Saturday's weather was quite unpredictable meaning I stayed at home rather than attempt to go birding. Although Sunday's looked to be a big improvement I struggled badly to rustle up any motivation to go anywhere at all. I couldn't get motivated to do much of anything at all, however, help was at hand. Around 1240 I recieved a text message from Lainy asking if I wanted to join her and Adam for a wee trip to Easthaven to look for Yellow Wagtails. Despite the previous lack of enthusiasm I decided it would be stupid to say no. I said I would be ready for 1255 and Adam and Lainy arrived perfectly on time and off we went.
  |
Osprey
|
Herring Gull and House Martin were seen as we set off, but it took almost 15 minutes to add the next bird as the view from the back of the car was rather limited. A Buzzard was spotted followed quickly by Swallow and Woodpigeon. We stopped off at Westhaven for a quick scan of the rocks and sea from beside the small car park. This proved surprisingly productive with Arctic, Sandwich and Common Terns noted as well as Bar Tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Redshank, Curlew, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and Ringed Plover. Common Gull, Black Headed Gull and more Herring Gulls as well as Cormorants, Carrion Crow and a few Gannets and some Starlings were also picked out before we headed back to the car to continue on to Easthaven and hopefully a Yellow Wagtail or two.
House Sparrow and Pied Wagtail were noted around the car park area at Easthaven as we got organised. I spotted up a very distant large bird which proceeded to hover off to the west. The dangling feet as it did so confirmed my suspicions that it was an Osprey. Swallows and House Martins were passing through and suddenly the sky around us was full of birds, mostly Starlings but also Linnets and Goldfinches. We scanned quickly for a raptor and soon found a small falcon causing the chaos. I called it as a Hobby very quickly but I was incorrect and soon realised it was in fact a young Merlin - a cracking bonus bird, and my photos turned out quite well too, which was another nice surprise.
Wandering on along the cycle path we watched Pied Wagtails as well as the Linnet and Goldfinch flocks feeding in the fields to the north. A few Feral Pigeons overflew and an eclipse plumaged Eider was seen offshore. A pair of Grey Herons flew in, disrupting things out on the rocky shoreline. A bit further on, Adam spotted a Common Sandpiper relatively close to the path, down on the beach. A trio of Mallards were seen in a small rocky inlet with a mix of gulls and terns dotted around beyond them. A pair of Great Black Backed Gulls passed overhead looking menacing. Despite lots of searching we weren't adding much that we hadn't already seen until a Stock Dove flew in with a Woodpigeon, allowing a nice comparison of the two.
Five minutes or so later, Lainy got me onto a bird in flight which had been flying in our direction but had doubled back on itself, just to the east of the water treatment plant. It called a couple of times and sounded pretty good for Yellow Wagtail. Thankfully, I managed to grab a few photos that showed a completely bright yellow underside confirming the ID and although not really the views we were hoping for, it was a year-tick for me, the second of the day. While scanning the beach from the southern side of the field I happened to turn around and spotted what I initially thought was a gull flying oddly but soon realised that it was actually a young Fulmar, which was a bit of a surprise given it was over the land rather than the sea.
We wandered back towards the car park adding a Rabbit, Yellowhammer, Kittiwake and Lesser Black Backed Gull as well as a calling Bullfinch once we reached the car. Lainy suggested a stop at Broughty Ferry local nature reserve and Barnhill Rock Garden in the hope that given the time of day we might find a Purple Hairstreak butterfly or two hanging round a relatively small Oak tree. As we arrived at the end of the Esplanade I spotted an Osprey hovering offshore and Lainy and I jumped out to grab some photos though we both missed the bird catching a fish which it carried past us, giving us reasonable photo opportunities.
Scanning the shore added Rook and Knot for the day's list and checking towards Balmossie gave us Goosander and Mute Swan before we wandered along to the nature reserve after a couple of brief checks of trees at the Rock Garden. A Wren was heard calling and a few Swifts were seen to the north of the railway line. We found an Oak tree by the railway line and Lainy soon spotted a butterfly flitting around near the top just before it disappeared out of sight again. Thankfully, as I was watching a few minutes later it reappeared and I grabbed a flight shot then watched it land in full view at the top of the tree. It proved relatively tricky to describe exactly where it was to Lainy, but I eventually managed to get her on to the insect.
We were able to get photos as it rested in the sun, though the quality was somewhat lacking due to the size and distance. Even better though the butterfly opened its wings while stood at an angle allowing us to be able to photograph the uppersides. Mission accomplished. There were a few Green Veined Whites flitting around too though at ground level rather than among the tree-tops. As we walked back along to the car we spotted another Osprey which caught a fish before we were able to get a clear view beyond the line of trees by the road, and then proceeded to circle up higher and higher until it was almost a speck in the sky. We added Coot at Swannie Ponds as we headed home.
We had managed to see or hear 48 species of bird as well as 2 of butterfly and 1 of mammal with 2 year-ticks (in bold) as well as managing to get passable record photos of the Purple Hairstreak. Although the Yellow Wagtail views were brief and somewhat lacking, the Merlin views more than made up for those. The weather also behaved, not being too warm, while staying dry and overall not too windy either. All in all a very enjoyable and productive afternoon's birding.
 |
Common Gull, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Oystercatcher
|
|
 |
Oystercatcher, Dunlin & Ringed Plover
|
 |
Merlin & Swallow
|
 |
Merlin & Swallow
|
 |
Merlin
|
 |
Linnet & Goldfinch
|
 |
Pied Wagtail
|
 |
Pied Wagtail
|
 |
Great Black Backed Gull
|
 |
Common Sandpiper
|
 |
Mallard
|
 |
Common Tern, Sandwich Tern & Common Gull
|
 |
Stock Dove & Woodpigeon
|
 |
Hoverfly sp.
|
 |
Yellow Wagtail
|
 |
Goldfinch
|
 |
Fulmar
|
 |
Kittiwake
|
 |
Grasshopper sp.
|
 |
Curlew
|
 |
Starling
|
 |
Ringed Plover
|
 |
Common Tern
|
 |
Common Tern, Arctic Tern & Sandwich Tern
|
 |
Linnet
|
 |
Swallow
|
 |
Mallard
|
 |
Buzzard
|
 |
Linnet
|
 |
Ringed Plover
|
 |
Rabbit
|
 |
Gannet
|
 |
Osprey
|
 |
Osprey
|
 |
Mute Swan & Goosander
|
 |
Osprey
|
 |
Osprey
|
 |
Bar Tailed Godwit & Knot
|
 |
Dunlin
|
 |
Black Headed Gull & Common Gull
|
 |
Purple Hairstreak
|
 |
Purple Hairstreak
|
 |
Purple Hairstreak
|
 |
Purple Hairstreak
|
 |
House Martin
|
 |
Osprey
|
Birds - Arctic Tern, Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Kittiwake, Knot, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard,
Merlin, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Turnstone, Woodpigeon, Wren,
Yellow Wagtail, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies - Green Veined White, Purple Hairstreak.
Mammals - Rabbit.