The weather forecast for the weekend was looking rather depressing late last week with plenty rain on Saturday and showers most of Sunday. The rain on Saturday cleared to a lovely evening and the outlook for Sunday had also improved by then. Ian messaged me to see if I fancied a few hours birding on Sunday morning. He would need to be home for around 1300, but with an 0800 start we could have at least 3 hours worth of birding, depending on where we went. Ian wanted to try for Curlew Sandpiper at The Wilderness, and Black Tern was my main target having managed to catch up with Curlew Sandpiper on Tuesday at Musselburgh.
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| Black Tern, Arctic Tern, Common Tern & Black Headed Gull |
I headed out just before 0755 to meet Ian nearby. Feral Pigeon,
Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon greeted me as I stepped outside with
Starling added as Ian arrived. We headed for Fife - I suggested a quick
visit to Guardbridge where there was a slim chance of finding a Curlew
Sandpiper among the other waders. Cormorant, Jackdaw and Blackbird were
seen en route. We stopped first at the small reservoir tucked away by
the Motray. There was a small group of Tufted Ducks which had a hint of Scaup about them, as well as a
Little Grebe and a few Meadow Pipits flew over while we were there.
Next
we popped along to the hide where we scanned out across the estuary. Osprey,
Grey Heron, Redshank, Mallard, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Curlew,
Greenshank and Dunlin were all noted with Blue Tit flitting around in
the trees beside us. I found a Pintail with a small group of Wigeon and a
few Goldfinches landed in the trees above us. Great Black Backed and
Lesser Black Backed Gulls as well as Common Gulls were seen roosting
round the bend in the river. House Martins and Swallows zipped by heading up the
river. Tree Sparrow was noted before we moved on again, heading for The
Wilderness. A Rabbit was seen near the car park.
We
arrived at The Wilderness around 20 minutes later and began scanning
over the site. The vegetation limited our view greatly but we stayed on
the road side of the wall, as birders/bird photographers are asked to do
(though not all comply and often disturb the very birds they are hoping
to see). Greylag Geese, Gadwall, Mallard, Teal, Lapwing, Black Tailed
Godwits, Snipe (a total of 18 or 19) were quickly spotted. A wader
wandering around on one of the islands turned out to be Ian's hoped for
Curlew Sandpiper. We wandered along to the gate in case there was
anything else of interest around. A Jay flew out noisily from the trees.
A pair of Mute Swans were on the smaller pool west of the gate.
More
scanning on our walk back along the road added Moorhen, a Whooper Swan
and a pair of Ruff. Also around was one of the local Barnacle x Greylag
hybrid youngsters which looks a little like a Canada Goose with a
pinkish bill and legs. There were also a few Pied Wagtails scurrying around, but
with no more 'rare' waders we decided to move on elsewhere. A report on
the Fife Bird Club grapevine had mentioned a Black Tern at Dysart so I
suggested visiting there in the hope the bird had lingered in the area.
Magpie was seen as we drove down the road to Dysart harbour. Eider was
seen offshore from the car park and on the sand we could see a few
Oystercatchers and a number of gulls.
An Eyed Ladybird
had hitched a lift on my camera bag and a Painted Lady fluttered past
us. A small group of Common and Sandwich Terns flew past, but there was
no Black Tern with them. Down on the beach we found a Dunlin and a small
group of Turnstone. The majority of gulls we could see were Black
Headed and Herring but I suggested we check further round to the east as
that was the direction the majority of birds were coming from. As I had
hoped, we found more birds roosting and feeding on the sands. Among
these gulls we found 5 or 6 Mediterranean Gulls without trying too hard.
We spoke to a couple of other birders who were also scanning through
the gulls (Jonathan and Marily Nugent). A few Shags were seen out over
the river.
Some more scanning through the gulls on the
beach gave us a total of at least 10 Mediterranean Gulls with at least 2
being this year's birds, a few 2nd year birds and the rest adults. One had a
white darvic ring but was just too far away to be read (even from
photos). Wandering back to the car we noted House Sparrow just after a
Robin sounding very un-Robin-like had made us stare at a bush by the
path (we failed to see it but the song soon became less 'rare' sounding
and much more typical Robin). Red Admiral and Green Veined White
butterflies were feeding among the brambles by the path. Back by the
harbour we had good views of a Mediterranean Gull down on the sand by
the harbour mouth. A young Herring Gull struggled with a Starfish it had
caught/found. Pied and White Wagtails were plentiful and Meadow Pipits
and hirundines passed overhead in good numbers.
More
evidence of migration being underway were the 2 Wheatears we found before
we got back in the car. A quick scan out over the Forth added Gannet
and Fulmar to the list before we set off back towards Dundee. Ian had
checked Birdguides and discovered that a Black Tern (and Curlew
Sandpiper) had been seen at Arbroath in the morning. Although high tide
in Arbroath was around 1600, it was to be a very high one which would
mean the rocks disappearing quite quickly. My choice was catch a train
at 1310 or a bus at 1320. The train was clearly the better choice. A
Buzzard was seen near the 5 roads roundabout in Fife before Ian dropped
me off back in Dundee near the V&A when we got stopped at traffic
lights.
I had a wander up into the city centre to kill
15 minutes or so before walking back to the railway station for the
train to Arbroath. I headed for the harbour when I arrived and found a tern roost on the rocks just to the right of the breakwater - where Nat
and I found 2 Black Terns a few years ago. There were a few more terns
and gulls a little further along on the rocks. I scanned from round the
front of the plethora of camper vans. Arctic and Common Terns made up
the majority of the birds in front of me but there were also some
Kittiwakes and a juvenile Little Gull. Cormorants and Great Black Backed
Gulls were on the breakwater.
The incoming tide and
the usual tern habit of flying up for no obvious reason before settling
again meant a lot of repeat scanning. I moved further along to check the
birds on the main rocky stretch of beach but as I looked back towards
the original group I saw a bird that looked a bit different. I moved
back again for a better angle and was delighted to find my first
Black
Tern of the year. A second Black Tern then landed in fromt of it. As I
was photographing these 2, a 3rd Black Tern landed a little closer
still, but at an angle that allowed all 3 birds to be photographed in 1
photo. I eventually decided I should probably check the gulls along by
the pizza restaurant before the tide got too high. White and Pied
Wagtails were seen along the beach and Swallows skimmed by. A Wheatear
found a large green caterpillar in the grass and flew up onto the wall
of Gayfield football ground to swallow it whole. More Wheatear were seen
among the rock armour behind the seawall as were a few Rock Pipits and
the odd Linnet or 2. A Ringed Plover lew past with a small flock of Turnstone.
The sky was beginning to look a little
threatening and as I had seen what I had hoped to see, I checked the
train times finding that I would miss the soonest train but a late-running
London train wouldn't be too far behind it. Peacock and Large White
butterflies were seen on the walk back to the railway station. The train
arrived after a 10 minute wait and was rather empty (most
Dundee/Fife/Edinburgh passengers probably caught the earlier train
rather than wait for what would have been their train). From the train I
managed to add Rooks at the Craigmill Burn as well as a bonus
Sparrowhawk which flew up as the train passed. I arrived back in Dundee
at around 1600 and headed home happy with the day's efforts.
A
decent enough day out with both myself and Ian managing to see our
target species as well as seeing plenty of evidence of migration and
having the chance to pick out Mediterranean Gulls with relative ease
from among the other gulls. Also, it was our first visit to Dysart,
which appeared to be relatively promising for birds, especially gulls
and terns. I managed a total of 64 species with 1 year-tick (in bold).
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| Tufted Duck (or possibly Scaup) |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Pintail, Wigeon, Redshank |
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| Grey Heron, Wigeon, Pintail, Redshank & Black Headed Gull |
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| Redshank, Dunlin, Black Headed Gull & Common Gull |
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| Osprey |
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| Teal, Lapwing, Snipe, Greylag Goose & Curlew Sandpiper |
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| Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Greylag Goose & Whooper Swan |
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| Barnacle x Greylag Goose hybrid |
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| Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Greylag Goose, Common Gull, Black Tailed Godwit & Ruff |
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| Dunlin |
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| Herring Gull, Sandwich Tern, Black Headed Gull & Mediterranean Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull, Sandwich Tern & Black Headed Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Herring Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Black Headed Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Curlew |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Black Headed Gull & Oystercatcher |
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| Mediterranean Gull & Black Headed Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull, Black Headed Gull & Oystercatcher |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Black Headed Gull, Common Tern & Arctic Tern |
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| Little Gull |
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| Black Tern |
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| Arctic Tern, Common Tern & Starling |
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| Black Tern |
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| Arctic Tern & Common Tern |
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| Common Tern |
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| Common Tern & Arctic Tern |
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| Black Tern & Common Tern |
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| Black Tern |
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| White Wagtail |
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| Common Tern & Black Tern |
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| Common Tern & Black Tern |
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| Little Gull |
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| Black Tern |
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| Black Tern |
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| Black Tern |
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| Black Tern |
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| Black Tern |
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| Black Tern |
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| Black Tern, Common Tern & Black Headed Gull |
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| Black Tern, Common Tern & Black Headed Gull |
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| Common Tern & Black Tern |
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| Black Tern |
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| Black Tern |
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| Black Tern |
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| Black Tern, Common Tern |
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| Common Tern |
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| Common Tern |
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| Arctic Tern |
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| Common Tern & possible Roseate Tern (or possibly hybrid with Common Tern) |
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| Common Tern & possible Roseate Tern (or hybrid with Common Tern?) |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| White Wagtail |
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| White Wagtail |
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| Turnstone |
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| Turnstone & Ringed Plover |
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| White Wagtail |
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| White Wagtail |
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| Starling |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Common Tern |
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| Common Tern |
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| Wheatear |
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| White Wagtail |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Redshank |
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| Roseate Tern (possible hybrid with Common Tern?) |
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| White Wagtail |
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| White Wagtail |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Pied Wagtail & White Wagtail |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Kittiwake & Black Headed Gull |
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| Common Tern |
Species seen - Arctic Tern,
Black Tern, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull,
Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Common Gull,
Common Tern, Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Eider, Fulmar,
Gadwall, Gannet, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Greenshank, Grey
Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow,
Jackdaw, Jay, Kittiwake, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet,
Little Grebe, Little Gull, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mediterranean
Gull, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail (&
White Wagtail), Pintail, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Feral Pigeon, Rock
Pipit, Rook, Ruff, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Starling,
Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wheatear, Whooper
Swan, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.
Butterflies seen - Green Veined White, Large White, Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral.
Mammals seen - Rabbit.
