7 - JULY 2010 BIRD SIGHTINGS (ANGUS)

[Mark Caunt]

Angus Bird Sightings for JULY 2010

[Grant Balfour]

Spent an hour at Boddin Point. 7:30pm-8:30pm.
Lots of Eider & Guillemot. Gannets, Razorbills, Herring Gull, GBB Gull, BH Gull, etc....
Saw a GBB Gull swoop down and snatch a young Guillemot off the water. It then flew off to the cliffs south of Boddin, pursued by two Herring Gulls.
Young Rock Pipit on the old lime kilns.
More Rock Pipit and Linnet (inc juveniles) at the houses.
Kestrel near the railway.

[barry shaw]

hi there has anyone seen any white tailed sea eagle recently,no one seems to be reporing any sightings of them,i havent seen one in angus area for months now,could they be hidding from me lol.

[burnie]

The new batch have only just arrived from Norway,they won't be released for several weeks yet.

[stonefaction]

Took another trip up Glen Lethnot yesterday to try and improve on previous photographic efforts.
Similar species to previous visits, and a few new ones - Spotted Flycatcher, Cuckoo (x 2), Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, Stonechat, Whinchat, Redstart (pair), Jay, Raven, Siskin, Reed Bunting, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Wren, Coal Tit, Red Grouse, Pheasant, Buzzard, Kestrel, Willow Warbler. (A large number of these species also had young around).

From there we headed to the Lurgies for a brief look. Osprey, Shelduck, Lapwing, Greenshank (x 2), Redshank (x 1), Bar Tailed Godwit (x 1), Common Sandpiper (x 4), Grey Heron, Eider, Goosander, Wigeon, Common Tern, Canada Goose (x 1) swimming with Mute Swans.

From there we headed to Auchmithie where a single Corn Bunting was singing from the wires behind the football pitch. A Whitethroat was singing from the bush at the foot of the gulley. Puffin, Guillemot and Razorbill all offshore, plus Shag, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Herring Gull. Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Pheasant, Blue Tit and Kestrel all seen from the path down to beach.

Stopped at Westhaven where a family of Shelduck ( 2 adults and 11 youngsters) were just offshore, also a few Common Terns, 6 Grey Heron, Oystercatcher, Curlew and various gulls were seen.

In total managed 81 species throughout the day.

[stonefaction]

Had a bit of a seawatch from the car at Victoria Park, Arbroath this afternoon. Plenty Gannets around, the odd Shag and Cormorant, a couple of (Red Throated?) Divers, lots of Guillemots and Razorbills. Oystercatcher, Redshank, Curlew, Rock Pipit, Common Terns, Pied Wagtail, House Martin, Skylark all also seen.

Main highlights were 2 Manx Shearwaters which landed in with a group of gulls not too far offshore, before resuming their trip northwards (another 10 or so seen passing northbound throughout the afternoon), and a single Great Skua also northbound a little later.

[Bob McCurley]

July 5th. 9-45 a.m. MARSH HARRIER Imm. Male ---OSPREY 1 at Loch of Kinnordy RSPB Reserve
July 5th. 10-45 am WHINCHATS 2 STONECHATS 4 RAVENS 5 BUZARD 2 KESTRELS 2 --SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS 2
GREY WAGTAIL 1 WILLOW WARBLERS 2 - all seen in Glen Calley / Prosen

July 5th. 1300hrs OSPREY 1 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER 1 GOLDENEYE Female 1 at Balgavies Loch SWT reserve

July 5th. 1220pm . COMMON SANDPIPER 1 Seen at Murton Reserve Forfar

[K Hall]

16 Common Sandpipers today at Montrose Basin. Must be autumn already.

[gus guthrie]

Grasshopper warbler at Kinnordy Loch , on way round to the Lily pond.Approx 50m from small stone bridge on right hand side.
Also juv. male Marsh Harrier, Blackcap, Bullfinch, Osprey & Water Rail.

[Bob McCurley]

July 6th 9-45am RED KITE - REDSTARTS - TREE PIPIT - SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS - COMMON SANDPIPER - DIPPER - GREY WAGTAIL - CUCKOO- REDPOLL - SISKIN - 8 CROSSBILLS - BUZZARD - WOODCOCK - GREAT SPOTTTED WOODPECKER - WHEATEARS - - ETC

ABOVE ALL SEEN BY 20 MEMBERS OF THE Angus and Dundee Bird Club on their club outing - 47 species seen in total
Also seen was the Chimney Sweeper Moth - my first for Angus !

[Brian&Carol]

July 10. Five Ospreys fishing at Lintrathen this afternoon. One caught a fish and departed, another four visible at the same time. Most I have ever seen. Also 2 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Lapwing, 2 Mute Swans with 6 cygnets, lesser black backed and common gulls, Oystercatchers, Coots, 1 Grey Heron.

[stonefaction]

After visiting Rossie Bog in Fife for the Pectoral Sandpiper that has been there since Thursday we headed back to Balmossie to see if there were any interesting waders around. Small group of Dunlins with one notably lighter coloured bird which turned out to be a juvenile. A small group of Golden Plovers also, in addition to Redshank, Curlew and Oystercatchers. 15 Goosanders just off the mouth of the burn too.

From Monifieth a large group of Gannets (at least 100 birds, probably many more) were fishing way out in the estuary off Tentsmuir Point, and a few Common Terns were seen closer in.

[Bob McCurley]

July 11th 11-30AM. WHIMBREL 1 GREENSHANK 3 DUNLIN 30 - BLACK TAILED GODWITS 10 COMMON SANDPIPER 15- OSPREY 1 ALL SEEN FROM THE LURGIES -- BRENT GOOSE 1 ( FROM CENTRE BY ANDY LOVE ) AT MONTROSE BASIN

JULY 11TH. 1400HRS. CARNOUSTIE BAY - LITTLE GULL 1 KNOT 6 BAR TAILED GODWIT 5 PLUS STRONG TERN PASSGE GOING SOUTH - PLUS 30 PLUS GANNETS

[gus guthrie]

single Black-Throated Diver this evening at 6pm on Backwater Dam at top end of loch, far side.
Cracking bird in summer plumage.

[stevendoig]

3 Common Sandpipers at Forfar Loch this morning. (At the Inch) First time I've ever seen them at this venue.

[Bob McCurley]

JULY 13TH. 11AM WHIMBREL 3 Seen going South at East Haven - by Russell and Lesley

Return migration already !

[gus guthrie]

TOOK ALEX TO GLENSHEE TODAY TO TRY FOR PTARMIGAN, A LIFER FOR HER. SHE TOOK ONE LOOK AT THE CHAIRLIFTS AND DECLARED SHE WAS WALKING UP !
GOT TO THE TOP OF THE CAIRNWELL ( THE HARD WAY, STRAIGHT UP ) AND ALMOST FELL OVER 14 PTARMIGAN. SAT AND ATE OUR BRIDIES WITH THE PTARMIGAN LESS THAN 50FT AWAY. WALKED OVER TO THE NEXT HILL AND FOUND A FAMILY OF 6 RING OUZEL , ANOTHER LIFE BIRD FOR ALEX.HAD REALLY GOOD VIEWS AS THEY WERE COMPLETELY UNAFRAID OF US. RETURNED BACK DOWN TO THE CENTRE CAR PARK AND FOUND A GROUP OF RED GROUSE NEXT TO THE ROAD , LESS THAN 30FT AWAY FROM US. A GREAT DAY OUT, SHE SHOULD SLEEP TONIGHT !

[burnie]

Large flocks of long tailed tits,x4 common sandpiper, kingfisher,x4 dippers ,heron on the South Esk above Bridge of Dun.

[Bob McCurley]

July 18th 12 noon COMMON SCOTER 56 VELVET SCOTER 20 SANDWICH TERN 59 PUFFINS 5 GANNETS 40

Above Highlights seen during todays WEBS count at Lunan Bay by Bob ,Graham , and Gedorge .

July 18th 10am. KINGFISHERS 2 ( At Montrose Basin Old Pier ) plus 15 GREENSHANKS - 20 COMMON SANDPIPERS, 94 DUNLIN , 8 BLACK TAILED GODWIT , I OSPREY , and 1 WHIMBREL on the Lurgies .

[Grant Balfour]

Sat 17th:
It took a while this year, but I've finally got signs of Spotted Flycatcher nesting at Kinnaird Park.

Sun 18th:
At the Lurgies at 5am(!) to watch a bird ringing session and find out what is involved. Very interesting.
Species were mostly Sedge Warbler & Willow Warbler, but also Reed Bunting, Grasshopper Warbler, Chaffinch and a male Blackbird.

[Roy Adamson]

A welcome return of at least one kingfisher, which flew into our kitchen window. After recovering on the balustrade, it took off up the burn.

[stonefaction]

Slightly surprising sighting at 7am this morning of a small family group of Linnets (2 adults and 2 youngsters) at the junction of Clepington Street and Strathmore Street, just off Arklay Street in Dundee. Saw a single adult in the same area around a week and a half ago.

Sadly, also a Male Bullfinch killed when it flew into the large glass panels of the Ninewells bus stance this morning. A pair had been seen in the same area just last week.

[Grant Balfour]

A party of 8 Jays made an appearance for a few minutes at the Montreathmont hide yesterday evening.

[Mickey Mellon]

21/07/2010 Elliot 618388 Uncommon visitors 2 Common Sandpipers, Juv Red-throated Diver fishing off shore. Know its late in the season but 1 Common Tern and 1 Arctic Tern which is 1st I have seen this year in this area. 15 Sandwich Terns mixture of juvs and adults. Some adults taking small fish/sandeels to juvs. Guillemots off shore fishing, Sedge still noisy and male Reed Buntings still calling

[Roy Adamson]

Male kingfisher taking small fish from the Keilor burn, viewed from bedroom window