Eden Estuary News (1 Viewer)

[Stonefaction]

I managed a few fairly poor record shots of the Owls, Rob, but I may have to try again next weekend (weather permitting), as I'd really like to get them in good winter light. The seven Grey Partridges feeding out in the open beside the road were a nice bonus, especially in good light.
Posted the best of mine over on flickr.
www.flickr.com/stonefaction

 

[edenwatcher]

GREAT GREY SHRIKE (164 total, 130 for the year).
Sadly not by me as I'm in a portakabin in Oxfordshire, but Sue did some nifty scoping across the river this morning!

Rob

 

[fifebirder]

Nice sight, some nice pictures of them their too stonefaction, where is the best place on the links to see the owls?

 

[Stonefaction]

The owls appear to hunt along the edges of the fairways on the golf course, above the rough, and sometimes out over the dunes as well. They fly low so can be hard to spot, unless (and sometimes even when) you have a slightly elevated view. Best bet would be to pick a spot and sit and wait. You may get lucky, you may not. Yesterday, I had fleeting glimpses only.

 

[fifebirder]

Thanks, I think I'll try and get some views.

 

[edenwatcher]

Great grey shrike now on my garden list too. Showing very nicely this morning, albeit rather distant from here! Also this morning a mistle thrush, a great spotted woodpecker and a male peregrine.
Like the B+W owl shots Barry - v atmospheric.
Glad to be back from the portakabin. Was supposed to be flying back on Thursday, fortunately was able to carry on the experiment for another day!

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Been away again (meeting in Marseille!).
Other highlights from Saturday were a good count of 77 grey plovers and great crested grebe.
Large goose numbers the last couple of mornings but haven't seen anything other than pinkfeet and greylags. This morning there was a treecreeper just outside our bedroom window.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

A few snippets. The shrike was seen both days, though I didn't pick it up until late afternoon yesterday. Remarkable teal numbers yesterday, probably over 500, but they were not favourably disposed for counting them. Still impressive goose numbers without any scarcities, though there was a whooper swan amongst them this morning.
In the garden a tree sparrow visited the feeders on Saturday, whilst yesterday a fine male bullfinch takes us to 131 for the year.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

No fewer than 5 bullfinches yesterday morning, also at least 3000 pinkfeet.

Merry Christmas to all

Rob

 

[delia todd]

A merry Christmas to you, Sue and the bairns too Rob.

D

 

[aythya_hybrid]

Went up to out head this afternoon. Alas, no sign of any SEOs. However, all was not lost. Had a female Merlin which pursued a Dunlin over the mouth of the estuary. Also 2 Slav Grebes on the main channel, a lone Whooper Swan, about a half dozen LT Ducks, about 20 Pintail, 1 drake Goosander and a really nice flock of 30 pale-bellied Brents in Balgove Bay.

 

[edenwatcher]

A belated happy New Year to all. After a record-breaking 2011 - not sure 131 will be bettered in a hurry - we have a slow start to 2012. We left home after lunch on 1st for a family holiday on Tobago in honour of my mother's birthday (which was a great success - trip report to follow in the fullness of time) and got back yesterday, so we are only in the mid 30s so far.

The geese stayed late in the roost this morning and I was able to find a record 9 European whitefronts.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

A quiet weekend, without a daylight high tide.
The year list has reached 49, with notable additions being peregrine, great spotted woodpecker and brent goose. I saw 4 brents on Saturday, at least 3 of which were hrota, whilst yesterday's individual was bernicla. Dark-bellied brent is a real mega for us, possibly only 1 previous record.

I went to Outhead yesterday afternoon, where I had 2 short-eared owls, but far from the pre-Christmas owlfest, with very little action. Also 3 grey partridges.

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Still quiet.
However added 3 to the list on Saturday with 2 rock pipits, a few eider, and best of all a spotted redshank over high tide. The other notable feature was a party of 6 brent geese feeding in the field between us and the FBC hide on both Saturday and Sunday (5 hrota, 1 bernicla).
I was out much of yesterday but added wren to the year list (53).

Rob

PS forgot to mention the (albeit feeble) aurora display last night.

 

[edenwatcher]

A bit better at the w/e.
Saturday morning began with 2 pairs of pintail with the mixed wigeon and teal flock and was followed by 2 flocks of whooper swans leaving the roost (3+29). The whoopers returned at dusk in one flock. They went out again yesterday morning leaving a sickly bird behind for the day. This morning I only saw 31 ...
At last a great tit visited the feeders (56).
On the rising tide in the afternoon I added long-tailed duck to the year list (5 drakes 4 ducks) and a single slavonian grebe (58). Other highlights were a male peregrine and 5 pale-bellied brents (no sign of the dark-bellied).
Yesterday the brents were still about, also the spotted redshank seen again and a slavonian grebe well upstream. Further downstream were 3 long-tailed ducks. A single long-tailed tit visited the fat ball (59).

Rob

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

That sick looking Whooper was out on the mud yesterday morning. Also saw the five Brents and a nice Merlin on the saltmarsh. A Kingfisher gave good views briefly outside the centre. On the outer part of the estuary birds included at least twelve Slavonian Grebes and several Long-tailed Ducks and a few Pintail.

 

[edenwatcher]

Bother. Don't see merlin that often. I was out doing TTV for the Fife winter atlas (and checking the goose flock at Anstruther).

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Nice drake shoveler this morning (60).

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Still 29 whoopers around.
This morning excellent views of an otter near the mouth of the Motray (first for a while). Also a drake tufted duck (61) and then I found a green-winged teal (62) - which seems to be habit forming!

Rob

 

[edenwatcher]

Well, was it one? Late morning I picked it up again and it seemed to show a horizontal white stripe as well as the very obvious vertical one. I put the news out that it now looked like a hybrid. Watching it some more and it was apparent that the back feathers were significantly ruffled and it seemed as though the horizontal line was an artifact caused by the contrasting back feather blown on to the flanks. The width of the vertical line was such that it would have to be a 2nd generation hybrid (surely unlikely on this side of the pond). I should stress that the weather was pretty dismal on Saturday which didn't help matters. All in all then I think it was a GWT. We were out much of yesterday and no one else reported the bird. Further views would be nice.
Also on Saturday a siskin visited the feeders (63).
Yesterday the whoopers were again in the field just north of the estuary, the 5 pale-bellied brents were around again, a yellowhammer visited the garden (64) and I finally saw the first 2 dabchicks of the winter (65).
This morning the whoopers again and a single brent on the mud.

Rob