Woodchatshrike
Registered User
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.
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Eden Estuary News (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter edenwatcher
- Start date
edenwatcher
Well-known member
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
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
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
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
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
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
Well-known member
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
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
Well-known member
78 - lesser black-backed gull. A bit later than usual ,but who can blame it!
Rob
Rob
chris baker
Well-known member
Hi Rob,
Welcome back, some birding break! Looking forward to the photos etc
ATB
CB
Welcome back, some birding break! Looking forward to the photos etc
ATB
CB
edenwatcher
Well-known member
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
A tree sparrow coming to seed on the drive this morning was 79 for the year.
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
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
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
Well-known member
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
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
Well-known member
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
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
Well-known member
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
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
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.
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
Well-known member
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
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 said:
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
Well-known member
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!
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!
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Woodchatshrike
Registered User
Andrew Whitehouse said:
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
Well-known member
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
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
