A trip to the Crail area on Saturday morning with Ian so he could attempt to catch up with Yellow Browed Warbler and Red Breasted Flycatcher as well as a spot of seawatching was arranged on Friday night. Following an 0800 pick-up we stopped briefly at Guardbridge where both White Tailed Eagles could be seen well out in the estuary. We reached a surprisingly quiet Kilminning around 0920. There were migrants around though and we found a Spotted Flycatcher, a couple of Yellow Browed Warbler as well as Treecreepers and a few Chiffchaffs. Wagtails and a House Martin passed overhead. A pair of Whinchats were found at the edge of the golf course before a quiet spell at the bottom end was followed by a trip down to Fife Ness to seawatch.
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
It was relatively quiet though an adult Long Tailed Skua, Sandwich Tern
and Red Throated Diver were all seen. We were going to head for Arbroath
but got sidetracked chatting to Brian Williamson and Claire Halliwell as
well as a visiting birder. Instead we headed back down to the hide
where Golden Plover was added before word of a Barred Warbler found at
Kilminning by Will Cresswell came through. We let Brian and Claire know
as we headed past. We found Will watching the usual
Barred Warbler spot
and after 20 minutes or so Ian and I managed a second or so of the bird
in the open before it vanished again. With the time heading for 1600 we
set off homewards. Ian had managed a few new year-ticks and I had added
another 1 (in bold) among the 70 species noted.
Species seen from Dundee to Guardbridge - Herring Gull, Woodpigeon,
Starling, Goldfinch, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Carrion
Crow, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Magpie, Jackdaw.
Guardbridge -
Redshank, Mallard, Black Headed Gull, Lapwing, White Tailed Eagle,
Oystercatcher, Grey Heron, Curlew, Greenshank, Tree Sparrow, Dunlin,
Chaffinch.
Guardbridge to Kilminning - Blackbird, Peregrine, Kestrel, Collared Dove.
Mammals seen - Roe Deer.
Kilminning
- Skylark, Pink Footed Goose, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Willow Warbler,
Robin, Swallow, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher,
Treecreeper, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Pheasant, Yellow Browed Warbler, Pied
Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, House Martin, Yellowhammer, Gannet, Linnet,
Meadow Pipit, Whinchat, Stock Dove.
Butterflies seen - Red Admiral, Peacock.
Fife
Ness - House Sparrow, Guillemot, Eider, Goosander, Shag, Great Black
Backed Gull, Razorbill, Red Throated Diver, Common Scoter, Rock Pipit,
Sandwich Tern, Common Gull, Long Tailed Skua, Bar Tailed Godwit,
Turnstone, Golden Plover.
Kilminning -
Barred Warbler, Rook.
Crail to Dundee - Canada Goose.
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| White Tailed Eagle |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Magpie |
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| Buzzard |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Kestrel |
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| House Martin |
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| Red Admiral |
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| Skylark |
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| Kestrel |
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| Whinchat |
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| Whinchat |
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| Linnet |
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| Rook |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Common Scoter |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Long Tailed Skua |
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| Long Tailed Skua |
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| Long Tailed Skua |
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| Long Tailed Skua |
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| Long Tailed Skua |
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| Long Tailed Skua |
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| Long Tailed Skua |
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| Eider |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Cormorant |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Golden Plover |
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| Golden Plover, Redshank, Grey Heron & Cormorant |
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| Golden Plover |
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Chiffchaff
|
70 species seen (year-tick in bold) -
Barred Warbler, Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Gannet, Golden Plover, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Skua, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Razorbill, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Spotted Flycatcher, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Tree Sparrow, Treecreeper, Turnstone, Whinchat, White Tailed Eagle, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Yellow Browed Warbler, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies seen - Peacock, Red Admiral.
Mammals seen - Roe Deer.
