0747 : Forth Attempt (28/12/19)

Having woken up on Christmas Day with the rather unwelcome 'gift' of a really sore throat and generally run-down feeling my plans to get out birding in the final week of 2019 have since been severely curtailed. However, the offer of a few hours out and about on Saturday with Ian, on the off-chance of finally managing to connect with Red Necked Grebe at Dalgety Bay was a relatively low effort opportunity, so we arranged for a 1100 pick-up.

Oystercatcher

The drive down through Fife wasn't overly productive though a Raven high over Auchtermuchty was spotted through Ian's sun roof. A Kestrel was another that the view upwards helped with the view. It was quite windy at Dalgety Bay when we arrived around 1200 and our usual parking spot was taken. Things were pretty quiet out on the river but a Goldeneye and a Long Tailed Duck were found bobbing around among the waves. Moving round to check the bay at the sailing club we added 3 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Lesser Black Backed Gulls, a Wigeon and a distant Slavonian Grebe along with some more common species.

Unsurprisingly we failed to find a Red Necked Grebe as the tide came in though the light did actually improve. We eventually gave up there around 1430. A 30 minute stop at Dysart failed to add anything new so we headed for home around sunset having managed to see 35 species with nothing new for the year-list but an enjoyable afternoon's birding without too much effort expended. Very few photos were taken as I was attempting to try some digi-scoping using my Viking Optical adaptor on my scope, using my iphone as the camera. Results were rather variable though some of that will have been as a result of the relatively poor light.

Species seen - Dundee to Dalgety Bay - Feral Pigeon, Redwing, Herring Gull, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Black Headed Gull, Jackdaw, Rook, Collared Dove, Raven, Kestrel, Buzzard, Magpie.

Dalgety Bay - Goldeneye, Eider, Long Tailed Duck, Turnstone, Wren, Shag, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Mallard, Curlew, Shelduck, Rock Pipit, Common Gull, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Dunlin, Wigeon, Slavonian Grebe, Starling.

Oystercatcher

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Goldeneye, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Duck, Magpie, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Raven, Redshank, Redwing, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Shag, Shelduck, Slavonian Grebe, Starling, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.