blue Tit, Goldfinch and Wren almost immediately. Jacqui spotted a Grey Wagtail near the bridge over the burn. Things were relatively quiet in the Den but we still managed to see some birds. Great Tits, Chaffinches,Chiffchaff, Song Thrush and Linnet, followed soon after by Yellowhammer and Dunnock, as well as the rather noisy Rooks in the Rookery at the bottom end of the Den.
We crossed the railway line to the beach. The tide was further out than ideal but we were able to see birds out on the rocks, and in the rockpools. Herring Gulls and Great Black Backed Gulls shared rocks with Cormorants, while Redshank, Curlew and Oystercatcher picked around in the pools and sandy areas. There were a few Wigeon just offshore, with Eider further out. A flock of Turnstones flew off towards Carnoustie. A pair of Mallards flew in and a Mute Swan sailed by just offshore. Behind us a Skylark ascended singing. Jacqui spotted it before I did. I managed to see a Sparrowhawk over the trees to the north of the road, before Jacqui found a Grey Plover near the burn. Gannet was seen well out over the sea.
We headed back up towards the Den. Pied Wagtail was seen in the fields as we crossed the road. There wasn't too much to add in the Den that we hadn't already seen, though Robin was new for the list. A hirundine above us wasn't the expected Sand Martin, but instead an early Swallow. An unexpected year-tick, but it continued on its way west and out of sight before I could get a photo. We headed next for Auchmithie. There were gulls in the fields following a tractor but they appeared to only be Herring Gulls. There were a few Tree Sparrows around the car park along with a few House Sparrows.
We wandered down the hill to scan out on the water for Puffins. There were Herring Gulls on the rocks off to the north but no obvious Puffins. Jacqui picked up a Fulmar near the cliffs and a pair of Stonechats along the edge of the beach. I found black and white birds out on the water but they turned out to be Razorbills. A Guillemot was seen in flight and there were a few Shags closer in to shore. Long Tailed Duck flew north low over the water, and a Red Throated diver was picked out distantly but still no Puffins. Jacqui spotted a pair of Reed Buntings in the vegetation at the foot of the stairs and I added Kittiwake to our growing list, before we gave up on Puffins and headed back up the hill, stopping to chat to local birder, Roddy McKenzie, for a few minutes.
As we were pulling out of our parking space, Jacqui spotted a raptor flying over, which turned out to be a Peregrine. Buzzard and Pheasant were spotted from the car as we headed to Montrose Basin, and a visit to the RBS hide. This proved to be a worthwhile wee stop with a number of birds added - Pink Footed Geese, Shelduck, Sand Martins, Grey Heron, Scaup, Black Tailed Godwits, Black Headed Gull and Knot, as well as a few we'd already seen elsewhere. Moorhen and Red Breasted Merganser were late additions before we set off round the Basin to the Lurgies for a walk along the old seawall.
Things were rather quiet however, with the tide state being rather low, a lot of the birds were well out in the Basin. We did still manage to add a few species with Teal, Goldeneye, Common Gull, a pair of Greenshanks and finally Long Tailed Tit. We also had nice views of a Sparrowhawk circling up above the river. Next we headed to Montreathmont Forest to see if we could find any Crossbills or Woodpeckers. We heard distant calls from both Woodpeckers but failed to see either. Perthshire based nature tour guide Bob Smith and a small tour party were at the hide when we arrived, though Bob didn't appear to recognise me (he left the hide as we were approaching, so maybe never even saw me). The hide emptied and we had a very quick check of what was around - mostly Coal Tits and Siskins, before heading up the track to scan around for Woodpeckers and anything flying over. Things were very quiet however, so we headed back to the car.
We made a quick stop at the eastern end of Balgavies Loch where the Osprey pair (or 1 of the pair - Green BF, and a female) were visible distantly perched up in the trees. Coot, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe and Greylag Geese were also out on the water. Murton Nature Reserve was our next stop where a Green Sandpiper which had been seen intermittently lately was our target bird. Most of what was around we'd already seen, but local bird photographer Eric McCabe gave us the news that he'd seen the Green Sandpiper earlier from the Gladstone Hide. A quick visit to the hide down the hill gave us Lapwing and Gadwall but nothing else new.
Entering the Gladstone Hide, I sat down and lifted my binoculars to check the area Eric had indicated and immediately found I was looking at the rather bright white belly of an otherwise dark bird stood on a ground level branch of a small bush. One Green Sandpiper, as easy as that. Mission accomplished, we headed back to the car stopping to check a nice male Bullfinch which flew into trees just off the reserve. With the list for the day already not too far short of 80 species we decided on a quick stop at Forfar Loch to see if we could reach the nice round figure of 80 species.
While Jacqui stopped to buy an ice cream cone from a van in the car park I wandered down to the water to scan. A small party of Lesser Black Backed Gulls gave us one new species, a single Goosander gave us another and a pair of Magpies flying into trees along the south side of the Loch took us to and past the 80 species mark. On our travels we'd also added one other year-tick - (which I thought we might have a chance at seeing), but owing to the fact the bird is a Schedule 1 species, I will not give the location as it was in suitable breeding habitat. I did tell the local recorder of the sighting when we bumped into him afterwards. The bird in question was a Little Ringed Plover.
In total we managed to see 81 species and no doubt could easily have added more had we had the time to visit a glen and maybe Loch of Kinnordy too, but as Jacqui had to be home for around 1600 we headed down the road early with 3 year ticks (in bold) from an enjoyable day out.
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| Little Ringed Plover |
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| Linnet |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Razorbill & Guillemot |
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| Stonechat |
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| Stonechat |
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| Scaup |
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| Knot & Black Tailed Godwit (& Common Gull) |
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| Moorhen |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Osprey |
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| Green Sandpiper |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Fulmar, Gadwall, Gannet, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Plover, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Ringed Plover, Long Tailed Duck, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Scaup, Shag, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stonechat, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
