TAYSIDE
TOADSTOOLS & BIRDS
My voice / Becomes the wind / Mushroom-hunting . . . . . . . . . 19th century haiku by Japanese poet MASAOKA SHIKI [1867-1902]
TAYSIDE AND ANGUS BUTTERFLIES, MOTHS, FUNGI AND BIRDS
STARTED WEBSITE 2014 to record fungi foraging in DUNDEE, SCOTLAND, then in 2019 moved house to BRECHIN where continued foraging but on April 29,2020 expanded into amateur BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY but include anything else that takes my interest such as charity events, butterflies, etc
If area not mentioned in fungi photo it will be Dundee area, other pages are from Brechin area
To put my slant on the old argument of what is a Mushroom or a Toadstool - I use both terms to describe any form which looks similar to Agarics or Boletes but use Fungi to describe the forms found in Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Brackets. There is also no reason to use Toadstool specifically to describe poisonous forms, considering that unless you are very well informed it would be difficult to know which are poisonous in the first place. Which brings us neatly into the one thing that must be adhered to - UNLESS YOU ARE CERTAIN OF THE MUSHROOM YOU ARE PICKING - DO NOT EAT IT.
[BIRDS] AND [FUNGI] NOW HAVE DROP-DOWN MENUS [courtesy of son] UPDATED August 2, 2020.
HOVER OVER DESIRED SECTION TO VIEW MENUS
CAMERA : PANASONIC LUMIX DMC - LX7 for fungi : NIKON COOLPIX P1000 for birds
BOOKS : MUSHROOMS by Roger Phillips [Macmillan] and FUNGI OF BRITAIN AND EUROPE by Michael Jordan [David and Charles]
email : TAYSIDETOADSTOOLS@OUTLOOK.COM
SHORT EARED OWL [Asio flammeus]
Bird I saw at Wigeon Hide [Lurgies end], September 16, 2021
and Balgavies Loch on January 14, 2024.
Never succeeded with a photo yet
LESSER YELLOW LEGS [Tringa flavipes]
Seen at Lurgies on September 1, 2023, after I met a group of twitchers who had arrived after being notified on their bird app - my appearance was by chance.
Saw it through tripod binocular of one of the group but too far for photo. A rare find in Scotland indeed. Not recorded
WEEKLY WEATHER OF 2024
Temperature is the high for the day.
Mauve denotes bird walk
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21
Bright. 50mph wind. 7C
Yet another stormy day in this wild winter
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22
Light rain. Cutting 50mph wind again. 6C
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23
Light rain. 8mph wind. 3C
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24
Damp. Windy 20mph. 12C
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25
Bright. 13mph wind. 11C
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26
Light rain. 5mph wind. 9C
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27
Bright. 9mph wind. 9C
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28
Damp and grey. 11mph wind. 9C
EUROPEAN OTTER [Lutra lutra]
River Esk bank at Brechin, May 6, 2020
Lurgies - One on June 21, 2021, two on March 5, 2023,
one on August 23, 2023
BIRD INDEX PHOTOGRAPHS
ROSSIE SPIT / MURTON ~
COLLARED DOVE
GOLDCREST
OYSTER CATCHER
SAND MARTIN
TERN
RIVER ESK ~
BLACKBIRD
GREY HERON
HOUSE MARTIN
PHEASANT
SANDPIPER
SONGTHRUSH
SPARROW [HOUSE]
TIT [LONG-TAILED]
WAGTAIL [GREY]
WAGTAIL [PIED]
WAGTAIL [WHITE]
WHITE-THROATED DIPPER
WOOD PIGEON
WIGEON COASTAL ~
GODWIT [BAR-TAILED]
GREENSHANK
KNOT
PINK-FOOTED GOOSE
PINTAIL
PLOVER [GREY]
SHOVELLER
WIGEON
WHIMBREL
WHOOPER SWAN
TAYOCK ~
CARRION CROW
CURLEW
CURLEW SANDPIPER
FERAL PIGEON
GREEN WARBLER
MALLARD
PINTAIL
REDSHANK
TIT [LONG-TAILED]
WREN
SEED STATION ~
BLUETIT
GOLDFINCH
GREENFINCH
PHEASANT
SISKIN
SPARROW [TREE]
STARLING
YELLOWHAMMER
FORFAR LOCH ~
BLACK-BACKED GULL [GREAT]
BLACK-BACKED GULL [LESSER]
BLACKCAP
CORMORANT
GADWALL
GREBE [GREAT-CRESTED]
GREBE [LITTLE]
GREY PARTRIDGE
MAGPIE
REDWING
BALGAVIES LOCH ~
BLACKCAP
BULLFINCH
COOT
DUNNOCK
GOLDENEYE
GREYLAG GOOSE
HOOPOE
OSPREY
REED BUNTING
SWALLOW
TIT [BLUE]
TIT [COAL]
TIT [GREAT]
TREE CREEPER
TUFTED DUCK
WIGEON FIELD ~
BUZZARD
GOLDFINCH
MEADOW PIPIT
PHEASANT
SEDGE WARBLER
STONECHAT
SKYLARK
TWITE
WHINCHAT
WHITETHROAT
LURGIES MUDBANK ~
CANADA GOOSE
DUNLIN
EGRET [GREAT]
EGRET [LITTLE]
EIDER
GODWIT [BLACK-TAILED]
GUILLEMOT
KINGFISHER
LAPWING
MERGANSER
PLOVER [RINGED]
RUDDY SHELDUCK
RUFF
SHELDUCK
SWAN [MUTE]
SWAN [WHOOPER]
TEAL
LURGIES HEDGEROW ~
CHAFFINCH
CHIFF-CHAFF
FIELDFARE
GREENFINCH
JACKDAW
LINNET
MOORHEN
ROBIN
ROOK
STARLING
YELLOWHAMMER
WOODPECKER [GREAT SPOTTED]
ABERLEMNO KIRK NEAR BRECHIN, July 16, 2019
PICTISH CROSS
One side shows a carved cross
Photo above is other side which may depict
Battle of Nechtansmere, dating 695AD.
[Brechin / Dundee] for other side of stone
Penguin for Maggie's Dundee cancer charity
called 'R2Dundee2' linking to 'Star Wars' films.
June 29-September 24, 2018.
[Brechin / Dundee] for more statues
In March 2018 we had snow storms dubbed
'The Beast from the East'. Badger carving at
Kinnoull Hill, Perth, was taken around then.
[Brechin / Dundee] for more carvings
BIRD WALKS OF 2024
DECEMBER 9
Blocked road stopped Lurgies so diverted to Balgavies Loch on a dreary, grey day. Saw goldeneye, moorhen, tufted duck, cormorant, mute swan, mallard, greylag, great tit, bluetit, coaltit, dunnock, goldfinch, chaffinch, buzzard, pheasant
DECEMBER 15
Never seen Lurgies inlet so devoid of birds on a day of wind and low tide with storm getting to 50mph by afternoon. Group of teal but all else were solo, with oyster catcher, little grebe, redshank, lapwing. A fellow birder said he saw greenshank and golden plover [never seen plover at all, everyone else does. Maybe one day]
DECEMBER 24
Not a walk as too windy and wet but a round-up of the year. Surprised at how many new finds there were - 6 birds, 1 fungus, 1 snail. The birds were a big surprise as having done this for five years I expected that there might be no new birds from last year onwards. New photos are always welcome as a few items are not good at all and getting updates are enjoyable - looking at you grey partridge in particular
Same red squirrel at
Balgavies Loch bird station
January 14, 2024
NEW PHOTOS 2024
GREAT EGRET : January 28 [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
SARCOSCYPHA COCCINEA [scarlet elf cup] : February 1 [Fungi / Ascomycota]
GOLDCREST : February 11 [Birds / Rossie Spit] - poor picture
DEVASTATED RIVER ESK AREA : February 16 [Birds / River Esk]
BUZZARD : February 18 [Birds / Rossie Spit, Murton Farm]
LITTLE EGRET : February 25 [Birds / Tayock]
LONG-TAILED TIT : February 25 [Birds / Tayock]
STONECHAT : March 13 [Birds / Wigeon Field]
SKYLARK and MEADOW PIPIT : April 8 [Birds / Wigeon Field]
GADWALL : April 22 [Birds / Forfar Loch]
GREY PARTRIDGE : April 19 [Birds / Forfar Loch]. Good photo of elusive bird
COMMON SANDPIPER : April 27 [Birds / River Esk]
MUTE SWANS AND CYGNETS : May 22 [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
REED BUNTING : May 25 [Birds / Balgavies Loch]
MEADOW PIPIT and CARPET MOTH : [Birds / Wigeon Field] & [Butterflies / Moths]
CHAFFINCH : June 12 [Birds / Lurgies Hedgerow]
GREAT-CRESTED GREBE CHICKS : June 20 [Birds / Forfar Loch]
SMALL COPPER BUTTERFLY : June 22 [Butterflies / Moths]
LAPWING : June 24 [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
BLACK-HEADED GULL JUVENILE : July 5 [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
LARGE WHITE BUTTERFLY : July 12 [Butterfly/Moths]
GREY PARTRIDGE YOUNG : July 17 [Birds / Forfar Loch]
SONGTHRUSH YOUNGSTER : July 17 [Birds / River Esk]
BANDED SNAIL : July 19, July 24, August 4, August 11 [Butterflies / Moths]
WHITETHROAT : August 4 [Birds / Wigeon Field]
RUDDY SHELDUCK : August 11 [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
PHEASANT : August 31 [Birds / Wigeon Field]
JUVENILE RINGED PLOVER : September 7 [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
PINK-FOOTED GOOSE : September 16 [Birds / Wigeon Coastal]
RED ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY : September 16 [Butterflies / Moths]
BLACK-TAILED GODWIT : September 25 [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
CURLEW SANDPIPER : October 7 [Birds / Tayock]
GREENSHANK : October 10 [Birds / Wigeon Coastal]
KINGFISHER : November 6
GREY SEAL : November 6
SHOVELLER [female] : November 10 [Birds / Wigeon Coastal]
GOLDFINCH : November 30 [Birds / Balgavies Loch]
NEW FINDS IN 2024
SARCOSCYPHA COCCINEA [scarlet elf cup] : February 1 [Fungi / Ascomycota]
GOLDCREST : February 11 [Birds / Rossie Spit] - not a good photo as won't stay still
GADWALL : April 19 [Birds / Forfar Loch]
BANDED SNAIL : July 19 [Butterflies / Moths]. Various colours
RUDDY SHELDUCK : August 11 [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
CURLEW SANDPIPER : October 7 [Birds / Tayock]
GREENSHANK : October 10 [Birds / Wigeon Coastal]
KINGFISHER : November 6, 2024