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Eden Estuary News (1 Viewer)

changing9

Active member
The Ranger Service is in a bad way, at Fife SOC we have made an FOI request to try to find out what is going on.

Rob

It's been in a bad way since Les Hatton left. You will recall that his reason for leaving was the contracting-out of the service by the Council and I think he has been proved correct.
 

edenwatcher

Well-known member
A fairly quiet weekend, beset by heat haze. Not much wader interest - a single spotted redshank leaving the roost on Saturday morning, good numbers of both godwits (85 black-tailed on Saturday). A red-throated diver flew south past the estuary mouth early evening yesterday, with plenty of auks there too. A single guillemot was well upstream on Saturday.
We heard a distant chiffchaff yesterday morning.
A faimly group of 4 pale-bellied brents this morning (and a single Canada goose).
Hoping to escape damage tonight and for some interesting wind blown stuff to follow.

Rob
 

edenwatcher

Well-known member
Up to 40 kittiwakes in the roost last night along with 3 sandwich terns. This morning a single guillemot, before it became impossible to see through the windows ...

Rob
 

edenwatcher

Well-known member
A few bits and pieces to report. Following last week's storm up to 3 guillemots lingered for a few days. A spotted redshank on Saturday and 3 knot but still no sign of a curlew sandpiper. Two snipe over the airfield on Sunday.
A flock of 150 barnacle geese toiled SW on Sunday morning, 5 of them peeling off to rest for a while on the saltmarsh. 8 brent geese were present on Friday evening.
A grey wagtail was seen on both Saturday and Sunday whilst a male siskin visited the feeders on Saturday.
This morning a flurry of gull activity indicated the presence of a fast moving otter.

Rob
 

edenwatcher

Well-known member
Definitely a change in the seasons now, with only a few swallows to be seen plus plenty of winter visitors. Several skeins of pinkfeet passed through on Saturday morning, goldeneye were up to 5, and mergansers are becoming more numerous than goosanders.
Other weekend highlights were 2 pintail, a spotted redshank and a siskin on Saturday and a great crested grebe, peregrine, 2 mistle thrushes and the first 2 jays of the year yesterday (123). This a typical record, no sign that it had anything to do with an influx from the continent.
Magpies are also very conspicuous at the moment - last week a record count of 7.

Rob
 

edenwatcher

Well-known member
Been away quite a bit lately, hence the lack of updates.
There is definitely a wintry feel to the estuary now with both pink-footed and greylag geese around. A slavonian grebe was well upstream on Saturday with a very white-headed female long-tailed duck on both Saturday and Sunday.
Red-breasted mergansers are quite numerous (14 yesterday) with only a single goosander on Saturday. 4 whooper swans flew south low overhead yesterday.
Still a few passage waders around with a spotted redshank on Saturday and 3 greenshanks yesterday (though all may overwinter). A turnstone yesterday was unusual so far upstream.
2 jays were visible over Earlshall woods yesterday and tree sparrows have been turning up at the feeders.
 

edenwatcher

Well-known member
End of an era

Goose numbers are still increasing, with over 120 greylags this morning. Also this morning the spotted redshank showed nicely.
At the weekend a slavonian grebe gave nice views on Saturday and I had stunning views of a fox walking across the field.
At least two tree sparrows have been using the feeders.

However ...

We move out tomorrow, to the leafy hamlet of Blebo Craigs.
It is quite a wrench, but it gives us more space, a larger garden for the boys to play in and they can go to school on the bus. We have a chance of red squirrels and maybe LEO and the mothing should be good. Also the boys are now old enough to come out birding with us more seriously than before.

We'll be visiting the estuary often and I hope others can keep this thread alive. So long and thanks for all the fish

Rob
 

delia todd

If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment
Staff member
Opus Editor
Supporter
Scotland
It sounds a lovely new place Rob and I'm sure you'll all be very happy there.

I hope you do manage to update this thread though, 'cos I'll miss it otherwise. It's been great.
 

changing9

Active member
Good Luck Rob.

As someone who spent many very happy hours on the Eden Estuary from about 1968 (when I moved to Fife) until 2010 (when I effectively stopped being an active wildfowler), I enjoyed your contributions and updates.

In latter years I began to regret the very pro-active part I played in campaigning for the LNR and in its subsequent management but those regrets were to do with the local bureaucracy rather than the LNR users (of all persuasions).

Here is a picture of me hunting geese on the Eden:
 

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Stonefaction

Stuck in Dundee.....
Scotland
Popped into the hide briefly mid-afternoon on my way back from a successful trip to Fife Ness for some seawatching. Teal, Goldeneye and a mixture of Gulls, around 50+ Redshanks, Black Tailed Godwits in summer plumage, but not too much else. A Slavonian Grebe and a pair of Shovelers were seen from the wee nature reserve on the north side of the river.
Mention in the book of a pair of Avocets seen from the centre this morning. No sign of them out front, upriver from the bridge, or on the flooded pool beyond the playpark when I looked around 4pm.
 

edenwatcher

Well-known member
Dusts off old thread.
I stood at the top of our old drive last night and had nice views of a spoonbill (it even woke up for a while).

It was always a species I was on the lookout for. Still a welcome and belated Fife tick - 2 in a week in late June, what with Temminck's stint at Letham. Who'd have thought it.

Rob
 

edenwatcher

Well-known member
Paid a visit to the estuary yesterday morning. Two little egrets were perched in bushes upstream of the bridge (actaully visible from a moving vehicle). Also upstream of the bridge were a greenshank and good numbers of black-tailed godwits.
From the centre: a distant osprey, 7 greenshanks and 2 curlew sandpipers (the main reason for the visit).

Rob
 

Stonefaction

Stuck in Dundee.....
Scotland
Spent the afternoon in the hide at Guardbridge today, out of the wind. Got there just as the tide was almost all the way in, and as it was a big tide (water even made it into the top field below the FBC hide) it didn't make it back out at all by the time I left. Highlights were 1 Little Egret still around, a pair of Pintails, 6 Goldeneye, 2 Greenshanks, 3 Snipe that flew into the saltmarsh, Tree Sparrows on the feeders and a pass by a Peregrine. The Kingfisher flew past just as I was saying you had to be lucky to see it sometimes. I missed it.... the lady to my left saw it and the Spanish birder on my right saw it....

There were large flocks of waders spooked from the fields beyond the farm towards St Andrews a few times. Definitely some Lapwings and the others may have been Golden Plover, but too far away to tell. Also a couple of Pipits along the edge of the river opposite, that could either have been Meadow or Rock (photos inconclusive due to distance).
 

Stonefaction

Stuck in Dundee.....
Scotland
Another afternoon of Winter sunshine spent in the hide at Guardbridge this afternoon. Arrived with the tide "wrong" - quite well out, but soon picked out a White Tailed Eagle (blue Z) out on the mud feeding on something quite dark (Cormorant?), with a couple of Carrion Crows loitering nearby. Managed to miss the Eagle fly off, but picked it up flying off over the airfield towards the northeast. Three Buzzards showed really well, with one in particular circling just out front of the hide catching the sun really nicely giving me some of my best ever buzzard photos. A Peregrine flew through quite slowly, but still managed to spook some of the waders. At least 150 Teal were along the edge of the mud opposite the hide but a bit further towards Leuchars. A Red Breasted Merganser hunted out front with a few Mallard and Black Headed Gulls. A female Kingfisher flew past a few times calling loudly. Two Rooks down on the mud were an uncommon sight here. Tree Sparrows, House Sparrows and the usual finches and Tits were at the feeders, along with Dunnock and a female Great Spotted Woodpecker showed up as we were getting ready to leave. A skein of Greylags landed and a Magpie was in the conifers across the river.

Bar tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard (3), Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull (1), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1), Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Kingfisher (1), Lapwing (3), Magpie (1), Mallard, Mute Swan (1), Oystercatcher, Peregrine (1), Pied Wagtail (1), Red Breasted Merganser (2), Redshank, Feral Pigeon, Shelduck, Starling, Teal (150+), Tree Sparrow (2), White Tailed Eagle (1), Wigeon (3), Woodpigeon, Wren (1)
 

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delia todd

If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment
Staff member
Opus Editor
Supporter
Scotland
Weather and everything else permitting we'll maybe get to the Eden Estuary on Friday.

Two things... can anyone tell me what the tides will be doing and... I lost the code for the hide when my mobile broke - could someone PM me it please.
 

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