edenwatcher
Well-known member
Green-winged teal still present this morning, also a drake long-tailed duck.
Last night 2 swallows flew through (88).
Rob
Last night 2 swallows flew through (88).
Rob
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Eden Estuary News (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter edenwatcher
- Start date
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Green-winged teal still present this morning. Almost as exciting (more?) was a singing male blackcap (89). Only the 4th record and possibly last year's bird returning.
Rob
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Still there this afternoon, also the first 2 ringed plovers of the year (90).
Rob
Rob
Stonefaction
Dundee Birding....(target 150 in 2024).
Spent most of the day at the Guardbridge hide today. Hoping for Kingfisher, Willow Warbler, Swallow and best of all, the Green Winged Teal. Picked up the Green Winged Teal mid-morning with a small group of Teal swimming along the north shore, near the pipe outflow. A pair of Great Crested Grebes were a surprise, as was a pair of Tufted Ducks. Neither particularly common on this stretch. 4 Long Tailed Ducks, 8 Pintail, 6 Greylags, a Peregrine and a Sparrowhawk added to the day's haul. Even managed a single Stock Dove opposite the hide and 3 Knot were in with the Black Tailed Godwit flock. Wheatear were in the field up from the salt marsh. 47 species in total.
Stonefaction
Dundee Birding....(target 150 in 2024).
The area out front of the hide was in shadow from around 4pm-ish today. The hide is locked from 5pm, I believe.
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Saturday surge
A few items from last week before describing the weekend action. There were several long-tailed duck sightings (max 4 on Friday afternoon) and the pinkfoot flock came in to bath on Friday afternoon (still around 2k).
Saturday produced an amazing surge in the yearlist, with a similar haul to Barry's. It began with a willow warbler during breakfast (91). Soon after I picked up a nice wheatear on the bank in the saltmarsh (92). A couple of sand martins flew through mid-morning (93) with swallow also in evidence. The green-winged teal showed nicely, and came out on to the saltmarsh over high tide. Also on the saltmarsh was the first whimbrel of the year (94). A peregrine flew over, with some interaction with the local buzzards. 9 pintail was our best count of the year so far (4 pairs plus an odd young male) and there were 244 black-tailed godwits on the falling tide. I also saw the pair of tufties and the 6 greylags. Finally a single meadow pipit was with pied wagtails on the saltmarsh - a belated addition to the yearlist (95).
Sunday was also good - the wheatear was still present as was the green-winged teal (though I didn't see it after high tide). The great crested grebes indulged in some display. Around noon an osprey drifted upstream (96). I heard the blackcap again, for the first time since I saw it on Thursday. Black-tailed godwits were down to 219, there was a single whimbrel again and as I came back in from my WeBS count I heard a greenshank. I couldn't prove more than 4 pintail.
This morning there was a different male wheatear present and 2 drake gadwall was nice (a highly typical date).
Rob
A few items from last week before describing the weekend action. There were several long-tailed duck sightings (max 4 on Friday afternoon) and the pinkfoot flock came in to bath on Friday afternoon (still around 2k).
Saturday produced an amazing surge in the yearlist, with a similar haul to Barry's. It began with a willow warbler during breakfast (91). Soon after I picked up a nice wheatear on the bank in the saltmarsh (92). A couple of sand martins flew through mid-morning (93) with swallow also in evidence. The green-winged teal showed nicely, and came out on to the saltmarsh over high tide. Also on the saltmarsh was the first whimbrel of the year (94). A peregrine flew over, with some interaction with the local buzzards. 9 pintail was our best count of the year so far (4 pairs plus an odd young male) and there were 244 black-tailed godwits on the falling tide. I also saw the pair of tufties and the 6 greylags. Finally a single meadow pipit was with pied wagtails on the saltmarsh - a belated addition to the yearlist (95).
Sunday was also good - the wheatear was still present as was the green-winged teal (though I didn't see it after high tide). The great crested grebes indulged in some display. Around noon an osprey drifted upstream (96). I heard the blackcap again, for the first time since I saw it on Thursday. Black-tailed godwits were down to 219, there was a single whimbrel again and as I came back in from my WeBS count I heard a greenshank. I couldn't prove more than 4 pintail.
This morning there was a different male wheatear present and 2 drake gadwall was nice (a highly typical date).
Rob
Jane Turner
Well-known member
You've snuck ahead again!
gus guthrie
gus guthrie
is it possible to see the whimbrel from the guardbridge hide ?
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Not for long I'll warrant Jane!
Gus, the whimbrel tend to roost on the saltmarsh with the curlew where they should be visible from the hide. They don't tend to linger too much. Last year they also roosted on the point of the Coble shore.
Rob
Gus, the whimbrel tend to roost on the saltmarsh with the curlew where they should be visible from the hide. They don't tend to linger too much. Last year they also roosted on the point of the Coble shore.
Rob
simmojunior
Well-known member
I am going to St Andrews tomorrow for one night (non-birding purposes) and I hope to have a little bit of time spare to go to the Eden Estuary. Where is the green -winged teal and long-tailed duck best seen from?
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Green-winged teal from the Eden estuary centre in Guardbridge (signposted) or the layby on the A91 on the eastern edge of Guardbridge. Long-tailed ducks are usually further downstream than this but can be seen from the centre. You may be better off trying the estuary mouth at Outhead (should be a few here).
Rob
Rob
simmojunior
Well-known member
Thank you for your help. Where is outhead?
Also, do you know about access to the quarry in colessie for the purple heron. I might not have time to squeeze this all in.
Also, do you know about access to the quarry in colessie for the purple heron. I might not have time to squeeze this all in.
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Outhead is at the end of the minor road north out of St Andrews along the West Sands.
Access for Mountcastle is very tricky (private site) - trying to find out myself!
Rob
Access for Mountcastle is very tricky (private site) - trying to find out myself!
Rob
simmojunior
Well-known member
Thank you so much for your help.
Birdspotter
Well-known member
Any gen on the Purple Heron would be most welcome.
Birdspotter
Well-known member
Flushed by a birder from Tayside I hear-although these where not the exact words my source said
Hopefully it will reappear, although I am also hearing access might be a problem as its a working pit-but there may be viewing areas into the pit if your prepared to do a bit of skulking around:-O
Hopefully it will reappear, although I am also hearing access might be a problem as its a working pit-but there may be viewing areas into the pit if your prepared to do a bit of skulking around:-O
