With yet more westerlies forecast I had limited enthusiasm for getting out birding on my last official holiday day of my week off work but decided I should really make an effort to get out. Having been in Fife the previous 2 days I chose the Angus coast, though once again, expectation levels were rather low. I did manage an earlier start, leaving the house at just before 0900 to walk to the Arbroath Road to catch a number 73 bus.
 |
| Snipe |
Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Pied Wagtail, Woodpigeon and Goldfinch were seen in addition to a number of vis-mig Meadow Pipits passing over in a generally westwards direction. From the bus I added Black Headed Gull and Lesser Black Backed Gull as well as Collared Dove and Starling before I got off the bus near Broughty Ferry local nature reserve to see what was around to the west of the Dighty mouth. Sanderling, Redshank, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Bar Tailed Godwit and Curlew were all found avoiding dog walkers on the shoreline. Linnet, Greenfinch and an unexpected Mistle Thrush were seen as I headed for Balmossie and the Dighty outflow. More Meadow Pipits and Swallows passed westwards in small groups.
House Sparrows and Rooks were seen as I wandered slowly along with Mute Swans, Eider, Common Gull, Goosander and Cormorants spotted offshore. Pink Footed Geese passed high overhead. I continued on towards the caravan park at Monifieth. Grey Seals were seen out on a sandbank in the river when I found a bench to sit on and scan from. Across on a post on the Fife side of the river just west of the Tentsmuir Point fenceline I picked out the unmistakable bulk of a White Tailed Eagle. Blackbird and Robin showed briefly in the bushes and trees near me. A Greenshank was spotted low over the water and an unexpected Osprey crossed the river southwards.
Great Black Backed Gull and Turnstone were eventually added before I spotted a distant flock of Golden Plover to the east heading south. A Small White butterfly and a Song Thrush showed as I headed for the bus to Carnoustie. Jackdaw, Buzzard and Stock Dove were seen from the bus. I headed down to the shore near the golf course and scanned out over the sea. There was little to see except a few distant Gannets. Sandwich Terns, a Kittiwake and a Common Tern roosted on the rocks. A Grey Heron stood on the rocks beyond. I wandered along the beach towards Westhaven, adding White Wagtail and House Martin to the list with a Wheatear further along towards the Craigmill Burn. There were plenty of Pied Wagtails around at the burn as well as a few Oystercatchers on the beach while Meadow Pipits and Swallows continued past.
A female Reed Bunting looking rather rufous caused a brief moment of "what's that?" until I got better views and a wader flying past turned out to be a Snipe which meant I got photos as the bird struggled into the wind rather than the usual tail-on shots of a panicking departing bird flushed from a boggy area. A Wigeon was seen offshore as was a flypast Shag. A Red Admiral butterfly was spotted as I headed for Easthaven. A small group of Canada Geese eyed me warily from near the beach, while a small mixed group of Dunlin, Sanderling and Ringed Plover ignored me as they wandered around on the beach nearby. With rain looking very likely I decided to head for home rather than my original plan to head for Arbroath.
Not the most exciting of outings but I now know that White Tailed Eagles in Fife can be seen from the Angus side and identified. A total of 54 species were seen plus 2 butterflies and 1 mammal.
 |
| Ringed Plover |
 |
| Swallow |
 |
| Greenfinch |
 |
| Mistle Thrush |
 |
| Mute Swan |
 |
| Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull & Sanderling |
 |
| Rook |
 |
| Meadow Pipit |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
 |
| Herring Gull |
 |
| Eider, Cormorant & Goosander |
 |
| Osprey |
 |
| White Tailed Eagle |
 |
| Golden Plover |
 |
| Sandwich Tern & Turnstone |
 |
| Sandwich Tern, Herring Gull & Kittiwake |
 |
| Gannet |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
 |
| House Martin |
 |
| Wheatear |
 |
| Greenfinch |
 |
| Carrion Crow |
 |
| House Sparrow |
 |
| House Sparrow |
 |
| Ringed Plover & Oystercatcher |
 |
| Wheatear |
 |
| Reed Bunting |
 |
| Reed Bunting |
 |
| Meadow Pipit & Reed Bunting |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Herring Gull |
 |
| Rook |
 |
| Black Headed Gull & Jackdaw |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
 |
| Reed Bunting |
 |
| Snipe |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
 |
| Meadow Pipit |
 |
| Ringed Plover & Dunlin |
 |
| Dunlin |
 |
| Ringed Plover |
 |
| Great Black Backed Gull, Shag & Cormorant |
 |
| Canada Goose |
 |
| Ringed Plover, Sanderling & Dunlin |
 |
| Great Black Backed Gull |
 |
| Canada Goose |
Species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Tern, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Gannet, Golden Plover, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail (also White Wagtail), Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sanderling, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Snipe, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Turnstone, Wheatear, White Tailed Eagle, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.
Butterfly seen - Red Admiral, Small White.
Mammals seen - Grey Seal
