Hudsonian Godwit – Eden Estuary, Guardbridge, Fife, 11^th November 2020

Over the course of the weekend 7th / 8th November ‘my’ joiners, Dylan and James, were finally able to create and assemble my much-anticipated bookcase on the entire end wall of my living room at 62 High Street.

This had been delayed as a result of Dylan coming into contact with someone with COVID-19 resulting in him having to self-isolate for 14 days. Thus, the critical first stage of transforming 62 High Street was postponed for a week. However, they more than made up for lost time, and completed all but the over-door component of the bookcase on the Saturday and Sunday.

As a result, on Monday the 9th November I was busy all day with some serious cleaning and tidying in the aftermath, and then with progressively unpacking the boxes in which my books, etc., had been stored for weeks, and slowly putting them on the shelves. It was a full day.

At around 20:30 that evening there was some very interesting ‘breaking news’. For example, at 20:39 a message on RBA stated “Fife HUDSONIAN GODWIT on 3rd November Eden Estuary [identified from photograph]”…… . However, the first I knew was when I read a message regarding the same which had been posted by Fred Fearn on our Birding Banter WhatsApp group.

Wow!!! Wow!!! And double Wow!!!

There was some confusion about the date of the sighting (or, more accurately, when the photographs from which it was (re-)identified were taken), which seemed to be the 3rd November. Whichever, as several days had elapsed, I tried not to get too excited, and indeed, I didn’t plan jumping in the car before dawn the following morning.

I did though join in with the response on the group, simply saying, “Flipping heck!”.

I knew that the following morning, that of Tuesday the 10th November, certain Fife-based members of our WhatsApp group would undoubtedly be there.

Indeed, they were, and predictably, positive news came through at 10:35 that morning, suggesting that the godwit had been seen from the Eden Estuary Centre at 10:25, before it flew east with c.25 Black-tailed Godwits.

I engaged in a WhatsApp dialogue with John Nadin, asking him, “What can you tell me John?” He confirmed he had seen it (“It’s on”) along with six others, including Ken Shaw. However, he also confirmed that the flock had flown away, high….. .

I cracked, and ‘phoned John. He had left the scene and was driving home, but proceeded to give me a typically garbled account about events.

He confirmed what perhaps I had already decided, that being at the scene early the following morning was my best plan of action.

Very soon after we ended our conversation the bombardment of images and footage taken by John commenced. This was helpful though, as again it confirmed what John had indicated, identification of the bird amongst Black-tailed Godwits (unless in flight) and, especially when distant in indifferent light, was anything but easy; it was a subtle bird.

Early that afternoon, the bird was relocated further out on the estuary. A couple of messages on RBA confirmed this, and John was also good enough to send me a couple of maps with way-markers indicating where the bird had been seen, presumably taken from the Fife WhatsApp group. He reiterated though, that he still thought my best option was the following morning at the Eden Estuary Centre. He also randomly indicated that Mervyn Griffin’s Cory’s Shearwater had been accepted and then re-commenced the onslaught of images and footage, at 13:40, 13:59, 14:26, 16:23 and 22:43, the last being followed by a message saying, “Good luck if you head over tomorrow Brian”.

Meanwhile, I had another dialogue with David Steel, as I was aware he was coming off the Isle of May for the winter during the week, and as such I had tentatively put two and two together envisaging that maybe we could team up, or at least meet up…. . We chatted, and we also exchanged a series of WhatsApp messages, including several from the Fife WhatsApp group providing more details about where and when the bird had been relocated, and how to get there.

Finally, that night Ken contacted me by WhatsApp, asking, “Hiya, all OK? You coming over for the Godwit at some stage?” I confirmed I was and Ken reiterated that, “Limited space there. Earlier is better. If raining, go to left hand side of the hide”, and, when I suggested I knew it was subtle unless in flight Ken responded, “Yip that is right. Good luck”.

Given all that had been going on, that night I slept relatively well, have prepared my gear for early the following morning.

Early on the morning Wednesday the 11th November I managed to get up at 07:00 without using an alarm. Having done do, I quickly prepared and walked to the car, conveniently parked close by in the middle of Queensferry. As such I had departed by 07:30, and, after an uneventful drive I arrived in Guardbridge and located the small car-park for the Eden Estuary Centre adjacent to the access road works that were ongoing for the Edenside Paper-mill. It was still sometime before 08:30. As I had been warned, parking was very limited. All five or six spaces were occupied, and there were two unoccupied disabled parking places. I re-collected that there were cars abandoned in lay-bys and on the muddy verge alongside the main road, but rather ‘naughtily’ opted to park within the car-park, just not in a marked bay. I quickly (or as quickly as my age allowed) put on my wellies and leggings in anticipation of a long wait in dreich conditions…… .

From the car-park it was a very short walk to the Centre. This proved to be little more than an open-sided shelter overlooking the point at which the River Eden reached the estuary beyond.

The shelter was occupied by some twelve or so birders, most of whom I knew…. . It almost felt as though I was greeted fondly and excitedly; I was very flattered. For now, though, this didn’t matter, because it was immediately explained to me that my timing was perfect; the bird had literally just been located by Kris Gibb. Better still, as Kris was busy putting the news out, I was encouraged to use his ‘scope to make sure I saw it straight away, as this was already trained on the bird.

This I did. Obviously. The bird was feeding in the shallow water in the incoming tideline, in loose association with a very few Redshank, with a long straggling line of Pink-footed Geese resting in the shallows beyond.

As such, I banged it in immediately on arrival!

I gratefully relinquished my place at Kris’ ‘scope, and then had the task of finding my one space, and then locating the bird in my ‘scope. To do so, I went around the outside of the shelter to a position which afforded clear, but wet, viewing.

I quickly set up my ‘scope and very quickly located the bird, primed as I had been by using Kris’. All I had to do was locate the straggle of Pink-footed Geese the advancing tide-line and scan along them until I found the godwit. This I did, and having done so, I remained on it, taking in what I could at the range involved (and in the dull ‘ambience’).

Conversely, the atmosphere was euphoric, and as I suggested, I felt very much part of this. The banter – about me just arriving as it was finally found – was very good fun, as I finally enjoyed the company of Dennis Morrison, Andy Stirrat, Billy McLennan,et  al., including a couple apparently from down south who, seemingly, given her response to me; she seemed to know me…. .

In this atmosphere, we all watched it in a relaxed manner for the next 23 minutes before (after a couple of false starts) it eventually flew off with four Black-tailed Godwit, with other small groups loosely associated with them.

Kris, who excelled throughout, was again putting the news out, and asked that we stayed on it as it disappeared further and higher and further away out into the estuary beyond, as others were still en route and any gen was good gen.

This we did, and it was interesting hearing people commentating as to where the bird was within the flock…… . Andy stayed on it forever with his ‘scope, but by now I had decided to quit whilst I was (very definitely) ahead; I packed up my ‘scope and prepared to leave, but as I did so Kris located a Spotted Redshank (which I saw with my bins) and Andy mentioned that Kris had earlier located on a very distant White-tailed Eagle on a post at the mouth of the estuary (which I saw with my bins – the post that is).

So, well within 45 minutes of arriving I was leaving, saying goodbye to everyone to whom I had already chatted, and also Stuart Rivers (but not Martin Scott) both of whom were on the other side of the gallery from where I had eventually stationed myself.

Having removed my (unnecessary?) wellies and leggings and loaded everything up into the car, I departed, and after another uneventful drive, I was home before 09:30, after a very successful (and vaguely illegal given the COVID-19 restrictions?) three-hour raid on deepest Fife.

The bird? Well, subtle is right.

When at rest it was a typical godwit, perhaps intermediate between Bar-tailed and Black-tailed in size and appearance, but although smaller than the latter, somehow stockier, at least to my eye. It also seemed to have a slightly stouter, long slightly upturned bill, and maybe shorter legs? As such, it was somewhat reminiscent of a dowitcher in ‘jizz’. At the ranges involved plumage details were not really discernible. However, it did appear duller and greyer than ‘regular’ godwits. The prominent supercilium in front of the eye was evident though on occasions.

In flight, I was able to see the ‘Zoothera thrush’ underwing, and also the darker upper-wing, with a narrow, restricted white wing-bar.

A very educational bird.

And my 499th species in Britain.

All very successful. …….. I even harboured thoughts of going back for seconds if it over-wintered / if COVID-19 restrictions allowed / if the weather enabled. None of which occurred… .

Hudsonian Godwit, Eden Estuary, Guardbridge, Fife, November 2020, indicating very well just how I saw it for much of the time (photograph credited to Martin Scott).

Hudsonian Godwit, Eden Estuary, Guardbridge, Fife, November 2020, (photographs credited to John Anderson).