A day out around Crail with a young English student studying at St Andrews, Matt Jackson, had been provisionally arranged for the 5th October. However the possibility of getting Hooded Merganser on the year-list without having to travel too far did suggest it might be worth an early start. As Ian and I discussed things on our way back from Holy Island on the Friday a plan began to take shape. I would meet Matt at the bus station in Dundee then Ian would pick us up, we'd go look for the Merganser at Kingoodie then the 3 of us would head for Crail to see what we could find around there.
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| Short Eared Owl |
I met Matt at 0730, Ian arrived minutes later and we set off to Kingoodie. A Kingfisher and some Rock Pipits which landed in front of us were nice but there was no sign of the Merganser. A quick stop at Invergowrie Bay gave us a Fox across at the Dundee side of the bay but still no duck. Perseverance paid off at Kilminning with Matt catching up with his first ever Yellow Browed Warbler. We then decided to try some seawatching at Fife Ness. Matt added a second lifer with a distant Great Skua (his 2nd was a little closer). Manx Shearwater and an optimistically predicted Short Eared Owl were also seen. Ian decided to head for home and as Matt didn't fancy the walk back to Crail, he left too.
I chose to stay as the movements offshore seemed quite promising. I was joined by Grant Robertson and another birder and we added a few Arctic Skuas as well as a few more Manx Shearwaters and another Bonxie. Sandwich Terns, a Goldeneye and an incoming Fieldfare rounded off the list before I packed up at 1600 to head back to Crail via Kilminning where the Barred Warbler had eventually showed after having remained hidden all day. It began to rain as I walked along the coastal path and the detour to Kilminning was interrupted immediately by 2 teens on motorbikes haring around at high speed, pulling wheelies and using the small banks as ramps. The rain got a little heavier just as I reached Crail with around a 25 minute wait for the bus back to St Andrews and then home. A good day out with 70 species seen.
Species seen on walk to bus station - Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin.
Kingoodie & Invergowrie Bay - Pink Footed Goose, Starling, Collared Dove, Mallard, Kingfisher, Teal, Long Tailed Tit, Common Gull, Wigeon, Grey Heron, House Sparrow, Black Headed Gull, Chaffinch, Goosander, Song Thrush, Curlew, Woodpigeon, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Skylark, Mistle Thrush.
Mammals seen - Fox.
Dundee to Crail - Buzzard, Rook, Jackdaw, Sparrowhawk.
Denburn Wood - Grey Wagtail, Blue Tit, Pied Wagtail, Great Tit, Wren, Dunnock.
Kilminning - Treecreeper, Yellow Browed Warbler, Yellowhammer, Redwing, Chiffchaff, Swallow, Magpie, Goldcrest, Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Linnet, Coal Tit, Blackbird.
Fife Ness - Red Throated Diver, Gannet, Red Breasted Merganser, Manx Shearwater, Cormorant, Shag, Short Eared Owl, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Great Black Backed Gull, Oystercatcher, Sandwich Tern, Razorbill, Redshank, Great Skua, Dunlin, Eider, Common Scoter, Arctic Skua.
Kilminning to Dundee - Kestrel, Pheasant.
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Fox |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Red Breasted Merganser |
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| Manx Shearwater & Gannet |
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| Short Eared Owl |
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| Kittiwake |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Common Scoter |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Common Scoter |
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| Great Skua |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Great Skua |
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| Eider |
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| Shag |
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| Fieldfare |
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| Gannet |
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| Arctic Skua & Kittiwake |
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| Arctic Skua & Kittiwake |
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| Eider |
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| Arctic Skua |
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| Arctic Skua |
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| Great Skua & Kittiwake |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Great Skua |
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| Great Skua & Kittiwake |
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| Goldeneye |
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| Swallow |
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| Magpie & Pheasant |
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| Kestrel |
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| Kestrel |
Species seen -Arctic Skua, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Fieldfare, Gannet, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Skua, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Kittiwake, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Manx Shearwater, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Short Eared Owl, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Teal, Treecreeper, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellow Browed Warbler, Yellowhammer.
Mammals - Fox.
