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Eden Estuary News (1 Viewer)

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
 
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
 
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
 
John o'Sullivan said:
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
 
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 said:
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
 
Last edited:
Jane Turner said:
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
 
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
 
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?
 
Fifebirder said:
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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