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| Gannet |
Although my Dundee 140 list is my priority this year, birding in Dundee can feel a bit draining at times, so when the offer comes up to get out of the city for a change of scenery and some different birding opportunities, I'm likely to take it. Seeing birds I haven't yet seen in Dundee can also be handy for keeping my identification 'skills' up and renewing the 'search image' in my brain for those species. Ian messaged me to see if I fancied a trip over to Fife on Monday with a Wood Sandpiper at Luthrie the main reason for crossing the Tay. Naturally I said yes and Ian arranged to pick me up at 0730.
The weather forecast was for dry weather so I dressed accordingly, which proved to be a bit of a mistake as it did rain intermittently throughout the day. Ian picked me up as arranged at 0730 and off we went to Luthrie. There are a few pools around in the fields there, though it is not possible to see into all of them from the road, so there are always places where birds can be out of sight, which can mean it is easy to miss them. We set up the scopes and started scanning the largest of the pools - Lapwing, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Mallard, Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall and Coot were all noted. Swallows, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtails, Grey Heron, Rooks, Jackdaws and Mute Swans were around too. A Willow Warbler could be heard singing. A Buzzard and a few Linnets were added to the list next.
Having drawn a blank on the main pool we tried checking the others. House Martin, Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Pheasant, Grey Wagtail and a Snipe were all seen but there was no sign of the hoped for Wood Sandpiper. We were joined by Chris McGuigan who had been at Letham Pools and told us things were quiet there, meaning we could afford to give them a miss. I suggested to Ian that we should try Mountcastle Quarry for Garden Warbler so that was where we went next. This also proved relatively productive with Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and the hoped for
Garden Warblers seen there relatively easily. Wren, Greylag Goose, Tufted Duck, Robin, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Great Tit and Long Tailed Tit were also found before we set off for Seafield in search of Lesser Whitethroat.
Ian spotted 2
Grey Partridges in a field near Ladybank, though it required doubling back for me to be able to see them. Magpie was added en route before we found our way to the Seafield car park. We set off along the coastal path and bumped into a couple of birders who were able to tell us exactly where the birds had been heard. Another couple of birders further on told us they'd drawn a blank. We walked out along the path. Gannet, Shag, Cormorant and Eider were out on the Forth, or over the water, as were some vocal
Sandwich Terns. Whitethroats were singing among the brambles and a Curlew was seen down on the sand. A little further on a Fulmar glided overhead. We finally found the area we'd had described to us and it didn't take too long to hear the
Lesser Whitethroat singing. Seeing it proved very tricky, with brief glimpses as the bird flew short distances between bushes or a shape moving through the branches. However, I was happy enough to count the bird on hearing it anyway.
A few
Kittiwakes, Guillemots and Razorbills passed by offshore and a Kestrel was spotted hunting over some of the rough ground as we neared the edge of town again. Bullfinch was seen before I noticed a trio of Long Tailed Ducks in breeding plumage. A Great Black Backed Gull and a Ringed Plover found their way onto the day's list before we made it back to the car. A Pochard at Kinghorn Loch was our next target so off we went, and despite a slight navigational error we were soon able to easily pick out the drake
Pochard alongside a drake Tufted duck just as it began to rain again. We headed back in the direction of Ladybank noting a Brown Hare in one of the roadside fields.
Stock Dove was seen as we neared Rossie Bog which looked rather different from my previous visit with large swathes of trees having been cut down. Coal Tit, Siskin and Great Spotted Woodpecker were in the trees behind us but a Grasshopper Warbler proved harder to pin down though I did eventually manage to get on to the bird as it reeled from a perch a bit further back than expected. Letham Pools was our next stop and as we pulled up I noticed Willie McBay sitting in his car. Once we got our scopes set up, Willie stopped to let us know what was around - not much. We scanned anyway and Willie headed off elsewhere. Black Headed Gull, Little Grebe,
Shoveler and Water Rail were all new for the day.
Ian suddenly exclaimed that he had a
Ruff which had just wandered into view and I was able to get onto the bird too. As I scanned along the edge of the island the Ruff was on I realised that one of the gulls was a bit smaller than the Black Headed Gulls it was stood beside. It was a Little Gull with a full black hood and another nice surprise addition for the day. Yellowhammer, Sedge Warbler, Dunlin and Ringed Plover were also spotted before we gave up and headed back to Dundee. A total of 84 species of which 8 (in bold) were new for my 2022 list were recorded and despite the often cold and wet weather it was a really good day out with plenty of variety to see and hear.
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Grey Partridge
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| Whitethroat |
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| Chaffinch |
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Chiffchaff
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Long Tailed Duck
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| Kestrel |
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| Pochard |
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Grasshopper Warbler
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Ruff, Tufted Duck & Black Headed Gull
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Little Gull
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| Shoveler |
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Ringed Plover & Dunlin
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| Lapwing |
Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Fulmar, Gadwall, Gannet,
Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Grasshopper Warbler, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron,
Grey Partridge, Greylag Goose, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel,
Kittiwake, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull,
Lesser Whitethroat, Linnet, Little Grebe, Little Gull, Long Tailed Duck, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail,
Pochard, Razorbill, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook,
Ruff, Sand Martin,
Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shag, Shelduck,
Shoveler, Siskin, Skylark, Snipe, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals - Brown Hare, Rabbit.
