With no real target birds easily available for me to try for on Saturday I arranged with Susan to try for Roseate and Black Tern at Barry Buddon for her year-list. Although our chances of getting either bird weren't particularly high there was still enough of a chance to make it worth trying. I arranged to meet Susan at 1000 having checked first that the range was meant to be accessible to the public with no scheduled live firing.
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| Cormorant |
I headed out at 0945 to walk down to meet Susan. Feral Pigeon, Robin, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit were the birds seen on the way. Rabbits and Starlings were seen on our way to Carnoustie but with a strong wind blowing it was no real surprise to find that there wasn't too much to see. Parking near the Leisure Centre we first scanned out over the bay and down among the rocks. Sandwich Terns, Great Black Backed Gull, Common Gull, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Eider, Cormorant, Goosander and Swallow were all noted. A few Meadow Pipits passed through and there were a number of Pied Wagtails around as well as a few Linnets.
A tern landed behind a rock after frustratingly brief views. By moving further along the shore we managed to see that it was a Common Tern. We wandered along to the golf course and along the track where a number of butterflies were active despite the cold wind. Small and Large White, Peacock, Painted Lady and Red Admiral were all seen. Offshore we could see a few distant Gannets and a few Guillemots on the water. It was more of the same as we headed out across the eastern edge of the range with Meadow Pipits popping up from time to time. Carrion Crow and a Kestrel were noted while a pair of Shags dropped in not far offshore. A large congregation of Common Scoters could be seen rather distantly as well as a Razorbill. By now the temperature had risen by a few degrees and it felt a good bit warmer.
Small Copper and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies and Silver Y moth were added before we had to detour inland. A flock of Curlews and Starlings flew up from a firing range. More Pipits and Wagtails were seen as well as a few Skylarks before Susan spotted a solitary Lapwing in another fenced off heath-like area. A Reed Bunting was noted and a distant Kestrel was spotted perched in a tree. We finally found our way to the shoreline. On the beach were a number of Grey Plover as well as Bar Tailed Godwits. There were a few young Terns which appeared to be Common Terns but these flew off. Offshore an interesting looking Skua gave chase to a succession of birds but appeared to come up empty. Despite showing a number of pro-Pomarine features it appears to have been yet another Arctic Skua. Interestingly one of the terns it chased had a sell clamped on its foot, somthing more often seen with waders.
We headed back to Carnoustie and the car. Our only additions were a family group of Mute Swans (2 adults and 4 well-grown cygnets) swimming up the burn as we crossed the wooden footbridge at the golf course, and a Lesser Black Backed Gull. A flock of House Sparrows flew past us near the Leisure Centre. We drove along to Westhaven but only Grey Seal was added there. From the car on the way back to Dundee I spotted a Sparrowhawk.
Despite the failure to get either target it was a decent enough wander with the Arctic Skua probably the best bird of the 38 seen. The amount of butterflies, 7 species, seen was a bit of a surprise given that it is now September. All in all, despite the tired legs at the end, it was another enjoyable birding outing with Susan.
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| Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Herring Gull |
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| Sandwich Tern, Common Tern & Black Headed Gull |
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| Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Black Headed Gull |
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| Hoverfly sp. |
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| Hoverfly sp. |
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| Common Tern |
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| Shag |
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| Small Copper |
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| Eider & Common Scoter |
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| Painted Lady |
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| Starling & Curlew |
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| Common Tern |
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| Arctic Skua |
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| Arctic Skua & Common Tern |
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| Arctic Skua & Common Tern |
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| Arctic Skua & Common Tern |
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| Common Tern |
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| Bar Tailed Godwit & Grey Plover |
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| Grey Plover |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Grey Plover |
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| Grey Plover, Black Headed Gull, Oystercatcher |
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| Grey Plover |
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| Grasshopper sp. |
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| Goosander |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Herring Gull & Lesser Black Backed Gull |
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| Peacock butterfly |
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| Red Legged Shieldbug (?) |
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| Eider |
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
Species seen - Arctic Skua, Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Common Tern, Cormorant, Curlew, Eider, Gannet, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Grey Plover, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Razorbill, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Woodpigeon.
Butterflies seen - Large White, Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Copper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White.
Mammals seen - Grey Seal, Rabbit.
Moths seen - Silver Y.
