Eden Estuary News (8 Viewers)

[Woodchatshrike]

I'd like to see those Blackwits! We had a record count at Loch Leven but I could only manage 80 in flight a couple of Saturdays ago.

Have all the Geese gone Rob?

 

[edenwatcher]

I'd like to see those Blackwits! We had a record count at Loch Leven but I could only manage 80 in flight a couple of Saturdays ago.

Have all the Geese gone Rob?

I think the geese have gone, apart from a few sickly pinkies.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

A few birds moving through have boosted the list to 90. On Tuesday Sue saw a pair of shoveler, and yesterday evening at least 4 wheatears were present. Plenty of swallows and sand martins around, but as yet no house martins.
On Monday Sue was walking to Leuchars when she saw what was probably a rose-coloured starling. She was running late for an appointment and could not stop to have a proper look ...

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

We were away in the Lakes for the weekend but I did manage a whimbrel on Friday evening for 91 for the year. A little behind last year at the same stage, but then so is the season!

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

House martin last night and swift this morning takes us to 93.

Rob

 

[Jane Turner]

I'm coming in on the rails Rob - up to 90 myself!

 

[edenwatcher]

Erk! Still, it was only to be expected!
A super evening yesterday which began with a whitethroat and 2 whimbrel as I was cycling home from work. At home there was another whimbrel along with at least 7 sandwich terns. 17 red-breasted mergansers was the best count of the year so far and a single greenshank was the first for a while. However the highlight was a stunning drake garganey, only our second ever, so that's 94 for the year.
No sign of it this morning but there was a nice male wheatear (probably Greenland).

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Thursday evening produced a new race for the garden list - a single dark-bellied brent goose on the saltmarsh. It was present in the outer estuary yesterday evening. Thursday also produced a couple of knot and 10 sandwich terns. Today has been rather quiet although we have had a 4 raptor day, the undoubted highlight being 2 visits from an osprey (95 for the year). Never tire of seeing them.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

It has been extremely quiet lately, though things picked up last night with a couple of drake gadwall and the reappearance of the brent goose. The latter was still around this morning. Very few waders are around, though I did see a greenshank on Sunday. We have had a bit of mammal variety lately, with a stoat just over a week ago, a couple of fox sightings, and a grey squirrel yesterday. The last of these was most unwelcome - no thanks we don't want any!

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Favourable conditions yesterday evening (no heat haze, high tide etc) led me to try a "seawatch" last night, i.e. scanning out to the estuary mouth from the garden. In part I was trying to get fulmar on to the year list, not having seen any on their way inland to the quarry at Lucklawhill. Sandwich terns in the outer estuary and several gannets were soon picked up, but I was amazed to see a manx shearwater head south until lost to view in a squall. A new bird for the garden list and a triumph for the new 'scope! Several kittiwakes, mostly adults, drifted south (also new for the year) before I picked up the first of 7 fulmars. The year list leaps to 98, with the overall total reaching 142.
Otherwise it remains pretty quiet with the brent goose still around and yesterday produced the first 2 goosanders of the spring.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

A few bits and pieces to report. Sue had a tree sparrow coming to food on the drive on Friday afternoon, but we haven't seen it since. On Friday evening I picked up a single Arctic tern with several sandwich, taking us to 99 for the year. Scanning towards the yestuary mouth produced a small pod of bottle-nosed dolphins heading north - nice! On Saturday there were 2 whimbrels on the saltmarsh at high tide, our only multiple count of what has been a poor spring for them.

Bring on no. 100.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Well still no sign of the elusive 100th species for the year. It has been pretty quiet of late, with only a few birds of note. Perhaps the strangest was a female long-tailed duck on Monday evening. There have also been up to 3 goldeneye around, the first for some time. This morning there was an unseasonal great crested grebe. Yellowhammers contniue to visit on a daily basis, but otherwise interesting passerines are in short supply. At least the squirrel has disappeared!

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

The Canada goose season is upon us. 5 on Saturday morning, with 41 in the evening and 6 yesterday evening. Not the ideal 100th species for the year! Perhaps that came on Friday evening with the possible little egret that vanished from view before I could get a proper look at it (no bins to hand). Ho hum.
Some stray wildfowl records at present with 4 tufties yesterday and 11 goldeneye, together with the odd wigeon and teal. I have now started seeing the occasional fulmar heading to inland nest sites.

Rob

PS Andrew started crawling on Saturday - chaos beckons!

 

[edenwatcher]

Time for an update methinks.
Blue tits fledged young in the nest-box by the house for the first time. In previous years they have built a nest but failed to go any further. At least 4 pairs of house sparrows are nesting under the eaves (on 2nd broods now). Down on the estuary there is at least one very large shelduck creche. The local buzzard pair is now feeding young and peregrines seem to have nested (again now presumably feeding young).
Monday evening produced the first drake scaup of the year (101) and there are plenty of goosanders around. There is a little egret on the estuary (we saw it from the bridge yesterday) but have yet to get it from the garden. The first returning redshanks appeared yesterday evening. Fulmars are to be seen heading to their inland nest sites ...

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

As you may have gathered it has been very quiet lately.
Waders are reappearing, particularly curlew which are well into 3 figures. There have also been a couple of whimbrel and the first returning black-tailed godwits.
There are a few dabbling ducks coming through as well, with some teal and a single wigeon. Moulting goosanders (all females) are much in evidence. Anyone know why the different sexes moult in different places?

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

The peregrines have fledged a single chick. Also the local buzzards have increasingly vocal young (presumably close to leaving the nest.
A summer plumage knot yesterday was nice as the first willow warbler of the year (102). Redshank and dunlin are around but I am wondering if the presence of peregrines is keeping waders out of the inner estuary.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Thins are finally starting to liven up a bit, despite the heat (yes, even here!).
Thursday produced a very nice (and vocal) whimbrel, 3 gadwall and a very unseasonal pale-bellied brent goose. The last of these was still around on Sunday evening. I also had a high count of 39 goosanders. The has been a very nice summer plumage bar-tailed godwit around, and last night produced a sudden jump in blackwit numbers to 73. I have seen at least 2 greenshanks and Sunday produced another whimbrel sighting.
A few other ducks have been appearing with 7 teal on Sunday and a group of 9 tufted ducks last night. The young peregrine remains close to the nest site, and at least 1 buzzard has fledged from next door's nest. Arctic terns have started to appear upstream (13 on Sunday) but I could see a flock of at least 200 commic terns at the estuary mouth.
Finally this morning produced 3 common sandpipers (103 for the year).

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Fairly quiet over the weekend, not least becuase the estuary was invisible for much of Saturday! A scattering of waders around, with a group of 5 whimbrel yesterday afternoon being the pick of the bunch. Yesterday also produced 2 each of summer plumage knot, summer plumage bar-tailed godwit and greenshank. I have the impression that waders are shunning the inner estuary because of peregrine pressure.
This morning however produced a bolt from the blue - our first ever redstart (the first I've ever seen away from migration hotspots in Fife). That takes us to 104 for the year and 143 in total.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Things are looking up a bit, with rather more to report.
Gannets can readily be seen fishing off the estuary mouth, provided there isn't too much heat haze. There are also many terns out there, so skuas should be around. I had a probable manx shearwater on Saturday afternoon, but it was only a fleeting glimpse.
The unseasonal brent goose is still about but there are few other wildfowl about. A drake scaup last Tuesday was a classic post-breeding date. Waders are still a bit disappointing, though 2 summer plumage grey plovers last night were a treat. Whimbrel have been around in good numbers, though I haven't seen more than 4 greenshanks. A few summer plumage knot have been around.
Good numbers of terns came upstream last night, including our first commons of the year. It looks as though we may miss little tern once again this year. A wheatear was around yesterday evening, but the highlight of the weekend was the return of the female merlin on Saturday afternoon. She gave superb views for over an hour. That takes us to 106 for the year.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Quite a good week so far.
I still see the brent goose from time to time. 4 shovelers on Monday evening was only our second record of the year. Terns have been regular well upstream this week with common, arctic and sandwich all present. 3 common sandpipers were present on Tuesday evening with 1 on Wednesday. Other waders include up to 4 greenshanks and a steady stream of whimbrel in what looks like being our best ever autumn for the species. The strong winds of Wednesday produced a nice adult kittiwake well up the estuary.
A great spotted woodpecker has been a fairly frequent visitor in recent days.

Rob