Despite having been off work on holiday for the past week, I've been feeling way below par since last Friday night, so it hasn't actually been too annoying to see strong westerly winds instead of the hoped for easterlies all week. The birding has been seriously curtailed however with an aversion to even leaving the house for the vast majority of the past 7 days, though I had to lead my pre-arranged guided walk at Riverside Nature Walk on Saturday and Jacqui did persuade me into a trip to Kinnordy on Sunday. Monday was a total write-off and it has been slow progress back towards feeling almost normal since. Perusing the Rare Birds Alert app on my phone on Friday morning I discovered that a Spotted Redshank had been reported at Guardbridge the previous afternoon. With Spotted Redshank still missing from my year-list I forced myself out to try for it.
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| Herring Gull |
The strong winds meant that birds were few and far between as I waited for the bus into town around 1245, with only Feral Pigeon seen while I waited though a distant gull was most likely a Herring Gull. The bus journey to Fife was similarly low on birds with only the Cormorants on Submarine Rock definites, though corvids and gulls were seen through the rain-spattered windows of the bus. It was raining a bit heavier than forecast when I arrived at Guardbridge so I hurried into the hide. Neil Redpath was outside having a cigarette in the rain and Harry Spence was sat inside. The broken window is still awaiting replacement however.
I had a quick chat with Harry to see what had been seen, but there had been no sign of the Spotted Redshank which was disappointing, though not overly surprising. I started scanning - Redshanks made up the majority of waders though there were one or two Curlews around as well and a single Black Tailed Godwit opposite the hide with more further downriver. A Greenfinch was on the feeders, and a Black Headed Gull was on the shore opposite. A Grey Heron stalked the near shoreline. More scanning added Lapwing and a single Dunlin to the list, before a Magpie flew towards the hide.
A coughing fit followed quite soon after and I began to think that I should have stayed at home. However, when I finally stopped coughing I added a few more birds to the list with Carrion Crows, Herring Gulls and Mallard the additions. A very distant Mute Swan was next along with some Oystercatchers at a similar distance, the only ones seen all afternoon. A Great Tit showed at the feeders and a pair of adult Great Black Backed Gulls flew past. A flock of Pink Footed Geese, maybe around thirty strong were spotted well out on the mud with a flock of Golden Plover at least ten times larger, probably more, slightly closer.
A Grey Wagtail landed on the Kingfisher post for a few seconds giving myself and harry the chance to get a few photos though Neil wasn't quick enough reacting. Tree Sparrows were next at the feeders at Neil's side of the hide while a Collared Dove landed on the fence at mine. More scanning found Common Gulls and Teal, as well as a Pintail pair. A Robin showed in the Elder bush, a few minutes before a flock of Goldfinches overflew. The local Buzzard flew into the conifers drawing the noisy attention of the local Carrion Crows.
Neil went to the local shop for coffee for him and Harry and came back with a friend in tow. They stood outside for at least an hour meaning that all the action at the feeders was limited to my side where I added Blue Tit and Chaffinch. Woodpigeons and Feral Pigeons flew past. Despite the White Tailed Eagle not being on the posts when I'd checked earlier, one had turned up by the time I next checked with the corvids out in the estuary giving it the usual warm welcome. A Greenshank appeared on the shore opposite the hide and Harry alerted me to a rather late Common Sandpiper flying upriver.
A trio of Siskins flew over before a Kestrel flew across the river and into the former Paper Mill site. A distant Wigeon was the next bird to join the list which was edging closer to the total of forty species for the afternoon I had rather belatedly set. Long Tailed Tits were heard but not seen, and Goldcrests seemed to be active somewhere nearby but also went unseen. Two Knot on the mud down by the Motray mouth were next and around ten Pied Wagtails flew past en masse, which was rather odd. Harry left for home, leaving myself and Neil, who had since returned from his spell outside. A Herring Gull demolished a decent sized crab down below the front of the hide.
I was trying to think what species I could hopefully add and had just mentioned not having heard the usual Wren when it called from down the slope in front of the hide. A few seconds later I spotted it on a twig by the wall. A Kingfisher flew downriver before looping back round and heading back upriver almost immediately. With the time now around 1640, Neil headed for home and something white in the trees behind the feeders caught my eye. A Great Spotted Woodpecker shuffling up a tree trunk. A Common Sandpiper flew across the river as I was writing up the log book. A minute or so later, a further two did likewise, bringing the total to a rather unexpected three.
I headed for the bus just before 1700 and was able to add a few extra species on the way back to Dundee with a single Starling at Leuchars Station, three pairs of Jackdaws on the pub roof at Leuchars and Rooks at St Michaels. Further Starlings were seen at Drumoig as well as unidentified finches.
I didn't get the bird I was hoping to see, and I wasn't feeling any better through having been out, but it was still worthwhile getting out and fitting in some relatively easy birding for the afternoon. I did eventually manage to see forty six species in total. I might have to try again for that Spotted Redshank though (even if it has probably moved on already).
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| Black Tailed Godwit & Redshank |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Curlew |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Curlew |
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| Golden Plover (& a gull) |
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| White Tailed Eagle |
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| Greenshank |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Buzzard |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Curlew |
Species seen - Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Golden Plover, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Knot, Lapwing, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Pintail, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Siskin, Starling, Teal, Tree Sparrow, White Tailed Eagle, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
