Eden Estuary News (2 Viewers)

edenwatcher · May 7, 2004

Fifebirder said:
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 · May 8, 2004

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 · May 8, 2004

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

edenwatcher · May 8, 2004

Jane Turner said:
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 · May 11, 2004

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 · May 11, 2004

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 · May 11, 2004

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 · May 18, 2004

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 · May 19, 2004

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 · May 19, 2004

Nice

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

edenwatcher · May 20, 2004

Jane Turner said:
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 · May 27, 2004

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 · May 27, 2004

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 · May 27, 2004

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 · May 27, 2004

edenwatcher said:
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 · May 27, 2004

Jake Apps said:
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 · Jun 2, 2004

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 · Jun 5, 2004

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 · Jun 5, 2004

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 · Jun 7, 2004

Fifebirder said:
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

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