Waders were once again the main target for Sunday's birding with Curlew Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank in particular as the main targets. My plan was to catch an early bus to St Andrews and to walk out to the Balgove Bay hide in time to catch the tide receding. After that I would see where I felt like going though my energy levels were rather low after Saturday's early start and the amount of walking I had done.
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| Stock Dove |
I headed out at around 0655 to walk to the bus station for the 0715 bus. I'd had a quick look out of the window earlier which had given me Collared Dove, Jackdaw, Starling, Feral Pigeon and Herring Gull. The walk to the bus station added House Martin, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and House Sparrow. The bus trip gave me Grey Heron, Swallow and Mute Swan around Guardbridge.
Arriving in St Andrews at around 0740, I headed past the playing fields behind the Old Course Hotel towards the driving range. Oystercatchers, Curlews, Black Headed Gulls, Common Gulls, Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls were all sharing the pitches. Linnets and Pied Wagtails were seen at the edge of the golf course opposite the driving range. The walk out across the golf course added Coal Tit, Skylark and Rook as well as more Swallows and Pied Wagtails.
I reached the hide at around 0820 and found that there was a narrow strip of shoreline below the hide. To the west there were lots of mixed gulls as well as Jackdaws and Rooks. Further scanning added a few Redshanks, a flock of Curlews, a few Lapwings and a few Black Tailed Godwits. A pair of Common Sandpipers landed in front of the hide allowing me some nice views before they flew off again. More scanning found some Mallards and a few distant Ospreys typically perched atop wooden posts.
A few Common Terns flew upriver before mobbing a hunting Osprey briefly as it struggled to get airborne with its catch. A Stock Dove landed nearby. A while later the first flock of Dunlin flew low across the bay. A Great Black Backed Gull appeared among the gulls on the mud. A Woodpigeon and a juvenile Pied Watail stopped in front of the hide briefly. More distantly I spotted a Grey Seal out in the estuary. As the tide receded further a long line of Eiders hauled out onto an emerging sandbank. A Buzzard was seen above Reres Wood. A Cormorant flew upriver and a few Sandwich Terns hunted out over the river.
I spent a further hour in the hide without adding anything further though I did have some nice photo opportunities in the sunshine. Around 1100 I decided to head back towards St Andrews. My choice was between heading back to the hide at Guardbridge or catching the bus to Crail and walking out to Fife Ness for some seawatching. My tired legs decided for me - Guardbridge. On the walk back across the golf course I spotted a Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit and Wheatear. Large White butterflies and a Robin in a hedge opposite the bus stop were further adds to the list.
Nearing the Eden Estuary at Guardbridge I glanced upwards and spotted a raptor drifting south. It was quite long winged and long tailed and initially I couldn't quite place it. It was a Harrier, almost certainly a Marsh Harrier and so I sent a text to the Fife grapevine to alert those further south to keep an eye out for the bird. However, the report wasn't circulated, so there was no independent verification of the identity. The Buddleia in front of the hide at Guardbridge was busy with butterflies - Peacocks, Large Whites, Small Whites, Small Tortoiseshell and Painted Ladys. A surprise was a Small Copper on the Ragwort a little closer.
Most of the birds were rather distant though I did add Goosander and a Knot to what I'd already seen. Jacqui texted me and we arranged a trip out to Fife Ness to sit on the rocks in the sun and do some seawatching without the need for a 2 mile walk. Swifts were seen from Lamond Drive in St Andrews. Arriving at Fife Ness we found lots of Silver Y moths and even more Hoverflies on all the vegetation near the car. Shags and Gannets passed offshore. We found somewhere to sit on the rocks but there was a constant stream of Hoverflies over the rocks, many of which landed on us in search of some sustenance. Harmless but quite ticklish and slightly irritating.
Kittiwake and Turnstone were seen before we decided that the hide was likely to provide at least some respite from the Hoverflies. In we went and it did lessen the amount of the insects that we encountered though there were still plenty coming in the windows. Fulmar, Common Scoter and Guillemot were the only further additions as things were decidedly quiet offshore. We headed back to Guardbridge where Jacqui dropped me off. Song Thrush was seen on the grass as I walked in towards the hide. Canada Goose and a slightly unusual for the Eden Estuary Tufted Duck sighting were the only new birds for the day before I decided to head for home.
Quite a long day with a total of 57 species of bird seen, though nothing new for the year amongst them, as well as 6 butterflies, 1 mammal and 1 moth species. A decent day's birding overall.
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| Lapwing, Shelduck, Common Gull, Black Headed Gul |
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| Grey Heron, Redshank, Black Tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Black Headed Gull |
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| Osprey |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Feral Pigeon & Jackdaw |
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| Osprey |
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| Lapwing |
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| Rook, Jackdaw, Black Headed Gull, Mallard & Common Gull |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Lapwing |
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| Rook |
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| Dunlin |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Common Tern |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey & Common Tern |
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| Rook |
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| Lapwing |
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| Mallard |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Shelduck |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Lapwing |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Rook |
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| Common Gull, Black Headed Gull, Oystercatcher, Black Tailed Godwit, Herring Gull |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Buzzard |
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| Small Copper |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Knot |
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| Dunlin, Knot & Turnstone |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Common Scoter |
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| Grey Seal |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Buzzard |
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| Black Tailed Godwit & Redshank |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Herring Gull & Crab |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Common Scoter, Common Tern, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Grey Heron, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wheatear, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies seen - Large White, Painted Lady, Peacock, Small Copper, Smal Tortoiseshell, Small White.
Mammlas seen - Grey Seal.
Moths seen - Silver Y.
