edenwatcher
Well-known member
A jay over Earlshall woods last night and again this morning (122).
Pinkfeet pouring through.
Rob
Pinkfeet pouring through.
Rob
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Eden Estuary News (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter edenwatcher
- Start date
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Away for a week hence lack of updates.
On Saturday 8th a flock of 70 barncale geese went SW.
This weekend highlights were a lone, rather ill looking, whooper swan throughout, a spotted redshank an at least 12 greenshanks. Jays are much in evidence over Earshall woods and 2 swallows went through yesterday.
This morning's highlights include a little egret and 10 pale-bellied brent geese. Also I fluffed a flying tringa (lost as I moved the scope past a window frame) which looked plausible for lesser 'legs...
Rob
On Saturday 8th a flock of 70 barncale geese went SW.
This weekend highlights were a lone, rather ill looking, whooper swan throughout, a spotted redshank an at least 12 greenshanks. Jays are much in evidence over Earshall woods and 2 swallows went through yesterday.
This morning's highlights include a little egret and 10 pale-bellied brent geese. Also I fluffed a flying tringa (lost as I moved the scope past a window frame) which looked plausible for lesser 'legs...
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Speaking of fluffing... Stint sp this afternoon - either little or semi-p. Never close enough but it looked good for the latter. Back out to look ...
Rob
Rob
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Bet you failed to rule out Red-necked too
edenwatcher
Well-known member
True enough. No further sign yesterday. Troops mobilised for today, but some may be diverted by an american goldie nr Crail.
Other highlights for yesterday were a little egret, 20 pale-bellied brent geese, 2 spotted redshanks (plus a 3rd from the Eden estuary centre), 3 greenshanks and a few jays.
The lingering whooper swan is now visible as a corpse from the Eden estuary centre...
The stint is greyish, with a diffuse streaking at the breast sides, a prominent super, a rather stubby beak ... To my mind it appears bigger vs dunlin than a little stint would. Also there are no tramlines on the back. Back to scanning (2 spotshanks so far this morning)
Rob
Other highlights for yesterday were a little egret, 20 pale-bellied brent geese, 2 spotted redshanks (plus a 3rd from the Eden estuary centre), 3 greenshanks and a few jays.
The lingering whooper swan is now visible as a corpse from the Eden estuary centre...
The stint is greyish, with a diffuse streaking at the breast sides, a prominent super, a rather stubby beak ... To my mind it appears bigger vs dunlin than a little stint would. Also there are no tramlines on the back. Back to scanning (2 spotshanks so far this morning)
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Sue saw at least 30 whoopers go south on Wednesday.
In addition to species previously mentioned for Saturday there was a single slavonian grebe, a flock of around 40 fieldfares over Leuchars and a mistle thrush.
So to yesterday...
Obviously the priority was to refind the stint but there was nothing doing on the rising tide. Notable records were 4 spotted redshanks, 21 pale-bellied brent geese, 4 slavonian grebes and over 1000 golden plover however.
In the afternoon Sue saw a treecreeper (123) and soon after I picked up the year's first goldcrest (124). Finally at 3:30 I picked up a stint together with a large flock of dunlin. They were distant once again and the light was poor but I texted the county recorder. He told me of a definite little stint on the Coble shore some 45 mins earlier, which seemed to fit the bill. I was able to watch the bird for some time, obtaining reasonable views and little stint seemed a fair enough ID (125). A large female peregrine flushed everything back downstream. Whilst it seems unlikely that the estuary should contain 2 stints so late in the year, I am not convinced that this was the same bird as Saturday's individual. One that got away perhaps - unless it's still out there ...
The first greylags of the autumn (15) appeared during the afternoon and later they were unexpectedly joined by 10 barnacle geese. getting on for 60 spp yesterday - which was nice.
Rob
In addition to species previously mentioned for Saturday there was a single slavonian grebe, a flock of around 40 fieldfares over Leuchars and a mistle thrush.
So to yesterday...
Obviously the priority was to refind the stint but there was nothing doing on the rising tide. Notable records were 4 spotted redshanks, 21 pale-bellied brent geese, 4 slavonian grebes and over 1000 golden plover however.
In the afternoon Sue saw a treecreeper (123) and soon after I picked up the year's first goldcrest (124). Finally at 3:30 I picked up a stint together with a large flock of dunlin. They were distant once again and the light was poor but I texted the county recorder. He told me of a definite little stint on the Coble shore some 45 mins earlier, which seemed to fit the bill. I was able to watch the bird for some time, obtaining reasonable views and little stint seemed a fair enough ID (125). A large female peregrine flushed everything back downstream. Whilst it seems unlikely that the estuary should contain 2 stints so late in the year, I am not convinced that this was the same bird as Saturday's individual. One that got away perhaps - unless it's still out there ...
The first greylags of the autumn (15) appeared during the afternoon and later they were unexpectedly joined by 10 barnacle geese. getting on for 60 spp yesterday - which was nice.
Rob
Jane Turner
Well-known member
A late charge!
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Charge continues: Sue had a kingfisher at lunchtime (126)
Rob
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Keeping up the momentum, on Saturday's high tide I finally added common snipe to the year list (127).
Other highlights were 8 whooper swans, at least 1 spotted redshank, 10 greenshanks, a pintail and a nice kingfisher. Also around 20 common scoters.
Out much of yesterday (salmon watching!) but managed kingfisher again and 3 slavonian grebes.
Rob
Other highlights were 8 whooper swans, at least 1 spotted redshank, 10 greenshanks, a pintail and a nice kingfisher. Also around 20 common scoters.
Out much of yesterday (salmon watching!) but managed kingfisher again and 3 slavonian grebes.
Rob
Forresjohn
Member
Just a short message to say thank you
Thank you for the directions, keypad code and guidance - I much enjoyed 3 hours at the hide last week - what a wonderful place you have.
Birdforum at its best!
Thank you for the directions, keypad code and guidance - I much enjoyed 3 hours at the hide last week - what a wonderful place you have.
Birdforum at its best!
Stonefaction
Dundee Birding....(target 150 in 2024).
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you got some good birds. (Spotted Redshank? Kingfisher?)
Forresjohn
Member
None of those..... but a great experience of looking at a vast expanse of estuary with lots of birds. Water bowl for Archie. Guide books to check on which lark I had see. A lovely clean loo. A "Five Star" hide!
I'll be back!
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Glad you enjoyed it.
A fairly quiet weekend. Saturday's highlights included a great crested grebe, 2 slav grebes, 36 greylags and a spotted redshank.
I was out much of Sunday but 8 whooper swans in the early morning sunshine was very affecting!
Rob
A fairly quiet weekend. Saturday's highlights included a great crested grebe, 2 slav grebes, 36 greylags and a spotted redshank.
I was out much of Sunday but 8 whooper swans in the early morning sunshine was very affecting!
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Chance favours the prepared mind
A quiet week with goose numbers (both pinkfoot and greylag) increasing slowly. Sue saw the treecreeper again on Friday.
In Saturday's glorious weather I was out leading a Fife SOC trip, but managed a nice peregrine before I left.
Yesterday morning I scanned the geese early morning looking for whitefronts/bean but it was only the usual flock. However when I returned from Tesco mid-morning (other emporia are available) i could here lots of geese.
Sure enough there were several hundred geese bathing and loafing - predominantly pinkies with good numbers of greylag. As I panned through the flock the an obvious bean goose stuck its head up - result! As expected it was of the form rossicus with an extensive black bill base. A little further left through the flock a black belly bar revealed the presence of a juvenile European whitefront. Both showed nicely for a few minutes until the flock fragmented and the "interesting" geese departed with the first wave. I suspect there were more tundra beans but they kept their heads down. So we have bean goose (128 for the year, 163 total) and whitefront (129 for the year - a new record).
Other highlights during the day were the first red-throated diver well upstream for 3 years, a pair of shoveler, a lingering duck goosander and a greenshank.
This morning plenty of geese again, and probably several bean geese among them but the light was poor and the scope kept misting up - then they flew off!
Rob
A quiet week with goose numbers (both pinkfoot and greylag) increasing slowly. Sue saw the treecreeper again on Friday.
In Saturday's glorious weather I was out leading a Fife SOC trip, but managed a nice peregrine before I left.
Yesterday morning I scanned the geese early morning looking for whitefronts/bean but it was only the usual flock. However when I returned from Tesco mid-morning (other emporia are available) i could here lots of geese.
Sure enough there were several hundred geese bathing and loafing - predominantly pinkies with good numbers of greylag. As I panned through the flock the an obvious bean goose stuck its head up - result! As expected it was of the form rossicus with an extensive black bill base. A little further left through the flock a black belly bar revealed the presence of a juvenile European whitefront. Both showed nicely for a few minutes until the flock fragmented and the "interesting" geese departed with the first wave. I suspect there were more tundra beans but they kept their heads down. So we have bean goose (128 for the year, 163 total) and whitefront (129 for the year - a new record).
Other highlights during the day were the first red-throated diver well upstream for 3 years, a pair of shoveler, a lingering duck goosander and a greenshank.
This morning plenty of geese again, and probably several bean geese among them but the light was poor and the scope kept misting up - then they flew off!
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
The goose flocks are clearly highly mobile at the moment. Sue had two (presumed European) whitefronts yesterday afternoon, whilst this morning, amidst a huge flock of pinkies, I picked up a Greenland whitefront.
Rob
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
More goose action: 6 barnacles this morning.
Rob
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
6 barnacle geese again today, also 26 pale-bellied brents on the Coble shore.
Rob
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Geese have become less obliging, so now for some other news ...
Sue saw a tree sparrow on Thursday and a mistle thrush on Friday. The latter was also seen on both Saturday and Sunday.
The weekend was rather quiet with great crested grebe both days, 2 slavonian grebes on Sunday, goldeneye numbers are increasing rather slowly, 2 fieldfares on Saturday morning, ... er that's about it.
A flock of at least 9 long-tailed tits this morning, which was nice.
Rob
Sue saw a tree sparrow on Thursday and a mistle thrush on Friday. The latter was also seen on both Saturday and Sunday.
The weekend was rather quiet with great crested grebe both days, 2 slavonian grebes on Sunday, goldeneye numbers are increasing rather slowly, 2 fieldfares on Saturday morning, ... er that's about it.
A flock of at least 9 long-tailed tits this morning, which was nice.
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Generally very quiet, though Sue saw a treecreeper again on Thursday.
Yesterday was much better however, with a spectacular storm driven high tide - one of the highest we have ever had. Highlights included close views of spotted redshank, a kingfisher, 2 rock pipits and at least 8 snipe. I harboured hopes of a jack snipe (our only record was on a similarly high tide) but it was not to be. There was a notable arrival of whooper swans during the afternoon, with several flocks totalling around 30 flying up the estuary, a few birds lingering for a while.
Rob
Yesterday was much better however, with a spectacular storm driven high tide - one of the highest we have ever had. Highlights included close views of spotted redshank, a kingfisher, 2 rock pipits and at least 8 snipe. I harboured hopes of a jack snipe (our only record was on a similarly high tide) but it was not to be. There was a notable arrival of whooper swans during the afternoon, with several flocks totalling around 30 flying up the estuary, a few birds lingering for a while.
Rob
edenwatcher
Well-known member
Remains fairly quiet.
The spotted redshank was still around yesterday and a small party of fieldfares and redwings moved through late morning. A geat crested grebe is still around but the strong winds and cold discouraged scans downstream.
A lesser black-back on Saturday was unseasonal whilst a sanderling yesterday was a real mega (first ever at this time of year). Good numbers of grey plovers around too.
This morning there was a party of 16 whooper swans.
Spent a chilly afternoon at Outhead (as did Stonefaction) but was rewarded with 3 short-eared owls together and probably around 6 birds in total. No decent photos though.
Rob
The spotted redshank was still around yesterday and a small party of fieldfares and redwings moved through late morning. A geat crested grebe is still around but the strong winds and cold discouraged scans downstream.
A lesser black-back on Saturday was unseasonal whilst a sanderling yesterday was a real mega (first ever at this time of year). Good numbers of grey plovers around too.
This morning there was a party of 16 whooper swans.
Spent a chilly afternoon at Outhead (as did Stonefaction) but was rewarded with 3 short-eared owls together and probably around 6 birds in total. No decent photos though.
Rob
