Friday, May 12, 2023

When an opportunity to spend a day in Arbroath arose, I was delighted to accept. The day started with a stop-off in Lower Largo where two Swifts seemed to be inspecting the roof of one of the seafront buildings. Arbroath Harbour area had at least two pairs of Swallows and a pair of Oystercatchers looking like they were nesting nearby. However the best selection of birds was found in the Auchmithie area. The village and the beach below had singing Skylark, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Linnet and Yellowhammer with Fulmar and Feral Pigeon nesting on the cliffs and numerous auks and Shags flying offshore. The cliffs nearby held large numbers of nesting Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittiwake, Herring Gull, Shag and Fulmar plus a few Great Black-backed Gulls patrolling overhead and a few Oystercatchers and Cormorants passing by. The only notable passerines were a few more Yellowhammers and Linnets plus a single Rock Pipit and an elusive Wheatear (heard but not seen). On the way back to Auchmithie, careful scanning of the auks on the sea and flying in to the cliffs revealed at least four Puffins entering a sea cave. Plant highlights included flowering Cowslip, Sea Campion, Red Campion, Thrift and Common Kidney-Vetch.

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