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 ANY MENUS PRESENT
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.
This is a stock photo
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. This is stock photo
Saw it through tripod binocular of one of the group but too far for photo. A rare find in Scotland indeed. Not recorded
WEATHER OF 2025
Temperature is the high for the day.
Mauve denotes bird walk
FRIDAY, JUNE 20
Sun. 11mph wind. Too hot 28C
SATURDAY, JUNE 21
Sun. 8mph wind. 25C
SUNDAY, JUNE 22
Sun spells, heavy showers. 21mph wind. 24C
MONDAY, JUNE 23
Cloudy. 23mph wind. 18C
TUESDAY, JUNE 24
Some showers. 18mph wind. 18C
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
Mainly sunny. 12mph wind. 23C
THURSDAY, JUNE 26
Rain. 18mph wind. 20C
FRIDAY, JUNE 27
Rain. 14mh wind. 19C
EUROPEAN OTTER
[Lutra lutra]
Top left at River Esk bank, Brechin, May 6, 2020
Close-ups from February 9, 2025, not that good but what a memory.
Three otters ran around corner of path I was on and literally ran between my feet. Happened so fast those two photos were the best I could muster.
Brilliant moment.
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
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 [Male/Female]
WIGEON COASTAL ~
GODWIT [BAR-TAILED]
GREENSHANK
KNOT
PINK-FOOTED GOOSE
PINTAIL
PLOVER [GREY]
SHOVELLER
WIGEON
WHIMBREL
WHOOPER SWAN
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
WOODPECKER [GREAT-SPOTTED]
WIGEON FIELD ~
BUZZARD
GOLDFINCH
MEADOW PIPIT
PHEASANT
SEDGE WARBLER
STONECHAT
SKYLARK
TWITE
WHINCHAT
WHITETHROAT
AUCHMITHIE ~
DOVE [COLLARED]
FULMAR
GUILLEMOT / MURRE
HERRING GULL CHICK
KESTREL
KITTIWAKE
MEADOW PIPIT
RAZORBILL
SHAG
SPARROW [COMMON HOUSE]
LURGIES ~
RUDDY SHELDUCK
SWAN [MUTE]
SWAN [WHOOPER]
SWAN [BLACK]
LURGIES MUDBANK ~
CANADA GOOSE
DUNLIN
EGRET [GREAT]
EGRET [LITTLE]
EIDER
GODWIT [BLACK-TAILED]
KINGFISHER
LAPWING
MERGANSER [GOOSANDER]
MERGANSER [RED-BREASTED]
PLOVER [RINGED]
RUFF
SHELDUCK
TEAL
LURGIES HEDGEROW ~
CHAFFINCH
CHIFF-CHAFF
FIELDFARE
GREENFINCH
JACKDAW
LINNET
MOORHEN
ROBIN
ROOK
STARLING
YELLOWHAMMER
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 2025
JUNE 5, 2025
ROE DEER ONLY FEET FROM ME WHILE INSIDE BALGAVIES LOCH
HIDE
IT WAS RELAXED AND LAY DOWN FOR A REST IN THE SHADE
JUNE 9, LURGIES : Cloudy before later rain. Had to return to see if black swan was around - it wasn't. Saw eider duck, mute swan, oyster catcher, shelduck, female gadwall, male linnet, chaffinch. UPDATE OF MALE LINNET [Birds / Lurgies Hedgerow]
JUNE 12, AUCHMITHIE : Excellent day, still no puffins though, but TWO NEW BIRDS ! - KESTREL and FULMAR. Other birds were skylark, common sparrow, house martin, razorbill, kittiwake, shag, guillemot, herring gull with chick. Very windy on coast and rolling fog from the sea stopped my outing. Kestrel was hovering over the sea rocks and using the thermals from the cliffs, that's why my photo was successful. If it had moved I was doomed. PHOTOS OF KESTREL, FULMAR, HERRING GULL CHICK, KITTIWAKE
JUNE 18, TAYOCK : Cloudy, humid day with little about. Magpie, yellowhammer, songthrush, swallow, black-headed gull only coastal bird during a low-tide spell
JUNE 19, LURGIES : Very hot and sunny at low tide to see mute swan, grey heron, lapwing, oyster catcher, yellowhammer, reed bunting. Mudflats mainly empty of birds
JUNE 20, BALGAVIES LOCH : Hot 28C walk [in shade if possible] to see two osprey adults and two chicks, coot paddling in shallow water, mute swan, greylag goose [100+], black-headed gull, moorhen, great-crested grebe, great tit, bluetit, swallow [move so fast find it difficult to see if swallow, swift or house martin unless see one with slim, deep-forked tail which is a swallow], songthrush, goldfinch. UPDATES WITH OSPREY SHOWING CHICK [Balgavies Osprey] also COOT [Birds / Balgavies Loch]
JUNE 21 : Added yet another new page as Balgavies Loch becoming clunky. Have created Balgavies Loch and Balgavies Osprey pages
JUNE 25, LURGIES : Low tide [doesn't seem best time to visit here] to see grey heron, mute swan, lapwing, oyster catcher, yellowhammer; white, meadow brown, small tortoiseshell butterflies and a red-tailed bumblebee
NEW PHOTOS 2025
JANUARY 16 : GREAT-SPOTTED WOODPECKER; RED SQUIRREL [Birds / Balgavies Loch]
JANUARY 30 : RED-BREASTED MERGANSER [male] [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
FEBRUARY 9 : OTTERS [top of this page]
FEBRUARY 13 : DUNNOCK [Birds / Forfar Loch]
APRIL 3 : MALLARD [male and female] [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
APRIL 17 : MEADOW PIPIT [Birds / Auchmithie]
APRIL 23 : BULLFINCH [female] [Birds / Balgavies Loch]
MAY 1 : SHAG; RAZORBILL; COMMON HOUSE SPARROW; GUILLEMOT
[Birds / Auchmithie]
MAY 8 : COLLARED DOVE [Birds / Auchmithie]
MAY 9 : RED-BREASTED MERGANSER FEMALE [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
MAY 22 : KITTIWAKE [Birds / Auchmithie]
JUNE 5 : GADWALL [female] [Birds / Forfar Loch]
YELLOWHAMMER [female] [Birds / Seed Station]
JUNE 8 : BLACK SWAN [Birds / Lurgies]
JUNE 9 : LINNET [male] [Birds / Lurgies Hedgerow]
JUNE 12 : KESTREL HAWK and FULMAR [Birds / Auchmithie]
JUNE 20 : COOT and OSPREY [Balgavies Loch]
NEW FINDS IN 2025
JANUARY 30 : RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, male [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
MAY 1 : SHAG [Birds / Auchmithie]
MAY 1 : RAZORBILL [Birds / Auchmithie]
MAY 9 : RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, female [Birds / Lurgies Mudbank]
MAY 22 : KITTIWAKE [Birds / Auchmithie]
JUNE 8 : BLACK SWAN [Birds / Lurgies]
JUNE 12 : KESTREL HAWK and FULMAR [Birds / Auchmithie]