Isle of May

On the 25th I joined the bird club on an outing to the Isle of May. The colonies of seabirds are one of the greatest wildlife spectacles of East Scotland and I had never been before so I was very excited. We departed from Anstruther over stormy seas. The torrential rain which was present early had turned to drizzle which we hoped would have cleared by the time we arrived. Gannets were spotted in large numbers on the way there as well as the first Puffins, the islands iconic bird and a species I had never seen before! A Common Seal was startled by the boat as it moored. As we disembarked we were dive-bombed by nesting Arctic Terns on the way in, which pecked at your hair! After arriving at the visitor centre we took the path East to a patch of the cliffs that gave us good views of hundreds of Puffins, Kittiwakes, Razorbills, Guillemots and Shags. Looking down a Common Seal was attempting to haul itself onto a rock and a few Grey Seals were further out to sea. Many female Eiders were nesting right by the path, camouflaging themselves into the ground and chicks were seen in the dam. A Spotted Flycatcher was spotted in the garden nearest the visitor centre. A great day!

118) Gannet
119) Puffin (259)
120) Arctic Tern
121) kittiwake (260)
122) Spotted Flycatcher

Spring in Tayside

April

After my trip to the USA I was staying at my grandparents in Monifieth for a few days. On the 2nd of April I went to the coast but only birds of interest seen were 3 Barwits. Walked up the Dichty in search of Dippers. None seen but spotted many Wrens, Song Thrush and 3 Chiffchaff. First of the year!

I was continuing my volunteering at Montrose Basin and coming back home on the 6th we stopped at Kirriemuir where a flock of Waxwings (a bird I had not seen this year) had been spotted but must have departed by the time I arrived. Went to Kinnordy in search of Bittern or Osprey, two species that would be new for the list and had been spotted recently, but still no luck. Instead usual wildfowl around and lost of snipe about on the bogbean. Feeders seem to have stopped being refilled so no red squirrels around. The evil goose was still present at the East Hide where it continued to honk. 2 Reed Buntings were spotted by the hide. Driving back through Kirriemuir I managed to spot the Waxwings, back in the location we had previously stopped. 16 of them were in a tree opposite the Newton Hotel.

Kinnordy

The Evil Goose

Waxwings

The next day I found myself in St Andrews so went to the usual sea watching location by castle. Eiders about as well as a raft of Common Scoters offshore with a few Velvets among them. Also 17+ LT Ducks and a single Razorbill. Fulmars nesting on cliffs. The view from the nearby pier offered a few Guillemots and 5+ more Razorbills. Also I had a very distant view of what was possibly a marine mammal of some kind. Walking back I watched a fight between two Herring Gulls, presumably two males. Courtship was taking place in the ruins of the abbey.

On the 8th I went to the nearby reedbeds of Port Allen looking for a redhead smew that had been reported. No sign. The port area held coots, tufties, goldeneye, 3 GC Grebes and my first swallows of the year! In the woods various tits were around including a group of LT Tits as well as 2 Wrens and a Treecreeper. Further along 2, possibly 3, male Blackcap were seen. Reed Bunting seen from the view over the reedbeds. Coming back to the port 500+ PF Geese were offshore and 1 chiffchaff was in a tree.

On the 11th I returned to Port Allen, this time planning to walk past the sewage plant to look for bearded tits. The Tay reedbeds holds the largest population of Bearded Tits in the UK and Port Allen is one of the best places to see them. A startled pheasant caused a mass of Shelduck to erupt from the plant. Walked down the pipeline into the reeds and only saw distant fleeting glimpses of small birds. Potentially Bearded Tits. They are becoming harder to see at this time of year as they pair up to breed. Water Rail was heard several times. Walking back many Chiffchaff were heard and seen. At the viewpoint over the reeds I had close views of a male Marsh Harrier soaring in the air and another distant individual was spotted. Large numbers of Sand Martins over port as well as wigeon, tufties, 7 GC Grebes and a single Gadwall.

Around the garden Mistle Thrush and Chiffchaff had been seen.

Volunteering on the 19th had me swan scaring and I managed to spot Skylark while doing so. Had a look around Usan afterwards but nothing of interest except Linnets by Mains of Usan collecting nest material

Mains of Usan

Seatown of Usan

On the 27th we headed to Glen Clova for a Angus and Dundee Bird Club outing in search of Golden Eagles. The day before extreme mist had prevented sea-watching for me at Glaxo and it was pretty misty making our way up through Angus. Luckily it had cleared before we reached the car park at Glen Doll. The first bird of interest was a Tree Pipit spotted on the tope of a small pine tree. Song and Mistle Thrush were seen throughout the walk as well as Meadow Pipits and my first Wheatear of the year was perched on a telephone wire. It soon flew to the ground where it was harassed by a robin and left. Red-legged Partridges were seen higher up the glen.

Stream in Glen Clova

First Wheatear of the Year

We reached the area where the eagles were supposed to be about however we couldn’t locate an individual. We sat down for lunch while keeping an eye out for any signs and a closer inspection of what we thought to be an outcrop of rock turned out to be Golden Eagle, sitting on the peak of the mountain! It sat there for a while before moving to another ledge further down. While having lunch I managed to spot several Dor Beetles in the undergrowth.

Golden Eagle Record Shot

Soaring Eagle

Golden Eagle

Dor Beetle

Iridescent Underside

We then started walking up the glen again and saw a Goosander in the river and a fleeting glimpse of a Ring Ouzel. Another Golden Eagle was seen briefly before soaring away. The puddles on and around the path held large numbers of tadpoles, including a mass of them consuming a dead frog! I managed to capture a Palmate Newt in a large pool. The final new bird of the outing were 2 Common Sandpipers by the river.

Tadpoles Feeding on Frog

Palmate Newt

Glen Clova

Common Sandpiper

95) Chiffchaff
96) Waxwing
97) Razorbill
98) Guillemot
99) Swallow
100) Blackcap
101) Marsh Harrier
102) Sand Martin
103) Gadwall
104) Mistle Thrush
105) Skylark
106) Linnet
107) Tree Pipit (257)
108) Wheatear
109) Golden Eagle
110) Ring Ouzel
111) Red-legged Partridge

Birding My Way to 2014…

On the 10th of October, returning from the West Coast I still had an Angus and Dundee Bird Club Outing to Fife Ness searching for migrants before the onset of school. We arrived late at Fife Ness and met the bird club at the hide. Before they arrived one of the members had a fleeting glimpse of a Red-flanked Bluetail at Denburn Wood in Crail! After having lunch in the hide and watching the steady stream of Gannets and spotting 1 Bonxie and a few distant Manx Shearwaters, we were informed that the Bluetail had been spotted at the wood again, so we headed off to Crail. At Denburn Wood we searched the small area for about half an hour before it finally appeared, a first winter female! It was a sulking bird and very skittish and so proved very hard to photograph. After observing it flitting about the bushes for about and hour we went to our next stop, Balcomie Castle. The walled garden was largely unfruitful and a walk along the farmland only produced Kestrel and one Common Snipe.

Juvenile Gannet

Bluetail in Corner

Why Won’t You…

… Stay Still!

On the 26th a quick seawatch by St Andrews Castle produced Oystercatchers, Turnstones, Rock Pipits, a raft of Common Scoters, many Eiders, a single Goosander, at least 1 Slavonian Grebe and my first Red Throated Diver!

A trip to Kinnordy Loch on the 27th had a lot of Greylags and one domestic goose among them, which many had mistaken for a snow goose as well as a single Marsh Harrier, most probably a 2nd summer male and my first Fieldfares of the autumn in the faraway field.

The ADBC Angus Lochs outing was on the 10th November and we started off at Forfar Loch. The usual waterfowl was present as well as good views of a single Snipe. A walk along the trees produced 2 Goldcrest, Bullfinches, a few Redwings and a distant flock of Fieldfares. On the way to Kinnordy Loch large numbers of Pinkfeet were seen. Taking a walk East along the loch we spotted 2 Red Squirrels and a Dipper by the river as well as lots of signs of Beaver activity, an animal which I would love to see and is spreading throughout the angus area. Loch of Lintrathen was next where our target species, Slavonian Grebe, was spotted almost immediately, striking in its winter plumage. From the elevated hide there were unusually high numbers of teal and geese (pink feet and greylag). A mystery bird that caused quite a stir turned out to be a starling moulting between juvenile and adult plumage. 51 species were seen in total and on the way back a large frog that may have been attempting to hibernate(?) was found on the path.

Snipe in the Reeds

Flitting Goldcrest

Redwing

And Another

Red Squirrel at Kinnordy

Scratching

Descent from the Treetops

Beaver Activity

Loch of Lintrathen

Swans, Geese and Teal

I took a drive along the coast to Carnoustie Beach on the 16th where a very tame Grey Phalarope had been seen for the past week or so. The first in Angus for 18 years! As I walked along the beach the bird was pointed out to me bobbing on the water by another birder and then proceeded to land right in front of me! After watching it for a while and digiscoping it with my phone it then flew off before my mum could arrive with the camera. We walked East along the shore to see what else we could find. Offshore there were plenty of Eiders and Cormorants and 2 Brent Geese flew past. A whinchat perched on a piece of seaweed for a bit. Also on the shore were groups of Redshank, Knot, Ringed Plover, Turnstones, Purple Sandpipers and 2 Grey Plovers.

Digiscoped Grey Phalarope!

Phalarope

Phalarope

Redshanks and Grey Plover in Flight

A Selection of Waders; Redshank, Turnstones, Purple Sandpiper and Grey Plover

Purple Sands

On the 17th we took a walk along an area of the Cateran Trail by the Alyth Hill in search of a Short-eared Owl. Amidst the bellowing of cows, I found 20-30 Fieldfares in a dip and some Goldcrests. Meanwhile the bushes held good numbers of Blue and Great Tits and provided a view of some Lesser Redpolls (Mealy is very rare in Angus).

On the 23rd I accompanied my grandad on a drive North to Whitehills, Abderdeen to visit a relative. We stopped at Bridge of Marnoch, the village in which my grandad grew up. While there, we had a look at the River Deveron where my grandad recounts seeing otters while he fished there some 50 years ago. We didn’t see any but there was fresh scat that may have been otter and locals later verified that otters are still present. Further on 2 dark buzzards and a flock of Tree Sparrows were by a burn. Driving along a country lane we got great views of a large mixed flock of Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackbirds, Blue Tits and Yellowhammers feeding on berries.

After staying the night at the windy village of Whitehills and seeing the usual varity of coastal birds and some seals we headed back down south but not before stopping at the Ythan Estuary. Our first location was Waulkmills Hide where Redshank, Curlew, Goldeneye, Eider and 4 Greylag Geese were seen. At the Riverview Car Park I was treated to the spectacle to a huge mixed flock of many hundreds of Golden Plovers and Lapwings! I stood for a while to admire the undulating shape of the cloud of birds. We then took the Waterside Walk from the carpark watching the Eiders feeding on what I think are mussel beds below the water. RB Mergansers were also present. The highlight however was the large numbers of Common and Grey seals that came very close to shore, some surfacing a few feet away from us and others even coming onto the sand!

Golden Plovers and Lapwings

Peewits and Plovers in Flight

Plover and Peewit Flock

Silhouettes

Ythan Estuary

Grey Seal

Seal

Eiders in Fading Light

Missing Binoculars, Wormit, Fife

Recently I have lost my black nikon binoculars that have my name labelled on it, ‘Glen Wilson’ at a beach in Wormit, Fife. I have a suspicion that someone has found them from a bench that overlooks the Tay. Any information on there whereabouts would be great.

Thanks, Glen

ADBC Fife Ness Outing

14th October 2012

Another much anticipated Angus and Dundee Bird Club meeting, heading for Fife Ness in search of migrants. I missed the time to arrive at Crichton Street so went straight over to the Eden Estuary hide at Guardbridge. The Guardbridge hide is a 5 star hide, if there ever was one, having central heating, a kettle and even a toilet! Although that does mean it has to be locked over some periods of time, to save it from vandalism and from being used to sleep in overnight (that happened at Morton Lochs). Once we were inside, soon Bob McCurley (The trip organiser) and the rest of the group arrived. From the hide distant views of Black-tailed Godwits, a few Curlews, 2 Grey Heron, Oystercatchers, a skein of Pink-Footed Goose flying North, a Red-breasted Merganser and a few Teal were seen. We then headed up to Crail, to a small wood beside a church, to see if anything was there. There wasn’t really, but the church had a memorial to the people that died in WWII from the area, with one of my Great-great-grandads on it.

Crail memorial with a relative

Next, we arrived at the imposing Balcomie Castle, parking in Kilminning, with the roaring of the drag racing in the background. Many Goldcrests were in the trees, but way to difficult to get a photo of because of how fidgety they are. When we crept into the walled garden a male Black Redstart was perched on the wall by the back and seconds after I saw that I caught a fleeting glimpse of a Ring Ouzel flying over. A kestrel also flew over. A normal Redstart was also seen on the wall further down. Barry got shots with his trillion times zoom (Link). After, someone told me that they have been kicked out of the garden before.

After seeing only a fleeting glimpse of a Ring Ouzel, we went to the nearby Balcomie Golf Course in search for better views. The weather started to take a turn for the worse, now drizzling. Coming up from the car park a Spotted Flycatcher was displaying on a telephone line, flittering about. This bird offered some very good views and some good shots.

Spotted Flycatcher

Another shot

Apart from that the only other birds in the golf course were 2 or 3 Goldcrests by the flycatcher, some Wrens and a little colony of Shags and Cormorants by the shore, before we had to go back to get our lunch. Apparently a diver of some description was seen in the Fife Ness Hide.

Phones then started bleeping as news came in of a Red-breasted Flycatcher, in the car park in Kilminning that we were in moments before. We rushed over and immediately, we saw the RB Flycatcher, a rather plump drab thing, in a clump of bushes. I don’t think it was as spooked because the drag racing drowned out the noise of our chatter. I didn’t get any photos, but my mum promised they would have been great if the lens cap wasn’t on. Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests were also present and soon after a dozen or so Golden Plovers flew over. Starting to get a bit bored I wandered to some bushes, didn’t see anything and made my way back, and I saw the best bird of the day. Well for me, anyways, no one else really got a good view. Silently the ghostly figure of a Barn Owl, glided over the crowd of people watching the Flycatcher that were mostly oblivious to my cries of ‘Barn Owl! Barn Owl!’. It would have made a brilliant shot. But then I had another shot at getting a picture, as it came round for a second time. I had it in the picture as it glided past me. Gotcha! I clicked the button. Nothing happened. Again. Nothing. My camera stopped working. Aaagh! Typically it started working again just as it flew behind the trees and towards some old war buildings. Typically…

[Insert Barn Owl Here]

After that we went down to the coast. A few Brambling flocks were seen in the numerous trees and bushes but were too flighty to get a good shot of. Some Greenfinch were also present with them and there were also flocks of Linnets and Goldfinches that were crammed into the coastal shrubs. There was also at least 1 Reed Bunting in with the flocks. A kestrel and a Buzzard were being mobbed by crows.

Reed Bunting

Another text alert came, telling us of a Barred and Yellow-browed Warbler back at Balcomie Castle. Upon arriving the skies started to darken and eventually started tipping it down. The Yellow-browed Warbler was seen in one of the gardens but the barred had mysteriously vanished. After seeing the Yellow-browed I wanted to get back to the car because of the rain but everyone was determined to see the Barred. Although, soon we headed back. A lot of new birds seen on this trip!

82) Goldcrest

83) Black Redstart

84) Ring Ouzel

85) Redstart

86) Spotted Flycatcher

87) Barn Owl

88) Chiffchaff

89) Golden Plover

90) Red-breasted Flycatcher

91) Brambling

92) Yellow-browed Warbler

 

A Dreich Day at Morton

‘Dreich’, if you don’t know, is scots dialect for drizzly, damp, cold and overall miserable weather. Any word with an ‘Ach’ sound in it like Loch or Auchtermuchty I find pleasing to the ear! Going to Morton Lochs, the weather was certainly Dreich. The original plan for today was to go to Rossie Bog in another attempt of seeing a Marsh Harrier but many were saying that it hasn’t been very good for sightings recently. So instead we decided to head over to Morton Lochs, three small lochs located on the Western end of Tenstsmuir, a large coastal pine forest in East Fife, with four hides, one requiring a key to access (See map). Due to how sheltered it is it tends to be a mild temperature, which is a good thing on days like this. At the Christie Hide plenty of Mallards were around, along with at least 1 Teal, 2 Moorhens and it must have been a bumper year for the Little Grebes with 4+ around. One of them started to get closer to the hide, while catching fish and I was able to get some close-up shots.

View from the Christie Hide

Close-up of Little Grebe

Another View

The next hides along were the Berry and Fullerton Hides, which the latter requires a key. Im not that bothered about getting into the Fullerton Hide, seeing as its right beside the Berry Hide and the only difference is the fact that its higher up. Why do people bother building two hides, directly beside one another as they provide, with exactly the same view, surely it would be better to build one on the loch that lacks a hide! The same happens at Loch of Lowes where the two hides are metres apart. The information board in the Berry Hide is quite interesting saying how Tentsmuir used to be farmland before conifers were planted and how the Morton Lochs were small ponds before the Christie family diverted the Ninewells Burn into the dune slacks, flooding them, for fishing. At this hide there were 8+ Moorhen (with some juveniles), 2+ Little Grebe, 7+ Teal, 2 Mute Swans and 7 cygnets. There were probably some wigeon nearer the back of the loch, but I would need a scope to identify them from that distance. Later a single Buzzard was seen resting on a tree.

View from the Berry Hide

The Cygnets resting

Moorhen

Stretching

Mallards, Teal and Swans

Looking at the map I realised there was another hide but I had to head off then. Regarding the first post about the stranded Guillemot, there was an article in the Courier (the local paper for Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perthshire) entitled ‘Stormy Weather could be Killing off Seabirds’, saying how over the past week over 100 seabirds, primarily Guillemots, have been found along the Angus coast after flying against severe winds and becoming to weak or underweight to survive when they are washed ashore. Well hopefully the one I was able to return to the sea managed to make it!

74) Moorhen

Glen