0748 : Review of 2019

It's amazing just how quickly the end of the year comes around again. It really doesn't seem all that long ago that I summed up what was a personal record-breaking 2018 in a blog-post and yet here I am again with 2019 to do likewise for. Largely thanks to Ian I managed to add 15 lifers to my life list which is slowly approaching 300, mostly, but not now exclusively from the Scottish mainland - a few visits to England this year meant my not long merged life/Scottish list has diverged into 2 parts once again.

Osprey & Common Gull
I also got out and about and saw some good birds with Paul, Lainy and Adam, Susan, Jacqui as well as with Roy and Carolyn. I also spent a bit of time birding with Matt Jackson, Stuart Green, Fiona McLean, Will Cresswell and John Anderson among numerous others. It was also good to put faces to names and meet some new folk too. Once again, a big thank you to all those I've been fortunate enough to get out birding with, or got a much needed lift somewhere with, or who has shared info on where best to look for certain species, or got me onto a particular bird. My year-list would be far shorter without your help, so thanks again, and I will doubtless catch up with a large proportion of you again in 2020.

And so on to the actual review of the year part. January 2019 began with a trip round Angus with Paul on the 1st which resulted in 70 species seen. The majority of the rarer birds went into hiding for the day so the over-wintering Spotted Redshank at Riverside Nature Park was the main highlight. I met up with Paul in Fife again on the 2nd, though I did add Waxwings in The Howff cemetery in Dundee city centre before catching the bus. Water Pipit at Cocklemill Burn, Raven over the Shell Bay caravan park, Black Necked Grebe at Elie and Crossbill and Smew at Cameron Reservoir all resulted in another productive day out. A return trip to Cameron Reservoir with Susan the following day added a surprise Tawny Owl.

I headed for Lothian on the 4th to meet up with Roy and Carolyn in the hope of adding a few more species. More Waxwings delayed us slightly but we added Twite at John Muir Country Park and Shorelark at Kilspindie (at our second attempt there as well as dipping at JMCP) as well as Surf Scoter off Musselburgh. I refound the elusive Black Redstart at Arbroath on the 5th and also managed decent views of Short Eared Owl on the golf course at Elliot. Another trip out with Paul on the 9th added Ring Necked Parakeet in Carnoustie and Green Sandpiper at Monikie. A trip to try for Taiga Bean Geese at Slamannan followed by an attempt at Ring Billed Gull at Strthclyde Country Park with Ian drew a blank on both targets but a Todd's Canada Goose with a flock of Pink Footed Geese near Slamannan was decent compensation (and a lifer of sorts).

Another trip out with Ian on the Sunday was more successful with a Coue's Arctic Redpoll (and some Mealys) added at Hopes Reservoir up in the hills to the south of Edinburgh. We then headed to Coldstream where we found Great White Egret and Crane stood side by side on the English side of the Tweed. No Apache helicopters this time though. I managed to add Green Woodpecker and Brambling at Tentsmuir on the 16th and Mediterranean Gull was added at Buckhaven with Jacqui on the 19th. A trip to the Angus Glens on the 20th with Jacqui added an unexpected Hen Harrier as well as Red Kite and Black Grouse to the list. A Great Northern Diver was seen off Fife Ness on another trip out with Jacqui on the 24th.

February wasn't quite as productive as January but 2 different Merlins in Fife with Paul on the 6th were welcome. A trip to Scone Palace on 23rd added Hawfinch and Nuthatch and I met a birder from Yorkshire who I'd met there 2 years previously who somehow recognised me - I wish my memory for faces was as good as his clearly was. The 25th was spent at Out Head where I had a productive few hours photographing a Snow Bunting and enjoyed a good chat with Sam Taylor. A pair of Bearded Tits at Loch of Kinnordy on the 26th were another welcome surprise. A trip to Ayrshire with Ian on the 3rd of March added my second lifer of the year - a Chough at Turnberry golf course as well as a Jack Snipe as we wandered back to the car via some pools just off a fairway.

Little Gulls were seen with Paul at Monikie on the 20th and another expedition westwards with Ian on the 30th was very successful. Hooded Crow, Black Guillemot, Pied Billed Grebe and Black Duck all targets successfully found (eventually). The latter 2 species were further lifers for me. A trip to the Tay Reedbeds on the 31st with Susan resulted in a lucky wrong turn which meant we stumbled on a goose flock by Errol airfield where I almost immediately found a European White Fronted Goose and Susan found a Barnacle Goose, both of which were year-ticks. April began with House Martin and Swallow when I tagged along with Kris Gibb and his pal to Birnie and Gaddon on the 7th. Manx Shearwater and Sandwich Tern were noted off Fife Ness on the 8th. A trip north for White Billed Diver with Ian and his pal, Kenny drew a blank though we added Spoonbill at Strathbeg on the way home.

Water Rail, Osprey and Little Ringed Plover were the next additions in April in Angus. I led a guided walk at Riverside Nature Park on the 17th where the first Willow Warbler of the year was the only addition to the year-list. A trip to Crail on the 21st gave me my first Yellow Wagtail of the year and a stop at the Eden Estuary later added Whimbrel also. Wood Sandpiper at Loch of Kinnordy on the 24th was followed by Grasshopper Warbler and Sedge Warbler at the Tay Reedbeds on the 25th. Another trip with Ian through to Lothian on the 26th turned out to be very successful. I spoke to former Birdwatch magazine editor, Dominic Mitchell when we arrived at Musselburgh who confirmed the White Winged Scoter (and Surf Scoter) were close in, and we caught up with them without any problems.

We were joined by Roy and we all headed for Barns Ness where once again we bumped into Dominic Mitchell. This was to prove to be very fortuitous as he later found a Wryneck, then caught up with us to let us know, before re-finding what was a very welcome lifer for us (and a few others who arrived quickly when word went out). In addition we also saw Yellow Wagtail, Grasshopper Warbler, Whimbrel and a Glaucous Gull. It was certainly one of the best days birding of the year. A trip to Crail on the 27th for a Wood Warbler at Denburn Wood and a Pied Flycatcher at Kilminning was also successful. In addition Lesser Whitethroat was also new for the year. A trip out on the 28th with Adam and Lainy McCormack saw us head for the Angus Glens where Cuckoo and Whinchat were adds for my year-list. Another trip out on the 4th of May to Fife with Adam and Lainy added Garden Warbler and Garganey.

A trip north to Aberdeenshire with Paul on the 8th of May added Common, Arctic and Little Tern as well as our first Swift of the year. A trip to the Angus Glens with Susan on the 11th was very successful with Tree Pipit, Redstart, Woodcock, Spotted Flycatcher and Ring Ouzel all noted. Another trip to Aberdeenshire with Paul on the 15th added another lifer in the shape of Iberian Chiffchaff. My first Bonxie of the year was seen off Fife Ness on the 18th. June was largely quiet though a trip west on the 26th with Paul for Hooded Crow and Black Guillemot gave us both Ring Billed Gull at an undisclosed location after a bit of a diversion. A foray into England with Ian on the 29th saw us head for Northumberland. I added 3 lifers - Baikal Teal, Little Owl and Lesser Scaup (at St Abb's) as well as Ruff, Reed Warbler and Avocet for the year.

A Ruddy Shelduck at Montrose Basin on the 6th of July was only my second ever sighting of the species, having seen 4 there years ago. Roseate Tern and Arctic Skua were seen off Westhaven on the 27th. A Sooty Shearwater past Fife Ness on the 17th August was one of only a handful of new species seen that month with White Tailed Eagle added at the Eden Estuary on 26th and a trip to Lothian on 27th giving me both Pectoral and Curlew Sandpipers. Thankfully September proved more fruitful and having attempted and failed to see Black Tern at Dysart on the morning of the 1st with Ian, a trip to Arbroath on the train in the afternoon found 3 of the species together briefly on the rocks near the harbour.

Another trip with Ian to Lothian on the 15th added Little Stint - the only addition of a week's holiday intended to be spent birding. Another week's holiday after a week back at work was thankfully more productive beginning on the 23rd with my first Yellow Browed Warbler and a Red Breasted Flycatcher seen near Kilminning/Fife Ness. Even better was a Little Bunting which I tentatively ID'd later but didn't feel quite confident enough to put out as the photos I'd managed to grab were almost impossible to view in the bright sunshine. Thankfully the ID was confirmed later at home, giving me my bird of the year and a new self-found lifer.

The rest of the week added Pomarine and a few Long Tailed Skua in Angus as well as Barred Warbler with Ian at Kilminning. A possible Yellow Legged Gull seen at Elliot with Susan on the 29th turned out to be more likely a hybrid Lesser Black Backed x Herring Gull. 3 different Mediterranean Gulls, Long Tailed, Arctic and Great Skua as well as an unexpected Black Tern made for a productive day's birding. I turned 50 early in October and took 2 weeks holiday off work to try to find more birds for the year-list. A trip south with Ian on the 4th added another lifer with Greenish Warbler seen, though I failed to get photos owing to its elusive nature.

While browsing Twitter on the 9th I found a photo from Lainy McCormack of a Yellow Browed Warbler that looked a bit odd. I asked her where she'd seen it and if she had anymore photos of it. She had 1 more of the bird which she'd photographed at Kilminning earlier in the day. As I suspected it was actually a Pallas's Warbler so I put word out on the Fife grapevine and arranged with Lainy and Adam to head back over in the morning. There were plenty folk looking when we arrived but Yellow Browed Warbler seemed to be the best of what was still around. Unfortunately, sightings of the species (still needed by Lainy) didn't coincide with Lainy being in the vicinity. By lunchtime, the concensus was that the Pallas's had moved on and most birders left.

I put in extra effort to get YBW for Lainy and eventually just after 1400 a bird popped out in front of us and I tried to get Lainy onto it. As the bird turned I realised that it wasn't a YBW after all, but was actually the very elusive Pallas's Warbler. Unfortunately, I missed out on photos but thankfully Will Cresswell and John Anderson managed to photograph the bird well the following morning but it disappeared before the weekend came around. A trip westwards with Ian on the 14th gave me another lifer - Cattle Egret near Stirling, as well as Blue Winged Teal near Glasgow and the Taiga Bean Geese near Slamannan. A Black Throated Diver was added at Dalgety Bay on the 16th and another trip west on the 23rd with Paul added Ruddy Duck, White Rumped Sandpiper and Snow Goose.

November was rather quiet compared to October but a trip northwards with Ian and his pal Kenny on the 23rd added Crested Tit and American Wigeon. I had a few attempts to see Black Scoter at Lunan Bay but the light was against me the first twice. Thankfully, I was successful on my 3rd attempt on the 30th - though a new scope (a belated 50th birthday present to myself) certainly helped. Another trip to Northumberland on the 7th of December added yet another lifer - a Long Billed Dowitcher as well as a Green Winged Teal to the list. One final addition was made when I headed for Aberdeen for Mac the Mandarin on the 18th, taking my year-list to 233, 9 ahead of the total for 2018. Even with the birds only seen in Northumberland I still beat last year's total for Scotland. There is a possibility that some of the wildfowl may not get accepted by the relevant rarities committees but as things stand 2019 is another record-breaking year for me (and should remain so).

In addition to the year-list stuff there were also plenty of other highlights including a Short Eared Owl in off the sea having predicted to Ian and Matt the very thing potentially happening. Also I managed to find a reasonable number of  Roseate Terns and Long Tailed Skuas at the coast. The 3 Black Terns together was another nice find. I spotted another few Yellow Wagtails away from their Crail farms and Skateraw strongholds. A leucistic Eider on the Ythan and a leucistic Pink Footed Goose at Montrose Basin were also nice to see. Spoonbills seemed to be everywhere with roughly a similar number seen in 1 day (8) than I think I've seen in total up to this year.I finally was in the right place to get some close Osprey fishing photos, though the light wasn't brilliant, but I was pleased to get the photos (see main pic for my favourite of the batch).

There were some birds missed that I've caught up in previous years with Red Necked Grebe the main bogey species. Others missed included Bittern, Goshawk, Golden Eagle, Ptarmigan, Iceland Gull, Little Auk, Barn Owl, Red Backed Shrike and Lapland Bunting. There were a few species that should have been gettable with Bluethroat the one that proved the most disappointing with 14 on the Isle of May but apparently none in Fife, as well as birds in Aberdeenshire and Lothian. A Hoopoe at St Abb's which went the other way to St Cyrus, as we headed south to see it was mildly frustrating. An Egyptian Goose also popped up in a few places that I didn't manage to get to.

I added a few new Butterflies to my relatively short list of species seen, with Wall and Small Skipper both seen in Lothian. A new Dragonfly for me was a probable Brilliant Emerald in Glen Orchy. I also managed to ID a few Solitary Bee species in late Spring at various sites. Helping others to add new species to their life lists (and year-lists) is always rewarding and something I hope to continue next year. My list of photographed bird species increased again with only 7 species now requiring a record shot (and 3 others needing an improved photo). Videos were also added for a few more species with only 55 now requiring some sort of video recording. With the camera likely to take a bit of a backseat in 2020 it may be the case that there are not too many additions next year on either list - though it is likely that a camera will accompany me on any twitching trip for lifers.

Photos can be seen here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/stonefaction/albums

and Videos can be seen here - https://www.youtube.com/user/stonefaction/videos

Snipe

Kestrel

Buzzard

Buzzard

Water Pipit

Raven

Black Necked Grebe

Crossbill

Great Black Backed Gull

Teal

Whooper Swan, Coot &?

Tawny Owl

Waxwing

Shorelark

Peregrine

Black Necked Grebe

Shoveler

Sparrowhawk

Kingfisher (with Prawn)

Black Redstart

Rock Pipit

Little Egret

Ring Necked Parakeet

Green Sandpiper

Wigeon

Bullfinch

Twite & Goldfinch

Pink Footed Goose & Todd's Canada Goose

Pied Wagtail

Mealy Redpoll & Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll & Coue's Arctic Redpoll

Crane & Great White Egret

Moorhen

Great Tit

Dunnock

Grey Plover

Mediterranean Gull

Black Tailed Godwit

Red Kite

Red Grouse

Hen Harrier

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Oystercatcher

Surf Scoter & Common Scoter

Song Thrush

Stonechat

Dunlin

Shelduck

Redshank

Lapwing

Skylark

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Golden Plover

Dipper

Raven

Pheasant

Siskin

Short Eared Owl

Short Eared Owl

Cormorant (probable Sinensis race)

Greylag Goose

Grey Heron

Brambling & Chaffinch

Tree Sparrow

Goldcrest

Long Tailed Tit

Corn Bunting

House Sparrow

Green Woodpecker

Greenshank

Skylark

Crossbill

Skylark & Merlin

Merlin

Brent Goose, Pintail, Oystercatcher & Teal

Pintail, Wigeon & Teal

Turnstone

Sanderling

Surf Scoter

Carrion Crow

Skylark

Long Tailed Duck

Linnet

Pied Wagtail

Rook

Carrion Crow

Black Headed Gull

Turnstone

Mistle Thrush

Eider

Shag

Great Black Backed Gull

Herring Gull

Woodpigeon

Nuthatch

Hawfinch

Coot

Reed Bunting

Scaup

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Starling

Teal

Goldeneye

Pheasant

Little Egret

Black Tailed Godwit

Mallard

Mediterranean Gull

Chough

Chough

Jack Snipe

Buzzard

Black Redstart

Fulmar

Green Sandpiper

Rock Pipit (probable Littoralis race)

Jackdaw

Goldfinch

Bar Tailed Godwit

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Little Gull

Moorhen

Grey Heron

Redshank & Spotted Redshank

Stock Dove

Tufted Duck x Pochard (or Scaup) hybrid

Snipe

Red Kite

Black Guillemot

Pied Billed Grebe

Great Northern Diver

Redshank & Greenshank

Hooded Crow

Black Duck
Barnacle Goose & Pink Footed Goose

Pink Footed Goose & (European) White Fronted Goose

Whimbrel

Shelduck

Osprey

Shelduck

Osprey

Wood Sandpiper

Marsh Harrier

Common Gull & Marsh Harrier

Shoveler

Wood Sandpiper

Marsh Harrier

Chaffinch

Gadwall

White Winged Scoter & Velvet Scoter

Surf Scoter & Common Scoter

Grasshopper Warbler

Wryneck

Glaucous Gull, Herring Gull & Great Black Backed Gull

Yellow Wagtail

Wheatear

Woodpigeon

Wood Warbler

Wood Warbler

Stock Dove

Pied Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher

Lesser Whitethroat

Wheatear

Whinchat

Common Sandpiper

Lapwing

Black Grouse

Snipe

Red Grouse

Common Tern

Whimbrel

Common Tern

Common Scoter

Ringed Plover

Rock Pipit

Woodcock

Cuckoo

Song Thrush

Ring Ouzel

Ring Ouzel

Wheatear

Spotted Flycatcher

Mute Swan

Osprey

Iberian Chiffchaff

Kittiwake

Garganey

Crane

Dunnock

Collared Dove

Corn Bunting

Gannet

Gannet

Manx Shearwater & Gannet

Great Black Backed Gull

Gannet

Shag

Eider

Sandwich Tern

Whitethroat

Mallard

Eider

Curlew

Shag

Cormorant

Puffin, Guillemot & Razorbill

Oystercatcher

Manx Shearwater

Grey Partridge

Great Skua

Fulmar

House Martin

Garden Warbler

Yellowhammer

Pochard

Pochard

Garganey

Carrion Crow

Whimbrel

Skylark

Garganey

Lesser Redpoll

Common Tern & Little Tern

Willow Warbler

Tree Pipit

Redstart

Sedge Warbler

Sparrowhawk

Wigeon

Chaffinch

Raven

Marsh Harrier

Spoonbill

Spoonbill

Spoonbill

Tree Sparrow

Guillemot

Little Tern

Ring Ouzel & Kestrel

Lesser Redpoll

Spotted Flycatcher

Whinchat

Swift

Ring Billed Gull

Black Guillemot

Black Guillemot

Black Guillemot

Black Guillemot

Spoonbill

Baikal Teal & Greylag Goose

Baikal Teal

Little Owl

Lapwing & Avocet

Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler

Lesser Scaup

Wren

Greenfinch

Tree Sparrow

Roseate Tern
Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Peregrine

Peregrine

Peregrine

Great Skua
Sandwich Tern

Roseate Tern, Arctic Tern

Willow Warbler & Spotted Flycatcher

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier

Garganey, Lapwing & Greylag Goose

Mediterranean Gull

Black Headed Gull

Mallard

Sparrowhawk

Blackcap

Whitethroat

Dunlin

Dunlin

Ringed Plover

Sanderling

Osprey

White Wagtail

Buzzard

Goosander

Kingfisher

Goosander

Grey Heron

White Tailed Eagle & Osprey
Common Sandpiper

Oystercatcher

Cormorant

Grey Heron

Little Egret

Pectoral Sandpiper

Great Crested Grebe

Velvet Scoter

Surf Scoter

Carrion Crow

Meadow Pipit

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua & Herring Gull

Dunlin

Eider

Swallow

Swallow

Pintail

Ruff, Common Gull & Black Headed Gull

Ruff & Common Gull

Ruff

Osprey

Osprey

Osprey
Osprey

Common Gull

Kingfisher

Stock Dove

Jackdaw

Black Headed Gull

Mallard

Herring Gull

Yellow Wagtail

Mediterranean Gull

Ruddy Shelduck & Shelduck & Lapwing

Mediterranean Gull & Black Headed Gull & Common Tern

Little Gull & Black Headed Gull

Stonechat

Swift

Willow Warbler

Coot

Grey Heron

Starling

Turnstone

Great Black Backed Gull

Great Skua

Great Skua

Knot & Ringed Plover

Herring Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Little Gull

White Wagtail

Black Tern

Black Tern, Arctic Tern & Common Tern

Black Tern & Common Tern

Wheatear

Greenshank

Collared Dove

Sparrowhawk

Wheatear

Ruff

Great Black Backed Gull

Greenshank

Herring Gull

Roseate Tern & Common Tern

Roseate Tern

Little Gull

Little Stint

Slavonian Grebe

Red Grouse

Coal Tit

Robin

Coal Tit

Yellow Browed Warbler

Yellow Browed Warbler

Red Breasted Flycatcher

Red Breasted Flycatcher

Golden Plover

Little Bunting

Little Bunting

Little Bunting

Grey Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail
Arctic Skua

Roseate Tern, Common Tern & Arctic Tern

Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin & Redshank

Magpie

Goldcrest

Teal

Jay

Mediterranean Gull & Black Headed Gull

Turnstone

Arctic Tern & Common Tern

Common Tern

Grey Heron

Common Tern & Roseate Tern

Arctic Tern

Arctic Skua & Tern sp.

Skua sp.

Mediterranean Gull

Skua sp.

Skua sp.

Skua sp.

Spotted Flycatcher

Treecreeper

Long tailed Skua

Cormorant

Arctic Skua

Long Tailed Skua

Herring x Lesser Black Backed Gull hybrid

Common Tern & Long Tailed Skua

Black Tern

Great Skua

Starling

Wheatear (with deformed upper mandible)

Stonechat

Barred Warbler

Redwing

Yellow Browed Warbler

Yellow Browed Warbler

Kingfisher

Rock Pipit

Treecreeper

Short Eared Owl

Red Throated Diver

Brent Goose

Peregrine (with prey)

Sparrowhawk

Fieldfare

Stonechat

Stonechat

Common Gull

Cormorant & Eider

Brent Goose

Black Throated Diver

Ruddy Duck

White Rumped Sandpiper

Snow Goose, Canada Goose & Greylag Goose

Little Grebe

Peregrine (with prey)

Red Grouse

Great Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrike

Canada Goose

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Redwing

Whooper Swan

Great Crested Grebe

Shoveler & Blue Winged Teal

Slavonian Grebe & Great Crested Grebe

Cormorant

House Sparrow
Cormorant (probable 'Sinensis' race)

Curlew & Oystercatcher

Curlew

Oystercatcher

Ringed Plover

Golden Plover

Razorbill

Mediterranean Gull

Red Breasted Merganser

Velvet Scoter

Redshank

Eider

Reed Bunting

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Little Egret

Grey Plover, Dunlin & Knot

Crested Tit

Crested Tit

Crested Tit

Treecreeper

Crested Tit

American Wigeon, Wigeon, Common Gull & Oystercatcher

Pink Footed Goose

Snipe

Lapwing, Golden Plover & Dunlin

Teal, Redshank & Long Billed Dowitcher

Black Headed Gull

Mandarin

Mandarin

Mandarin

Common Gull

Red Breasted Merganser

Starling

Waxwing

Great White Egret

Crossbill

Oystercatcher

As mentioned above, in 2020 I will be birding less with my camera in tow so (new) photos may not feature quite so often in this blog which may have some effect on the numbers choosing to read it, which are already a little lower than I'd like given the effort required to produce it. If the numbers do drop below a particular level then I will have to once again reassess things. Sharing links to the blog-posts on Facebook or retweeting links on Twitter may well add viewers and hopefully add a few new regulars to the audience this blog reaches. I chose not to allow ads on the blog so I make no financial gain from doing this but it is nice to know that there are people taking time to read my posts and the more that do, the longer I will continue to produce it. Happy and productive birding in 2020, folks.

My 2019 lifers - (Todd's Canada Goose - subspecies only), Coue's Arctic Redpoll, Chough, Pied Billed Grebe, Black Duck, Wryneck, Iberian Chiffchaff, Baikal Teal, Little Owl, Lesser Scaup, Little Bunting, Greenish Warbler, Pallas's Warbler, Cattle Egret, Black Scoter and Long Billed Dowitcher.