0586 : No Sun Sunday (7/10/18)

I got out of bed rather late on Sunday but decided that despite the forecast rain for mid-afternoon I should at least try to squeeze in some birding, though I wasn't really in the mood. I didn't have much of a plan when I was ready to leave the house other than to have a look at Swannie Ponds first and see what I could find and then to make a decision on where to go next. I decided to travel light, taking the Nikon P900 and a pair of binoculars instead of my more usual kit.

Grey Heron

It was around 1215 when I headed out. Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Herring Gull and Black Headed Gull were seen before Feral Pigeon, Blue Tit and Starling were added. Arriving at the ponds I found the water level really low which meant no Tufted Ducks. A Grey Heron waded out from the island. Black Headed and Herring Gulls were dotted around. A few Mallard and a couple of Common Gulls were seen. The local Mute Swans were on the lower pond as was a few Common Gulls. I did find 3 ringed Black Headed Gulls including white J4U2, a regular Norwegian ringed bird and 2 metal ringed birds though the resolution of the photos from the P900 and the poor light meant that neither of these 2 were identifiable.

I headed for Eastern Cememtery next, stopping to see 8 Pink Footed Geese flying north as I wandered along past the TA centre. Things were very quiet in the cemetery though a Mistle Thrush was heard but not seen. There seemed to have been a lot of gravestones knocked down since my last visit which along with a sign on the gate asking dog walkers to keep their dogs on leads and on the paths because of fouling on the actual graves does make one question some people's attitudes. Magpie and Woodpigeon were seen before I decided to catch a bus to Monifieth and walk back from there.

Collared Dove was seen on the way and when I arrived at Monifieth I headed first for the corner of the Barry Buddon Army training ranges. Pied Wagtails and Oystercatchers were seen on the grass at the football pitches while offshore Cormorants and Gannets were seen though the wind made viewing tricky. A large flock of Bar Tailed Godwits and Knot were seen flying around along towards the burn. The sky was looking rather threatening by now and I was walking into the wind. The tide was quite far in leaving only a small area of each where a small group of Dunlin, Sanderling and Ringed Plover were seen. A single Linnet sheltered among the rocks. Out on the water I spotteed a couple of Eider. As the weather was deteriorating quickly I chose to head for the bus and home. House Sparrow was the final addition as I waited for the bus.

I ended the day's birding efforts with a total of just 29 species. I had at least made the effort to get out despite my mind being elsewhere. Following on from Saturday's triple "dip" and ahead of yet more westerlies it was all rather demoralising.

Grey Heron

Moorhen

Moorhen

Oystercatcher

Bar Tailed Godwit & Knot

Species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunlin, Eider, Gannet, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Knot, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Ringed Plover, Feral Pigeon, Sanderling, Starling, Woodpigeon.

0585 : Triple Target Twitching Trip (6/10/18)

I was undecided whether or not to go birding on Saturday. I was considering a visit to Edinburgh to see the Rip It Up exhibition on Scottish pop music in the morning and then take part in the AUOB march for Scottish independence in the afternoon with around 100,000 other like-minded folk. However, a message from Ian saying he was heading south and west for a spot of twitching for Taiga Bean Geese and Ruddy Duck as well as the Ring Necked Parakeets in Glasgow and did I want to go along, soon made my mind up for me. All 3 species would be year-ticks, so plans were made for a later than last time start from Perth.

Little Grebe

I was out the door at 0740 and walked into town noting Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and Blackbird before I reached the railway station. A Great Black Backed Gull flew over as I headed into the building. From the train through to Perth I was able to add a few more species - Pink Footed Geese, Woodpigeon, Sparrowhawk, Mallard and Mute Swan as well as Roe Deer. I met Ian in the car park of Perth station and we headed off to the area around Slamannan where the Taiga Bean Geese have recently arrived for the winter. Starling, Rook, Magpie and House Sparrow were all seen on the way there.

We didn't see too much when we found a spot to stop and scan over the fields though a few Skylarks flew over. We did hear Coal Tit, Siskin and possibly Bullfinch but as our focus was on finding the geese we didn't look for any of them. Drawing a blank we tried a few more spots before heading for nearby Fannyside Lochs adding a Buzzard on the way. There were no Bean Geese to be seen but we did add Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch and Stonechat as well as a Sparrowhawk being pursued by Carrion Crows and an overflying Tiger Moth biplane. We met up with another birder, Mark from Balbeggie, who we'd also ran into at the Woodchat Shrike outing 2 weeks previously.

We tried another spot before heading for the Ruddy Duck location, with Mark following on behind us. This was more of a village pond than anything else and we had a wander round the perimeter slowly scanning along the way, though it was almost impossible to see from two sides. Coot, Black Headed Gull, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Moorhen and Mallard were all on the water but there was no sign of any Ruddy Duck. We kept checking just in case it was hiding among the reeds but to no avail. A few late Swallows stopped by for a brief drink and Siskin and Buzzard flew over. We eventually admitted defeat and headed for Victoria Park in Glasgow where we hoped to see the Ring Necked Parakeets which have bred there in recent years.

The park was rather busy and we headed for the pond where I'd been told the birds were often seen. A Grey Heron was perched in a tree while lots of Mallards, Feral Pigeons and gulls were being fed by the public. A Little Grebe adult had to keep a small fish out of reach of a Black Headed Gull until it gave up and the bird's youngster nearby was fed. We did see a young Magpie on the grass, as well as Robin, Dunnock, Moorhen and a Grey Squirrel. Long Tailed Tits were heard but not seen. We did manage to get further info on the Parakeets from a photographer. There was no sign of any Parakeets though. Things were not going to plan with all 3 targets eluding us, at least so far.

Undaunted we headed back to the Ruddy Duck site for another look. A Goosander was added to the rather short list for the day before we tried a couple of other small pools nearby where we found more Moorhens and a few Teal but no sign of any Ruddy Duck. Back to Slammanan on the way home we spotted Lesser Black Backed Gulls in a ploughed field with other gulls and corvids including Jackdaws from the car. A quick stop at Fannyside Loch was greeted with the news that the Ruddy Duck had been relocated in the same area as a Black Tern (quite possibly by Mark who had headed that way while we headed for Glasgow). Unfortunately Ian had to be back home for 1700 so we didn't have enough time to do a U-turn and try again.

Instead we headed for Falkirk and the Kincardine Bridge and homewards. A trio of juvenile Gannets headed inland near the Forth and a Kestrel hovered by the roadside a little further on. A large flock of Pink Footed Geese, a Shelduck and Oystercatcher as well as a gull roost which contained our first Common Gulls of the day as well as a Great Black Backed Gull, were all on the mud on the north side of the river. A few miles up the road I spotted a couple of Ravens high overhead and Ian spotted our first Collared Dove of the day as we passed through a small village. Ian dropped me off in Perth and I caught a train back to Dundee a while later, adding Pheasant to the list and a couple of sunbathing Roe Deer on the way.

Not the most successful of days out but there are never any guarantees when it comes to birding and it was an enjoyable outing regardless. The total for the day was 44 species of bird and 2 mammals.

Herring Gull

Reed Bunting

Skylark

Stonechat

Tufted Duck

Buzzard

Grey Heron

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Magpie

Moorhen

Magpie

Goosander

Pink Footed Goose, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Black Headed Gull & Great Black Backed Gull

Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Dunnock, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Grebe, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Raven, Reed Bunting, Robin, Rook, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stonechat, Swallow, Teal, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon.

Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Roe Deer.   

0584 : A Tale Of Two Halves (3/10/18)

With yet more westerlies forecast along with the possibility of rain in the morning, my midweek birding options were rather limited. Paul had managed to get back onshore and was available to get out birding though it was likely he would have to be home earlier than usual. We settled on a pick-up at Guardbridge followed by a morning of seawatching until the rain passed through then a look around at Kilminning then possibly along to Caiplie to see if the Black Redstart which had been seen a few times a few days before was still around. This would mean Paul didn't have too far to travel to get home and the amount of driving he'd have to do would also be rather limited.

Arctic Skua

I needed to catch the 0755 bus to Guardbridge so was out the door at around 0735. Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon and Herring Gull were all around when I stepped out the door. Blackbird and Robin were both seen near the bus station. From the bus to Fife I was able to add Buzzard, Starling, Rook, Pheasant and Jackdaw. Blue Tit and Long Tailed Tits were in the trees by the gate into the park at Guardbridge. I met Paul outside the hide and we scanned out across the estuary. Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Great Black Backed Gull, Little Egret, Mute Swan, Lapwing, some distant Golden Plover, Dunlin, Curlew, Mallard and Black Headed Gull were quickly jotted down.

Paul found a Ruff among a flock of Redshanks and a small group of Red Breasted Mergansers swam upriver. A Grey Heron flew in to join the Egrets. Some searching finally produced an Oystercatcher. Chaffinch and Goldfinch both flew over. A large 'lump' out on one of the wooden posts in the estuary was confirmed as a White Tailed Eagle, most likely the local female who has apparently been deserted by the male this year. Teal, Wigeon and Eider were the final additions before we headed for Crail. Nothing else was added on the way there except House Sparrows and a Greenfinch. The visibility got progressively worse as we neared Crail and our seawatching opportunity seemed to be under threat.

Thankfully it turned out we could see far enough out over the sea, though the horizon was obscured. Turnstone were seen on the rocks out in front, while Shags and Gannets flew by. Despite the poor visibility there were birds moving and we soon added Kittiwakes, Red Throated Diver and Arctic Skua to the list. Rock Pipits showed out among the pools and a Grey Seal surfaced offshore. A few Sandwich Terns flew by and a female Velvet Scoter was a surprise as she headed south. Common Gull, Razorbill, Guillemot, Common Scoter and a Manx Shearwater were seen over the next half hour or so.

A small group of Purple Sandpipers showed up among the Ringed Plover and Turnstone flock out on the rocks. A Pied Wagtail flew over the hide. It was more of the same for the rest of the morning and just before noon we packed up and headed for Kilminning to see if there was anything to be found in the bushes and trees. Great Tit and Meadow Pipit were seen quite quickly and overhead there were lots of Skylarks moving just above the low cloudbase with birds suddenly appearing below the grey. A Sparrowhawk flew out from a tree but rapidly changed direction having spotted us. Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting were seen near the bottom end as well as small covey of around half a dozen Grey Partridges which flew from the airfield across towards the grey shed.

I flushed a surprise Snipe from the grass as we wandered around and a calling Chiffchaff was a sign that there were at least a few migrants around. The local Magpies put in an appearance as did Willie Irvine. After a short chat we headed back up towards the top end again for another look. We spent some time looking through the large flock of a few hundred Linnets in the field between the airfield and the golf course halfway up. Among them was a partially leucistic Linnet which might have convinced someone it was a small Snow Bunting, but photos showed otherwise. A few Song Thrushes and a Great Spotted Woodpecker may have been migrants and Blackbird, Blue Tit and Greenfinch were all seen also. Paul decided to head for home a little early, just in case of any delays and I decided to stick around for some more seawatching as the conditions had improved a lot.

Paul dropped me off near the hide and headed for home and I headed into the hide. Within the first 30 minutes I had seen 4 skuas close in, so I messaged John Anderson to let hime know and he soon joined me in the hide. One of the skuas looked like it might be a Long Tailed Skua but appears to have just been a rather thin Arctic Skua. A Merlin headed out over the sea, like the Kestrel from the previous week. It was a similar mix of species to earler in the day with the addition of a Great Skua, and a possible Pomarine Skua or two among the Arctics, but which close inspection of the photos at home have me leaning towards more Arctics. Two Velvet Scoter drakes headed southwards. John dropped me off at the bus stop in time to catch the 1740 bus back to St Andrews and a Kestrel was seen as the bus neared Kingsbarns.

All in all a quite productive day with the 2 separate seawatches being broadly similar except for a far greater number of skuas seen in the afternoon. I ended the day with a healthy total of 71 species (and 2 possibles), plus 1 mammal species.

Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank & Oystercatcher

Red Breasted Merganser

Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank & Ruff

Black Headed Gull

Goldfinch

Wigeon

White Tailed Eale

Goldfinch

Kittiwake

Eider

Red Throated Diver

Arctic Skua

Red Throated Diver

Velvet Scoter

Gannet

Razorbill

Cormorant

Gannet

Kittiwake

Red Throated Diver

Razorbill & Guillemot

Red Breasted Merganser

Ringed Plover, Dunlin & Turnstone

Purple Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Turnstone & Oystercatcher

Teal

Rock Pipit

Manx Shearwater

Kittiwake

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Common Scoter

Stock Dove

Linnet, Greenfinch & Goldfinch

Skylark

Snipe

Snipe

Magpie

Linnet

Linnet

Linnet & Greenfinch

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua & Kittiwake

Merlin

Merlin

Velvet Scoter

Artic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Arctic Skua

Great Skua

Great Skua

Red Throated Diver

Arctic Skua

Red Breasted Merganser

Red Throated Diver

Species seen - Arctic Skua, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Gannet, Golden Plover, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Skua, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Partridge, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Lapwing, Linnet, Little Egret, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Manx Shearwater, Meadow Pipit, Merlin, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Purple Sandpiper, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Ruff, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Skylark, Snipe, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Teal, Turnstone, Velvet Scoter, White Tailed Eagle, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.

Mammals - Grey Seal.