I haven't been out birding for a few weeks as the enthusiasm to do so was sorely lacking. Early July is still a bit of a lull, though waders are beginning to move through again. With this in mind, and a rather high tide at Guardbridge forecast at a time which would mean that the afternoon would be spent watching the tide coming back in, I decided that sitting in the hide at the Eden Estuary would increase my chances of seeing something more interesting than sitting at home again. It was however a rather late decision to do so.
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| Grey Heron |
I headed out at a few minutes before 1300 hoping to catch the bus into town in time to catch the St Andrews bus at 1315. Herring Gull and Lesser Black Backed Gulls were seen along with single examples of Woodpigeon and Feral Pigeon. Just as the bus was arriving I added a flyover Goldfinch and a few Swifts overhead. Carrion Crow was seen near the bus station. There were few birds seen on the bus journey to Fife with only House Martins at St Michaels, Jackdaws in Leuchars and a Swallow near the railway station added to the list.
On my way into the hide at Guardbridge, a Blackbird was just outside the park. Swallows and House Martins whizzed low over the grass. The hide was empty when I arrived. Out front there was nothing particularly close. I had brought my scope with me having guessed that ongoing work in the University site would deter 99% of birds from the stretch of river near the hide and this proved to be the case throughout the afternoon. The exceptions were Black Headed Gulls and Grey Herons. Further downriver I could see a few Mallards. Herring Gulls, Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a Great Black Backed Gull were roosting and resting at their usual area near the bend in the river.
The feeders were relatively busy with Chaffinches, a Dunnock, a pair of juvenile Great Tits, a Blue Tit and a few Tree Sparrows. A Magpie was heard and then seen from across the river. Scanning across the mud I soon added a few waders to the list - Redshanks, Curlews and Oystercatchers. A Goosander was seen on the water near the gulls. A few Common Gulls were further along the river's edge. There was a small party of Linnets flitting around opposite the hide but they wouldn't settle for any great length of time. Much further downriver I added Mute Swans and Cormorants.
I was joined in the hide for a short while by Ian Cummings who found an Osprey on one of the posts well out in the Estuary. In my defence, I was methodically working my way downriver so hadn't yet reached that area. A Lapwing landed on a small patch of seaweed across the river. I heard Common Sandpiper calling a few times as I tried to direct Ian onto the Lapwing. Once I had managed that I searched for the Sandpiper and found it on the far shoreline near where the Motray meets the Eden. It flew to the mud across the river on the inside of the bend where a Pied Wagtail briefly joined it.
Ian left a short while later and I was joined for a few minutes by a couple who have recently moved to the area and who were doing a spot of exploring. I passed on what info I could and they headed off again happy. Again I didn't have to wait long for more company, with a lady photographer next to pop in. I suspect I have met this lady before (and am possibly even Facebook 'friends' with her), but I'm not 100% sure. Having mentioned not seeing Shelduck or Little Egret yet, I chanced upon a couple of adult Shelducks and a party of youngsters. Very close to them was a single Little Egret.
I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling and found it hanging onto the top of the tallest conifer across the river. Five minutes later I thought I recognised the raptor alarm call of Swallows and looked up expecting a Sparrowhawk or similar, and sure enough a male Sparrowhawk was gaining height near a small group of Swallows and House Martins. As the tide continued to rise I spotted distant Gannets out over St Andrews Bay as the sun hit them. A party of Eiders and a pair of Red Breasted Mergansers were seen well down river not far from where the Osprey doggedly remained atop its post. A Swift was seen over the centre before I decided to call it a day at around 1615 having failed to add any more waders to the list, though a second Little Egret appeared out on the far edge of the saltmarsh.
Not the greatest afternoon's birding with 40 species seen and no great photo opportunities to be had, but it got me out of the house.
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| Grey Heron |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Grey Heron, Common Sandpiper & Pied Wagtail |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Magpie |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| House Martin |
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| Redshank, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Little Egret & Black Headed Gull |
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| Mallard |
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| Lapwing |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Swallow |
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| Swallow |
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| Little Egret |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Redshank |
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| Little Egret |
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| Shelduck & Oystercatcher |
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| Redshank & Mute Swan |
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| Redshank & Lapwing |
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| Swift |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Goosander |
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| Dunnock |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Feral Pigeon, Shelduck, Sparrowhawk, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Woodpigeon.
