Eden Estuary News

[edenwatcher]

Hi everyone,
Inspired by Jane Turner's monumental garden list and excellent thread I thought I'd start one on our garden overlooking the inner Eden estuary in Fife.
We too have a wonderful garden for birds with a list of 126 since 29/11/02.

Highlights so far in no particular order include:
smew, water pipit (Scottish rarity!), med. gull, 6 goose spp. including brent, barnacle and white-fronted (both forms), long-tailed duck, osprey, little stint, jack snipe, spotted redshank, little tern, kingfisher, waxwing ...
Recent star addition - 4 avocets which hung around for 10 days.
Most gutting dip - Fife's first American golden plover which was seen while we were away last September.

That's the introduction, a roundup of the weekend highlights to follow later.

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Glad to see you starting.... I bet you get a good Tringa before me!

[edenwatcher]

A quiet weekend - not much sign of spring up here apart from a few swallows and sand martins.
Noteworthy sightings:
4 great crested grebes on Sat, 3 on Sun (very few records last year, but regular in the last 10 days or so).
25+ gannets feeding off the estuary mouth yesterday - not many other species identifiable at this range (~2 miles)!
Still plenty of teal, wigeon and goldeneye
Pair of mergs yesterday and today
Our local buzzard pair has been very conspicuous, saw them mating yesterday (how much more conspicuous do you want ;) )
Not much wader variety at present but >300 summer plumage black-tailed godwits is very good compensation. Had 443 last Sunday.
Otherwise most of the action has been in the garden itself.
We have had up to 8 goldfinches on the feeders. Until about a month ago they hardly came at all, now they're around all the time. They won't touch nyjer seed - don't seem to know what it is! Other garden birds: 3 yellowhammers (a bird we hadn't seen at all until January and has occurred daily since), a female siskin (not a common bird, I think we only get spring migrants), 2 pied wagtails coming to food (weird!), and best of all 3 tree sparrows. Tree sparrows are very unpredictable garden visitors, their appearances seem pretty random. However have now seen them daily since last Wednesday so I hope they'll stick around for a bit longer ...
Finally I saw a singing goldcrest in the trees beside the drive this morning, we've only had a handful of previous records.

Not a hugely dramatic start but there was a whimbrel at Angle Park yesterday so we'll be looking out for them in the coming days (first of last year was 29th).

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the report. I've not managed to get down to the estuary for a couple of weeks (not since the Avocets were there) so it's good to be kept up to date. Impressed that you got a Siskin in the garden - I've seen hardly any of late. You're right about the Tree Sparrows which are incredibly fickle in their appearances - I saw quite a few early in the winter but none since. I had a nice male Brambling in the middle of St Andrews yesterday (on The Scores) so keep an eye on those feeders!

[edenwatcher]

Hi Andrew,
Not done well for brambling this winter, we had a pair for a day in January and that's it. Last winter we had a pair around for most of Feb and March. We had another good run of tree sparrows late Feb/early March this year (up to 5) then they melted away again.

Was it you that found the wheatear at Kilminning?

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Rob,

Is this the one you mean?;)

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=9930&highlight=fife+ness

[edenwatcher]

Andrew

Sorry, should have searched first!
Yep that's the one.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A few more signs of spring now.
My better half saw 8 sandwich terns yesterday afternoon and there were 2 male wheatears on the saltmarsh this morning.
The grey plovers are starting to come into summer plumage, saw 3 on the falling tide last night, one still in winter plumage, one blotchy and one pretty black.

A goldfinch found the nyjer seed yesterday afternoon, but doesn't seem to have been impressed - they were all on the sunflower hearts this morning.

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Rob,

There seem to be a few Sandwich Terns knocking about on St Andrews Bay now (maybe for the last week) but I've not seen any other terns as yet. Good to know the Wheatears are going through. I had one on the saltmarsh on Balgove Bay almost a month ago but have seen none since!

[edenwatcher]

Bird of yesterday was a drake shoveler (only 8th bird day since we moved in). The wheatears were still around last night, much closer to the house, presumably a result of the spring tides making the saltmarsh a bit soggy for them! Sue saw a greenshank yesterday, not sure if it was a lingering wintering bird or a migrant.
All rather quiet this morning 5 mergansers and a tree sparrow the best I can offer.

Garden year list is 86, will post a list later.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Just been mowing the lawn, as you do, and kept myself amused by having a scan with the scope each time I emptied the grass box!
Mowing highlights:
greenshank
12 grey plover (including 1 in full summer plumage)
black-tailed godwits glowing in the evening sunshine
2m1f wheatear

Other highlights for the past day or so include 2 great crested grebes, 5 mergs, a fulmar on its way to the inland colony at Lucklawhill and siskin.

Rob

[Geoff Pain]

That sounds like my type of gardening ;)

[edenwatcher]

2 Whimbrel yesterday evening and willow warbler (heard only) takes the garden year list to 87+1h. Jane is pulling away!
Willow warbler is bizarrely scarce with us considering how common they are around the centre at Edenside. Last summer we only had one sight record plus two that frustratingly sang invisibly from trees in the garden!

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Rob,

Also had 2 Whimbrel on Balgove Bay yesterday afternoon - on their way over to you at high tide I expect. Also 2 Pintail, 5 Willow Warblers (I saw hardly any last year too) and an immense 15 Wheatears on Balgove Bay.

[edenwatcher]

On for a good day list today. Already up to 39 + 3 heard. Unfortunately the heat haze is making things difficult at present.
Had a tree sparrow look in our nest box this morning - the blue tits are already in residence however. Have to get a new box ...

Impressed by that wheatear count, Andrew. Have seen 1 so far this morning.
Pintail don't often come up as far as us - I wish they did.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Yesterday's total was 55 + 2 heard, which is our best ever. Having said that we didn't really have a garden day list record before!
Nothing very exceptional:
great crested grebe 1, pink-footed goose 4, red-breasted merganser pr., ringed plover 1, greenshank 3, stock dove 1, wheatear 2m1f, tree sparrow 2, goldfinch 7, siskin 1m, yellowhammer 3m2f and the first time linnets have come into the garden itself.

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Perhaps we could arrange a house swap sometime! I have Linnets feeding on the back lawn today.

[edenwatcher]

Perhaps we could arrange a house swap sometime! I have Linnets feeding on the back lawn today.

Interesting idea - It's a mort of years since I saw a Leach's petrel ...
(Linnet in the garden again yesterday)

There was a flurry of activity this morning - breakfast tends to be an often interrupted meal ...
On the rising tide 2 great crested grebes, 7 tufted ducks (very irregular, and not usually that many), several eider including 3 males displaying vigorously to a disinterested female (shame about double glazing!), and star bird was drake gadwall. This mirrors last year's only occurrence when a pair showed up on 1st May. The duck stayed until the 3rd whilst the drake remained with the wigeon until the 9th.
Also this morning 2 tree sparrows under the bird table and 2 roe deer in the fields across the estuary.

Had to force myself to come to work ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Well it's been a rather quiet few days.
Wildfowl numbers have dropped quite sharply over past week - it has been a few days since we saw a teal or a goldeneye and there are only handful of wigeon left. Waders are a bit thin on the ground too, with most of the godwits and redshanks having gone. Having said that I added knot to the garden year list on Saturday evening - rather bizarre that we hadn't seen any during the winter although they do tend to stick to the outer estuary.
The drake gadwall was still about on Saturday.
At the feeders tree sparrows, yellowhammers and goldfinches are still around.

House martin yesterday was no. 90 for the garden year list.

PS I added Fifebirder to my yearlist at Kilconquhar on Saturday afternoon (leaving as we were arriving).

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Rob,

Funny how the Knot stick to the outer estuary. Can't remember many I've seen at the Guardbridge end. Still haven't seen any House Martins yet this year (although possibly a couple briefly over town).

Hope you had good views of the GW Egret on Saturday. It was much better than I expected it to be (i.e. not a distant white blob!).

[edenwatcher]

Hope you had good views of the GW Egret on Saturday. It was much better than I expected it to be (i.e. not a distant white blob!).
Very nice thanks.

Shades of winter at the moment - we have 5 pink-footed geese on the saltmarsh! On a more spring-like note there were 5 greenshanks yesterday evening just after high tide. This is the highest number we've ever had in spring, though of course we have many more in autumn (max. 23).
Mergansers are around on a daily basis at the moment. Migrant birds seem more inclined to come upstream as far as us whereas in winter they are more confined to the outer estuary. Soon they will be replaced by goosanders which are non-breeding summer visitors.
Other sighting of note was a roe deer on our side of the estuary in front of the house - previous records have always been on the opposite shore.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Promising day so far - 50 species and counting.
A new species for the garden list this afternoon - a red-legged partridge. Not very exciting I know, but they all count. That's no. 127. Also a garden year tick in the shape of 2 arctic terns (92nd for the year).
Other species of note:
the 5 pinkfeet are still on the saltmarsh, 3 sandwich terns, 2 great crested grebes, 71 black-tailed and 5 bar-tailed godwits, 2 greenshanks and a wheatear.
The local buzzards seem to have eggs as we're only seeing one now.

Last night's high tide produced 2 knot and a whimbrel so there's scope for a few more species today ...

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Sounds like a great day.... its grim down south!

[edenwatcher]

Sounds like a great day.... its grim down south!
It turned cold and drizzly here in the afternoon, where is spring exactly?
Failed to add any more species but still a good day.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A nice whimbrel on the mud as I type, also 2 greenshanks. This is the first whimbrel this spring to have lingered for more than about a minute after being sighted!

Off to the Hebrides tomorrow, will update next week ....

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Must have missed the Whimbrel this evening Rob, but saw the 2 Greenshanks. Also saw 6 Goosander (including 5 drakes) and 5 Pink-feet around Guardbridge. On the outer part of the estuary there were at least 15 Little Terns and, rather unusually, a drake Velvet Scoter.

Have a good time in the Hebrides.

[Michael Frankis]

Surprised you've had so few Whimbrel - there's been loads of them in Northumbs the last 2 weeks (flocks of 30+). But no Greenshanks. Maybe its a different type of mud, that Whimbrels don't like, and Greenshank do?

Michael

[edenwatcher]

Got back from the Hebs last night and have added swift to the garden year list (no. 93). Will post a report on the trip shortly (cinnamon teal, harlequin, all 4 skuas etc.)

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Just been for a twitch home for a little egret! I know they're common darn sarf, but this is about the 4th for Fife. The second was on the saltmarsh in front of the house a week before we moved in (and I dipped it). A helpful colleague gave me a lift home (thanks Chris) as I was on the bike today. I discovered why Sue didn't answer the phone when I rang her - she was down the garden watching it!

When we got there I just saw it fly out of view so we went round to the Eden Estuary Centre for some cracking views. It then flew on to the saltmarsh so went back home and I was able to get proper domestic views!
Sue had goosander earlier (94 for the year), so that's 128 in total and 95 for the year.

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Nice :)

Onny had the one egret here... and it was during an air display! Everyone else was watching the red Arrows!

[edenwatcher]

Nice :)

Onny had the one egret here... and it was during an air display! Everyone else was watching the red Arrows!

Don't talk to me about air displays. Made the mistake of not going away for the Leuchars Air Show last year ...
Quite apart from the noise, plane spotters make twitchers seem law abiding, upstanding members of society. You point out to those camped out halfway down the drive that they are on private land and they look at you as though you have 2 heads ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Well it's all fairly quiet at the moment. I had brief flight views of the little egret on Monday and it may still be around. It's remarkable how elusive a fairly large white bird can be! Goosander sightings are becoming more regular - had a nice drake on Tuesday evening. We should start getting Canada geese soon - on their moult migration to the Beauly Firth. By contrast the black-tailed godwits have departed, I only saw one on the rising tide last night.

At the feeders tree sparrows are very much in evidence, spending a lot more time in the garden than they ever have before. I suspect there is a nest close by.

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Rob,

I think the Canadas are already in! I saw 11 on Balgove Bay on Monday and yesterday evening had 23 flying over the middle of town towards the estuary. Always seem like a slightly more exciting bird here than in most other places. Ahh, the majestic sight of wild geese. Well, fairly wild anyway ;)

[edenwatcher]

Hi Andrew,
I'm not surprised, I half expected to see some this morning. It's good that we only see these "migrant" birds in Fife - long may it continue.

Rob

[RockyRacoon]

I had brief flight views of the little egret* - remarkable how elusive a fairly large white bird can be!

I saw a Little Egret on my birthday this year, it was on the opposite side of the cut off part of river at beachy head that we were watching Common gulls from about 2 hours earlier on, if that is hard try finding an Egret nest site in the U.K!? Has anyone at BF ever seen a Little Egret at nest in the U.K?

[Jane Turner]

I saw a Little Egret on my birthday this year, it was on the opposite side of the cut off part of river at beachy head that we were watching Common gulls from about 2 hours earlier on, if that is hard try finding an Egret nest site in the U.K!? Has anyone at BF ever seen a Little Egret at nest in the U.K?


Yes ...in Cheshire what is more!

[edenwatcher]

The egret was showing very well on the saltmarsh when I got home from work yesterday. It flew upstream as I got the video camera out. It seems possible that it will oversummer, which would be nice. Last Thursday evening there was a family of goldcrests beside the drive - an adult with at least 5 newly fledged young. By heck they were small!
Had a possible sighting of a juv. tree sparrow on the bird table last night, but it flew before I could get a proper look at it. It seemd to be begging from the adult sat next to it. The daily appearance of adults in recent weeks has strongly suggested that they are nesting nearby.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Quite a good day for June, although the egret was playing hard to get in the outer estuary.
Lapwings are starting to reappear, there were 17 over this afternoon's (very) high tide. Other waders are in short supply but there were more curlews around and a single blackwit remains.
A flock of a dozen goosanders have showed well the past couple of days. We saw the first shelduck brood this afternoon - an impressive 9.
Best birds of the day were first little gulls of the year (96 for the garden year list) - 2 first summers. Had a new bird at the feeders yesterday morning, a smart jackdaw (a species we under record hugely - with a little effort they can be seen on any given day, but we don't usually have time or inclination). Today the garden was overrun by starlings (>100) - shame none of them was pink ...
Speaking of pink, our star wildflower is in full bloom beside the drive at present - 9 flower spikes of northern marsh orchid.

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Rob,

I still haven't seen the Little Egret. I went down to the outer estuary this afternoon but the tide was quite high by then and I suppose it had gone to wherever it goes at high tide. There wasn't too much else about except at least half a dozen Little Terns.

[edenwatcher]

I still haven't seen the Little Egret. I went down to the outer estuary this afternoon but the tide was quite high by then and I suppose it had gone to wherever it goes at high tide. There wasn't too much else about except at least half a dozen Little Terns.

Keep trying Andrew! I think it may spend quite a bit of time at the Goosepools. Haven't had little tern at our end of the estuary yet this year, which is disappointing as we has some nice flocks of up to 16 in early May last year. Caught up with canada goose for the garden yearlist (97) yesterday evening with a flock of 32. Also yesterday had a roe deer on our side of the estuary, although it clearly didn't like it - it swam across to the north shore. I've finally confirmed the presence of a juv. tree sparrow, at least one has been begging enthusiatically the past 2 days. Nice to have them breeding nearby.
5 wigeon and 2 redshank on this morning's high tide - perhaps it's autumn!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Well as Arkwright might say - it's been a funny old week...
At the start of the week dabbling ducks were the source of interest, with at least 3 wigeon remaining until Wednesday, 6 drake teal on Monday evening and most unusually 4 drake gadwall on Tuesday morning. This is a real rarity for us and our highest ever count.
Speaking of highest ever counts 27 mergansers on Wednesday morning was also a record, with 13 goosanders in view at the same time (now up to 17). There are now 2 shelduck broods around with a new brood of 5. All 9 of the first lot are surviving, which is a surprise. Somewhat bizarre was a lone pink-footed goose on Wednesday evening.
Waders have been putting in an appearance in the past couple of days with a ringed plover on Wednesday evening and 3 last night. They normally stay in the outer estuary and are unpredictable in their occurrence with us. Lapwing, curlew and redshank are reappearing, but a whimbrel last night was most unexpected (is it coming or going?).
Also last night 4 1st summer little gulls appeared on the rising tide, and this morning 6 little terns gave very nice views. Our first of the year so that's 98 - the century beckons.

I've been rambling on long enough.

G-G-Granville f-f-fetch a cloth!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Well we had our hundredth species for the year this evening - of which more later.
It was a quiet weekend, though we did add a duck scaup to the year's list (present on both days). Strangely we see them most often during the summer months when they appear post breeding, presumably having come from Iceland. I suspect this is too early for that however. Also around at the weekend were a single little tern and an adult little gull (both on Saturday). Shelducks seem to be having a good year, as in addition to the first brood of 9 we have also seen a creche of 20. They are starting to suffer a few losses as the 9 have become 6 and the creche looks like about 15. A fox was seen on both Saturday and Sunday and again this morning.

Species 100 for the garden year list was a treecreeper which began in our lone Scot's Pine and then worked its way along our line of poplars. This is our first record since December 2002.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

We were away for the w/e, back yesterday lunchtime. Immediately had the frustrating experience of hearing a moorhen - a species not on our garden list. They occur in the ponds at the bottom of our neighbour's land (where they can be seen from the Eden estuary centre), but these aren't visible from our garden. I feel they should come out on the saltmarsh occasionally but no sign yet ...

Last night I saw a whimbrel among increasing numbers of curlew, and yet another shelduck brood - there are now at least 35 young in our part of the estuary.
This morning a spotted flycatcher became species 101 for the year. They aren't at all easy to see in Fife these days, so it's a privilege to be able to see one from the living room.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Evening all,
It has been quite a varied few days.
Wildfowl:
Yesterday we had 3 drake tufties and a drake scaup. There are still plenty of shelducklings around, the first two are close to fledging. We have seen the first brood of eider ducklings of the year (5). Few pairs breed on the Eden, usually with little success. Yesterday we had our highest ever count of goosander - 36.
Raptors/gamebirds:
Saw a peregrine yesterday, the first for some weeks. Last night 2 grey partridges almost came into the garden itself, the first record of the year (species no. 102).
Waders:
A whimbrel has been around for several days now, a particularly short-billed individual. Also present up to 3 greenshanks. Meanwhile lapwing and curlew numbers are approaching 3 figures.
Gulls and terns:
A single sandwich tern yesterday and 5 this evening. A curious gull was in the roost last night, looking superficially like a med gull. It was a leucistic black-head as far as I could tell (it was 10:30 pm).
Passerines:
The treecreeper past through the garden briefly on Saturday morning.

Time for a summer plumage spotshank ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A good weekend, with wader passage picking up and some good gulls and terns.
Both days featured very high spring tides, which are always popular with us as the birds are much closer to the house.
On Saturday we had 10 greenshanks among more common waders, whilst yesterday there were 14 (a very high count for early July), plus 4 whimbrel and the first returning black-tailed godwit.
Saturday's highlight was a kittiwake - a species we had been expecting but new for the garden list (#129). Also on Saturday we had 2 arctic terns, 4 sandwich terns and our first common tern of the year (104 for the year).
Yesterday afternoon 8 little gulls appeared (4 adult summers), one of my favourite "garden" birds. This mirrors last year when we had a succession of records in early July (high count 45), mostly adult summers.

This morning as I was refilling the feeders I saw a crow mobbing a buzzard, which in turn was mobbing a fox!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Hi all - is there anyone out there?
Trusting that I'm not talking to myself, here's another update from the Eden.
Yesterday we caught up with one of our bogey birds with a stunning full summer plumage curlew sandpiper (130 for the garden list, 105 for the year). Although the Eden is the best place in Fife for the species, last autumn was so poor for them that we failed to see any. It showed really well over high tide in the morning and was still present this morning.
Other wader highlights include 11 greenshanks and 3 bar-tailed godwits including 2 in full summer plumage ("best" we've had from the garden). Other wise it has been fairly quiet but a pair of common terns has been coming upstream with the tide for past few days and a 1st year female peregrine caused panic among the waders on Saturday morning.

Rob

[annap]

Hi Rob

Just thought I'd send this to let you know there are people reading your reports! Sounds like you have a great garden and a good selection of species. I always enjoy watching waders and your area sounds a particularly good one for them.

Anna

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Rob,

I went down to Guardbridge yesterday afternoon but didn't see the Curlew Sand. The best birds were 2 Little Gulls, 2 Whimbrel and a Tufted Duck! Also had a Short-eared Owl at Out Head last Tuesday - the first for ages.

[edenwatcher]

Hi Rob,

I went down to Guardbridge yesterday afternoon but didn't see the Curlew Sand. The best birds were 2 Little Gulls, 2 Whimbrel and a Tufted Duck! Also had a Short-eared Owl at Out Head last Tuesday - the first for ages.
Hi Andrew
Yesterday afternoon it was a bit distant on the north shore, this morning it was on the bend by the Motray confluence.
Didn't see any of your species yesterday! Quite a few whimbrel around at the moment though. Short-eared owl is still missing from the garden list - over the airfield is probably the best bet ...
Anna - thanks for the reassurance!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Last night was a bit of a tern fest, with 4 spp.: single arctic and sandwich, 2 common and, best of all, 10 little (our highest count of the year). Also heard moorhen again (grr!).
This morning 2 new species for the year list (now 107). First were 3 common sandpipers at the mouth of the Motray. We don't see many, as this is as about as far downstream as they ever get and close to as far upstream as we can see! The second new species was a willow warbler on the fence by the drive at a range of about 6 feet - only our second ever sight record (bizarrely).
No sign of the curlew sandpiper but the tide has not been high enough ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

We had some good waders (for us) on Sunday afternoon's high tide and overall numbers continue to build. Best perhaps were 11 summer plumage knot, our biggest group of the year, but rarer for us were the single turnstone and common sandpiper (4th records of each). Dunlin numbers have increased very sharply, with 214 last night and black-tailed godwits are up to at least 18.
A few "odd" ducks have been around: 2 tufties, up to 14 teal and a drake goldeneye.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A cracking day yesterday, so time for an update:
Gannets have been fishing off the estuary mouth the past two evenings. Evenings are the best time for us to see them as the light is better and there is less heat haze. 25 teal on Wednesday evening is the highest since the spring. Our local buzzards fledged last week and have been much in evidence - the young particularly vocal.
Black-tailed godwit numbers have jumped to 35, all still in summer plumage. Other waders include 12 summer plumage knot, single grey and golden plovers, 9 greenshanks all last night. On Wednesday evening there were 3 whimbrel, following 1 on Tuesday. They seem much more transient than other waders.
Terns have been coming upstream in the evenings this week - we had a record count of 16 commons on Wednesday. They are outnumbering arctic at present, which is unusual. One of yesterday's highlights was a juv great spotted woodpecker on next door's nut feeder (108 for the year). Interesting that it should have learned about nutfeeders already. A family of spotted flycatchers was in the trees and on wires beside the drive yesterday - the first time they have been in the garden and welcome evidence of local breeding.
Saving the best until last, I added a (long overdue) new species to the garden list last night (131, 109 for the year). A female MERLIN flew across the estuary and landed on the edge of the saltmarsh where it remained for 40 minutes giving cracking views. Judging by the pale rump when flew back across to the airbase it was an adult.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Some of the more interesting records over the past few days:
Wildfowl - record count of 37 goosander on Saturday evening and 6 scaup on Sunday evening (first post-breeding arrivals on the same date as last year).
Waders - an astonishing arrival of oystercatchers on Saturday. They were seen by another observer coming in off the sea in flocks in the morning and a large roost formed in the afternoon. I counted 402, far in excess of our usual 50-100, nearly all breeding plumage adults. Also on Saturday a record count of at least 47 knot (all in summer plumage) and 3 ringed plovers. Dunlin numbers have reached around 500 and black-tailed godwits continue to arrive (max. 57).
Passerines - a juvenile wheatear on Friday was presumably a local bird and a willow warbler was on the garden fence this morning.

Still not seen osprey here this year ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

We were away in the Cairngorms (backpacking/Munro-bagging) over the weekend hence the lack of updates.
Last Thursday Sue saw a couple of whimbrel and our first ruff of the year (110). On Friday there was a spotted flycatcher in the garden - we seem to be doing well for them this year.
This week one of the more bizarre occurrences has been a pink-footed goose on the saltmarsh each day. Post high tide yesterday evening there was a stunning summer plumage grey plover (presumably male as it was incredibly bright). This morning there were at least 76 black-tailed godwits (102 were reported on Monday) and 19 little gulls, our highest count of the year.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

It's clearly the monsoon season here, the weather has been awful for almost the whole of the past week, though good birds should be dropping out of the sky as I type.
On Thursday the haar was so thick the estuary didn't come into view until late afternoon. However that evening we had a near full summer plumage curlew sandpiper (probably different from last month's bird) and a couple of little gulls. Friday was actually a largely sunny and warm day with the birding highlight being an unprecedented flock of 17 shoveler in the evening. I don't think I've ever seen so many in Fife.
The haar returned on Saturday although the estuary was visible until early evening. Two spotted flycatchers were around in the morning, and in the afternoon a weasel on the drive was a new mammal for the garden. Yet more haar on Sunday with a freshening southeasterly produced a huge gull roost (present each evening since, too) containing at least 6 kittiwakes. Kittiwakes have been seen each day since, with at least 12 this morning. Until this week we had only ever seen one! Also on Sunday there were 2 whimbrels. Little gulls have been seen most days in small numbers. Waders have been hard to come by, but 9 ruff yesterday morning was a bonus. The past three days have seen heavy rain, so with winds still in the east, Fife Ness looks attractive ...

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Rob,

Had a few Kittiwakes flying down the estuary yesterday afternoon and there are hundreds roosting at the mouth - all adults. Very large numbers of waders on Balgove Bay yesterday e.g. 190 Knot and an awful lot of Oystercatchers. Also seemed to be a lot of Teal about. You might not have to go as far as Fife Ness for your migrants - I had two Pied Flys on the golf course yesterday. I'll probably nip out again today if it stops throwing it down.

[edenwatcher]

Quite a good weekend with our first long-tailed tits of the year (111) and plenty of other good stuff (54 species yesterday)
Wader highlights include at least 9 ruff, a common sandpiper, 6 greenshanks, 10 ringed plovers (I think that's our best count of the year), a knot, 52 golden plovers and at least 127 black-tailed godwits. Kittiwakes are still around - they seem to have had total breeding failure - as are a few little gulls.
Wildfowl highlight was 2 shoveler yesterday afternoon, plus the amusing sight of a group of goosander roosting on a dead tree as it floated downstream on the falling tide. The pink-footed goose remains on the saltmarsh. I guess Canadas will start passing through again soon.
We had some good passerines (for us) too - a wheatear, a spot fly and 2 willow warblers along with the long-tailed tits.
Still no osprey (a recurring mantra!) ...

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Still time for a Scandinavian Osprey! Glad I got mine out of the way in spring :)

[edenwatcher]

Still time for a Scandinavian Osprey! Glad I got mine out of the way in spring :)
I'm sure they are still being seen daily from the Fife council hide. Grr.

[edenwatcher]

I'm sure they are still being seen daily from the Fife council hide. Grr.
Well, a morning working at home due to the power being off at work paid dividends with OSPREY at last (112 for the year). Also an astonishing record count of great black-backs (72, previous highest 12!).

We have a huge young (1st summer not juv. I guess) female sparrowhawk with attitude around at present. When crows try mobbing her she chases them!

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Persitance finally rewarded!

[edenwatcher]

Away darn sarf at the w/e visiting my mother and going to the Birdfair hence the lack of updates. Only a brief call at the Birdforum stand unfortunately.

Meanwhile back on the Eden the best bird has been a juv. curlew sand on Monday evening. Other good waders have been a single turnstone (both Monday and Tuesday), a few knot, a couple of ruff and 2 stunning pristine grey plovers. There were 7 little gulls yesterday evening, 4 adults and 3 juveniles (first in that plumage for the garden).

This morning I saw 2 grey wagtails, no. 113 for the year. We had about half a dozen records last year, with no obvious pattern. This is the first multiple record.

More excitement has been at Fife Ness however. Yesterday lunchtime had cracking views of a wryneck and today 2 greenish warblers, including 1 in the hand.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Last night (and again this morning) number 132 (and 114 for the year) .....
wait for it ...... er, coot.
Ah well they all count. Speaking of counts, 17 ruff last night was a record.

Rob

[Jane Turner]

WELL jealous of Coot.. one record in the last 30 years here :)

[John o'Sullivan]

just to say I'm enjoying this thread.
I'm primarily a patch watcher myself and like following how others are doing.
Good luck as the autumn progresses i,ll be keeping track. john

[edenwatcher]

just to say I'm enjoying this thread.
I'm primarily a patch watcher myself and like following how others are doing.
Good luck as the autumn progresses i,ll be keeping track. john
Thanks. It's good to be appreciated

Rob

[edenwatcher]

On for a massive day today.
Let's see what I've had so far ...
Fulmar (1), Gannet, Cormorant, Heron, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Teal (1), Wigeon (30), Tufted Duck (1f), Eider, Goosander, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Osprey (at least 2), Peregrine, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Golden Plover (75+), Grey Plover (1), Turnstone (1), Snipe (1, 115 for the year), Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Greenshank (9+), Ruff (2+), Dunlin, Knot (3), Common, Black-headed, Herring, Lbb & Gbb gulls, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail (1), Swallow, Sand Martin, House Martin, Wren, Dunnock, Starling, Carrion Crow, Rook, Robin, Blackbird, Willow Warbler (1), Blue, Great & Coal Tits, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch.

Already 59 spp. for the day. Best go and find some more ...

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Good job I'm keeping my head in front - Little Egret today :)

[edenwatcher]

Good job I'm keeping my head in front - Little Egret today :)
So I saw, well done.

60. common scoter c25 flying south past the esuary mouth
also a breaching bottle-nosed (?) dolphin, which gave me a bit of a shock!

61. long-tailed tit

Rob

[Jane Turner]

I'll have a crack at breaking 70 if I can find a day in autumn with a tide and overhead passage conditions.

[edenwatcher]

I'll have a crack at breaking 70 if I can find a day in autumn with a tide and overhead passage conditions.

Struth - good luck!
Final total 63 - I forgot mallard and added stock dove.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

There were 5 species seen yesterday that I didn't see on Saturday, so perhaps 70 in a day is feasible.
These were shoveler (4), ringed plover (6), bar-tailed godwit (1), curlew sandpiper (1 moulting ad. & 1 juv.) and spotted redshank (1 juv. 116 for the year.)
Other good birds: snipe (1), ruff (7+) and grandstand views of a peregrine hunting waders (unsuccessfully). I was able to follow at least 4 stoops through the scope - a great falcon moment.

Andrew - where were your stints? Had a couple of fleeting glimpses of possibles but was never able to get on to any.

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Rob,

The 5 Little Stints were on Balgove Bay (just off the saltmarsh) as the tide was starting to fall. They were associating with Dunlin a bit but later I saw them on their own. Also a juvenile Curlew Sand in with the Dunlin and a Merlin seen twice hunting over the golf course and the saltmarsh. Whereabouts has the Spotshank been?

[edenwatcher]

The 5 Little Stints were on Balgove Bay (just off the saltmarsh) as the tide was starting to fall. They were associating with Dunlin a bit but later I saw them on their own. Also a juvenile Curlew Sand in with the Dunlin and a Merlin seen twice hunting over the golf course and the saltmarsh. Whereabouts has the Spotshank been?
Cheers. Calidrids were a bit unpredictable over the w/e - only saw about 10 dunlin on Sat, but over 100 yesterday. Stints could use the pig field (have seen them there before) Spotshank was with redshanks on the edge of the saltmarsh on the rising tide, midway between FBC hide and the papermill. Didn't see it after the peregrine stirred things up though.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Still plenty of good waders around this week. Had an adult curlew sandpiper yesterday morning and a juv. in the evening. Also around are at least 8 ruff (probably twice that), 9 greenshank and a snipe.

Highlight though was a garden mega last night - our second record of KINGFISHER (117 for the year). Whilst they are regularly seen further up river from the Eden Estuary Centre, like little grebe and common sandpiper they are very difficult for us to see. However in the past few days a dead tree has washed up on the edge of the saltmarsh providing nice kingfisher perches (it certainly sat there for a while last night) so we may get a few more records.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Evening all,
We were away at the w/e, so no updates. However quite a nice high tide this morning - heaving with dunlins and a least 5 juvenile curlew sandpipers among the throng. Still no little stints though. Plenty of ruff still about and a few ringed plovers both morning and evening.
Dabbling duck numbers have increased markedly, with evidence of passage too. 106 teal were present on Friday morning and there are over 50 wigeon today. Best of all though were 2 pintail this morning.
When I got home this evening I acted on info. from Fifebirder and scanned the outer bay from the garden. I quickly picked up 2 arctic skuas chasing a tern and fetched Sue. We then watched a juvenile arctic skua fly right up the estuary and inland giving very nice views. At least 3 birds were seen - although the other birds were very distant their build and chasing technique showed them to be arctics. Our 133rd species and 118 for the year. Thanks Andrew. One of those species you can't quite believe is on your garden list (unless you're Jane Turner with all 4 skuas of course).

Off to Ecuador at the end of the week so perhaps one more update before we leave ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Well here we are again,
Ecuador was fantastic - 369 spp in 10 days birding including 49 hummers, a 3 tapaculo day (including ocellated) .... If I get time I'll do a trip report.
Meanwhile after a long weekend in the Lakes I got back here on Monday evening. During the week, apart from about 100 pinkfeet on Tuesday morning, haven't seen much.
Today was a productive day however. There were plenty of gannets off the estuary mouth (mostly 1st winter), also good numbers of dabbling duck including a record 10 pintail. Waders have been the main source of interest today with a record count of c170 knot (3x our previous highest), 2 ruff, a snipe, 16 greenshanks and sanderling - a new bird for the garden list (134, 119 for the year). A guillemot was my first from the house this year (Sue saw one around March).

No funny curlews here

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A good weekend of domestic birding all round.
Later on Saturday evening a tawny owl called VERY close to the house. Unfortunately we couldn't locate it, so it goes on the heard list only.
Sunday was a cracking day, with around 60 spp. seen.
Highlights were:
great crested grebe
gannet - again several at the estuary mouth, along with sandwich terns and common scoters
pink-footed goose - 1 on the saltmarsh
BARNACLE GOOSE - 2 on the saltmarsh around noon. Around this time of year birds turn up on the Eden on the way to the Solway. Our first record this year so that's no. 120.
goldeneye - 2 (first returning birds)
peregrine - 1 juv. causing mayhem around high tide.
turnstone, grey plover, greenshank, ruff etc.
RAZORBILL - 2 (our first multiple auk record)
grey wagtail -1
magpie - 1. A real local rarity, only our 5th record. However they are spreading into NE Fife and are becoming common in parts of St. Andrews.

120 equals our final total for 2003, so a new record beckons. Don't think Jane has anything to fear though ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A new garden year list record. 3 whooper swans this morning were the 121st species of the year.
They usually winter on the Eden in small numbers (peak count of around 35 in our first winter) though we didn't see them much as they would fly out to feed befroe dawn and return after dark. However last winter we saw none at all - hence today's year tick.
Easterlies are forecast for early next week - yum!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Time for an update.
Nothing too startling over the past couple of weeks, but some decent stuff nonetheless. Geese have been in short supply with the highest count of Icelandic greylags (none of your plastic ferals here) a mere 36, with a single Barnacle amongst them. Numbers of goldeneye and red-breasted merganser are on the increase.
The star wader at present is golden plover, with up to 1500 on the mud when the tide is out. We still have up 5 greenshank. Despite Saturday's monster tide it failed to flush out any jack snipe from the creeks in the saltmarsh (or even any snipe for that matter). A few guillemots have been seen, plus a couple of stiffs floating around on Saturday.
One of those stiffs was being eaten by a buzzard in the field in front of the house this morning - cracking views. The juvenile peregrine is still around, often giving quite prolonged views hunting due to its incompetence! The raptor highlight was our 3rd record of merlin on Saturday.
The feeders are relatively quiet at present, though goldfinches have returned for the first time since spring. They have been using natural food sources up until now.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Not a bad weekend.
The undoubted highlight was a flock 31 whooper swans on the estuary on Saturday morning. Only 4 juvs. however so perhaps a poor breeding season. Alternatively failed breeders could migrate first ...
We continue to see unprecendetned auk numbers (for us) - 3 guillemots on Saturday and 2 yesterday. Here's hoping for a little auk ...
Waders still include 7 greenshank and 3 ruff with golden plovers now up to about 2000. Unlike for Andrew Whitehouse on the Ythan, no sign of any yankees among them. There was an unusually visible snipe yesterday afternoon and our highest grey plover count for a while (29).
Passerine highlights have included 5 rock pipits, a flock of long-tailed tits and a goldcrest.

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Keep looking through those GPs Rob - maybe the one up here will be on its way down to you. Auks quite often seemed to come into the outer part of the Eden after strong easterlies but I've not seen many further up than Coble Shore. There was a flock Long-tailed Tits at Foveran on Saturday that the ringers suggested were the first they'd ever seen there. They thought they might be immigrants.

[edenwatcher]

Well there are even more golden plovers to look through now. Latest estimate is c2500.
About the first bird I saw when I looked out this morning was a treecreeper, which was nice.
Among the highlights of the past week have been good numbers of fieldfares, starting last Thursday when they were harbingers of the fall that culminated in the masked shrike. 3 of Thursday's birds were actually in the garden. Only a couple of redwings though (heard more).
A flock of 38 whooper swans early on Tuesday morning is a record count for us. Greylag numbers have really increased too, with at least 250 present early morning and often lingering through the day. Goldeneye have increased to at least 23 but this is well below this time last year.
Wader wise we have had a record count of 8 snipe along with an unusually high number of at least 12 greenshanks. I wonder if they will overwinter (small numbers usually do).
It was good to come back from the shrike on Saturday to have superb views of female merlin perched on a post on the saltmarsh. It looks as if we may have regular sightings through the winter. The same can't be said of peregrine: one normally uses the nearby papermill as its favourite perch through the winter months but there has been no sign yet.

Right I'm off for another look at the shrike ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

It's been fairly quiet over the last few days. However there have been excellent numbers of thrushes around, mainly in the hawthorns by the drive. We have had up to 25 fieldfares and perhaps 40 redwings, but best of all for us were the 2 mistle thrushes on Sunday. We have only had one previous record of the species - so that is 122 for the year.
We are hoping for waxwing, but don't really have enough berry bushes. However that didn't stop us seeing one last November. There was an aurora on Sunday night, but there was a bit much cloud for the full effect. There is a good chance of another tonight.

As we are nearing the end of our second year in the house I will shortly embark on a summary of the highlights and future prospects, so stay tuned ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

It remains fairly quiet at the moment, but here are few recent highlights.
Last Monday Sue had 3 dabchicks, our first of the autumn. They are common in winter further upstream but we rarely see them as they only come downstream on very high tides or in clam conditions. A single great crested grebe was seen on Friday and Saturday.
Greylag numbers are slowly increasing - I counted 361 on Friday morning, but this is well down on the usual wintering flock size (>1000). 22 pinkfeet were with them. In our first winter hardly any pinkfeet roosted on the estuary, whilst last year they often outnumbered the greylags. Now we seem to have reverted to low numbers.
A superb drake pintail on Saturday was the duck highlight of the past few weeks. Jane probably gets hundreds ...
Black-tailed godwit numbers are our highest ever for autumn - 307 a couple of weeks ago. However the cold snap saw the complete disappearance of the golden plovers. This is an annual occurrence, at the first sign of really cold weather they leave the Eden.
A female peregrine has been in evidence, usually early in the morning. On Friday it gave superb entertainment hunting redshank. One redshank flew between the necks of some swimming greylags, which then had to duck as the peregrine swept by!
A few rock pipits have been on the saltmarsh and small numbers of redwings continue to be seen.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A few titbits from the weekend:
A possible black-throated diver (would be 2nd record, but sadly rather distant). A record count of 5 dabchicks yesterday afternoon. I was completely wrong about the golden plovers - numbers began to pick up during the week and the full flock was back over the weekend. I guess it will be the next cold snap that sends them south ... (maybe, I'm saying nothing).
A very vocal great spotted woodpecker on Saturday was only the second of the year and prompted me to put a new fat ball out. The undoubted highlight however came yesterday afternoon in the shape of 3 waxwings. They sat in the tops of our poplars for a few minutes before flying off SE. 123 for the year but no chance of catching Jane ...

We moved in 2 years ago today, so I'll start a summary of some of the highlights of living on your local patch.
Divers-wildfowl
Red-throated divers were fairly regular during our first winter, but much scarcer subsequently. A single record of black-throated diver in December last year was a real bonus - in Fife they are rare away from Largo Bay.
We have had 2 records of slavonian grebe but would expect more. A little egret in May this year was one of 2 Scottish rarities we have seen to date. It stayed for over 2 weeks but was remarkably hard to catch up with.
We have 6 goose species on the garden list (including both Eurasian and Greenland whitefronts on the same day in Feb this year). Brent geese (almost all hrota) winter in small numbers in the outer estuary but have very rarely come upstream as far as us. One memorable afternoon in February, on one of the highest tides, we had superb views of 13 (all hrota) very close to the house.
Teal, wigeon and mallard are the common dabbling ducks, gadwall, shoveler and pintail being much scarcer. All aythyas are uncommon (only 2 records of pochard). Common scoter can be seen on clear days with no heat haze by scoping out to the estuary mouth. Presumably velvet should be possible in the same way. We missed a drake velvet which came well upstream while we were in the Hebs this May. We have a few winter records of long-tailed duck, which is a real treat, but the duck highlight was a drake smew which stayed for several days in Feb last year.

There a still a few target birds to get along with velvet scoter. Shag is a surprising omission (had a "nice" runt cormorant earlier this year!), great northern diver and other grebes could occur. Spoonbill or great white egret would be nice and the Eden has been a good site for Bewick's swan (not that anywhere in Scotland is really). I keep looking for American wigeon and green-winged teal - one day perhaps.

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Looking forwards to reading the rest of this!

[edenwatcher]

This afternoon Sue had excellent views of an adult winter black-throated diver. Our 2nd record and no. 124 for the year. It prompted me to have a change of heart over yesterday's diver, which was probably the same bird!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Before I continue a couple of this morning's sightings: a female peregrine caught an oystercatcher this morning and, in a minor triumph, the great spotted woodpecker found the fat ball.

Buzzard is much our commonest raptor, with a pair having nested in our next door neighbour's plantation (his land goes down to the river - envy!). Sparrowhawk is also regular, along with peregrine in winter although the male which spent the past 2 winters on the papermill has not returned. Kestrel is surprisingly scarce and mostly seen over the fields on the far side of the estuary. Merlin was first seen this summer and the same female has been seen a few times since. Ospreys regularly fish the Eden during summer though we under record them (witness this year's struggle to see them at all!). A red-legged partridge earlier this year was the first for the Eden(!), grey partidges are scarce visitors. We have a single record of coot and moorhen is a frustrating heard only species.
Waders are one of the specialities of the Eden and our list reflects this. 4 avocets this spring constitute one of our most prized records - you know you live in a good place for birds if you can watch avocets from your livingroom! Golden plovers form a marvellous autumn spectacle with over 2000 in November. As they flush more readily than other waders we often see the wheeling flocks. Grey and ringed plovers occur in lower numbers, wandering from the outer estuary. Curlew sandpipers were totally absent last year but came through in good numbers this autumn, whilst we saw little stint last year but not this. Knot is mainly a passage bird, scarce in winter. Snipe can occur at any season but most go unrecorded in the creeks of the saltmarsh. An extremely high tide in October last year flushed out a single jack snipe from hiding - it gave stonking views as it bounced up and down. Whimbrel are regular on passage, generally easier to see in spring as they don't vanish in the long grass in the high tide roost. Black-tailed godwit is one of the Eden's specialities, our highest spring count this year was 443 and over 200 overwinter. Barwit is like grey plover a wanderer from the outer estuary and more easily seen at low tide. Greenshank are common on passage (max. 23) and a few overwinter. We have a few records of spotted redshank including a superb black bird in spring whilst ruff is quite common on autumn passage (max 17).

Future possibilities here include hen and marsh harriers (just need to be looking out when one goes through), American golden plover (regular readers will know my bitterness here!), wood sandpiper. Let's face it any rare wader would do, but they seem to bypass Fife!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Seconds out, round 3.
A tip off from Andrew Whitehouse led to our only arctic skua sightings (see earlier in the thread). Having one fly upstream past the house was an unexpected bonus however. The standard 5 gulls are all quite to very common (lesser black-back is a summer visitor). Kittiwake was seen quite regularly this summer, after none in 2003. The disastrous breeding season this year probably had something to do with this. Little gull occurs fairly regularly in summer, with plenty of suumer plumage adults. Early July 2003 was especially good - on one memorable evening 36 (31 ad. summer) sat on the nearest bit of mud to the house until dusk. A single 1st winter Med. Gull in October 2003 was a Fife rarity and only about the 3rd for the estuary.
Sandwich, common and arctic terns are all common summer visitors - on warm summer evenings large mixed flocks often fly upstream. Needless to say this didn't happen very often this year! Little tern is scarcer, but small numbers sometimes come upstream as far as us.
Auks are quite rare, mostly guillemots but with a few razorbills as well this year. Stock dove is seen quite regularly, usually on the saltmarsh. Tawny owl is a heard only species. We have 2 records of kingfisher, unfortunately for Sue she was away for both of them. They are seen regularly from the Fife council hide, but don't come far enough downstream for us to see them.
Great spotted woodpecker is a rare visitor but a female came to food daily last December and looks as if she could do so again this year.

There are quite a few potential additions here. More skuas are feasible, particularly bonxie, as are glauc., Iceland and yellow-legged gulls if I can be *rsed looking through the gull roost (not a gull fan!). Black tern must show sooner or later. Other possibilities include little auk, short-eared owl, cuckoo and green woodpecker. Sue once described the whereabouts of our house to a birding acquaintance - he replied by saying he once sawan LEO in the trees by our drive! Harrumph!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Before I get on to the passerines, here are a few highlights from the weekend.
Sunday saw the unprecedented event of red-throated diver, great crested grebe and dabchick in view simultaneously. We also had a male great spotted woodpecker visit the fat ball. A female merlin was scaring the dunlin on Saturday morning.

Passerines are a bit of a weak point in our garden list. Skylark can be seen singing over the other side of the estuary, but seldom on our side. Meadow pipit is common on passage and some overwinter, whilst rock pipits winter on the saltmarsh. A single water pipit in February last year is the other Scottish rarity on our list. It took quite a lot of hard work scoping from the bottom of the garden to pick it up! Grey wagtail is under recorded as many records are of birds flying over when we're out in the garden. Waxwing has occurred twice with a single last November plus last week's trio. Killer carrion crows are the common corvid (good alliteration there!). Watching a pair pecking a wood pigeon to death in the garden was a bit gruesome! Have seen them doing the same with a black-headed gull. Magpies are a local rarity, but likely to become more common (numbers are increasing rapidly in St. Andrews).
Mistle thrush is the rarest thrush, fieldfare and redwing occurring fairly regularly in autumn and winter. Song thrush breeds locally but is only apparent from late January, when they start singing, until about August. They then disappear. Wheatear are fairly common on passage, particularly in spring when they are easier to see (short grass). Last year we had good numbers of Greenland birds in spring. We have done well for spotted flycatchers which have bred nearby in both years. Warblers are a struggle with 2 records of blackcap and 1 of whitethroat plus a scattering of willow warblers. Goldcrest bred locally this year whilst treecreeper is an occasional visitor.
Tree sparrow is a totally unpredictable species: this spring they visited the feeders daily but as soon as the young fledged they vanished and have not been seen since. A pair of bramblings spent 6 weeks around the garden in our first winter but just a single day this last winter. Siskins pass through in early spring and use the feeders. Reed bunting is rare, with just 3 records, whilst we didn't see yellowhammer at all in our first year then up to 13 came daily from January to May this year!

Loads of scope for additions here: stonechat is a target bird, chiffchaff and other warblers, redpoll, bullfinch, overflying crossbill ... We have a patch of mostly native trees (including hawthorns, rowan, birch and Scots pine) beside the drive which is badly underwatched (out of sight of the house). Unfortunately it is exposed to the east so not too good as a migrant trap.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Well here we are again. I was quite pleased to have got to 100 posts and 2000 views. At least it was backed up to the end of the 2 year summary.

The totals are 124 for 2004 (after 120 for 2003)and a grand total of 134 +2h.
This year's list still stands at 71.
Highlights of yesterday when there was a monumental tide (all the saltmarsh inundated) were as follows:
red-throated diver, a drake pintail, a duck long-tailed duck, peregrine, hundreds of black-tailed godwits in the field in front of the house together with a single ruff (probably the closest ruff to the house we've ever had), great spotted woodpecker, and a record count of 13 tree sparrows.
The woodpecker has been defending the fat ball against all comers.

Today has been very wild - a strong northerly with wintry showers. The tide this afternoon will be something to behold. With any luck there will be something good on it ...
Other notable birds this week include 5 greenshanks on Friday and 13 goldfinches on the feeders on Weds.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Yesterday's tide, didn't live up to expectations, past the peak of the springs and the wind moderated a touch.
Wigeon numbers have been impressive lately, around 300 in view from the house. Still no aythyas on the year list though. A drake and 4 duck mergansers was our best total of the year (from the house, we can see more from down the garden)
A male yellowhammer was feeding in the garden yesterday and the numbers of common species such as chaffinch and greenfinch have really increased in the past 10 days or so, with up to 50 of each.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Since my aurora borealis thread has gone the way of all flesh, and having just got my slides back (yes I'm still in the stone age) here are some pics of the aurora on 21st January.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Still on 71 for the year here, as Jane whittles away our advantage...

A couple of interesting mammals this week, both on the north shore. A roe deer on Thursday morning, followed by a fox yesterday afternoon.
Geese have been elusive of late, though I counted 378 greylags on Tuesday and at least 2000 pinkfeet came in at dusk last night. Intriguingly there were 2 pale looking birds with them. I suspect they were just leucistic though the colour would be about right for the Holkham snow goose. The light wasn't up to telling however.
I counted 96 teal this afternoon, thanks to a female peregrine trying to catch one! Think that's our highest count of the year. Also saw a male kestrel (much rarer for us than peregrine). Wader wise today was grey plover day - at least 60 around for much of the day, one of the benefits of no tide to push them off. I also counted 570 dunlin this afternoon, signs of a day with nothing much going on ...
In the garden the great spotted woodpecker continues to visit though tree sparrow numbers seem to be dropping. Having said that bird numbers were down today, probably because we face north and they didn't like it up 'em!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A good show from the geese the last couple of mornings with up to 3000 pinkfeet. Yesterday morning I was able to see the leucistic birds during daylight and confirm that that was all they were. One bird was only a little paler than normal, the other was the sort of cafe au lait of a 1st winter Iceland gull. This morning all the geese were hunkered down facing into the snow. Each morning they have all gone out at once - quite a spectacle. This morning it was over my head as I was filling the feeders (hood up! ;) )

The inclement weather brought more stuff to the feeders this morning - back to 5 tree sparrows and a male yellowhammer.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

At last a new bird for year - a female goosander feeding at the mouth of the Motray (72).

Also a new species actually IN the garden - a few black-headed gulls trying to eat seed this morning.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A top day today, of which more anon. Yesterday morning produced a summer plumage guillemot (73).
Today started fairly slowly with a couple of tree sparrows and a yellowhammer coming to the feeders and a few grey plovers and bar-tailed godwits out on the mud. Over lunch a kestrel came into the garden - the first to do so for a couple of years, and the great spotted woodpecker visited the fat ball. First major excitement was provided by a drake long-tailed duck, one of the few to be visible from the comfort of the living room, followed by 2 drake goosanders.
At halftime in the Scotland-Italy game I went into the garden to see what wind and tide had produced. I was rewarded with 3 red-throated divers together (our first multiple record), a winter plumage guillemot and a slav grebe (first for 2 years, 74).
I looked out a bit later and was surprised to see a shag perched on the edge of the saltmarsh - first new bird for the house for nearly 5 months (75 for the year and 135 in total). It was chased off by a crow and flew off inland.

As I began to type this the pinkfeet flew over on their way to roost. Haven't added up the species total for today but probably around 52.

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Getting in a good lead I see Rob!

[edenwatcher]

Getting in a good lead I see Rob!

Need every one I can get!

Was hoping for a little auk today (I think the last record here was 2 weeks before we moved in), may have to go out to a headland to see some tomorrow.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Another cracking day today with 52 spp. Actually more like afternoon as I spent the morning birding elsewhere. This afternoon there were stunning viewing conditions for looking out towards the estuary mouth - flat calm with no heat haze.
Yesterday's 3 red-throated divers were present again today, they even indulged in a bit of display. We also saw 3 slavonian grebes (unprecedented count), 2 of which came much further upstream than yesterday's bird. Several auks included 2 guillemots and 2 razorbills (76 for the year). Today there were 3 long-tailed ducks (1m2f) which gave very good views, well upstream and close in. A pair of pintail were right out towards the estuary mouth however.
Other titbits - a greenshank, 15 bar-tailed godwits, plenty of black-tailed godwits (some starting to show orange), 4 tree sparrows ...

Might write up my morning outing elsewhere.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Cold weather continues to deliver good birds.
The drake long-tailed duck was a long way upstream this morning, then a slav grebe came even further - as far as the mouth of the Motray. Best views I've had of the species from the house. Glad both birds were visible from indoors - north wind and snow showers here at the moment ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A brutal north wind today, flattened our decorative arch (sounds a bit twee, but it's alright really!), though fortunately without damaging plants.

Thursday morning produced a great crested grebe (seen again today) and the drake long-tailed duck (also seen again today), whilst Friday's highlights were a single knot and a male yellowhammer.
Today we also saw a little grebe, a pair of pintail, a record count of 57 bar-tailed godwits, great spotted woodpecker and an interesting gathering on the saltmarsh of 4 pied wagtails, 5 rock pipits and a single meadow pipit (77).

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A few titbits from this week:
Monday produced a gathering of eiders well upstream, with some nice display (unfortunately not audible from the house). A pair of long-tailed ducks appeared on Tuesday morning, continuing the recent run of records. Yellowhammers have appeared in the garden a few times, though still much scarcer than last winter. Black-tailed godwits are beginning to turn orange and numbers are starting to build.

This morning produced 3 rock pipits on the saltmarsh. A scan across the estuary for singing skylark (successful) gave a bonus in the form of a male reed bunting - only our 4th record (78) for the year). The best was yet to come, however. As I cycled up the drive a small olive green bird flitted ahead of me - a chiffchaff. A garden first (136 total, 79 for the year) it gave quite nice views and called a few times. I assume it had wintered locally as they don't seem to be being reported in any number darn sarf yet. Makes me feel very virtuous for cycling as I probably would have missed it if I'd been in the car.

Rob

[John o'Sullivan]

Doing well there, still keping a regular eye on progress. I used to regularly follow two websites one about birding the nothe (weymouth) and another on severnside birds. Both Very high quality local patch sites. Now I get my vicarious pleasures via bird forum. Of to see if anythings happening in blackpool next.

[edenwatcher]

Thanks John,
Monster tide this afternoon, unfortunately we were out for the peak! We were getting our WeBS count in early, there being an SWT outing to our garden tomorrow (seems only polite to be at home!)!
There was a red-throated diver well upstream when we got back and the drake long-tailed duck once more. A pair of yellowhammers in the garden this morning, but tree sparrows are down to 1 or 2 now. Equalled the record buzzard count with 6 this morning. I guess if all the local buzzards are up at once it should be possible to get double figures. What a change from only 10 years ago.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A few goodies for the SWT people, though the best moments came before and after they were with us. 3 red-throated divers were seen, but the best was the full summer plumage bird which showed at close range after everyone had left - an absolute stunner. 4 long-tailed ducks (2 drakes, 2 ducks) were a bit more obliging and everyone enjoyed the views of what are our common species such as black-tailed godwit and wigeon. Those of us that went to the Fife Bird Club hide had excellent close views of 5 greenshanks.
The event of the day happened over lunch however. A female peregrine hit a duck wigeon and knocked it on to the mud, where it was able to walk but not fly. This caused the peregrine some confusion - she would fly in and hover over the wigeon without really knowing what to do, or try to get it to fly (which of course it couldn't). She appeared to lose interest and it looked as though the crows would get it. One crow pulled the wigeon's wing a few times but they too lost interest as the wigeon was able to resist. The peregrine had not gone far however and returned to land on the wigeon and kill it. She got a reasonable meal before a buzzard came and displaced her. The buzzard and it's mate then polished off much of the remains and the rising tide deprived the crows of anything. High drama!

Nothing like that this morning but 6 drake tufted ducks were new for the year, so that's 80.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

This will be the last update for a while - off to Costa Rica tomorrow.

Tuesday produced another new bird for the year - the first lesser black-back of spring (81). The summer plumage red-throat was around in the morning and a pair of long-tailed ducks showed at dusk.
Yesterday's highlight was a male reed bunting.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Back to the frozen north and winter birds still much in evidence.
A winter plumage red-throated diver and a drake long-tailed duck yesterday, along with a hunting peregrine and 2 great crested grebes.
In our absence 2 toads have discovered the new pond.

Costa Rica was fantastic. The group set a new record for a tour of 548 spp of which I missed about 10. Some real megas included three-wattled bellbird, lovely cotinga, agami heron, black-crowned antpitta, great curassow, ocellated antbird, 40 spp of hummingbird and all the trogons including around 8 quetzals. More on that later.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Winter still definitely holding sway here.
A couple of red-throated divers have been showing well in recent days, one in pristine summer plumage. Apparently the 3rd bird met its nemesis in the shape of a great black-back whilst we were away. A pair of long-tailed ducks is still around - this is definitely our best ever year for them.
Wigeon numbers have dropped to 56 and teal to around 20. Definitely hoping for a garganey this spring, particularly now the pig field has been ploughed up for barley.
The single greenshank over the weekend may have been a lingering wintering bird or an early migrant. The star wader at present is black-tailed godwit. Whilst we were away there was a Scottish record count of 650 and I counted a garden record of 511 on Saturday. Nearly all are in beautiful summer plumage.
A stock dove on Saturday was the first for a while, whilst there have been record numbers of pied wagtails on the saltmarsh (20 on Sat) including a probable alba yesterday evening. Finally 2 swallows went west yesterday lunchtime (82).

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Favourable viewing conditions last night enabled me a pick up a few distant gannets (83 for the year). Also last night I saw a winter plumage razorbill and another swallow. This morning produced the first yellowhammer and tree sparrow in the garden since we returned from Costa Rica. I also managed another record count of black-tailed godwits - 584!
Record numbers of pied wagtails are on the saltmarsh (25 on Monday evening), when there were also large numbers of meadow pipits. Still no wheatears though.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Away visiting relatives at the w/e, but 2 bedraggled wheatears this morning were no. 84 for the year. At the end of last week red-throated diver was still around and the white wagtail was on the saltmarsh once again.

Rob

[Jane Turner]

Spring arrived with a Vengence down here today... there is all sorts coming your way!

[edenwatcher]

I look forward to it.
Some nice moulting grey plovers this morning and a few knot, but those are shades of winter! The record numbers of pied wagtails on the saltmarsh continue, with another nice white wag last night.
We host an SOC "Big Sit" on Sunday, praying for migrants by then or the tally will be fairly miserable!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A bit of a recovery.
Yesterday afternoon Sue managed a whimbrel (85) and 4 wheatears. Today, although we were out for the morning, have racked up 50 spp (+1 heard) so can look forward to tomorrow with greater enthusiasm.
A fulmar before breakfast was the first of the year (86) and this afternoon it has been ducks are us with: mallard, wigeon, teal, a drake gadwall (87), a pair of shoveler, 3 tufted duck, goldeneye, 3 long-tailed duck, eider and red-breasted merganser. Not so good for waders but there we go. A few sandwich terns were just visible through the heat haze ( 88) as were several gannets.
Passerine wise have had wheatear, swallow, goldcrest and yellowhammer of note.

I may try and give updates during the day tomorrow.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Finished yesterday on 53 +1h - adding tree sparrow, grey plover and knot. Would settle for that today.

First "Big Sit" update.

Off to a promising start - currently at 43 + 1h. Highlights include tree sparrow, yellowhammer, fulmar, sand martin (89), grey plover and knot.
Already have 4 spp not seen y'day.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Now at 47 + 2h having added sparrowhawk, wigeon, goldeneye and a real bonus - OSPREY (90 for the year). There are several swallows and sand martins around too.

Bizarre sight of the morning - a heron eating a young (but quite well-grown) rabbit!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

We have reached the giddy heights of 59 + 3h, which is better than I expected.
Recent highlights plenty of sandwich terns, wheatear, drake gadwall, at least 3 long-tailed ducks, stock dove, greenshank, gannet and most unexpectedly a pair of goosander. Chances of a few more (barwit would be nice). I only wish it weren't so bl**dy freezing!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A final tally of 62+2h, which is significantly better than I was expecting.

The final additions were: a stunning ringed plover (the first of the year, 91), wren converted from heard to seen, and a razorbill. All in all a very successful day given how few migrants are around and without common gull, barwit, coal tit etc.

If anyone asks I will post a full list ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A willow warbler beside the drive this morning makes 92 for the year. Consulting the beginning of the thread shows that we are about 4 ahead of last year, which is rather a surprise.

Ducks have provided much of the interest this week. A duck gadwall joined the drake on Sunday evening and they have been around ever since. A pair of pintail appeared briefly on Monday and there have been up to 5 tufted duck around.
Rather unexpectedly Wednesday evening produced both razorbill and guillemot as well as a couple of unidentified distant auks.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Some strange things this morning, of which more shortly.
Friday evening produced some good stuff with a winter plumage red-throated diver, fulmar, a drake pintail, a pair of long-tailed ducks, a hunting peregrine, greenshank and a female wheatear.
Yesterday started with a house martin (93) among plenty of swallows and sand martins. A good selection of waders included 6 barwits among the blackwits (all in winter plumage - a summer plumage barwit here is a rare treat indeed), a couple of moulting grey plovers, a ringed plover, a greenshank and a whimbrel (my first this year). Several good ducks included a pair of pintail, 2 pairs of gadwall (equals our meagre record count!), 3 tufted ducks and 15 mergansers.
This morning began with a fine east coast haar and it is now raining steadily. The water's edge was just visible enabling me to pick out 4 knot among 88 dunlin (the biggest flock for a few weeks). I then got a bit of a shock as a pair of whooper swans waded ashore (94 for the year). I wasn't expecting to get them for the year until October! They are still out there asleep on the mud. Equally surprising was the sight of 6 long-tailed ducks (2 drakes), our highest ever count. These were well into summer plumage, unlike Friday's pair and I guess they are all "new" birds.

Wonder what number 100 will be? I guess something like little gull or canada goose.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Sunday afternoon and, to some extent yesterday, was a case of outer estuary birds coming upstream. A succession of waders included 36 knot, 20 grey plovers (including 2 pristine summer plumage males), 22 bar-tailed godwits and 20 ringed plovers (one of our highest ever counts). There were also 3 whimbrels present at dusk.
We were out for much of yesterday but the same species were present in smaller numbers. The only excitement of this morning was a summer plumage female long-tailed duck.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A few swifts yesterday morning makes 95 for the year, which is 5 up on a year ago. A pair of (presumed) Greenland wheatears were highlight of the day however. Otherwise it has been fairly quiet.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A rather quiet weekend, not helpeed by strong north-westerlies. Here are the highlights however.
On Friday evening we had a record count of 42 ringed plovers. I know this is the peak of spring migration but they are very unpredictable this far up the estuary. Saturday morning produced a nice female grey wagtail in the field (96) along with a record equalling 4 great crested grebes.
Black-tailed godwit numbers have fallen to 126, but there was a nice whimbrel last night. Where are all the greenshanks?
A pair of wheatears have been present throughout.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Almost the first bird I saw once I got home yesterday evening was a stunning drake garganey. It spent most of the evening keeping company with a pair of wigeon. There was no sign of it in a brief search this morning. One of the most wanted birds for the garden list and definitely the highlight of the year so far (97 for the year, 137 total). A drake shoveler was also present briefly. Also yesterday evening at least 4 great crested grebes were around, one pair even indulging in some display.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

After last Monday's excitement it has been a fairly quiet. The garganey was a one day wonder and dabbling duck have been thin on the ground, although wigeon numbers were back up to 5 this morning. Also putting in a reappearance this morning was a first summer drake goldeneye (no Barrow's with it though ;) ). Wader passage has been pretty miserable this spring, but greenshanks have finally put in more of an appearance with 1 on Friday and 2 on each of Saturday and Sunday. 4 knot on Friday morning included 2 in full summer plumage.
Of purely personal interest (presumably) were the record count of lesser black-backs (57) and the rapid increase in mute swans (35 yesterday). The swans have been on the Eden throughout but until recently have been upstream of us. Around this time of year they begin spending time on the estuary.
A fishing osprey was yesterday's star bird, it was mobbed by shelducks! All fairly quiet on the passerine front, but a male and 2 female yellowhammers came to seed this morning.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

No updates for a while - have been away at a conference in France and then on a wet and windy trip to Shetland with disappointingly few birds - such is life. Sue didn't see anything very earth shattering in the week I was away (apart from gripping me off with squacco at Kilconquhar - grr!)

A drake scaup both last night and this morning was the first of the year - so that's 98. Also both last night and this morning a willow warbler was singing just outside the back door. Godwit numbers are surprisingly high for the time of year - 13 blackwits and 7 barwits this morning, also there are still 7 wigeon around.

Rob

[Steve G]

Two nice islandica Blackwits & 12(13) scabby Barwits on Torrybay with 5 Wigeon 2 nights ago Rob.

[edenwatcher]

Barwits are usually scabby - when do they get into summer plumage??
The scaup was still around this morning along with several mergansers and goosanders. This is the time of year when we get good numbers of both species. Also this morning the first Canada geese on their moult migration - a flock of 28 with a greylag in tow. So that's 99 for the year (I was nearly right with Canada as a suggestion as no. 100!). Still 4 up on last year, which feels surprising.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

On Thursday evening another 28 Canada geese joined the first flock. On Friday evening what seemed to be a different flock of 56 flew over (no greylag, ad no leucistic bird). Somewhat bizarrely a whooper swan appeared on Friday morning and has been present ever since. There have been large numbers of shelducks present over the weekend, including a record total for us of 129 today. I suspect this is bad news and indicates almost total breeding failure. I saw one brood last week but haven't seen them since. Plenty of sawbills around, including 35 mergs yesterday along with 11 goosanders. The goosanders which moult on the Eden are almost exclusively females (only 1 of the 11 was a drake).
The first returning lapwings appeared yesterday and today produced an unprecedented June count of 45 black-tailed godwits. Fairly quiet passerine wise, but a chiffchaff this afternoon was only our second and a tree sparrow on the bird table was the first for a while.

Finally, I took the plunge and bought a Canon EOS 20D yesterday, so I should start posting a few more photos on the thread soon.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

100 up this morning with a nice spotted flycatcher. Otherwise the highlight of the week has been osprey. One flew up river early on Monday morning and it or another did the same on Monday evening. The latter bird was extensively mobbed by oystercatchers and a herring gull.
The whooper swan continues to linger and another flock of canada geese dropped in last night. Goosander numbers have risen to at least 22, whilst mergansers have largely disappeared in the past few days.
On the mammal front a fox crossed the field in front of the house yesterday morning carrying a rabbit (yay! says the gardener). We only have 4 flower spikes of northern marsh orchid this year, probably since the field next to the drive contains horses this year and they graze over the fence ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

As expected for the time of year things are pretty quiet on the whole. It seems that I was quite wrong about the mergansers - there was a group of 32 this morning! The drake scaup reappeared this morning - now in eclipse plumage. A single drake wigeon was present on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. The whooper swan seems to have moved on.
Waders are present in small numbers: a few lapwings and a handful of black-tailed and bar-tailed godwits. Also 9 redshanks present this morning. Highlight of the week came last night in the shape of 2 1st summer little gulls (101 for the year).

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Suggesting that it was quiet seems to have livened things up a bit! I may have been a bit hasty to pronounce doom and gloom for the shelducks. We saw 2 broods yesterday - one of 5, the other of 10. After yesterday morning's eclipse drake scaup, the evening high tide produced a group of 4 including 3 pristine drakes. So what are they doing here now? We regularly get birds from late July onwards which are presumed to emanate from post-breeding dispersal of Icelandic birds. What about these, are they non-breeders, failed breeders or (very) late migrants? Any thoughts welcome.

Last nights gull roost included 14 sandwich terns and the first common tern of the year (102). Now for the Arctics and littles ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A fairly quiet weekend but a few titbits of interest.
Spotted flycatcher put in another appearance on Saturday morning and Saturday also featured a record count of 45 goosanders together with 21 mergansers. Wader numbers are predictably low, though lapwings are starting to increase with 17 yesterday.
A lngo-tailed tit yesterday was the first for some time but the day's highlight was a fishing osprey in the evening sunshine.

Finally here a few photos as promised including one of our northern marsh orchids and 2 (distant) shots of last night's osprey.

[edenwatcher]

In contrast to Jane I would say the waders are back!
A greenshank appeared on Thursday and numbers of redshank, curlew and lapwing are increasing steadily. It is definitely the season for little gulls with 15 (including several adults) on Thursday and singles on Saturday and Sunday. There a few ducks around with a couple of drake scaup, and a handful of teal and wigeon.
Highlight of the weekend was rather bizarre: I heard a small bird bounce off the living room window and looked up to see what appeared to be a treecreeper flying away. It went round the back of a poplar but was chased out by a sparrow. It then sat on the trunk for about 5 minutes before regaining its composure enabling me to get some photos (103 for the year).

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Wader migration is definitely on the up - both curlew and lapwing are into 3 figures. Saturday produced 6 greenshanks and the first returning whimbrel. There has been a surprising range of ducks over the past week including wigeon, teal, tuftie, scaup, goldeneye, goosander (a record count of 63) and red-breasted merganser. Occasional little gulls appear (first summers) but terns are still thin on the ground.

Rob

[florall]

Is this the same Eden estuary that is a backdrop to the Open Golf? On one shot of a tee just now, I could see plenty of birds in the background. Looks lovely if this is your area.

[delia todd]

Is this the same Eden estuary that is a backdrop to the Open Golf? On one shot of a tee just now, I could see plenty of birds in the background. Looks lovely if this is your area.

Yes Florall - you've got it. It is a great place, one of my favourites up here.

D

[edenwatcher]

Yes indeed, that's the one. No updates as we ran away to the Lake District for the duration! Watched quite a bit of the Open on television (!) but St. Andrews becomes a bit crazy ... Also the university gives us Thursday and Friday as holiday.

Anyway back to the birds. Wader passage is definitely picking up nicely, albeit without any huge excitement yet. Black-tailed godwits are increasing again and redshank, curlew and lapwing are all around in large numbers. We have had up to 13 greenshanks recently and dunlin numbers are picking up too. Other waders have included the odd whimbrel and a couple of summer plumage knot. Still no terns around, presumably as the young haven't fledged. We have had a couple of spotted flycatcher sightings in the past week but otherwise passerine interest has been lacking.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

An element of frustration is creeping in at the failure to add new species for the year - we have now slipped behind 2004! Mostly however I am thankful for the good birds that ARE around.
Some very high tides over the weekend pushed the waders nice and close. These included 17 greenshanks (highest count of the year), 20 blackwits, a superb summer plumage barwit and up to 8 summer plumage knot.
7 sandwich terns yesterday were the first for a while, just hoping for some other tern species soon. An osprey showed well on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (catching a large flatfish on the latter occasion).
Passerine highlight was a family of spotted flycatchers on Wednesday evening (at least 2 juvs were seen).

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A very nice selection of waders over high tide yesterday evening included a well-marked whimbrel, 3 knot, turnstone, plus the usual suspects. Also patience was rewarded with a group of "commic" terns. All were rather distant but at least 2 were identifiable as Arctic (104 for the year). Nice clear conditions meant gannets were visible at the estuary mouth - which makes a change from recent heat haze!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Quite an interesting few days, with a bit more wader variety. This includes a couple of whimbrel on Thursday evening, 2 grey plovers on Friday (including a pristine summer plumage bird), the first golden plovers of the autumn, the first ruff of the autumn (1 on Saturday morning, up to 21 knot, 6 greenshanks ...
Not many ducks around other than eiders and goosanders but 2 drake scaup have been seen on a couple of occasions along with a pair of tufties. 5 little gulls (3 of them summer adults) were the highlight of yesterday, and tern numbers are increasing with both Arctic and common around.

I have also started mothing. You can read about my incompetence on http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=38778

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A fairly quiet week, with few excitements.
Tuesday produced a couple of shoveler, the first for some time. Wednesday's highlight was a willow warbler in the garden - it continues to surprise me how infrequently we see them.
On Thursday morning I was woken at 6 o'clock by a young buzzard calling from a poplar outside the bedroom window. They just never shut up at this time of year! Thursday's lowlight was our 3rd record of grey squirrel and the first for 2 years. No thanks, we don't want any!

On Friday evening I had the frustration of brief views of a skua at the estuary mouth. At least it encourages me to keep scanning, although most will be unidentifiable.
Best waders over the weekend were the 4 ringed plover on Saturday afternoon, otherwise it has been a bit disappointing. It looks as though common sand may slip through the net this year. A young peregrine yesterday afternoon was the first for some time.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

No further sightings of the squirrel, which is a bonus.
A few more duck are appearing ,with 7 teal this morning and mallard numbers back over 50. A ruff last night was only the second of the season, with a scattering of other waders including knot, golden plover and greenshank.
Terns have put on a better show this week with at least 120 commic on Monday evening (mainly arctic) and 4 common and 2 sandwich this morning.

Highlight of the week came this morning as I was scanning for late swifts towards Leuchars (saw one). I picked up a small falcon which soon resolved itself as a female merlin heading right at us. It zoomed in over the estuary and went straight into the roosting waders. Unfortunately, one of our poplars got in the way of seeing if it bagged a dunlin. 105 for the year.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Bit of a rush all of a sudden. An arctic skua chasing terns on Friday evening and a snipe yesterday morning, so that's 107. Still 7 behind Jane I see. Common, arctic and sandwich terns were all seen yesterday, but I fear that we won't see little this year. They didn't attempt to breed on the Eden this year, their nesting area having been scoured by storms.
A few interesting waders around - 2 ruff last night, up to 4 ringed plovers, blacktailed godwits now over 50 ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

It was a quiet week until this morning ...
Sue gave birth to a son (6 lb 2 oz) at 9:40 this morning, after a mercifully short labour. We're calling him Andrew, middle name to be decided. Both mother and son doing fine.

Back to the birds ...
The big tides over the weekend failed to deliver anything too exciting, but there were up to 9 greenshanks and a single ruff (not many of those so far). Common, arctic and sandwich terns continue to be seen, with gannets off the estuary mouth. Canada geese reappeared on their southward moult migration, with 35 on Saturday and 24 yesterday and today.
Passerine highlights have been the odd dispersing willow warbler and a spotted flycatcher.

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Congratulations to you and Sue. Interesting name for the nipper as well. Let`s hope he´s soon developing an impressive house list of his own.

[delia todd]

Oh what lovely news. Congratulations. :flowers: B (:

D

[Steve G]

It was a quiet week until this morning ...
Sue gave birth to a son (6 lb 2 oz) at 9:40 this morning, after a mercifully short labour. We're calling him Andrew, middle name to be decided. Both mother and son doing fine.

Back to the birds ...
The big tides over the weekend failed to deliver anything too exciting, but there were up to 9 greenshanks and a single ruff (not many of those so far). Common, arctic and sandwich terns continue to be seen, with gannets off the estuary mouth. Canada geese reappeared on their southward moult migration, with 35 on Saturday and 24 yesterday and today.
Passerine highlights have been the odd dispersing willow warbler and a spotted flycatcher.

Rob
Congratulations Rob & Sue. B (:

I was at Port Allen (near Errol) on the Tay on friday (19th), got 5 Greenshank & 2 Ruff in a small freshwater marsh at high tide. Also got 2 unseasonal Whooper Swans on the Tay skulking in an in-river reedbed downstream from Mugdrum near the north shore (seemed to be moulting) - kept slightly apart from the moulting Mute Swan herd. I didn't get great views but neither bird seemed injured. There were 2 nearby half-grown cygnets which briefly showed through the reeds -I was unable to obtain reasonable views & couldn't tell whether they belonged to the Whoopers or were Mute Swan cygnets however the record is intriguing.

[edenwatcher]

Thanks everyone. I brought them home yesterday and all continues to go well. I need to get the hang of sleeping on demand though!

It has been a bit of a raptor fest this week.
On Tuesday evening a peregrine was hunting the waders at high tide. Yesterday morning, as I was filling the feeders, an osprey came and caught a flatfish before circling almost overhead - superb. Today demonstrated the benefits of paternity leave. This morning a female sparrowhawk came and perched on the conservatory roof a foot above my head! Better still though was the female merlin that has spent much of this evening perched on a post. Stunning views resplendent in the evening sunshine.

Must dash, bath time for Andrew...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Good stuff today.
It began with 2 juvenile little gulls and was swiftly followed by a fine little stint (our first for nearly 2 years). Next came a sanderling (only our 2nd ever) so that's 109 for the year. Other goodies today were drake scaup, 2 ringed plover and a knot. Black-tailed godwit numbers are over 100 once again.
Interested by your swans Steve - have you been back for another look?

Rob

[Steve G]

Good stuff today.
It began with 2 juvenile little gulls and was swiftly followed by a fine little stint (our first for nearly 2 years). Next came a sanderling (only our 2nd ever) so that's 109 for the year. Other goodies today were drake scaup, 2 ringed plover and a knot. Black-tailed godwit numbers are over 100 once again.
Interested by your swans Steve - have you been back for another look?

Rob
Hi Rob,
Hope the family are well.
Brief visit to Port Allen today (28/08/05). Weather pretty crap & not much about though I did eventually find the two Whoopers again. Views were pretty poor as the birds were keeping their heads down due to the wind & rain but no sign of any cygnets however. I did manage a couple of images but they're pretty poor due to the driving rain, low light levels & the distance of the birds:

[edenwatcher]

The sanderling was still around this morning, though I haven't seen the stint since Saturday. A male peregrine was around before lunch and the female merlin has been putting on a tremendous show. Yesterday she caught and ate a linnet and she was back again late this morning.
Red-breasted mergansers are now outnumbering goosanders again, but other ducks are in short supply.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

The merlin was back again this morning, tucking into some unfortunate small passerine. Hope she stays around for the winter.
Next comes a question of conscience. On Tuesday a flock of 35 Canada geese turned up briefly, with a single barnacle goose among them. Also present was a very dodgy white farmyard goose. So do I count the barney for the year list?

On Monday evening a single swift passed through - the first for some time.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

All the hail the weekend and the opportunity to bird the rising tide!
First the loose ends however: the mixed flock of geese was still around on Thursday evening and a pair of scaup appeared yesreday evening.
Today has been excellent with over 50 species seen. There has been a bit of an influx of dabbling ducks with 12 wigeon and 59 teal today. Pride of place goes to the waders with 16 ringed plovers, 2 grey plovers (one in full sum plum), 2 turnstones, an unusually high count of 65 knot, 12 greenshanks, 104 black-tailed godwits, 2 bar-tailed godwits and, best of all, 5 curlew sandpipers (110 or is that 111 for the year).
Other notable records for today include a great spotted woodpecker and a massive record count of 133 great black-backs.

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

All the hail the weekend and the opportunity to bird the rising tide!
First the loose ends however: the mixed flock of geese was still around on Thursday evening and a pair of scaup appeared yesreday evening.
Today has been excellent with over 50 species seen. There has been a bit of an influx of dabbling ducks with 12 wigeon and 59 teal today. Pride of place goes to the waders with 16 ringed plovers, 2 grey plovers (one in full sum plum), 2 turnstones, an unusually high count of 65 knot, 12 greenshanks, 104 black-tailed godwits, 2 bar-tailed godwits and, best of all, 5 curlew sandpipers (110 or is that 111 for the year).
Other notable records for today include a great spotted woodpecker and a massive record count of 133 great black-backs.

Rob

The fog came in quite quick on Sunday. Only 1 Merg by the time I got to the hide at Gaurdbridge.

[edenwatcher]

It certainly did. Cleared briefly yesterday afternoon - saw at least 4 curlew sands, then 2 girls walking a dog came from the riding stables on to the saltmarsh and flushed everything. Having waited all day for it to clear I was rather p*ssed off! Fog is just as thick again now. Ho hum.
Well done with the comma.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A super day yesterday, with 54 spp. despite the disturbance caused by the Leuchars airshow (to me if not the birds!). Two were new for the year, a kittiwake and a flock of 10 or so common scoters (112 or 113 for the year). The merlin showed well again in the morning and there were some excellent waders, highlighted by a record count of 12 curlew sandpipers. Also present a ruff, a couple of knot, grey, golden and ringed plovers, greenshank, the highest count of blackwits of the autumn so far (161) and a couple of barwits. Wigeon numbers were up to 47.
It looks like being another 50+ day today.

Rob

[tom mckinney]

54 spp in a single day. That's just 10 less than my entire local patch list in 3 years watching!

[Docmartin]

54 spp in a single day. That's just 10 less than my entire local patch list in 3 years watching!

You need a better patch, Tom.

Sign of the times, I guess, but a couple of Spotted Flycatchers in our village today were a patch tick, after 3.5 years(!). Now seen 133 around Newtonhill. Just worked it out while looking at the washing up.

[edenwatcher]

57 spp yesterday Tom (64 over the w/e).
Highlights were 5 spp. of raptor including osprey, peregrine and merlin.
Plenty of good waders including 3 ringed plovers, 2 turnstones, 7 snipe (one of our best ever counts), 2 greenshanks, 2 ruff and 3 curlew sandpipers.
There were 2 juv. little gulls in the morning and 3 common terns in the evening. Birds of the day came in the evening as i was scanning out towards the estuary mouth. A flock of 20 brent geese (apparently hrota) flew into the estuary and landed, presumably to roost (113 for the year - I will be good and ignore Barnacle goose until passage birds turn up. Of course if they don't I could be tempted ...).
I even found time to slip out to Fife Ness in the morning to see the red-backed shrike.

Rob

[tom mckinney]

Okay Rob/Doc, so mine may not have the birdies, but I bet neither of yours are where Emily Williamson formed the RSPB in 1890?

My best birdy so far has been a Smew on the lovely River Mersey, but I also had a hybrid House Martin x Swallow which made me panic quite a bit. I used to watch another place, but some retired fella started going down at dawn everyday and gripping me off (gripped off around my way meant he had a flyover Brambling - I was gutted.)

http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk/winners/winners_detail.asp?sectionId=22&parentId=23&pageId=23&awardId=GF&gsId=GF00145

[edenwatcher]

Another new bird for the year on Tuesday in the shape of a common sandpiper (114) - one that I thought had slipped through the net this year. A pintail was the first since the spring. Waders contniue to provide the main attraction with at least 2 curlew sandpipers and 2 ruff yesterday plus 6 snipe. 5 duck scaup yesterday lunchtime was the best count of the year so far.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Sorry about the lack of updates, but we were overtaken by events. Sue's father collapsed and died of a heart attack 2 weeks ago. One small consolation was that he got to see his grandson. Whilst down in Cheltenham for the funeral we got to see the little crake at Slimbridge - a bird that definitely provokes mixed emotions.

Anyway now we're back.
Early this morning the ranger saw 2 cranes in Balgove Bay flushed by wildfowlers. They flew off south - one that got away!
Today has been excellent with over 50 spp. seen. It began with significant vis. mig. (a feature of the past 3 mornings) involving swallows, house martins, skylarks, meadow pipits and pied wagtails. 12 Barnacle geese flew west as I was having breakfast (a definite 115 for the year!). A group of 6 whooper swans spent most of the day on the estuary, often on the saltmarsh in front of the house. Over high tide a moulting red-throated diver appeared and waders included greenshank (6) and ruff. A female merlin which flew through mid-afternoon may have been a migrant as it just kept on going. Several skeins of pinkfeet flew over and the day finished with a duck scaup.
We had a mammal highlight too, with the first stoat for over 2 years.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Let's have a brief summary of the past week:
Sunday's highlight was a single curlew sandpiper, otherwise waders have been fairly run-of-the-mill. This morning produced a count of 245 black-tailed godwits, the highest of the autumn so far. Yesterday evening's high tide gave a count of 18 greenshanks, unprecedented for the time of year. A single ruff has been around with the godwits, but it continues to be a poor autumn for them. Where are all the golden plovers though? Numbers should be in 4 figures by now, and there are hardly any around.
Thursday evening was good for ducks with a shoveler, 3 pintail and a duck scaup. There were 6 pintail the following day. Passerine highlights have been few and far between, but Sue saw a treecreeper on Tuesday - second of the year so far.
Yesterday afternoon gave excellent conditions for looking out towards the estuary mouth - good light and no heat haze. Young gannets were everywhere, and there seemed to be plenty of kittiwakes with 2 arctic skuas in attendance. 8 common scoters flew south, but the highlight was 3 velvet scoters (116 for the year, 138 total). First new bird for the garden list since May.

Rob

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Have you seen any colour ringed Black-tailed Godwits Rob? I saw one on the Ythan last month, as well as a leucistic bird. It wouldn't surprise me if both passed through the Eden.

[Steve G]

Hi Rob,
Sorry to hear of your family bereavement.

I was at the Eden Estuary last monday (3rd Oct). Spent some time at the FBC hide at high tide then went for coffee & biscuits with Eck & the old guard @ the Guardbridge hide (an Egon Ronay five star establishment! ;) ) -not an awful lot about -13 Greenshank were roosting amongst the Curlew, Redshank & Blackwits & there were 39 Barnacles in a rather scatterred flock which flew off after being spooked by a Heron. Two Goldeneye flew in -apparently the first of the winter.
Picture of some of the Barnacles below from the FBC hide:

[edenwatcher]

Didn't notice any colour-ringed godwits this morning, but certainly had some last month. There has been a leucistic one here for the past 2 winters.

Hm, those barnacles look as though they were slap bang in front of the house!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Somehow managed 55 spp. yesterday, without too many noteworthy ones. Another go at "seawatching" produced a small flock of common scoters but not much else. Highlight of the day was a female siskin with a flock of goldfinches (117 for the year) - a species that I thought we had missed. I cannot believe we're ahead of Jane at the moment, though I would kill (or at least cause severe discomfort ;) ) for a yellow-browed in the garden ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

It has all been fairly quiet over the past week or so, with a definite switch to wintering birds. The first greylags are arriving, albeit in small numbers (11 on Sunday), goldeneye have suddenly appeared (31 on Sunday), and wigeon numbers are now very high. 6 whooper swans were present early yesterday morning. We saw the first dabchick of the autumn on Wednesday. Our regular winter pheasant has returned to feed in the garden.
Passerine interest has been low - we haven't even had any redwings, although I did have a couple of goldcrests yesterday morning (no yellow-browed though).

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A storming day today with plenty of interest.
Geese have been much in evidence after 50 pinkies and 60 barnacle late afternoon yesterday. This morning there were waves of pinkies going over (came up with 1350 as a total), plus several flocks of barnacles. More barnacles came in late afternoon. Total for the day approaching 200, which is more than I've ever had in Fife before. 33 greylags came in to roost late afternoon and I picked up a group of 13 brents out towards the estuary mouth. I don't think we've had a 4 goose day before. 16 whooper swans came in this evening and a female long-tailed duck was the first of the autumn.
The golden plovers are back in force, I guess there were around 1500 on the mud today. Also good numbers of grey plovers and a few bar-tailed godwits.
Other notable species today included red-throated diver, peregrine hunting at high tide, great-spotted woodpecker, grey wagtail and 24 redwings. A total of 55 spp plus another 3 heard.

Rob

[Steve G]

Interesting that you had a fair number of Barnacles through Rob. I had 3 skeins of 250 birds in total same day between 0900-1200 @ Valleyfield lagoons. The last flock to go over looked to be landing in the Skinflats area on the south shore of the Forth.
Also massive numbers of thrushes over this last week -the majority being Song Thrush rather than Redwings.

[edenwatcher]

Even more barnacles. I counted 249 in the roost this morning, together with 81 greylags. I was chatting with Ken Shaw at the isabelline shrike on Sunday (two name drops for the price of one!) and he was saying that these large numbers have been observed throughout eastern Scotland. Shetland has had its largest ever flock (1400). I think last year they were able to get straight to the Solway without stopping.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

The barnacle fest continues: Sue counted 368 on Friday afternoon and the same flock has roosted the past two nights. Amazing, and a real treat.
Managed 50 species yesterday, and already up to 48 today. Highlights of yesterday were 2 mistle thrushes (new for year) and a woodcock which flew across the field mid afternoon (new for the garden list). That makes 119 for the year and 139 total.
Other good birds included a long-tailed duck, an adult ruff (perhaps it will overwinter), guillemot, and a grey wagtail.
This morning I counted 312 black-tailed godwits before the rains came. Last week Sue saw a colour-ringed bird - apparently ringed as a juvenile in Iceland on 7th July.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Sunday produced an impressive 58 species, our best ever at this time of year, despite heavy rain for several hours in the middle of the day.
Highlights included red-throated diver, great crested and little grebes, 4 spp. of goose including 2 pale-bellied brents up in the inner estuary (albeit very briefly), long-tailed duck, peregrine, knot, greenshank, grey wagtail, goldcrest ...
Yesterday Sue saw our first magpie of the year (120) - still a scarce bird here, although becoming common in parts of St. Andrews. The barnacle geese are still with us - will they go to the Solway at all?
120 matches our 2003 total but I suspect last year's 124 may be out of reach. Still a few options though.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

I see that Jane has reached 125 - that's us cooked then ...
Basically more of the same over the weekend - plenty of barnacle geese, though numbers have dropped to around 210-215 now. At least 1 was illegally shot last week. I was chatting to the ranger this morning - for all that he loves seeing them, he won't be sorry when they move on. His job of keeping an eye on the fowlers is that much harder with a protected species present. Greylag numbers were up to 249 yesterday morning and include 2 returning neck-ringed birds.
Other highlights include 2 long-tailed ducks (both female, not seen any drakes yet this autumn), 2 peregrines (female gave a spectacular display hunting godwits this morning), male great spotted woodpecker and rock pipit. I went out to Outhead yesterday afternoon, ostenisbly to try and photograph barwits and grey plovers. The number of people and dogs put paid to that but I did see (and photograph) 4 snow buntings. Also 25 brent geese were present, highest for a couple of years. I was able to see 21 from the bottom of the garden this morning. I tried that on numerous occasions in previous years without success, yet I have succeeded 4 times this autumn!

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

Hi Rob.
I did also see 4 Snow Buntings(3 Brownish colourded birds and 1 Greyish bird), a couple of Brents and a Short Eared owl at Out head at the weekend and a few Little Gulls out to sea. That is what coastal winter birding is all about.

[edenwatcher]

A few interesting records for this week.
The barnacle goose flock was still present last Tuesday (230), but 6 is the most I've seen since. Weird record of the week was a gannet flying about over the inner estuary on Thursday morning - first we've seen from the house. A female peregrine has been using the papermill as a perch on a regular basis. A male did this in 2002/3 and 2003/4 but failed to reappear last winter. The female was one of 3 different birds I saw on Saturday - also a young female and a male. The two adults have been seen sat on the mud side by side several times recently.
4 pintail (3 drakes) were around on Saturday morning and there have been up to 3 female long-tailed ducks present - bring on the drakes! Saturday's high tide produced no fewer than 8 greenshanks, a high count for November.
Still little passerine interest at present, though I have been seeing goldcrests on a regular basis. Greenfinches have reached plague proportions - up to 100 in the garden at any one time. However this does mean regular window strikes, silhouettes notwithstanding.
Finally here are some pics from last Sunday.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

An unexpected bonus bird today - a redhead smew found around lunchtime. Only our second record, and the first since a drake in February 2003. It was still present mid-afternoon, though it kept disappearing. Otherwise it was fairly quiet today - long-tailed duck and peregrine among the highlights. Also the highest count of bar-tailed godwits for a while (a meagre 10!).

121 for the year
Rob

[edenwatcher]

The smew was still present on Sunday, and may still be present now. The estuary was invisible in the fog this morning. Perhaps this resulted in spending more time looking at the feeders which produced a female brambling - 122 for the year. A late save of one that I thought we had missed this year. Hope it sticks around for a while.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Some solid winter birding at present.
We had 3 spp. of grebe on both Saturday and Sunday, including a record 4 Slavs on Saturday. Also a red-throated diver yesterday. The cold spell has pushed greylag numbers up towards the full complement - there were around 470 on Friday morning. This is still significantly lower than a few years ago. Up to 4 female long-tailed ducks continue to come well up the estuary. An excellent count of 73 grey plovers yesterday, though the goldies have disappeared again. The black-tailed godwits have also disappeared, with very few present at the moment. This also happened 3 years ago - it turned out they were feeding in flooded fields, often some way away from the estuary.
We had 2 great spotted woodpeckers visit the garden yesterday, the first time this has happened. Rather less welcome was a record count of 20 collared doves hoovering up seed - no dign of any decline here! The brambling put in another appearance yesterday but seems pretty elusive.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

We were away over the weekend hence the lack of updates and it has been pretty quiet in general. Both woodpeckers have continued to visit the garden but there has been no further sign of the brambling. Most of the godwits seem to have returned to the estuary.
There was rather more excitement this morning: I was counting the greylags after breakfast when a white phase snow goose swam into my field of view! Obviously provenance is an issue, but it is with Icelandic greylags, is fully winged and unringed so it is going on the garden list! That takes us to 140 and 123 for the year. It left the roost with the main flock at around 8:40, making me a bit late for work!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

I notice that a white snow goose flew SW over Montrose Basin at 11:40 yesterday morning. It was with pinkfeet, but greylags and pinkfeet mix both for feeding and in the roost around here, so it may well be the same bird (Meikle Loch bird?)

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

Where is the best place to view the roosting flock Rob?
That's a mega for the garden?!

[edenwatcher]

Layby on the A91 is probably the best place (other than the bottom of our drive!). It was present until 8:45 this morning.

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

Nice one Rob. I'll try for that in the morning. I know there are a few of the Fife listers who are yet to see one in the county.

[edenwatcher]

The snow goose is still present, but quite variable in its departure time each morning: 8:25 on Sat (hope you connected Jeremy), 9:10 on Sun (I gather, was off doing my WeBS count) and 8:15 this morning.
A few highlights from the weekend. A small return of golden plovers on Saturday with a flock of 77 - this autumn has been very poor for them. A flock of 50 knot on Saturday was most unexpected, and unprecedented at this time of year when they tend to stick to the outer estuary. The lapwings were nicely spread out for counting and I came up with impressive total of 601! At least one female long-tailed duck continues to visit the inner estuary and the female peregrine is still often to be found on the papermill.

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

Hi Rob.
I saw it this morning at around 8;15 when it got nervous because of the shooters. It ended up flying over my head and into the Gully on the other side of the road. It appears to have a bit of wing damage. I think someone has had a pop at it with a shotgun.

[edenwatcher]

Glad you got it. They took a bit of a pasting on Saturday morning - could have been then. I noticed the geese were very jittery this morning, went and ate some breakfast, came back and they were gone.

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

Glad you got it. They took a bit of a pasting on Saturday morning - could have been then. I noticed the geese were very jittery this morning, went and ate some breakfast, came back and they were gone.

Rob

They knew John Nadin was coming! They left five minutes before he arrived! I think he saw it settled on the field oppersite soon after. It is viewable form the footpath up the river looking east.

[edenwatcher]

The snow goose is still present, though the geese are still leaving the roost very early - around 8:05 this morning. There were a lot of pinkfeet in this morning for the first time this winter.
Recent highlights include the following:
up to 3 red-throated divers, a couple of dabchicks, some superb peregrine entertainment with a pair around for much of the weekend, a female kestrel which chased a bird into the living room window and caught it on the rebound! a couple of greenshanks, female great spotted woodpecker visiting several times a day, rock pipit and a party of long-tailed tits.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

The snow goose is still around, it has stayed later the past 2 mornings (at least 8:50 today). A huge flock of pinkfeet roosted overnight (1500+). There have been whooper swans present the last 3 mornings (13 yesterday) but they tend to leave the roost very early indeed.
Now to the weird bit: I phoned home to warn Sue that a parcel might be delivered today and in passing she said that there seemed to be a long-eared owl sat on a small post in the middle of the mudflats! The light was terrible and she had no size comparison, so I suggested she keep an eye on it. About half an hour later she rang to say that it was indeed a LEO and I zoomed off home! Crows have "visited" it from time to time, causing raising of the eartufts, but otherwise it seems quite happy. Awesome!
This plugs about the most embarassing hole on my British list. 124 for the year, 141 total.

Merry Christmas

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Well the LEO remained on its tiny post all day - weird!
The snow goose is still around, it remained in the roost until at least 8:35 this morning, at which point the fog rolled in and it disappeared from view. Whooper swans have continued to put in appearances, 20 on Boxing Day afternoon being the highest total. The cold weather and dusting of snow today produced a pair of tufted ducks (unusual in midwinter) and a pair of long-tailed ducks.
At least 3 peregrines are still around - a young female was stirring things up yesterday morning. Also the female kestrel visits the garden from time to time. Not many good waders at the moment, but I did a pilot survey for the new Winter Atlas a bit further down the estuary on Boxing Day and saw 5 greenshanks. 2 great spotted woodpeckers continue to visit the fat ball - they were bouncing each other a few days ago.
Finally we have some interesting passerines: the brambling reappeared on Christmas Eve and has been seen nearly every day since, a female siskin visited the feeders yesterday (first ever in December), several rock pipits have been on the saltmarsh, a mistle thrush was seen on Boxing Day (real garden mega) and 2 fieldfares fed in the garden at lunchtime today offering rare photographic opportunities (will post some pics in a few days).

Happy New Year to all

Rob

[edenwatcher]

That was the last I've seen of the snow goose - so no place on the 2006 list, which is a bit of a p*sser!
Snow followed by sleet then rain on the 30th produced a large easterly movement of skylarks, numbering up to 250 birds. Other species associated with the cold snap included a drake goosander, a few meadow pipits and around 10 fieldfares. The species total for 2005 was 124, the same as 2004.

Today got the 2006 list off to a real flyer - 55 spp.! These included 4 each of red-throated diver and slavonian grebe, dabchick, long-tailed duck, peregrine, 20 knot, greenshank, great spotted woodpecker, skylark and rock pipit. No sign of the brambling today which is disappointing.
Elsewhere in the village we saw a chiffchaff and a bullfinch (a bird still not on the garden list).

Rob

[Steve G]

Happy New Year Rob
I really thought you were going to beat the 2004 year total.
I only managed 39 species today on Valleyfield lagoons but did get Kingfisher & errgh, a Bullfinch in the garden.

[Woodchatshrike]

Happy New year all you Fifers! (and everyone else of course) I'll be having a little look about tomorrow. Shame about the Snow Goose. It might still be about!

[edenwatcher]

Another 55 spp. on Monday and 49 yesterday but now it's back to work.
5 more spp. for the garden year list takes us to 60. The pick of the new birds was turnstone which is rather erratic so far up the estuary.
Other highlights have included more sightings of red-throated diver and slav. grebe and a decent count of 6 greenshanks.
I saw a kingfisher in the village on 2nd, both from the bridge and the Eden Estuary Centre. It flew downstream from the centre so I had hopes that it would be visible from the house, but no such luck.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Les Hatton e-mailed me with news that the snow goose was with greylags in the field at the end of the runway this morning. Sue has just phoned to say that it is on the estuary now. 61 for the year.
Good news for Fife year listers ...

Rob

PS Just nipped home and it is feeding in the same field. The greylags have been in there a lot over the past few days, flying on to the estuary when disturbed. Should make the snow goose easier to see ...

[Woodchatshrike]

Thanks Rob. I will have a bash at it tomorrow morning.

[edenwatcher]

Unfavourable tides made for a less productive weekend, but 3 addtions take us to 64. On Saturday we added a fly-by pied wagtail and a distant flock of brent geese (only located thanks to a trip to Outhead so I knew where to look!) and this morning I found 4 whooper swans.
The snow goose has been much in evidence as the flock have again been feeding in the field at the end of the runway. When disturbed they fly back on to the estuary, although I imagine they will stop doing this during the week with the RAF active.
Other weekend highlights include long-tailed duck and a flock of 29 knot. Interestingly one of our neighbours reports seeing 3 great spotted woodpeckers in our poplars last week.
Extra limital records (so to speak) include 10 snow buntings at Outhead, along with around 25 pale-bellied brents, and at least 9 slavonian grebes. Also a flock of 7 lesser redpolls in the village - another species yet to make the garden list.

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

Hi Rob.
I got the Goose Sunday in the end. Also got the buntings and brents and a Kingfisher in Gaurdbridge plus a few crossbills in Tentsmuir.
Trying not to break the offical secrets act and going off topic, what are the huge missel type things stacked up at the RAF base. Are they only fuel tanks. They look too big for the tornados and there are hundreds of them!
Apparently they have been shooting deer at the Airbase. I believe bambi on runway and jet fighters don't mix. This will have been causing added disturbance.
Tip me off if you see a Eurofighter. I have never seen one flying.
ATB
J

[edenwatcher]

what are the huge missel type things stacked up at the RAF base. Are they only fuel tanks. They look too big for the tornados and there are hundreds of them!

Not quite sure to be honest.

Another 55 species day today with excellent viewing conditions. 2 new birds for the year were a drake tufted duck and several distant pintail, taking us to 66. Other highlights were red-throated diver, 2 slav. grebes, 6 long-tailed ducks (including 1 drake), 234 black-tailed godwits, 9 greenshanks (a winter record) and 17 turnstones (also a record). There were around 2000 pinkfeet in the roost this morning and the snow goose was around all day commuting between the estuary and the field at the end of the runway with the greylags.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A fairly quiet day today, with high tide being early morning. On Wednesday some golden plovers turned up among the lapwings, with 55 being present this afternoon. The snow goose is still present, it was on the estuary with greylags mid-afternoon. Somewhat unexpectedly 2 female siskins appeared on the fat ball this afternoon, taking us to 68 for the year. Unfortunately the great spotted woodpeckers seem to have left us for the time being.
I notice that a little stint was reported from Outhead this afternoon, which is a rather curious record. Have to keep an eye out in case it turns up here.

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

I notice that a little stint was reported from Outhead this afternoon, which is a rather curious record. Have to keep an eye out in case it turns up here.

Rob

Hi Rob.
That was me! I saw it at low tide from Outhead. We are thinking it is the first winter record for Fife. I also picked out the DB Brent with the Brents which I also believe is a local rare. All in all a quite interesting mornings birding on my regular weekend patch!

[edenwatcher]

Good stuff. I once saw one at Blacktoft in January, running about on ice!
Yesterday was another fairly quiet day, but produced 2 further additions - 3 mistle thrushes (genuine rarity, and our highest count) in our poplars and 2 drake goosanders flying upstream. That takes us to 70.
The 4 whooper swans have been around the past 2 mornings, as has the snow goose. The pink-footed geese have disappeared again, they are much less predictable than the greylags here.
A bit of mammal interest, at least 1 roe deer has survived the cull and has been visible on the far side of the estuary and a fox scampered past this morning.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A fairly quiet week, the highlight being 2 fine male yellowhammers that Sue saw on Tuesday (71). Otherwise not much else midweek - a single woodpecker has made occasional visits and the whooper swans were seen some mornings.
I haven't seen the snow goose since Wednesday. Today has featured a slavonian grebe, an excellent total of 4 dabchicks, 2 whooper swans mid afternoon (presumably different from the usual 4), long-tailed duck and some good wader numbers. These included 255 black-tailed godwits, 103 golden plovers and 61 knot (our highest ever winter count).
On the passerine side a female siskin was notable but pride of place went to a treecreeper, taking us to 72. This is more than our post BF crash total for 2005 so we're off to a flyer.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

We were out birding for most of yesterday but still managed a few records of note. Golden plover numbers have risen to 146 and a flock of 41 knot was present after high tide. Earlier in the day a male siskin visited the fat ball (first male for nearly 2 years) and a mistle thrush landed on the lawn (the first one actually in the garden).

My hunch about the 2 whooper swans seems to have been correct, as this morning there were 6.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

One new bird this weekend - a small party of long-tailed tits visited the fat ball yesterday lunchtime (73). A female siskin has been a regular visitor to the feeders and a great spotted woodpecker made an appearance yesterday.
Meanwhile out on the estuary the golden plover flock has increased to 154 and the unprecedented run of knot records continues. Goldeneye numbers are building with at least 37 late afternoon yesterday.
Further afield we had a nice great northern diver in St. Andrews Bay on Saturday and the 10 snow buntings are still at Outhead (where I saw a party rescued by the coastguard after being cut off by the tide). My Fife year list now up to 108, not that I'm trying to keep up Jeremy!

Rob

[delia todd]

Hi Rob

Love Long Tailed Tits, great to have them in your garden.

Looks like things are building up nicely for the Bash, don't they.

D

[edenwatcher]

Not a bad day with 53 spp., although no new ones for the year. Highlights included a red-throated diver, dabchick, 11 whooper swans, 53 goldeneye (highest of the year), 6 long-tailed ducks (equals our best ever), 4 greenshanks, a turnstone, the great spotted woodpecker visiting several times, and at least 2 yellowhammers.
Signs of spring include a golden plover with a black belly and a few godwits beginning to colour up nicely.
Quite promising for the bash, indeed.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Another pretty good day yesterday, although I was out doing my WeBS count for much of it.
Highlights included 2 red-throated divers, a pair of pintail well upstream, at least 3 long-tailed ducks, greenshank, great spotted woodpecker and goldcrest. A singing song thrush was the first of the year (74). The golden plover flock is up to 220 but the pick of the bunch was the group of 5 brent geese well up the estuary.
Huge numbers of pinkfeet were in the roost this morning along with 6 whooper swans.

Rob

[changing9]

Any news about the development of the pig farm?

[edenwatcher]

Any news about the development of the pig farm?
What manner of development? The pig farm has switched to arable. There is a plan to construct a wetland area on the estuary side of the old piggery (I think this is right). I believe Les has approval for this and it should go ahead soon.

Rob

[delia todd]

Hi Rob

We used to go down by the pig farm but not since foot & mouth. I didn't realise the pigs were no longer there.

The development of a wetland there sounds interesting.

It's really beginning to look good for the Bash now.

I hope the Christening goes well next weekend.

D

[edenwatcher]

I hope the Christening goes well next weekend.

D
Ta. One of Andrew's godfathers is a birder - going for a tour of Fife with him on Saturday, which will be a good recce for the bash! Stunning viewing conditions at Ruddons Point yesterday - all 3 divers, red-necked and slav grebes, surf scoter, loads of long-tailed ducks ...

Rob

PS forgot to mention the greylag that was on the drive as I left for work this morning!

[edenwatcher]

Garden mega this morning (and one for Woodchatshrike's Fife yearlist methinks) - a white-fronted goose in with the pinkfeet. I didn't have long to look at it before the flock left but I reckon it was a flavirostris. I will be keeping an eye out on the coming mornings.
We only have one previous record, almost exactly 2 years ago, when bizarrely there were 3 Eurasian and 1 greenland whitefront in the roost on the same day.
75 for the year (and 113 for my Fife yearlist).

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

Funny you thought that! I've dipped one at Loch Gelly already this year. I'm not really available til Thursday morning but I will have a bash at some point. Which direction do those Geese fly off in?

[edenwatcher]

They've mostly been going south or southwest, I got the impression some didn't go very far this morning. Hope to nail the racial ID tomorrow.

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

Hi Rob.

Got this back after reading one of the collared greylags on the airfield with the snow goose.



Hello Jeremy,

Thanks for the details of the colared greylag. It was ringed at L.eye, Ross-shire and is from the icelandic population. Yours is its first sighting since ringing. Details below:

COCLK L.Eye 11/11/2005 v 4 m
COCLK Leuchars, Fife NO4520 16/01/2006 vv 4 m

Please let me know if you see it or any others again.

Bob Swann
Greylag Goose colour mark co-ordinator

[edenwatcher]

Good stuff. What colour collar was this? There is a pair with silver collars present for their second winter that were actually ringed in Iceland. There was a neck-ringed pinkie next to the whitefront yesterday morning.
The geese went out at 7:25 this morning, before I had located the whitefront. Probably 2000 pinkfeet in the roost this morning so they take a bit of sifting through!

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

The Greylag was Orange CLK. I have had a really good year reading collars. I had two greylags near the house the other day. One orange and one silver/grey. The second will be an Icelandic bird.

[edenwatcher]

Not much to report for the weekend. I was out doing this (http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=52145) on Saturday and it was the christening yesterday. Having said that on Saturday morning a magpie visited the garden (76 for the year), still a real rarity here. The yellowhammers have been occasional visitors, as has a great spotted woodpecker. No further sign of the whitefront, but the geese have been going out early. I picked up a single knot on yesterday's high tide.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

There were some good birds around yesterday - some seen as part of the bash, some not.
3 red-throated divers (no blackthroats Delia!) was a good total for us and a great-crested grebe was the first for a few weeks. Late afternoon the 11 whooper swans flew on to the estuary and spent some time bathing. They looked most picturesque bathing in the golden early evening sunshine, with a flock of several hundred dunlin wheeling in front of them. The geese also came in before dark, but I couldn't locate the whitefront. I managed a record garden total of 7 long-tailed ducks (only 1 adult drake). After high tide I counted 272 black-tailed godwits, quite good for late Feb, and 15 knot. A peregrine was on the papermill late afternoon. Best passerine was a female yellowhammer.
It was good to meet new faces over the weekend, with any luck it'll be warmer next time!

Rob

[delia todd]

Kept the Peregrine and Yellowhammer for yourself I see!;)

Black Throated Diver: I'll amend the list then. It wasn't me that saw it, just heard someone say but can't remember who it was now.

Think I've left Great Crested Grebe off the list, though. Any other errors, Rob?

Thanks for everything great weekend. Have a good holiday.

D

[edenwatcher]

Time for an update. I got back from an excellent trip to southern Ecuador with ionemosia on Friday. Our extension to see the antpittas near Mindo was a great success. More on that elsewhere (especially when I've processed the photos!).

Meanwhile it has been quiet on the Eden. A meadow pipit this morning was 77 for the year. A group of up to 8 whooper swans has been around most afternoons. Two female long-tailed ducks were around on Sunday, after 1 on Saturday. Passerine highlight has been a small influx of siskins, with at least 2 males and 1 female visiting the feeders.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

78 - lesser black-backed gull. A bit later than usual ,but who can blame it!

Rob

[chris baker]

Hi Rob,

Welcome back, some birding break! Looking forward to the photos etc

ATB

CB

[edenwatcher]

Cheers Chris. 1100 photos (all shot in raw) to process - I may be some time ...
A tree sparrow coming to seed on the drive this morning was 79 for the year.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Quite a good day yesterday.
Highlights included 4 long-tailed ducks (1 drake), an unusually high count of 77 grey plovers, 9 knot, a greenshank. Plenty of activity at the feeders with at least 4 siskins, 3 yellowhammers and 3 tree sparrows among more common species. A small party of redwings in the morning takes us to 80 for the year.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Sunday was a case of more of the same. However there was an influx of teal over high tide, with at least 119 (one of our highest ever counts). Many more teal than this use the Eden but the tend to be quite spread out. I managed to count the black-tailed godwits and came up with 372, our best ever in March. However we were away in late March last year when there were surely more than this ...
Yellowhammers were up to 4 and Monday produced a record total of 8 siskins. March is our best month for siskin, but this year has been excellent. Also present on Monday were 3 pintail (2 drakes). Both male and female peregrine have been perching on the papermill, often at the same time, suggesting that they may be a pair.
Not much sign of migrants here, although a couple of flocks of meadow pipits have moved through, including about 30 last night.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Plenty of stuff around at the weekend with 54 spp recorded on Saturday.
Friday morning produced at least 12 whooper swans, with 6 seen on both Saturday and Sunday. Two pairs of pintail were seen on Friday and Saturday. Saturday gave a record total of 8 long-tailed ducks (3 drakes) and plenty of eiders have been coming well upstream over high tide. Both peregrines continue to use the papermill and the local buzzards have been nest building (or probably renovating). Black-tailed godwit numbers contniue to build, with at least 430 on Saturday. Lesser black-backs are one of the first harbingers of spring and there were 13 in the roost last night.
I saw a couple of stock doves on Saturday afternoon, somewhat surprisingly the first of the year (81).
Another group of meadow pipits passed through on Saturday as did the first sand martin (82). Finally we had least 9 siskins on the feeders on Saturday.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Time for an update. It has been a relatively quiet week, although godwit numbers continue to increase with 456 last Tuesday and 481 on Saturday. Only last year's counts were higher than this (584 max), and I suspect we won't reach those giddy heights, although if they are a week or so later then anything is possible. A flock of 33 (healthy!) whooper swans spent much of last week on the estuary or feeding in the field at the end of the Leuchars runway.
Other waders have been in short supply with occasional knot (24 on Saturday and this morning) until this morning's bizarre occurrence - a group of at least 13 sanderling. We are a long way up the estuary for them and have only 2 previous records of autumn singles (83 for the year).
Siskins seem to have passed through now, although we did have 2 males and a female on Saturday. Frustratingly the tree sparrows have melted away once more, although fine yellowhammers are still much in evidence.
One day we'll get a few signs of spring ...

Rob

[changing9]

Just a thought.

I wouldn't want this thread to become overly political but, if there are any particular issues, specific to the Eden Estuary LNR that forumites would like me to raise at the LNR Advisory Group, please feel free to post them.

The date of the next meeting has been switched around a bit but, if my diary is up-to-date, it should be on Friday 2nd June.

By the way, the work that has been done on the wader scrapes above Coble Point looks impressive.

[edenwatcher]

The first swallows appeared on Friday (84) and a few were around yesterday along with a couple of sand martins. Yesterday was quite productive with 52 spp seen. I managed a godwit count of 520, our best of the year, but this is some way short of the total number present. Will see if I can do better today. Wigeon numbers seem to have plummeted in the last day or so, however yesterday produced a pair of pintail and our first gadwall of the year (a drake, 85). A count of 12 long-tailed ducks is our highest ever, and included a drake in summer plumage.
Late afternoon I managed to pick up a distant gannet, another first for the year (86). A few evenings in the past week the geese have come in before dark - there could be as many as 3000 pinkfeet around at present.
No sign of any wheatears, might go and have a look now. A tree sparrow put in an appearance yesterday morning and several pied wagtails have been on the saltmarsh - time to start looking for white wag ...

Rob

[kawwauser]

is the eden reserve open to the public?

[Andrew Whitehouse]

is the eden reserve open to the public?

Yes, there's access to most of the southern shore, although the northern shore is mostly covered by Leuchars Airbase. There's a visitor centre by the paper mill in Guardbridge, which gives good views over the inner part of the estuary. The outer part can be done quite well from the car park at Outhead, at the northern end of the West Sands at St Andrews.

[edenwatcher]

There is the Fife council hide (aka the Eden Estuary Centre) in Guardbridge which is open daily, for views over the inner estuary. The estuary can also be viewed from the lay-by on the A91 leaving Guardbridge for St. Andrews. Fife Bird Club members can use the hide accessed through the riding stables (key required). The outer estuary can be accessed from the road end at Outhead. Also there is a hide in Balgove Bay (key obtainable from the ranger service). The Fife coastal path runs along the shore from the Outhead to the Coble shore. So plenty of access points ...
Sunday was a case of more of the same. I managed a record count for us of 591 black-tailed godwits - amazing. Ducks included a pair of gadwall and a pair of pintail. The gadwall were around again this morning, as were 3 tufted ducks (not a common bird on the Eden). Nicest sight this morning was a stunning pair of displaying great crested grebes. We don't often see them displaying, for obvious reasons.

Rob

PS see Andrew beat me to it!

[kawwauser]

thanks for the info,il be there tomorrow ,i was at kinnordy today and saw my first water rail ,got a few pics of it too

[Woodchatshrike]

Yes, there's access to most of the southern shore, although the northern shore is mostly covered by Leuchars Airbase. There's a visitor centre by the paper mill in Guardbridge, which gives good views over the inner part of the estuary. The outer part can be done quite well from the car park at Outhead, at the northern end of the West Sands at St Andrews.

I've seen American GP and Little Egret from that hide and the old boys who look after the joint are some of the nicest folk you will ever meet in birding. Play your cards right and you may even score a cuppa!

[edenwatcher]

Sadly Eck is about to "retire" next month when he turns 80. Les doesn't know what he's going to do about opening up the hide each day.
A couple of new birds for the year on Friday evening a single ringed plover and a couple of sandwich terns, taking us to 88. I see that Jane is on the charge now - our days in front are numbered!
Still 528 black-tailed godwits around yesterday and a few barwits too, otherwise a quiet weekend.

Rob

[Woodchatshrike]

I'd like to see those Blackwits! We had a record count at Loch Leven but I could only manage 80 in flight a couple of Saturdays ago.

Have all the Geese gone Rob?

[edenwatcher]

I'd like to see those Blackwits! We had a record count at Loch Leven but I could only manage 80 in flight a couple of Saturdays ago.

Have all the Geese gone Rob?
I think the geese have gone, apart from a few sickly pinkies.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

A few birds moving through have boosted the list to 90. On Tuesday Sue saw a pair of shoveler, and yesterday evening at least 4 wheatears were present. Plenty of swallows and sand martins around, but as yet no house martins.
On Monday Sue was walking to Leuchars when she saw what was probably a rose-coloured starling. She was running late for an appointment and could not stop to have a proper look ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

We were away in the Lakes for the weekend but I did manage a whimbrel on Friday evening for 91 for the year. A little behind last year at the same stage, but then so is the season!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

House martin last night and swift this morning takes us to 93.

Rob

[Jane Turner]

I'm coming in on the rails Rob - up to 90 myself!

[edenwatcher]

Erk! Still, it was only to be expected!
A super evening yesterday which began with a whitethroat and 2 whimbrel as I was cycling home from work. At home there was another whimbrel along with at least 7 sandwich terns. 17 red-breasted mergansers was the best count of the year so far and a single greenshank was the first for a while. However the highlight was a stunning drake garganey, only our second ever, so that's 94 for the year.
No sign of it this morning but there was a nice male wheatear (probably Greenland).

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Thursday evening produced a new race for the garden list - a single dark-bellied brent goose on the saltmarsh. It was present in the outer estuary yesterday evening. Thursday also produced a couple of knot and 10 sandwich terns. Today has been rather quiet although we have had a 4 raptor day, the undoubted highlight being 2 visits from an osprey (95 for the year). Never tire of seeing them.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

It has been extremely quiet lately, though things picked up last night with a couple of drake gadwall and the reappearance of the brent goose. The latter was still around this morning. Very few waders are around, though I did see a greenshank on Sunday. We have had a bit of mammal variety lately, with a stoat just over a week ago, a couple of fox sightings, and a grey squirrel yesterday. The last of these was most unwelcome - no thanks we don't want any!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Favourable conditions yesterday evening (no heat haze, high tide etc) led me to try a "seawatch" last night, i.e. scanning out to the estuary mouth from the garden. In part I was trying to get fulmar on to the year list, not having seen any on their way inland to the quarry at Lucklawhill. Sandwich terns in the outer estuary and several gannets were soon picked up, but I was amazed to see a manx shearwater head south until lost to view in a squall. A new bird for the garden list and a triumph for the new 'scope! Several kittiwakes, mostly adults, drifted south (also new for the year) before I picked up the first of 7 fulmars. The year list leaps to 98, with the overall total reaching 142.
Otherwise it remains pretty quiet with the brent goose still around and yesterday produced the first 2 goosanders of the spring.

Rob