On Sunday morning I hadn't set my alarm again but unlike Saturday I had an idea of where I was going to go. I would head first to Balgove Bay sometime around 0900 or 1000, before the tide came in. Although it wasn't supposed to be a particularly big tide I figured that if a Little Stint was going to show up then it might just as likely be there as anywhere else. I got up not long after 0700 and decided to try and catch the 0900 bus so I was ready to go by about 0840 which Meant all going to plan I would likely arrive at the hide for around 1000.
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| Kingfisher |
Surprisingly a Collared Dove was first onto the day's list followed more typically by Herring Gull. Starling, Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon were the only other additions before I reached the bus station, though Robin and Blue Tit were heard more than once during the walk. The bus journey was more productive with Cormorant, Kestrel, Swallow, Buzzard, Rook, Jackdaw, Pheasant, House Martin, Great Black Backed Gull, House Sparrow and Oystercatcher all being seen before I reached the bus stop by the Old Course Hotel. Pied Wagtails, Coal Tit, Blackbird, Robin, Meadow Pipit and Black Headed Gull were seen as I crossed the golf course.
I reached the hide as planned at 1000. There were plenty of birds out on the mud - Herring Gulls, Common Gulls, Black Headed Gulls, Lapwings, Redshanks, Carrion Crows, Rooks and Jackdaws. A slower scan across the bay added Curlew, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, Osprey, Shelduck, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Bar Tailed Godwit and Knot. A small party of Common Terns circled out over the river. A large raft of Red Breasted Merganser could be seen out on the river and a solitary Grey Seal was resting on a small sandbank. There were also 3 Pintail, some Wigeon and some Teal half-hidden among the gulls and waders. I also finally managed to find a single Ruff.
A few Eider were picked out on the estuary and a small flock of juvenile Goldfinches twittered away from the bushes to the right of the hide. A single Linnet flew past. By now it was clear that high tide had passed though the mud had hardly been troubled by the water. I considered heading to the bus station to catch a bus to Crail but instead decided to walk back to Guardbridge instead. I cut across the stubble field to the cycle path. A Peacock butterfly and a Painted Lady were seen before I spotted some distant Mute Swans across the river. A large flock of around 100 Linnets were seen at a rather overgrown field where construction work is currently ongoing.
I headed down the track at Coble Shore for a look but found things very quiet though I did add a Little Egret and 2 Skylarks as well as 2 Common Darter dragonflies and a Small Copper butterfly. Small White butterfly was added nearer to the main road along with a Silver Y moth. A pair of sleeping Mallard were seen as I crossed the footbridge at Guardbridge and a Grey Heron was resting on one of the pillars of the old bridge. As I wandered along towards the shop a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew high across the street and on across the river. As I headed into the park to get to the hide I spotted a female Sparrowhawk circling above the river for a few seconds before continuing across the water.
All 4 windows in the hide were in use with Angus Duncan and 1 of the regular birder couples (whose name I have forgotten - sorry!) at 3 of them. The husband moved up a little to let me in at the window which was much appreciated. An Osprey with a fish down on the mud opposite was the initial focus of attention. It soon flew off over the trees and out of sight. The Buddleia out in front was full of Red Admirals, Painted Ladys and Peacocks. There was almost non-stop Osprey activity out over the estuary for most of the afternoon with birds occupying various perches while tucking into fish or circling above the river, with some successful dives witnessed. Lapwing, Redshank, Dunlin and Black Tailed Godwit were on the opposite side of the river. Although I was told the Curlew Sandpiper had flown off upstream I found it still among the waders, though I did say "Ruff" for some reason at the time.
As we were watching an Osprey circling above the river I picked up a fast bird heading towards us and the Osprey. It turned out to be a young Peregrine which made a few passes at the Osprey before diverting attention to more typical prey and sending some of the waders into a panic then disappearing over the trees to the north. Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Blue Tit and Dunnock were seen around the feeders. We were joined by a bit of a crowd for a while of which around half a dozen chose to stand outside on the grass to the left of the hide - which wasn't ideal. Surprisingly this didn't stop the Kingfisher from landing on the post and everyone had decent views before it flew off again.
Almost everyone left around 1600 with just myself and the woman at the right hand window left in the hide. A Sparrowhawk put up the waders to the right before shooting up over the fence and in past the feeders and up over the trees to the left. A few Goosander appeared out front. A few others came in and had good views of Kingfisher catching a prawn and a small water beetle, Carrion Crows catching small flatfish and a Herring Gull hunting (using the "worm dance" in the water) and despatching crabs. Opposite a Great Black Backed Gull struggled with a large flatfish before eventually managing to swallow it only to regurgitate it again. It successfull swallowed it sometime later after a lot of effort. A trio of Magpies were seen opposite and a Greenshank flew in and landed downriver. Collared Doves were seen at the feeders. I called it a day at 1700 and headed for home.
A reasonable sort of day with plenty to see, though not too much out of the ordinary. 60 species of bird, 5 of butterfly, 1 of dragonfly, 1 of mammal and 1 of moth were noted. There was plenty of interesting behaviour to be seen and some of it was successfully photographed.
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| Black Headed Gull & Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Common Tern |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Stock Dove & Jackdaw |
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| Knot & Redshank |
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| Knot |
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| Curlew, Common Tern & Herring Gull |
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| Black Headed Gull, Pintail, Common Gull, Shelduck, Lapwing & Herring Gull |
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| Lapwing |
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| Herring Gull & Ruff |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Redshank, Knot & Lapwing |
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| Wigeon |
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| Herring Gull & Osprey |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Linnet |
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| Buzzard |
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| Linnet |
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| Linnet |
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| Black Headed Gull & Little Egret |
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| Common Darter |
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| Common Darter |
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| Small Copper |
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| Linnet |
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| Osprey |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Redshank, Dunlin, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull & Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Curlew Sandpiper, Redshank, Dunlin |
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| Osprey & Peregrine |
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| Osprey & Peregrine |
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| Peregrine |
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| Herring Gull & Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Little Egret |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Cormorant |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Goosander |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Magpie |
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| Redshank & Dunlin |
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| Little Egret |
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| Little Egret |
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| Little Egret |
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| Little Egret |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Greenshank |
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| Greenshank |
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| Greenshank |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Little Egret |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Little Egret & Grey Heron |
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| Redshank & Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
Species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Tern, Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Knot, Lapwing, Linnet, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pintail, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Ruff, Shelduck, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.
Butterflies seen - Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Copper, Small White.
Dragonflies seen - Common Darter.
Mammals seen - Grey Seal.
Moths seen - Silver Y.
