Caithness Birding

[kas]

HI everyone I have been thinking about this for a while and since the org pages (not forum) have come to a standstill, I thought the few of us that are on here, could post our sightings. I hope you dont mind.

After work I went in search of the Surf Scoter spotted in an Eider flock in Dunnet bay this morning, but got no joy due to a heavy Swell and the eiders being quite far off shore.

However all was not lost as their was still plenty about on the beach and in the bay.

1 Sanderling in amonst 10 Ringed plover
14 Common Scoters, All female,
1 Scaup,
30 Long-tailed ducks in the surf which was brilliant to watch,
150 Greylags flying over head,
23 RB Megansers
50-60 Twite
3 Curlew
200 Eider off shore (approx)
20 Shags
4 Cormorants
6 Hooded Crows
16 Oystercatchers
4 Gannets
hundreds of gulls, but due to fading light I did not have time to count, just the usual GBB, Common, Herring & BH.
and a 3 Dunlin at Castlehill.

I am surprised there was no divers as there is a few Red-Throats in Thurso bay and have been for weeks.

Now Iain please tell us the 70 species you managed to bag today, and we can all go green with envy.

[rin]

Thank you very much for suggesting this forum for us to keep our records in birdforum.net, this is the perfect place for us all to catch up with what is going on in our area.

I thought that I would go out and do my Plover survey today and as I was going to Wick I had a look out to Noss Head first and boy do I wish that I was doing my survey out there!

I saw some 150+ Lapwings at Papigoe, a Common Scoter at Staxigoe Harbour, a huge flock of 150+ mixed gulls at Noss Head, 4 Gannets at Broadhaven but not very much else around that area which I am sure is down to the heavy rain and dark dreary day. (I didn't want to go far so only saw these from the car.)

I then went onto Wester Loch which is my survey area and there I saw -

90 Great Black Back Gulls
140 Herring Gulls
1 solitary duck which was too far out to ID on this dreary day
I didn't see any lapwings or plovers so I hope that I have better luck next time

I finished my round trip with a stop off at Castlehill and saw loads there -

large numbers of long tail ducks
2 red throated divers
Ringed Plovers
Herring Gulls
GBB Gulls
large numbers of Eider Ducks M/F

Great day all round.

I spoke to Mary today and she said that the Surf Scoter wasn't there this morning either so maybe it has left to meet the rest of his group. Keep me posted.

Looking forward to reading everyones reports.

Happy birding.

[kas]

Today I was checking out the seal colonies so its only what birds I saw whilst doing this although I did check for the Surf Scoter but couldnt even find the eider flocks, did see nice human surfers though.

500+ Gannets, they were everywhere between Dunnet and Duncansby
15 Manx Shearwater
250 Greylags in total, with orange neck band AAX.
100 Redwings at Duncansby head
70 Twite at Duncansby & 50 at Sanick
Bagged the 2 RT divers at Castlehill.
Raven
2 Kestrels
2 Buzzards
12 GBB Gulls tucking into a daed grey seal
funniest thing was a Guillemot and Eider in amonst 150 Shags on a rock face, with a fulmar sleeping just above
as well as all the usual suspects but the highlight had to be a Peregrine above our house this morning., Kevs discovery, he was roaring "come and look at this" he's learning. :t:

[ionemosia]

Hi Kas,

With the day off on Friday and after a couple of days of easterly winds I decided to check out points east. My plan was to start at Duncansby Hd and work south through to Wick then home.

A Surf Scoter was reported on Thursday from Dunnet Bay so I would call in there first on my way to Duncansby. Only problem at Dunnet was the thick fog at 8 a.m. and although I could make out a large flock of eider and long-tailed duck off mid-sands I didn't fancy my chance of picking out the scoter. At the east end of the bay was a single Great Northern Diver and 6 Red-breasted merganser.

Dunnet beach was better with 9 Sanderling at 2 Snow Bunting virtually at my feet with the usual supporting cast of gulls and waders.

St. John's Loch had 150+ Tufted Duck, a few Mallard and Teal, a f. Common Scoter and 13 Whooper Swans.

Duncansby Hd was fairly quiet though a few Gannets fishing close inshore were as impressive as ever. Around Jo'G though there were hundreds of Blackbirds, Redwings and quiet a few Goldcrest.

At Skirza another Snow Bunting was luck to escape a persuing Hooded Crow but the chase made for a spectacular aerial display. Vast numbers of gulls moving N through Freswick Bay mostly Herring Gull, Common Gull and Kittiwake.

The water level at Loch of Wester was as high as I've ever seen it and the adjacent field held 30+ Meadow Pipits, 3 White Wagtails and 20 Linnet. At Quoys of Reiss there were 300 Golden Plover.

Noss Hd was dead so I moved on to South Hd and sat at the Trinkie. This was far better with a constant northward passage including 300+ Gannet, 500+ Guillemot and 300 Razorbill. Also 20 Long-tailed Duck, 300 Kittiwake, 1 Great Skua and 3 Manx Shearwater.

On the way home I got one Swallow and a Raven with an unfortunate meadow pipit.

The day hadn't turned up anything spectacular and I guess I could have added a few more if I'd covered some different habitat but it was great fun.

The full list was

1 Great Northern Diver
2 Northern Fulmar
3 Manx Shearwater
4 Northern Gannet
5 Great Cormorant
6 European Shag
7 Grey Heron
8 Mute Swan
9 Whooper Swan
10 Pink-footed Goose
11 Greylag Goose
12 Eurasian Wigeon
13 Eurasian Teal
14 Mallard
15 Tufted Duck
16 Common Eider
17 Long-tailed Duck
18 Common Scoter
19 Common Goldeneye
20 Red-breasted Merganser
21 Eurasian Buzzard
22 Eurasian Kestrel
23 Pheasant
24 Eurasian Oystercatcher
25 Northern Lapwing
26 Eurasian Golden-Plover
27 Common Ringed Plover
28 Eurasian Curlew
29 Common Redshank
30 Ruddy Turnstone
31 Sanderling
32 Dunlin
33 Great Skua
34 Common Gull
35 Great Black-backed Gull
36 European Herring Gull
37 Black-headed Gull
38 Kittiwake
39 Guillemot
40 Razorbill
41 Rock/Feral Pigeon
42 Common Wood-Pigeon
43 Eurasian Collared-Dove
44 Eurasian Skylark
45 Barn Swallow
46 Pied/White Wagtail (alba and yarrellii)
47 Meadow Pipit
48 Rock Pipit
49 Goldcrest
50 Winter Wren
51 Dunnock
52 Eurasian Blackbird
53 Redwing
54 Mistle Thrush
55 European Robin
56 European Stonechat
57 Eurasian Blue Tit
58 Eurasian Jackdaw
59 Rook
60 Carrion Crow
61 Hooded Crow
62 Common Raven
63 European Starling
64 House Sparrow
65 Chaffinch
66 European Greenfinch
67 European Goldfinch
68 Eurasian Linnet
69 Reed Bunting
70 Snow Bunting

Cheers
Iain

[ionemosia]

Hi Kas, Looks like you've had another good day. Surprised I never connected with Twite on Friday.

You'll make a birder of Kev yet!

Cheers
Iain

[rin]

Great excitement for me......these are all in my garden as I type.

50+ House Sparrows
40+ Starlings
1 Rook
6 Collared Doves
1 Dunnock
1 Wren (first ever in my garden)
1 very pale scruffy Blue Tit (first for months)

Easily pleased. o:D

Forgot to mention that yesterday I am sure that it was Tree Sparrows that were in the bushes on the Lyth Road after I turned left off the road after the Wester Bridge. I will check this again next time I am in that area.

Have you seen any Tree Sparrows there Iain?

Disappointed that there were no Golden Plovers at Wester yesterday that would have been excellent, especially for my survey.

Stan said that he and Julian saw approx 2,000 at Rattar on the way home from twitching the Pallis's Warbler the other Friday. Now that would have been a sight worth seeing.

Keep the posts coming.

[rin]

500+ Gannets, they were everywhere between Dunnet and Duncansby
15 Manx Shearwater

funniest thing was a Guillemot and Eider in amonst 150 Shags on a rock face, with a fulmar sleeping just above


I have never seen Manx Shearwater so would have loved that. Where about were they?

I love watching the Gannets fishing, they strike the water like they are falling out of the air and will hit the seabird and get stuck there forever. The most awesome sight I have ever seen since starting birding was the Gannets on Bass Rock. That is embedded in my memory forever......spectacular.

[rin]

250 Greylags in total, with orange neck band AAX.


Did you report the neckband?

[kas]

Yes I reported the neckband, details of its banding can be found here.
http://www.eastdalesringinggroup.org.uk/greylag.htm#links

I never got out today, but had a great day from the house.

First thing I spotted this morning wasa winter plumage Slavonian Grabe at the harbour., and the highlight being my first Whooper swans of the autumn. A group of 13 flew in from the North West over the bay towards Dunnet Head. They were accompanied by 19 Geese but too far away for me to ID. I also heard a large number of Greylags over the house at 2am in the morning.

Others today included
1 Red breasted Meganser
2 Common Scoters
10 Eider
40 Long-tailed Ducks
2 Red-throated Divers
too many Guillemots for my liking, many in the harbour and in the surf. They should be at sea.
1 Razorbill
1 Cormorant
Many Shags
2 Black Guillemots
50 Redshank
10 Ringed plover
2 Curlew
Many Oystercatchers
2 Turnstone
Common Gulls
GBB Gulls
Herring Gulls
BH Gulls
Rooks
3 Hooded Crows
5 Jackdaws
1 Rock Pipit
2 Robins fighting
2 Blackbirds
1 Wren
17 Starlings
21 House Sparrow
5 Greenfinch
Plenty of Gannets off shore

2 Common seals and a Grey seal as well.

Noticed a Surf Scoter turned up down the Moray way.

[kas]

Got the details of greylag AAX, very kindly from Brian Haines.

It is an adult male (age 6 in ringing speak;this basically means that it was at least 2 years old at the time of initial capture), was ringed at Nosterfield, North Yorkshire on 2nd March 2003.

Since then it was seen at various sites in North Yorkshire in 2003/2004, and was later seen in April 2004 in Iceland. It was seen in Iceland again in 2005 & 2006 but not subsequently in the UK until this sighting last weekend.

My friens brother is still saying about the Golden Eagle I mentioned at the SOC meeting. It disappeared last week but reappeared on Sunday. Apparantly they have a Buzzard there as well, so they are confident it is an immature eagle.

I had a call out at teatime about a pup up west. I could not believe the amount of raptors I managed to see whilst going up considering the light was fading fast. 6 Kestrels and 5 Buzzards. I suspect this was the first chance they had to hunt all day due to the heavy rain. 2 Grey Herons at Armadale.

I nearly killed 2 Pheasants at Russ's house, so if you heard the sreech of brakes at 1730 hours then that was me Russ. 12 Red Deer all hinds as well on Drumholliston.

[kas]

16 Whoopers comming in off the sea at Dounreay, another 13 at Hill of Forss. Not the same birds as they were seen 10 mins apart.

350-400 Greylags on the Hill of Forss, 2 with Orange neck bands, but I was not able to get the info without disturbing the whoopers. Both geese seemed irratated by their bands, both were permanently at the bands with their bill and feet for the half an hour I was there, whilst nearly all the others were resting.

Another 250-300 Greylags flew in from the North onto Scrabster hill, whilst I was at the hill of Forss.

[ionemosia]

Hi Rin,

I'm sorry to say that I haven't seen any Tree Sparrows in Caithness for years and don't recall ever seeing them at Lyth but I sure hope you're right (didn't see any there today though). They were most frequently seen at Tister and Olrig.

Lots of Whoopers today including 16 at Sandside, 35 on Loch Heilen with 55 nearby at East Greenland and 73 at Lyth. Stubble field at Greenland had 1000 Greylag mid morning.

There were 500 each of Golden Plover and Lapwing at Loch Heilen which looks promosing as that's my area for the winter plover survey. There was also a single Slavonian Grebe on the Loch.

Cheers
Iain

[Jos Stratford]

Good little part of the world you have up there - good to get a chance to read the everyday happenings of this little bit of 'foreign lands' tucked away up on top. Keep up the postings!

[rin]

Iain

If I remember correctly we always saw twite when we were on our class outings at Sandside with Geoff. They were in the field behind the toilet block, looking onto Sandside Estate.

I have to confess that I have no real idea how to determine just how many birds are in one area.........ie lose count after a few hundred and just add + to where I was at when lost count !

I must brush up on that skill as I am sure that I have more than likely totally underestimated the numbers of geese that I have seen in fields on the Shebster / Calder area. Can't wait to speak to Stan to see what numbers he recorded that after noon at Calder, he was about 30 minutes in front of me.

Speak soon

[rin]

I never got out today, but had a great day from the house.


Wow, eeeee........

Who needs to go out of the house with a list like that...........wow Kas, fantastic.

I might take a run to Sandside at lunch time tomorrow if I actually get a lunch hour that is.........this week has been hectic. Not got away from my desk for lunch this week and meetings again tomorrow. When will I get any work done !!!!

I'll let you know if I do and what I see.

Keep busy, migrant hunting.

[delia todd]

Thanks for starting this thread Kas, it's great to hear what's going on up there.

D

[Colin]

I have to 'ditto' what Delia has said. It is really enjoyable to read about that part of the world which I tend to visit once a year or maybe slightly more frequently when I also visit Sutherland. Keep the reports coming. Thank you all.

[rin]

On my way home from work just now I saw 13 Whoopers, 1 cygnet and some 150 Greylag Geese in the field adjacent to the road at the Janetstown/Achscrabster turnoff.

They were settling in for the night by the look of it. Light too poor to determine in more than the one cygnet but one definate sighting.

Great publication of photo Kas, excellent picture of a seal pup, recognition at last.

Rin x

[kas]

I only saw a Whooper flock in the forss fields today, I didnt see a single other bird, not even a gull or crow. What a day. Who knows what may have blown in from the north though, although I doubt anyone would be out looking.

For non local people
Caithness was hit with force 10 winds gusting to force 11, and some serious flooding. The 2 main Rivers burst their banks in various places, and many roads are closed including all our roads south.

Nobody I have spoken to has ever seen so much rain before.

[kas]

Another beach patrol for seal pups today. When I met a lovely gentleman who saw a Black Redstart at John O' Groats near the campsite. I had a nose for it myself, but no joy.

Mainly the norm on the go today, but I did see my first Great Northern Diver of the Autumn.
Hopefully get a birdie day tomorrow.

[rin]

Another beach patrol for seal pups today.

I hope that you didn't find any seal pups in need of rescue today.

Did you see the seal on the island on Thurso River late this afternoon. 1 single seal and it didn't look very big either.

[rin]

I have to confess that I have no real idea how to determine just how many birds are in one area.........ie lose count after a few hundred and just add + to where I was at when lost count !

I must brush up on that skill as I am sure that I have more than likely totally underestimated the numbers of geese that I have seen in fields on the Shebster / Calder area. Can't wait to speak to Stan to see what numbers he recorded that after noon at Calder, he was about 30 minutes in front of me.


Hey the guys at Birdwatching magazine must have a hidden mic in my house coz the November issue is full of tips on how to estimate bird numbers so guess that will keep me busy and be the end of my excuse as to not knowing how many birds I see !! :t:

[kas]

Nice to get a 25 hour day, but the light was useless by 4pm, I hate these dark evenings. :-C

I managed two and a half hours today and planned Achvarasdale. I never got there.
First went round the hill of Forss. Here was a Kestrel, Yellowhammer and 30 Linnet.
Then I found 5 Geese in the distance, Not sure on 4, however there was no mistaking the Barnacle Goose. The other 4 may have been Pinkfoot as they appeared the same size as the Barnacle.
Then at Achnavast about 800+ Geese spread over 4 Fields, including Orange neckband AAK, which was banded in the same batch as AAX, who I saw last week. I have sent the details to Brian and will hopefully hear in the next few days about it. The geese were mainly Greylags, with about 50 Pinkfeet. Also here was 26 Whoopers with 5 Cygnets. I spent a good 45 mins trying to get the neckband.

Then decided to go to Broubster to see if my lone Whooper who summered with us was there. I got to the best vantage point and instantly saw a swan. OH NO. However once I got the bins on the white dot, it wasnt the whooper but a Mute with a Cygnet. So fingers crossed it has met up with others. I also had a very dark patchy Buzzard, which had me puzzled for 20 mins until I got closer views. It was at this time I realisd Achvarasdle was out of the question.

Then at New Loch, Calder a beauty of a female Hen Harrier. Dodgy pics below.

So all in all a good day with all these others.
I have posted the seal on the river for you Rin, its a common and what beauty.

Red Throated Diver X3 Thurso Bay
Little Grebe New Loch
Cormorant
Shag
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
Pinkfoot Goose
Grelag Goose
Barnacle Goose
Wigeon
Teal
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Eider
Long-tailed Duck
Common Scoter x1 Thurso Bay
Goldeneye
Hen Harrier
Buzzard
Kestrel
Moorhen
Oystercatcher
Redshank
Turnstone
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Kittiwake
Guillemot
Wood Pigeon
Rock Pipit
Dunnock
Robin
Stonechat
Blackbird
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Greenfinch
Linnet
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting.

A few of my regulars not there. But a good few hours.

[Reay_Bonxie]

Iain

If I remember correctly we always saw twite when we were on our class outings at Sandside with Geoff. They were in the field behind the toilet block, looking onto Sandside Estate.


The farmer has tatties in that field atm, twite seem to prefer it when it is stubble grass.

I saw a pair of Blackcap warblers in the garden and a willow warbler. Should be the end of their season up here very soon if they aren't over due already.

Plenty of whoopers and twite down sandside beach.

RTD down at thurso bay yesterday.

Been mostly photoing stuff in the garden. I must get out more? ;)

[kas]

I was trawling the org photography forums last night, and came across a photo of 2 Pale-Bellied Brent Geese on a beach. It turns out the photo was taken on Castletown beach last week. I wish I had seen them.

I got AAKs details back from Bill.

This bird was ringed at Lingham’s Lake, Nosterfield on 2nd March 2003 and was born [hatched] the previous year. As AAX, it is a male bird.

They haven’t had any sightings of him since January 2004, and none away from Yorkshire since ringing. However, he did apparently spend winter 2003/04, or at least part of it in Yorkshire.

[ionemosia]

After seven day shifts and no birding I was looking forward to getting out today.

It was not to be, but I saw a pair of Blackcaps along the mall while taking the dog for a walk and having finally got round to replenishing the feeding station a female Brambling was a welcome visitor to the garden. Finally a peregrine flew over the garden near dusk.

Never got a chance to add to the October list though, which stuck at 98 sp. (not too shabby...for Caithness).

Iain

[kas]

I have been working all week, but was outside at work today.

A quick run to the West end of the site produced the Peregrine, I have not seen it for a while so I was delighted.

A 5 minute visit to the foreshore gate then produced a Red-throated diver (a first for work), 20 Long tailed ducks, 3 Eider, 1 Redshank, and a Oystercatcher.

As well as the normal gull and corvid species I managed Pied wagtail, Rock pipit, Robin, Balckbird, Lapwing, Starling and 20 Greylags.

[kas]

RED ALERT (Well for me anyway.............................)

WAXWING Reported in Halkirk today on Birdguides.

Noticed it after posting the above.

:loveme: :D

[rin]

RED ALERT (Well for me anyway.............................)

WAXWING Reported in Halkirk today on Birdguides.

Noticed it after posting the above.

:loveme: :D

I haven't seen any waxwing this year so far, come to think of it I haven't seen any fieldfare yet either.

Went to Inverness on Sunday, via Glengolly/Halkirk Road too but no waxwing. There were some 30 swans though, including 2 cygnets and some 300+ geese which I assume are the birds missing from janetstown on Thursday that I left home early to sneak a peak at. Typical.

All ready for SOC meeting on Wednesday?

Keep me posted on Waxwing news and I will phone as soon as I see any. First sightings were in Reay last years I think behind the church if the memory is correct !

Plover count on 19th again, where does the time go?

Speak soon.

[rin]

I love opening the curtains in the morning to see what is in the garden.

Today, 7 blackbirds, 43 starlings, 9 house sparrows, 4 dunnocks, 16 black headed gulls hovvering overhead, 1 crow, 1 jackdaw, 1 juv herring gull and 2 collared doves.

One of the starlings is so cute, it has a white bib which makes me think that he will be Santa this year for the others !

Not bad for a start to my day and with the weather we have today might be all I get to put on my list. Brrrrr, cold, hail, rain.

This is the twite counting weekend so fingers crossed that the weather improves because I don't get twite in my garden !!!

Have a good birding weekend everyone.

Rin x

[kas]

What about the Blackcaps???

Welll I went looking for the Crane, guess what??? Nowhere to be seen. The weather was wild. 120 Greylags were the crane was last seen. If it had any sense then it will have moved on due to the weather.

Another neck collared Greylag, Grey NFA. 200 Redwing at the stuble field on the hill of Forse. A few Buzzards and Kestrels. Tried doing the Twite survey but the weather was totally against me. Any finches were a distance away and in strong winds and poor light. Plenty of Rock Doves, but not pure I would say, not like the ones on the sea cliffs. I even had a white one.

I will have an attempt again tomorrow.

[kas]

Went out to Harpsdale for the Crane, a no show again. I then went out to the mill, then back up around Scotscalder, and New Loch, Calder. I had a pathetic attempt at counting finches. LOL I have a lot to learn.

Day cut short as I headed home to go out for a birthday lunch, with the intension of going back out, not to be as there were seals needing attention all over the shop. 3 teams out today.

3 Slavoniain Grebes, the fieldfare and Pochard were my personal favourites of the day. I never even looked out the front of the house today, so no sea species. Day list below. Nothing out of the ordinary.


Slavonian Grebe 2at New loch, 1 at Olginey
Cormorant 2 at New loch, (not often I see them inland)
Grey Heron
Whooper Swans. 11 at Geise, 6 at New loch, 7 at Calder
Greylag Goose, 160 at Harpsdale, 60 at Calder
Wigeon
Teal
Mallard
Pochard 20 at Olginey
Tufted duck
Goldeneye
Buzzard
Kestrel
Pheasant
C Gull
H Gull
GBB Gull
Rock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Robin
Stonechat
Blackbird
Fieldfare
Redwing
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling
Houseparrow
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Linnet
Twite
Reed Bunting

[kas]

Just in case anyone is interested here are the details of Greylag Grey NFA who I saw yesterday .

Thankyou to kanebrides for finding them for me. :t:

NFH Ringed at L.Eye on the 14/10/1999 as a Female
NFH nr.Ardersier NH7953 24/03/2000 vv 4 f
NFH Dalcross, nr.Ardersier NH7652 28/03/2000 vv 4 f
NFH Viewhill, nr.Ardersier NH7954 08/04/2000 vv 4 f
NFH Meikle Tarrel, nr.Portmahomack, E.Ross NH9081 02/12/2000 vv 6 f
NFH Meikle Tarrel, nr.Portmahomack, E.Ross NH9081 04/12/2000 vv 6 f
NFH Bindal, nr.Portmahomack, E..Ross NH9384 07/12/2000 vv 6 f
NFH Meikle Tarrel, nr.Portmahomack, E.Ross NH9081 10/12/2000 vv 6 f
NFH Arcan Mains, Marybank NH5053 12/02/2002 vv 6 f
NFH Oust Farm, Westfield, Caithness ND0665 11/11/2006 vv 6 f

[kas]

I have been outside the last 2 days at work, highlight being a Stoat yesterday. It was a funny little thing and I got great views until it noticed me and took off.

When up the west end of site one of the guys told me there was a dead bird that looked similair to a bird we found there 2 years back. It was indeed a Petrel but not a Leach's petrel like the last time, this was a Storm Petrel.

2 Years ago a Leach's petrel was found and I took it home to rest and released it at dusk, then last year I had a phonecall to say they had a shearwater, but they were not sure which type. It turned out to be a Little Auk, which was put to the vets then released. So as things come in three's I thought this was the third. All three of these birds were found within 50 metres of one and other, and all after Autumn westerly winds.

Then as I was making dinner last night a friend came to the door with a bird that they had found on our neighbouring site at work. She didnt have a clue what it was, but sure enough here was another Storm petrel. I took iot to the vets for Sinclair and have just found out it was fed then released last night. Dont you love a Happy ending.

Other birds seen over the last 2 days at work, Mallard, Wigeon, Redshank, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Jackdaw, Buzzard, Lapwing, Starling, Robin, C Gull, H Gull, Rock pipit, Gbb Gull.

One dodgy photo of the stormy in the box, I just pointed and clicked once and it ended up blurry.

[kas]

Outside again yesterday at work. It was pretty much the same as normal but its worth a mention.
Long-tailed duck, Red-throated diver, Black Guillemot, Eider, Shag, Gannet, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed gull, Common gull, Redshank, Oystercather, Lapwing, Turnstone, Curlew, Starling, Robin, Blackbird, Heron, Hooded Crow, Jackdaw, Greylag goose and Buzzard.

Today I was stuck at home, for anyone who does not know me I normally watch the sea from my house througout the day when I am at home, however right now I have no window due to renovations, so I am not watching out the front of our house anywhere near as much as normal. Today however I did manage to spend half an hour out in the drive. Only bother was everyone passing would stop and chat.

I am glad I did go out though as I managed a Black-throated diver, this is only the second time I have ever seen one in winter plumage, and that was a few years back.
Everthing was pretty much the norm. In fact the list looks very similair to the work list yesterday

Long-tailed duck, Red-throated diver, Black Guillemot, Guillemot, Eider, Shag, Gannet, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed gull, Common gull, Black-headed Gull, Redshank, Oystercather, Lapwing, Turnstone, Starling, Robin, Blackbird, Heron and Hooded Crow.

[Reay_Bonxie]

There was a blackcap warbler on the elder tree by Reay bridge and a flock of goldfinch on the burdoch at sandside. Apart from that just the usual! ;)

[kas]

That reminds me, my neighbour had a pair of Blackcap in her garden last week, needless to say I was at work.

[kas]

I was out to do the winter plover survey today. Not a bird in sight in my square,hundreds in the square next to it, typical. Went out to Groats, then round the ring at Mey, back to Dunnet via Ham. Stopped for 5 mins at Castlehill and Dunnet bay, I had a nine year old with me so the list is pretty good considering. The Black-throated Diver is still out the front, and I saw at least 10 Great Norther Divers in Dunnet bay, there may well have been more. Also had a single Bar-tailed Godwit at Castle hill.

Red-throated Diver, Little Grebe, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Greylag Goose, Greenland White-fronted Goose, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Eider, Long-tailed duck, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Meganser, Buzzard, Kestrel, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Curlew, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gulls, Guillemot, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Rock Pipit, Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Jackdaw, Rook, Hooded Crow, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch.


Then I was only home 30 mins when we had a call to Talmine for a seal, had it been earlier in the day I may have seen some top birds up there. Must head up that way soon again.

[kas]

White winged gulls have arrived today. At least 2 of each Glaucous and Iceland and they are all first winter birds. I have seen them in various spots today, Scrabster Harbour, Scrabster beach and below thre house, and I am not sure if it the same birds I am seeing, probably is though.

Dodgy photos, it is howling with wind, pouring with rain and very grey here, well that is the excuse I am sticking to.

[ionemosia]

Having been away on holiday till Sunday I attempted to do the winter plover survey at Loch Heilen this morning. Impossible as the conditions were appalling with gales and rain sheeting down. There is a large golden plover flock on the N side of the loch but no chance of an accurate count.

Last chance for the Nov count tomorrow so I'm hoping conditions improve overnight.

[jpoyner]

Hi All,

Please feel free to join the "Highland and Moray" yahoo newsgroup and post sightings there too (if you're not a member already)!! Could do with more input from "up north". It is now also enabled for inclusion of photos with posts.

Cheers,

John

PS The link should be below.

[ionemosia]

Better luck today with the weather although it was very wet to start with. Managed to do the Nov. count for the plover survey counting 1385 Golden Plover and 350 Lapwing on the N side of L. Heilen.

Stopped in at Castlehill on the way home where 20 Purple Sandpiper were the first I've seen this autumn.

Cheers,
Iain

[rin]

Attempted the twite/finch survey the other weekend but weather was attrocious and no success at all.

I had better luck last weekend at the Plover survey. Wester Loch - ~350 lapwings but nothing else plover wise. There were loads of ducks on the loch but light was poor and they were too far away for binos (didn't take scope with me) a dozen or so whooper swans and 2 cygnets so that was a bonus but other than that nothing worth speaking about.

First for my garden today though, excellent close up of a male blackcap. It came down to feast on a half eaten apple right outside of my french windows. Even grabbed Richard to make sure that I had a witness and he was on the books tonight making sure that I wasn't lying to him. As if I would !!!

Still not seen any fieldfares or waxwings this autumn. Anyone else seen any?

Not been out birding much atall, working 12 hour days last week and weekend was miserable. Hoping to get out and about this Sunday afternoon though so fingers crossed for better weather.

Will be in touch soon, keep us posted of your wanderings.

[rin]

Hi All,

Please feel free to join the "Highland and Moray" yahoo newsgroup and post sightings there too (if you're not a member already)!! Could do with more input from "up north". It is now also enabled for inclusion of photos with posts.

Cheers,

John

PS The link should be below.

I take it I must have a Yahoo ID address before I can join your group !

[ionemosia]

Hi Kas,

Three of your white-wings were in Scrabster Hbr this afternoon.

Cheers,
Iain

[kas]

Thanks for sharing Iain.
Great photos, I will look tomorrow. I saw one Iceland at Thurso Harbour on Wednesday, but have not been out since.

[Reay_Bonxie]

Great photos Iain.

I must get down to scrabster soon... I missed the white wing gulls last year, but aren't they a wee bit early?

[rin]

Great photos Iain. Fantastic that you had the camera. I haven't been down yet but will most definately be there this weekend at some point.

I have been lucky again.........blackcap there again today caught it on camcorder for a few secs before it flew off. It is costing me a fortune in apples and I am off for more very soon as I don't want to miss the opportunity of a great photo tomorrow when I will have time to have everything set up before I open the curtains. He is so cute sitting astride the apple as he chomps his way through the flesh. Magic moments.

Going to Wick later so taking scope today and going via Westerloch again. Mind you weather and light not good so far today so hope it picks up a bit.

Have a good birding weekend.

By the way - Great news Russ, hope that you and missus are over the moon with the news. 2 more budding birdwatchers on the horizon.

Rin x

[ionemosia]

Thanks for all the +ve comments. Caithness records for Iceland and Glaucous peak in Jan/Feb but both are regularly reported in November so this is not unusual RB. There were three trawlers in Scrabster this afternoon and that seems to have brought more white wings in, at least four birds including a 2W glaucous though I didn't get a shot of it.

Had a look at Achvarasdal at lunchtime and came across a mixed tit flock which included 5 long-tailed tit which is a very local resident and infrequently recorded in Caithness (most often at Langwell Strath). Also 3 treecreepers, another uncommon local resident (most often recorded at Achvarasdal and Bilbster).

Iain

[Jos Stratford]

For anybody happening to venture past Kas's residence, I believe the two birds pictured below will soon be viewable upon her walls. Would these be good enough Kas? ;)

[rin]

Today for the first time in what seems ages, I dusted my scope down and popped out for a quick jaunt in the car. Started out around 2.00pm.

Between Westfield Bridge and the Achalone Farm road on the Shebster Road I saw some 1500 in various fields along this stretch of road.

The majority were on the right hand side of the road about 2 fields back from the road not long after turning up off the Westfield bridge.

There were some 500+ Greylag geese in one field, one had an orange neck band and blowed if I could get close enough to ID the letters on it. I will try again tomorrow so please keep those fingers crossed for me that it will be there again tomorrow.

There were approximately 50 White Fronted Geese in the adjacent field to this.

Further along on the left hand side of the road there were 300+ Greylag geese and another 50+ White Fronted Geese.

I went as far as the Shebster Garage and turned the car and on my way back just passed the big house there were another 300+ Greylag geese.

As I drove back towards the Westfield Bridge I saw some 500+ Geese in flight and they were dropping down in the Calder area. The light was fading about 3.30pm so didn't go to Calder to check exact location that they dropped into but it was definately in that direction.

Happy hunting.

God I wish that I had seen the neck collar but didn't want to get too close and risk them all lifting.

[rin]

Didn't get a chance to go out and look for my orange neckband goose yesterday as took off to Inverness instead.

Far too windy to risk the scope today so have decided to hold off until tomorrow before my next birdwatching trip. Hope that weather is better tomorrow.

Hope that Santa was good to all and that you enjoy what is left of the holidays.

Happy New Year.

Rin x

[kas]

Sorry for lack of reports from me, the house renovations have taken over my life.

Jos you are a darling, I know the exact photo I want. I will Pm you.

Catherine, sorry to steal your thunder but whilst you were spending all Richards money yesterday, I went out a look to the geese.

Orange CSS, at the turning over to Lythmore, in amongst 500 other Greylags. Kane is on the case for the details of the bird.

Also saw another 150 Greylags this side of Shebster, I didnt catch up with the White-fronts though.

Also yesterday I had excellent views of various different Kestrels with one sitting on a dyke just asking for his photo, needless to say my camera was in the boot. I spent 20 mins watching one bird hunt.

Thousands of Starlings all round the area doing there waves as they move down a field, large numbers of Gulls and Corvids all around as well.

Broubster was great there were 50 Whooper swans, so the lone Whooper will have company if it is still there. A few Buzzards and Ravens there but all the water was frozen so not much else moving. New Loch Calder was also frozen with a perplexed looking Heron wondering were all the other birds were.

Most were on the main Loch. hundreds of Wigeon, some Goldeneye, Tufteds, Mallards but no sign of any teal. There are also still 2 Slovanian Grebes there.

On the neep feild on the east side of the loch I came across a beautiful mixed finch group. Mainly Brambling, with Chaffinch, Twite and a few Goldfinches thrown in. They were fantastic to watch.

There are still 3 Iceland Gulls kicking about between the 2 Harbours. One is nearly always on the old Ola pier. Black Guilemots and a Cormorant in the harbour at Scrabster.

Large numbers of shag have been congrgating in the bay, there could have been a thousand on Tuesday in various groups. Red-throated divers are there and I counted 5 Great-northerns scattered over the bay. My favourite wee blighters the Long-tails are all around, as well as Eiders and some Guillemots.

The fields opposite the Weigh Inn are full of Oystercatchers, Curlews, Redshank, Hoodies and the odd Turnstone most days and I saw 2 Redshank last night in a garden up the road. It was quite funny.

Highlight of the week though had to be a White-beaked dolphin in the bay on Wednesday, I only spotted it as I was watching the Lifeboat coming in. It was my first cetacean for months.

So its all pretty normal. I am hoping to get a few days birding when the workmen are away over New Year although the forecast is poor, but fingers crossed.

Hope everyone has a good New Year.

[mooskibaby]

At one of my local patches, which is Carsington Water, black necked grebe and great northern diver have been seen there. Sadly i have seen neither of them yet.

Also another patch which i go to a lot is Ogston Reservoir. Recently i have seen Snipe, Reed bunting, Nuthatch, Treecrepper, Coal tit, Willow tit.

[rin]

:hi: Wow what a morning I had today........really excited ! :D :D

I set off about 9.15am and by 9.30am I was looking at a field of Greylag Geese of around 2000+.

What a find so early on, I was sitting just gob smacked as I have never seen so many geese in one place. These were at Bardnaclavan Farm Grid Ref ND 072 646.

There were three grelag geese wearing neck bands.

Greyish/Black Band with letters JFZ
Greyish/Black Band with letters SYZ
Orange band with letters DUF or maybe BUF, I couldn't see the bottom of the first letter due to the goose grazing.

I have reported these neckbands on www.ring.ac.

I went back to this location around 1.15pm but there wasn't a goose to be seen.


I saw another goose with a black neck band about 1.30pm today but the heavy rain caused poor light conditions and I couldn't read it which is a pity.

This was on the Lythmore Road grid ref ND 064 648. Again this was a big flock of well over 1000 geese and the field was not that far across the road from where I saw the geese this morning so possibly some of them just moved on to a new venue away from the passing traffic.

Other geese sightings this morning around 10.26am -

There were over 500 geese at Bardnaheigh area grid ref ND 033 643. This was a mixed flock of mostly Whitefronted geese. They were close to the old tin nissan hut. None of these had neck bands.

There were a further 150+ greylag geese at Achalone grid ref ND 033 643 none of which had neck bands.

That was quite a number of geese within a few miles of each other. I was just delighted.



Rin x

:bounce:

[Ben Nevis]

Goog for you Rin,well done.

[kas]

Managed to escape for 3 hours this afternoon to the Loch of Mey, and also visited Ham, Dunnet and Castlehill.

Red-throated Diver
Great-norhtern Diver
Little Grebe
Gannet
Cormorant
Shag
Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
White fronted Goose (Greenland)
Greylag Goose
Wigeon
Teal
Mallard
Pintail
Tufted Duck
Eider
Long-tailed Duck
Goldeneye
Red-breasted Meganser
Buzzard
Kestrel
Pheasant
Moorhen
Oystercatcher
Golden PLover
Lapwing
Curlew
Redshank
Turnstone
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Great black-backed Gul
Kittiwake (according to ref books these are summer visitors yet it is definitley a group of them hanging around here) Is this normal?
Guillemot
Black Guillemot
Rock Dover
Wodpigeon
Collared Dove
Rock Pipit
Robin
Stonechat
Blackbird
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion Crow
Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Snowbunting.

Also Grey and Common seals
By far 3 of the most enjoyable hours this holidays. Back to work tomorrow though.

[kas]

Orange CSS was ringed at Loch Eye on the 15/11/2006 as a Male. This was the first sighting since he had been ringed.

[delia todd]

I've loved reading all your reports and news

Happy New Year to you all

D

[rin]

Orange CSS was ringed at Loch Eye on the 15/11/2006 as a Male. This was the first sighting since he had been ringed.

Wow, what a quick find so soon after it was ringed. Is that a record of some sort?

[will@bill]

Hi all we will be up you neck of the woods for a week in june just wondering if you could give us the low down on where the hot spots are that time of year We were going to look back on your forum but its only a new one (oct 06 ) I will save all info as we are starting to get excited now only 6 months to go please wet our apatite for a great weeks birding
Thanks will and liam cook

[rin]

I didn't do much on Sunday other than pop out to Bardnaclavan again and then along as far as the Shebster Garage and back so wasn't out for that long. At least I think that was Sunday.............it seems so long ago now.

I saw a very dark back, reddish breasted bird of prey that had a white band across the upside of the top of its tail. It was just before the Barnaheigh Farm/Achalone turn off. I went down the Achalone Road to get better view as I wasn't confident as to what it was. Could it have been a juvenile Hen Harrier ? From all of my books I would like to say that it was a Montagu's Harrier but the maps don't show it as coming up here which has left me unsure. It was very dark reddish underneath not as pale as the books show for the juv Hen Harrier. It kept flying low over the grass and bushes and then went back to the Barnaheigh side of the road and flew back and forth along what looked like brussell sprout stalks sticking up from the ground (not good with ID'ing veg and crops !).

I had a drive out over Shebster/Broubster/Calder/Lieurary and home on New Years Day but didn't see much atall going about as I was too busy scanning the fields for geese, I was on a mission.

Saw various ducks on the Calder Loch, 2 buzzards over the trees on the Lieurary Road, loads of fieldfares (my first of the season, yipee), flocks of redwings and lots of chaffinches all over the place. Still didn't see any Waxwings this year, boo hoo.

I had the grand total of 18 blackbirds in my garden on Friday morning, all at once. I have never had that many before. On the Wednesday before that I had 12 which I thought was rather a lot. Had my first greenfinch in the Garden on Sunday so things are picking up again. I have been getting visited by a solo song thrush every morning over the holidays, it comes early and goes away early before the bullies arrive. It doesn't seem to like a crowd of birds around.

What a tremendous list of birds you got for your 3 hours out on Tuesday Kas. Where did you see the pintails and kittiwakes? I haven't seen pintails this year. What time of year do the kittiwakes normally turn up in this neck of the woods? Is it way too early for them, did you see a lot of them or a stray few?

I haven't been around these areas since a while. These are my favourite locations to do in a round trip as there are so many different birds to be seen on this route, but I hadn't been birding for ages until last week and with the weather so poor and all the geese on the doorstep I have only been nipping back and forth to the goose flocks at Barndnaclavan and Barnaheigh, I am becoming a lazy birder, tut tut. I need to get out walking again so roll on some dry weekends.

I never ever appreciated the lure of geese before this winter. I know that you used to love hearing them coming in and love this time of year but I was too ignorant as to their appeal, until now that is. It is quite addictive popping back and forth to see how many there are at different times of the day and when I eventually saw a neck band for myself well that made it all the more exciting. What a dull life I must lead to get so excited over a neck collar on a goose. Hee hee hee.

I also haven't noticed the dark flashes on the under bellies of the white fronted geese until this year. I used to only look for the white above their beak but it is easier to see the dark flashes first and then go up to the beak to double check. I learn something everytime I go out which is great.

Would love to hear a confident ID re the Hen Harrier / Montagu Harrier that I possibly saw.

Rin

[rin]

I have received back information on the two greylag neck collars that I saw at the weekend.

JFZ was ringed at Dalreoch, Aberuthven, Tays, Grid Ref NN9917 on 06/02/1999. It has been seen at 17 other locations around Scotland since then but not spotted anywhere exotic as yet ! It was first reported this winter in Caithness on 11/11/2006 and hadn't been reported since 28/12/2004.

SYZ was ringed at Loch Eye, Grid Ref NH8277 on 09/11/2002 and has been seen at 8 other locations mostly around Scotland but once in Donegal on 19.01.2003 since being ringed. It was last reported on 05/12/2005 near Loch Eye.

Thanks to Bob Swann and Kane Brides for this information. Very quick response, excellent service and history detail.

Thanks guys.

Rin x

[rin]

Hi all we will be up you neck of the woods for a week in june just wondering if you could give us the low down on where the hot spots are that time of year We were going to look back on your forum but its only a new one (oct 06 ) I will save all info as we are starting to get excited now only 6 months to go please wet our apatite for a great weeks birding
Thanks will and liam cook

Check out the birdwatching message board thread on www.Caithness.org and some of the other links on this website meantime. You will probably have to register to see some of these areas but it will give you lots of information regarding Caithness and what goes on around this area. You could put a new thread on the birdwatching message board for info and you will be surprised as to how much info you will receive from the friendly locals.....look forward to seeing you in June.

I am sure that you will receive lots more info here once we have had a chance to look back at our records.

Be in touch soon.

[kas]

Thanks to Santa, I managed 2 hours yesterday, the young chill came with me without any complaints, and played on his new Nitendo DS ( a video game.)

I spent a good while at the Harbour trying to get a photo of an Iceland, not as easy as it had been on previous occasions. They gave me the run around but bagged one eventually.

Turnstones, various gull species, shags, cormorants, and Balck gulliemots in the Harbour.

Then went on a wild goose chase. 350 Greylags and 40 white fronts in total.
3 Neckbands 2 WFs with Orange P4S and P9S, and a Greylag with Grey Nab. The latter was ringed in North Iceland in 2000, a female an has overshot her normal wintering grounds, as she tends to prefer Orkney.

Stuck at home today.

A buzzard on the neigbours post was a nice surprise, but in general the bay has been disappointing. There does not appear to be the numbers that there normally is this time of year. Good numbers of Redshank approx (100), Oystercatcher (approx 60), and Gulls (too many to attept to count, although the commons out numbered the other species put together.)

The Ringed Plovers reappeared after being absent for about a month with 30 below the house, some Hooded Crows and there were 12 Curlew.

However there was only 1 GN Diver, 3 RT divers, 3 Eider, 4 Long-tailed ducks (last year they were into the hundreds) 20 Shags and a few Cormorants. Normally this time of year the bay is bursting with birds, so fingers crossed it gets better.

No sign of any Goldeneye, Purple sandpipers, Black Guillemots in the bay, just the ones in the Harbour, or rock pipits.

A Common seal was below the house all day and was a pleasure to watch. I only took the camera to the Harbour, and the Black Guillemot was camera shy so I only managed a rear view.

[kas]

A bit of re-occuring theme with the geese neckbands, but I find it fascinating.

From Tony Fox on the 2 Greenland White fronts with neckbands. P9P may have been there too, but there was a dip in the land preventing the whole flock from being visible. Stan saw the three birds in November along the road at Oust.

The birds were caught in autumn 2005 at Hvanneyri Agricultural University in the western part of Iceland, part of a large catch of birds we undertook there that year. They returned to Islay in the Inner Hebrides that winter, but as you will see from the attached listing of resightings, this winter they turned up in Caithness. This is pretty unusual, as we generally reckon that although about 14% of geese change wintering site between years, most of these are when young birds leave their parents and pair up with new mates, some of which may use different winter site necessitating a change. However, in this case, the entire group has made a move, because P4S and P9P were both adult females at capture and P9S was an adult male. We do not know their precise relationships, but it is highly likely thay are closely related.

[kas]

I've loved reading all your reports and news

Happy New Year to you all

D
I know it is a bit late but Happy New Year to you too. :flowers:

[delia todd]

I know it is a bit late but Happy New Year to you too. :flowers:


Never too late Kas, and thanks for the flowers


D

[ionemosia]

Today was supposed to be my first birding day of the new year but it didn't work out that like that. Central heating system blew last night and had to spend the day getting it sorted.

Finally got out the door late aftenoon so decided just to have a quick look at Scrabster Hbr. Still a couple of 1W Iceland Gulls there. Light was fading but managed to get a few photos. Hope the weather holds for tomorrow.

Cheers
Iain

[ionemosia]

Well the weather didn't hold, Scrabster weather station recorded gusts to 90 mph today. Went out anyway but did most of the birding from the car. Count of 62 Whoopers at Broubster Leans was the highlight of the day and despite the awful conditions managed to see 54 species.

Iain

[kas]

No birding today due to the after effects of too much grape juice and the persistent rain. We were however at the harbour in the rain and there were 4 Iceland Gulls that we saw, and this was in the dark. 3 1w on the end of the oil tanker pier and one flying around. There may have been more around, I suppose these may have been blown in with all the wind, which looks set to continue next week with the possibility of more severe gales.

I had another neckband on Tuesday whilst traveling home from work.
Orange CBA.

I dont remember if I mentioned the lack of birds in Thurso bay recently but I have heard a possible theory, which defenitley applies to the gulls. The removal of the sewage pipe. There were always a large group of gulls around there. The new treatment plant now releases at 2 spots further along but the waste is now chemically treated more.

It sounds plausable. Anyone any ideas.

I hope it is a half decent day tomorrow and I will try to get out.

[rin]

No birding today due to the after effects of too much grape juice -

I hope it is a half decent day tomorrow and I will try to get out.

This grape juice seems to be a common theme !

Hope weather is better for you tomorrow but don't think that it will be going by the noice outside tonight. Fingers crossed.

Let me know how you get on.

Remember everyone I am using this thread to get details for my UK Bird Sightings column so keep the reports coming or we won't have an entry in the Birdwatching magazine next month.

[rin]

1. British Birds of Prey

2. Birdwatching in Scotland


Going to google these to see if cheaper anywhere else.

Have you got these? Are they any good?

Will save me having to ask for ID info on other thread, as not sure want to do that again. First experience very disturbing.

Has anyone seen pinkfeet geese this side of the county yet?

Cheers

Off to bed now, night night

[robert burgess]

can i just say that i love living on the thames estuary and all the places that it throws up for me to go birding,even some of the sites not in essex etc etc but i am so envious of you chaps for living in scotland and one of what i can only describe as one of the last wilderness' in the world,it must be an absolute pleasure to get up in the morning and search your surroundings,we all have our places which we feel we belong but i guess some just are born lucky,look after the environment you live in and i hope that we can safe guard it for you with the things we do in everyday life,from a london birder!!!

[kas]

Some very nice comments there Robert. Our 2 Local patches are worlds apart but both have their own unique wonders. My parents took my son to London last summer and did all the tourist things, yet when I go back the 2 things I would love to do are the Wetlands Centre and Hamstead Heath. Now I am sure there are little wonders far better, but these are 2 places I have seen on Tv and would love to see some time. I will be watching your own thread with interest.

Caithness is a wilderness, but the windmills are changing that without getting on to a debate on them, but they are placing them in unspoilt areas, and I personally think it is a shame. I would rather they place them on the outskirts of the town. If all the applications get the go ahead, then they will be everywhere.

[kas]

What promised to be a good 2 hours birding on Sunday was cut very short by the darn wind and rain.

Scott had critters had the Dunnet Ranger Station making totem poles for the forest. So myself the dog, scope and bins headed on to the beach for a refreshing walk to see what the rocks, beach and bay had to offer.

As soon as we were on the beach a small flock of Snow Bunting flew right past us. Great start. Most of the birds appeared to be on the rocks at the east end, so we waded through the streams some rather deep due to the rain, but the new boots did me proud.

A quick scan with the bins showed Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Curlew, Rock Pipit, Hooded Crow, GBB Gull, BH Gull, H Gull, C Gull and Cormorant on the rocks. A juv Gannet almost flew over the top of us it was so close to the shore, Red-breasted Megansers and shags on the water. At this point we were 15 mins on the beach. Then it started to rain and the wind picked up. So i covered the scope, and waited for what I though was a passing shower to pass. 10 mins later it was getting heavier and windier. The wind was from the west, from which the beach has no shelter.

A Kestrel was hunting the dunes, despite the rain. Obviously it has mastered hunting in this type of weather, as it would need to living here.

Another 10 mins and I headed back to the car, it was no use as I would have needed windscreen wipers on the optics to see anything, and Miss Organised was not wearing waterproof trousers so I was soaked through.

Much to the dogs disappointment I headed home to change before going back out for the bairn.

When arriving back at the carpark the resident Buzzard was in position on the telegraph pole. I went upstairs to the Ranger station and here I saw some spectacular birds and mammals, sadly they were all stuffed though. (All died naturally.)
However from the window here, I spotted Long-tailed Ducks,a Red-throated diver and 2 Great-Northern divers. Although there did not appear to be the same number of birds as in previous visits.

I then had to go home as the bairn had other plans in the town. Of course it turned out to be a lovely afternoon as well. Typical.

Had reports of 250 Lapwing and 1000 Golden Plover at Rattar. Also a few Glaucous Gulls in fields scattered around the Dunnet area. There were still 4 1w Icelands around Scrabster Harbour on Monday as well.


Sorry that was a bit long winded.
Snow Forecast for Monday/Tuesday. Although I do not think it will last as it is due to get mild again mid week. Poor birds must be wondering what is going on. I saw a dead Hedgehog on the road yesterday, it should be hibernating. Poor creature.

[robert burgess]

As i will keep a close eye on this thread kas,i am hoping to get up to the north of scotland at some point this year as i have always wanted to visit the highlands and beyond(been to the highlands once when i was 7,but don't remember too much apart from stunning scenary)am hoping to take in orkney,shetland and the faroes as well if i can get enough time off work,am currently in negotiaions with my boss for a 6 week holiday!!!

[rin]

:hi:

Been having withdrawl symptoms with being cooped up for too long now, so took a short drive out to Shebster this morning.

Had a re-sighting of Greylag Goose SYZ and positively ID'd letters on an orange neck collar on another greylag goose. The letters were BJF.

I originally saw this goose a few weeks ago and was 99% convinced that the letters on the orange neck collar were BUF. I stand corrected which is just as well as this goose is part of a Goose Project in North Yorkshire and hasn't been recorded as venturing this far north to date. She's a bit of a home bird, sticking close to North Yorkshire so this earlier sighting of mine nearly caused chaos to the studies !!! hee hee. :-O

Other than my 2 collared geese I saw a variety of birds this morning....

Around Shebster area

male and female pheasant
female hen harrier
buzzard
100's of crows and rooks
1000's of starlings
kestrel
various species of gulls

Around Broubster Leans

male stonechat
whooper swans
male hen harrier
pochard
wigeon
mallard
scaup (I think)
tufted duck
reed bunting
grey heron
ferral pigeons
cormorant


Prior to that I enjoyed the antics of the following birds in my back garden, just hope that I see at least this many during next weekends Garden Bird Survey. Fingers crossed.

12 blackbirds
4 collared doves
40 starlings (one with a deformed, crossed beak)
65 house sparrows
2 dunnocks
too many crows, rooks and jackdaws for my liking
1 song thrush
4 black headed gulls
2 herring gulls

1 of the crows had a totally pale grey body and a pure black head. Usually the hooded crows have black wings if I remember correctly.


Anyway that is my fix for this week, will be at least Saturday before I can get out again.

My garden has been very lacking in Chaffinches this winter. Anyone else experiencing NO Chaffinches? I don't usually get high numbers but I do have the odd one or two.

Happy birding.

:gn:

[kas]

Well today was the first day it actually had a winter feel, due to the wind being from the N and NE. Today was also the BTOs Winter Plover survey, considering the plovers to my square on other visits and recent reports of 1000+Golden plover and 300 Lapwing, I thought I might manage something.

Nothing, Nothing and Nothing. Had it been a Rook or a Starling survey then I would still be there counting , but no plovers in sight. After 2 hours I did spot a whole TWO Lapwing in the sky, but they were in the next square. the square. At least it will be an easy write up if nothing else.

I spent a good while out after, still not any more plovers.
I did see 86+ Greenland White Fronts at Mey, some birds were not visible due to the dip in the land so there were more than that.. Thousands of Starlings, they were everywhere today and hundreds of Rooks. I also spotted a Roe Deer rumaging around for its dinner.

The Loch of Mey was deserted, probably due to it being more flooded than normal, with very rough surface water due to the wind.

Harrow harbour was busy Wigeon, Purple Sanpipers, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Shag, Rock Pipit and Common seals.
A rin up to Lochend Produced 3 Flocks of Whooper Swans, 12, 15, and 7 that flew right over the car giving me a nice Whoop as they went over. I do find them so beautiful. Then as I was driving I spotted 2 Hen Harriers, due to poor light and distance I could only make out their silhouette and I lost one by the time I stopped but the other was a female.

Ham had Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Teal, Little Grebe and Mute Swan.

Brough gave a wionderful surprise 1000+ Fulmars, considering there were none on my last visit a few weeks back, they were a welcome addition to the day. A lot were in pairs on the rock face, looking down on 3 Common and a single Grey seal who were relaxing below. Then along the road 50 Redwing.

Dunnet bay showed Great Northern Divers, Long-tailed Ducks, Eiders as well as a load of Gulls.
Castletown was Red-throated divers, Red-breasted Megansers and more Great Northern Divers, with more Gulls.

Then to Thurso River where 2 1w Iceland Gulls were having a rest, with at least another 5 at Scrabster Harbour. Counting them is a nightmare as they wont stay still, so 5 was the most I could see at one time. With the wind blowing on the brae in front of our house, we see the Icelands right out the front hourly right now. It may be the same bird, but there are a few around.

Other birds around were Cormorant, Kestrel, Pheasant, Oystercatcher, Curlew, BH Gull, Com Gull, Her Gull, GBB Gull, Rock Dove, Collared Dove,Blackbird, Song Thrush, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Raven, House Sparrow and Chaffinch.

Just to end my novel, whilst on the PC

[rin]

Update on info on Greylag Goose BJF.

Everyone has been so kind with their encouraging comments. Don't feel such a prat now !! :D

******************************************

"Thanks for the update on SYZ and the confirmation of orange BJF. Misreads happen to the best of us in this collar reading game. Don't let it put you off!! your records are very valuable. Details of BJF below."

Bob

COBJF L.Eye 07/11/2004 v 3 f
COBJF Baillie Hill, Westfield, Caithness ND0464 22/11/2006 vv 6 f
COBJF Westfield-Oust, Caithness ND0746 31/12/2006 vv 6 f (guess this'll be my first sighting)
COBJF Westfield-Oust, Caithness ND0746 21/01/2007 vv 6 f (guess this'll be my second sighting)
**********************************************

Hi Catherine

All credit to you, we’ve all done it at some stage - please don’t let it put you off!

Let’s hope BJF has a more exciting life than BUF!

Simon

**********************************************

[kas]

As I was ending my last post my PC started to make a funny noise, knowing it was going to crash I hit the submit button thankfully it worked as the PC did indeed crash. we have some builders thingies (dont ask me what they are) in our garden 5 feet away from the window where the PC sits and yeasterday whilst I was itting on the PC a Sparrowhawk landed on the thingies. I was well chuffed, as it is by no means regular here and normally I miss it. So A welcome visitor as long as it does not find anything to eat here.


Hail stones are being blown onto the window right now by the NE wind, so its a case of waiting to see if the snow comes tomorrow.

This Iceland just sat beside the car today, and a few Eiders snoozing at the harbour.The light was too poor for digiscoping so these were the only photos I took.

[dafi]

nice iceland there Was that Scrabster?

[kas]

Yes that was one of 5 there last Sunday with another 2 on the Thurso River.

They are very easy to spot at the harbour. There are still a few birds there, I can see them from the house, but will go to the harbour tomorrow to get a proper count.

[kas]

2 local bird stories in the news today.

Where are all our Twite??
I saw plenty in October but they have all disappeared.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6299389.stm

The other link was very long so I have copied and pasted it from the Press and Journal website.

DEATH OF BUZZARD IN TURBINE BLADES HEIGHTENS WINDFARMS CONCERN


A Shocked busload of nuclear workers witnessed the death of a buzzard after it flew into one of the wind turbines at Forss.


The demise of the adult buzzard was seen on Wednesday by a group of workers travelling between New Park business park at Forss and the neighbouring site at Dounreay at lunchtime on Wednesday. The financial administrator, Terry Luckock, reported the death to the RSPB.

She said: "It was a real shame to see such a beautiful bird killed in this way. It did not stand a chance given that it collided with a moving, nine-tonne blade."

Ms Luckock, 41, from Halkirk, does not believe it was an isolated occurrence.

"I believe one of the turbines here was responsible for a buzzard's death last summer and I'm told the ground at the wind farm at the Causewaymire is littered with dead birds. The turbines might be environmentally-friendly but it's at a cost to our birdlife. Unfortunately, I don't think that is going to stop more going up."

The buzzard was one of a pair, with its local nest also including a nine-month fledgling.

Work is under way to build a further four turbines at the site.

No one from Renewable Energy Systems, which runs the Forss site, was yesterday available for comment.

A Belgian falconer is meanwhile urging planners to block a windfarm proposed on a prime piece of sporting land on the east coast of Caithness. According to Hugo Clerens, turbines in his homeland have killed many birds and he fears the same would be true if npower renewables gets the green light at Burn of Whilk, near Clyth.

Mr Clerens is one of a number of Belgian falconers who regularly travels to indulge his hobby on Thrumster Estate.

"Windmills are slaughterhouses for birds," he stated in his objection to Highland Council's planning office. "It is a known fact that windmills are a major threat to passage birds such as geese and cranes, and other big birds such as eagles and owls."

A spokeswoman for npower renewables, the company behind the Clyth development, yesterday said schemes would not get planning approval if there is well-founded concern about its impact on the local birdlife. She said: "Part of the environmental studies which have to accompany a planning application involve a full assessment on the likelihood of bird strikes.The operation of sites we have developed show we're pretty well spot on with the locations we've chosen. We've not encountered any problems."

Myself, Rin and Ionemosia have all been out looking for the Twite as part of the survey. I pass the area of the Buzzard death every week day and normally see a Buzzard on a post here so I presume this was the bird. So both stories are close to home.

Winfarms are planned for may sites in the county, some close to a Schedule 1 Raptor nest I watch (from a distance on a road) so this is not good news. More turbines are in the process of being put up where this incident occurred, and it is an important route for migrating geese. I do not know the ins and outs of windfarm arguements to be able to debate it though.

Can I also add the Causewaymire windfarm mentioned is also close to Schedule 1 breeding birds and is very close to the famous Flow Country that the RSPB are trying hard to save and preserve.

[kas]

http://www.caithness.org/caithnessfieldclub/bulletins/2000/twites_wintering_in_caithness.htm

A link to an article on the Twite survey in 2000, just if anyone is interested.

[deborah4]

This is really sad news, Kas. I just hope the 'trauma' experienced by the eyewitnesses on the bus will mobilise some of them to campaign against further development in your local area. As I said a sad loss, but hopefully not in vain, so many deaths go unwitnessed other than by those working on the Windfarms themselves. Such a public death may hopefully have negative implications for those who continue to deny these blades are slaughtering our birds. :-C

(may be worth you copying this to the windfarm thread and news and views too???)

[kas]

(may be worth you copying this to the windfarm thread and news and views too???)

Will do Deborah, Thanks.

[dafi]

Will do Deborah, Thanks.
Good thread Kas.I once thought thay would be the answer to every thing but all thay seem to produce is carpet baging profit as thay spread insidiously across our hills.Eating away yet more hill.iv seen a rt diver fly through one leaving the loch in evie to feed. i must admit im not a fan It would be good if all the bird strike info could be gathered and posted some where. Anybody got any thoughts?.

[kas]

Good thread Kas.I once thought thay would be the answer to every thing but all thay seem to produce is carpet baging profit as thay spread insidiously across our hills.Eating away yet more hill.iv seen a rt diver fly through one leaving the loch in evie to feed. i must admit im not a fan It would be good if all the bird strike info could be gathered and posted some where. Anybody got any thoughts?.


Why not start the thread yourself.

Hows the weather over there, I can not see Hoy at present a heavy showers are traveling through the firth.

No snow here, although there is on the A9 at the Ord. My fingers are crossed but I can not see any decent amounts coming myself.

[kas]

House renovations have taken over my life so sorry for the severe lack of reports on here.

Saturday was just what was seen from home.
Black Guillemots, now in their summer plumage, 3 Red-throated divers, a Great-northern diver, Eider, Long-tailed duck, Fulmar, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Iceland Gull, Turnstone, Redshank, Curlew, Ringed Plover, Shag, Cormorant, Carrion Crow, Rock Dove, and Starling.
I had to go out yesterday to a friends, there we saw Robin, Wren, Collared Doves, Buzzard, Blackbird and Starling.
On the way home we saw Buzzard, Kestrel, Greylag Goose, Whooper Swan, Raven, Rook, Hooded Crow, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, Herring Gull,and went to Scrabster Harbour where the Iceland Gull count was nine, one up on last week.

A Ring-necked Duck was seen on the Wick side of the county on Saturday and Grey Plovers were seen last week, they are a rare visitor up here.

[kas]

To celebrate a great birdwatcher in the counties birthday, him and some of his friends had a fun bird race. Myself and Rin have picked up a lot from him these last few years and he is a great bloke.

He also has a site which features his own pool, from here he has a garden list of over 200 birds including rarities.

http://www.artsmith-caithness.co.uk/artsmith_birds/w_art_p7_1.htm

Here is what they saw on their 12 hour day.
b Little Grebe
b Slavonian Grebe
b Northern Fulmar
w Northern Gannet
b Great Cormorant
b European Shag
b Mute Swan
b Whooper Swan
w Pink-footed Goose
b Greater White-fronted Goose
b Common Shelduck
b Eurasian Wigeon
b Eurasian Teal
b Mallard
b Northern Pintail
b Common Pochard
b Tufted Duck
w Common Eider
w Long-tailed Duck
b Common Goldeneye
b Red-breasted Merganser
b Goosander
b Grey Heron
b Common Buzzard
b Eurasian Kestrel
b Peregrine Falcon
b Ring-necked Pheasant
b Common Moorhen
b Eurasian Coot
w Eurasian Woodcock
b Common Snipe
b Eurasian Curlew
b Common Redshank
b Ruddy Turnstone
w Purple Sandpiper
b Eurasian Oystercatcher
b European Golden-Plover
b Grey Plover
b Common Ringed Plover
b Northern Lapwing
b Common Gull
b Great Black-backed Gull
w Iceland Gull
w Herring Gull
b Black-headed Gull
b Black-legged Kittiwake
w Razorbill
w Black Guillemot
b Red-throated Diver
b Great Northern Diver
b Rock Pigeon
b Common Wood-Pigeon
b Eurasian Collared-Dove
b Barn Owl
b Tawny Owl
b Eurasian Jackdaw
b Rook
b Carrion Crow
b Hooded Crow
b Common Raven
b Eurasian Blackbird
w Fieldfare
w Redwing
b Song Thrush
b European Starling
b European Robin
b European Stonechat
b Winter Wren
b Goldcrest
b Coal Tit
b Great Tit
b Eurasian Blue Tit
b Sky Lark
b House Sparrow
b Pied Wagtail
w Rock Pipit
b Dunnock
b Chaffinch
b European Greenfinch
w Eurasian Siskin
b European Goldfinch
b Common Redpoll
b Twite
b Eurasian Linnet
b Red Crossbill
b Yellowhammer
b Snow Bunting

[dafi]

Hi Kas been windy n bright with wintery showers most of the weekend and to day but im neglecting geting out and about on the bike this last while. Might just be time to learn to drive.

[rin]

Local SOC meeting last night.

Some highlights reported -

Jack Snipe, Thurso River (6th)
Ring Neck Duck, Loch Brickigoe (3rd)
Scaup
Shell Duck
Barnacle Geese
120 Purple Sandpipers, Sandside
Blackcap, Thurso
American Wigeon, Wick River
Glaucous Gull, Wick Harbour
9 Artic Gulls, Scrabster
Black Throated Diver, Sandside

[rin]

Hello fellow Caithness birders.

Fiona Rosie of North Highland College rang me last night to advise that there weren't enough people to run the beginners class and wondered if some of us earlier pupils would like to come back for a more advanced course.

I will collate names and act as point of contact to establish level of interest, so please email me if you would like to attend.

It has been suggested that we could develop our own course agenda and bird outings during a meeting with Geoff so if you have any ideas of things that you would like incorporated you could pop that in your email too.

It is anticipated that the course would run on a Thursday and start week after next.

Let me know if you are interested.

Thanks

Catherine

[rin]

Quick update -

Achscrabster, 3.00pm today -100 Golden Plover
600 Lapwing
58 Whooper Swan
50 White Fronted Geese

Westfield, 2.30pm today -
300 Greylag Geese, one with orange neck collar CBA

Just incase you want to find these chappies yourself.

I will post full list and map refs when I get more time.

Enjoy ;)

[rin]

I popped down to Scrabster today to eyeball the Artic Gulls and wasn't disappointed. I saw 7 different Artic Gulls here today (others in flight but couldn't be sure that they weren't one of the gulls that I had seen on previous pier) and saw another one at Thurso Harbour.

One of the Iceland Gulls in Scrabster Harbour this afternoon.


http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/rinard/11thFeb-birdwatching003.jpg


Another Iceland Gull..

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/rinard/11thFeb-birdwatching028.jpg

[Ben Nevis]

Nice pics rin.

[rin]

Nice pics rin.

It wasn't easy getting a focused picture, the winds were strong and the car was blowing about. The rains were wild too. The birds feet must have been superglued to the spot. I deleted more than I kept!

[ionemosia]

Decided to stick closer to home today with a circuit east of Thurso. Got off to a good start as the drake american wigeon was easily located on the Wick river. A single barnacle goose was with greylags (~100) and pink-footed geese (~250) to the N of Loch Scarmclate. Down at Scrabster there were two 1W iceland gulls and a single 1W glaucous gull.

Iain

[kas]

Friday
Grennland white fronted geese at Westfield including the usual 3 neckbands.
4 Glaucous Gulls and 2 Iceland Gulls at Scrabster beach.
1 Purple sandpiper and 3 Otters at Thurso Harbour.

Saturday
3 Otters again

Sunday
Dipped the Jacksnipe at Thurso river, it was seen at 9am, I was there at 10.30am.

Dipped Ring-necked Duck on Watten. I went and hunted but with hundreds of Ducks (Goldeneye, Tufted ducks, Wigeon and Mallard) It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Also hundreds of Greylags, 20-30 Coot and 2 Slavonian Grebes.

Thurso River - Moorhen, Redshank, Starling, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Cormorant, Heron.

Castlehill - Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Rock Pipit, Goldeneye, Long-tailed duck, Eider, Great-Northern Diver.

Lock of Mey - 11 Shoveler, 4 Pintail, Teal, Red-breasted Meganser, Greenland White-fronted Geese, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Whooper swan, Mute Swan, Skylark, Wren, Redwing.

Also today - Siskin, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Buzzard, Kestrel, Rook, Hooded Crow, Carrion Crow, Great-Black-backed Gull, Iceland Gull, Shag, Black Guillemot, Red-Throated Diver, Pheasant,Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Rock dove, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Blackbird. Common Seals.

[ionemosia]

Over to Wick again this morning and the american wigeon is still on the river although as the tide was in and the ducks were much further upstream beyond the end of the footpath. Managed a few shots of the wigeon albeit through a fence. Good numbers of eurasian wigeon, a few common goldeneye and one glaucous gull there also.

[rin]

I got up early and left the house at 7.00am to have a run about on the east side of Thurso for a change. This year all I seem to have gone out to search for is Geese so I fancied a change.


Castlehill

22 Wigeon
2 Great Northern Diver
Great Black Backed Gulls
Herring Gulls
Black Headed Gulls
Redshank
Oystercatcher
Starling
Wagtail
Jackdaw
Crow
Rook
Rock Pippit
6 Goldeneye
6 Curlew
4 Cormorant
Farm Piegeon
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Turnstone

St Johns Pool

Chaffinch
Stonechat
Redwing
Great Tit
Whooper Swan (main Loch)
Black Headed Gull
Great Black Backed Gull
Lapwing
Mute Swan
Little Grebe
Teal
Oystercatcher
Snipe - first this year
Mallard
Pippit
Blackbird

Brough Harbour

Seals
Fulmar
Redshank
Rock Pippit
Oystercatcher
Cormorant
Shag
Gulliemot

Harrow

Grey Heron
80+ Curlew (never seen so many at once)
Oystercatcher
40 Shags
50 Redshank
Mallard
Pochard
Teal
Wigeon
Rock Pippit
Cormorant
20 Eider

Ham

Goldeneye
Little Grebe
Tufted Duck
Mallard
Mute Swan
Shelduck
Teal
Wigeon

West Mey Farm

350 White Fronted Geese

Inkstack, Barrock

100 Lapwing on shores on Loch Heilan
2 buzzrds on dung heap

Reiss

22 Whooper Swans

[rin]

Bardnaclavan / Oust Farm road

800 Geese spead over 3 fields

Neck Bands

CBA - orange
BJF - orange
SYZ - grey

Also

300 Lapwings in ploughed field before Bardnaclavan on main road.



Saw these on way home from work tonight so nipped into house grabbed binos, telescope and note book and went back to ID.

[rin]

I saw

58 Whooper Swans at Achscrabster.

100s of Greylag Geese between Shebster and Achalone, they were in fields on both sides of the road.

Saw orange neck collar BJF again too. (It really looked like BUF again, maybe I was right the first time !!! :-O )

[rin]

Thought that I would pop out this morning to see just how many swans and geese were on the back road today.

Only saw

5 Whooper Swans at Achscrabster today though.

50 Greylag Geese in a field at Westfield, no collars today.

I counted every one of 83 lapwings on a strip of ploughed field across the road from the Achalone turnoff. Goodness know how many I'd have come up with if I scanned the entire field.

I saw a female Marsh Harrier along the Broubster road and followed a Red Legged Partridge along the road before it took a detour through a fence. Amazing little bird, beautiful face.

I saw male and female stonechats on the Janetstown road and an Alba Wagtail on the downhill stretch back to the main road above Scrabster. There was a skene of geese flying over heading in the Westfield direction so dare say if I headed back I would see more geese in the fields but too cold and rainy to have a decent run around so I headed home for breakfast and a cuppa.

[rin]

I forgot to tell you that I saw a whole lot of swans the other night.

I counted 122 Whooper Swans at Achscrabster. They were there for 3 days.

Not seen much exciting since, so not much to report for my magazine bit this month unfortunately.

Anyone got any exciting sightings for me?

All donations gratefully received.

[Reay_Bonxie]

I was out in Achvarasdal today, I heard a woodpecker pecking somewhere near the west area but it went silent when I went closer to get a look.

Lots of the usual stuff as well. A very nice day for birding.

[rin]

I was out in Achvarasdal today, I heard a woodpecker pecking somewhere near the west area but it went silent when I went closer to get a look.

Lots of the usual stuff as well. A very nice day for birding.

Do you know what kind of woodpecker you heard? Did he shout out his name, number and rank to you? I haven't seen a wood pecker.

Good sighting of tree creeper this afternoon. You live in a great location, you lucky beggar, you!

How is Mrs Rheghead keeping. How long til we get a new birder in our fold?

Say hi from me.

Keep in touch.

Rin x

[rin]

I had the good fortune to spot a field of Golden Plover at Shebster, on the way to work this morning and I popped back out tonight to see if they were still there.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/rinard/GoldenPloveratShebster-17.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/rinard/Feeding-Golden-Plover-17.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/rinard/Single-Golden-Plover-17.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g186/rinard/Golden-Plover-at-Shebster--.jpg



Sorry for posting url but I cannot remember how to attach thumbnails ! So long since I uploaded photos to bird forum. I will need to give myself a wee refresher course !

There were some 400+ Golden Plovers there tonight scattered over two fields. They were in a ploughed field on one side of the road and a grass field on the opposite side of the road.

[rin]

I had a 10 minute visit from a willow warbler this afternoon.

I thought that it was a chiff chaff at first but the legs were pink/orange not grey/brown and there was more yellow around the eye and shoulder and when I checked the books I saw my bird........ Willow Warbler.

This is a first for my garden and I am delighted.

Rin x

[kas]

Sorry for the lack of reports, my birding and PC use have taken a big knock due to being busy at home. Hopefully not for much longer.
Here are some of my first migrants.

4 Manx Shearwater in Thurso Bay 10.04.07 + 11.04.07
2 Sandmartin in Scrabster 11.04.07
1 Swallow in Scrabster 11.04.07.
1 Wheatear at Harrow Harbour 11.04.07
2 Sandwich Tern in Thuso Bay 12.04.07
Rissos Dolphin in Thurso Bay 12.04.07
5 White beaked dolphins off of Lybster 15.04.07 (Colin Bird)
Great Skua in Thurso Bay 16.04.07

Also had 7 GN divers on 15.04.07 in Thurso Bay and 54 Purple sandpipers at Scrabster on 14.04.07, (both personal records)

Still 3 Iceland Gulls here in Scrabster. Plenty of Razorbills in the bay, not many Guillemots as of yet, lots of gannets passing through, a Common Scoter over the weekend and still plenty of Long tailed ducks, some in summer plumage. Also had 12 Linnet in my garden on Sunday which were a nice surprise. Daily sightings of the local Sparrowhawk and the local Kestrel is back after being absent for most of the winter. The bay is also awash with fulmars they are everywhere.

Hoping to get to Achsvarasdale over the weekend.

[kas]

I was out in Achvarasdal today, I heard a woodpecker pecking somewhere near the west area but it went silent when I went closer to get a look.

Lots of the usual stuff as well. A very nice day for birding.


Having never been on the PC I only found out about this on Wed from a local birder. He had been putting up nest boxes and the woodpecker is vandalising them. The question is how long will it stay, others think it is probably a migrant.

[dafi]

Nice to have you back Kas, i hope some of those are on there way over. iv had swallow and heard willow warbler.theres been sand martin seen and one or two chifchafs about. Plenty of guillimot, and puffins have started to come ashore. Hope you can find a bit of time for birding now.
Cheers

[Reay_Bonxie]

Having never been on the PC I only found out about this on Wed from a local birder. He had been putting up nest boxes and the woodpecker is vandalising them. The question is how long will it stay, others think it is probably a migrant.

That is interesting because today I heard a woodpecker pecking in Sandside Wood. It could be the same one I suppose?

Plenty of Tawny owl hootings in the wood also. It gets quite noisy here what with those collared doves and pheasant making their mating calls just now.
8-P

[kas]

Well it has been a while since myself or anyone else posted but I will try to make more of an effort especially as it is my favourite time of the year.

On Tuesday (16th) got home early and witnessed migration from the house
3 Whoopers, 38 barnacle geese, 7 Pale-bellied brent Geese all flying in from the sea.
There was a slavonian grebe in the bay and an adult Glaucous Gull in fields nearby.
A trip to my local loch produced 46 Whooper swans.
Then in the evening there were Greylags flying overhead and various times and I think quite a lot due to the noise.

I saw my first Redwings on the 13th.

Another local birder saw some crackin birds at Castlehill.Grey Phalarope ,Grey Plover 2, Pom Skua adult, ArcticTerns c10 and a poss Sabine Gull juv.
The folowing day (17th) another birder went looking for the Grey phalrope and witnessed it flying low over the water into the wind, when an immature Peregrine flew across and after a couple of twists and turns took the Phalarope. However, it could not hang on to it and the Phalarope managed to get free and was last seen flying weakly away and may have come down on the sea. He does not know if it survived or not.

Recent Birds
There have been some good birds around these last few weeks, with the top bird being the Cattle Egret that was present for 2 weeks. Last seen Thurday the 4th of October. The 7th saw some good migration over St Johns Loch with 2 Lesser scaup (males); 1 Ring-necked duck (male); Greater scaup 70+; Barnacle goose 121 in 5 flights; Gadwall 28 plus Black tern (juv) all on St. John's loch today. The black tern stayed for at least a week and I must check to see if it is still present.
A med gull was at Castlehill on the 3rd.
St JOhns Loch had 4 Slavonians here plus had fieldfares, bramblings and Crossbill and a fly past Common scoter
Common Rosefinch and 2 Lesser Whitethroats were in the Groast are at the start of October and I am sure I saw a Ringed ouzel mentioned at Noss head then too as well as a yellow-browed warbler at along with lesser whitethroat and chiffchaff on the 5th. 5 Lapland bunting were noted over Yarrows at the end of September. Ionemosia saw 32 Greenland white fronted geese at Mey on the 10th.

Sorry it is a bit mixy matchy, and there is more as I have not found the birds seen seawatching by other birders.

Plenty of the normal birds around and I will try tp post in more detail over the following weeks, and try to remember anything else.

[dafi]

Nice to have you back in harness so to speak. It certainly has been a while.
I was waching Graylag heading south lunchtime and afternoon at work.
Barrie Hamill PMed me this afternoon saying there was a grey phallarope in Echna bay today.I wonder if it was yours. I shot out birding after work and never looked at the computer so i might have missed it. never mind theres allways first light.
Nice to have you back and be getting some news from over the water.

[kas]

There seems to have been quite a few Grey Phalaropes popping up this week in Scotland Dafi.

This morning at 1am I was lying in bed nearly dozing off when I heard a handfull of Whoopers, followed shortly by Greylags, then more Whoopers and another 2 flocks of Greylags. Whoopers are being noted by quite a lot of people scattered round the county. I also saw Greylags at work today but there has been resident Greylags there since mid August, so not sure if they are the residents or newly arrived migrants.

First thing at work I also got my first 2 Long-tailed ducks of the winter, followed by another 8 in Thurso bay this evening. 200 Lapwing at work as well as a Kestrel and Buzzard.

4 Red-throated and 1 Great Northern Diver in Thurso bay this evening. Thousands of gulls scattered around Thurso bay area, but by the time I arrive home the daylight is rapidly fading, so no chance of scanning them all.

Another report of a Golden Eagle in the county today. There had been various reports of eagles of both species on the East side of the county this year. A experienced birder witnessed a 2nd year Golden Eagle attacking a Roe deer about a month ago over there. The goldie had a white tail hence why we think people have been reporting seeing White-tailed eagles. It is now thought there are 2 Golden Eagles here and I have spoken to a guy who has seen them together.

Raptors on the whole appear to be flourishing in the county. We now have a Sparrowhawk here visiting our garden, and a lot of people have commented on seeing them on a regular basis of late. One flew right into a shop window in the High Street this week.

I have never seen Peregrine Falcon as much as I have of late either, one nearly flew right into our upstairs sitting room window last month and we see one every few days around here. Short eared owls also are doing well (I think), we saw 6 on our bird race earlier this year and again my other half saw one in the garden 2 months ago, with one being seen just down the road on Monday night.

Mammal wise its looking good as well. I saw the Otter on Sunday.
Last Thursday I went inland to look for rutting Red deer Stags, we found one stag with 17 hinds, and 4 younger males nearby. No fighting though. Others have seen plenty of stags fighting. Only one grey seal pup so far but it was sadly dead, it should be kicking off any day now and I might see some this weekend. Again my friend has some fantastic photos of the grey bulls fighting on a beach where as many as 200 Greys gather. Common seals did not do well and we only saw 4 or 5 pups, quite a few commons have been injured of late, including one we picked up which was put down due to its injuries. It is thought there may be a struggle between species for food or territories.

Cetaceans seen this summer by myself or my seawatch buddy.

Harbour porpoise most calm days, and witnessed 3 Minkie Whales feeding at Whaligoe a fortnight ago. There had been 6 when the report came through, but it took half an hour to get there, by which time it was only 3. These 3 stayed for 2 days and a friend got some wonderful photos. Digiscoping is not any good for whales so I di not even try.

Minkies have been very very scarce this year, in fact we had far more Orca sightings this year, as well as Common dolphins, Humpback Whale, Rissos Dolphin, Atlantic White-sided dolphin, Bottlenosed dolphins, White-beaked dolphin, quite a few sperm whale sightings, as well as Basking sharks and a potrbeagle Shark.

A photo of our first for the county Cattle egret below.

[kas]

Set off out today with one goal in mind, find a collared goose. I found 2 Greylags, one Grey HLV and Orange BTB.
They were in amongst a mixed flock of greylags and Pinkfeet around 1000 strong, with 81 Greenland white fronts at the other side. This was all at Loch of Mey.
28 or there about Whoopers at St Johns inc my first young ones of this winter, a report of 58 in a local field inc young.

8 Great Northern and 10 Red-throated divers in Dunnet bay as well as 4 late juvenile Arctic terns, a female Red-breasted meganser, Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, Guillemots, Razorbills, a Puffin (sadly), Shags, Cormorants and a lot of Gulls, inc Great black-back, Herring, Common and Black headed.

Pochard, Mallard, Goldeneye, tufted ducks, Wigeon and Mute Swans on St Johns. Little Grebe, Teal and moorhen at Ham.

Other birds seen around the day, Starlings, Buzzard, Kestrel, Hooded Crow, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Stonechat, Collared dove, Rock Dove, Redshank, turnstone, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Yellow wagtail, Rock Pipit, Gannet, Black guillemot, Heron and probably something I have forgotten.

As I was writting I have got word back on the 2 Collars

HLV was ringed at Hallfredarstadabla, Hroarstunga, N-Mul in 1998, was in Auchterarder in 1999, Ayrshire in 2001, Fife and Stranraer in 2003.

BTB was ringed at Loch Eye in 2005 and was spotted about Easter Ross that same year.

Common and Grey seals seen as well.

[kas]

I do not know if anyone else has been watching the super whooper migration on the wildfowl and wetlands trust website. The first whooper to make its migration south has arrived in Caithness this evening after landing in the Western Isles on Friday. He is near Loch Heilan.

On arrival to Lewis Fiachra flew right through an area at the centre of a controversial windfarm proposal. So this data is very important as migrating birds could be effected by such windfarms.
I am going to go and see if I can spot him tomorrow although I think it will be unlikely as I do not know how visible the transmitter will be and the fact he could head off again.



http://www.wwt.org.uk/superwhooper/573/super_whooper.html

[delia todd]

I do not know if anyone else has been watching the super whooper migration on the wildfowl and wetlands trust website. The first whooper to make its migration south has arrived in Caithness this evening after landing in the Western Isles on Friday. He is near Loch Heilan.

On arrival to Lewis Fiachra flew right through an area at the centre of a controversial windfarm proposal. So this data is very important as migrating birds could be effected by such windfarms.
I am going to go and see if I can spot him tomorrow although I think it will be unlikely as I do not know how visible the transmitter will be and the fact he could head off again.



http://www.wwt.org.uk/superwhooper/573/super_whooper.html

Ah! this link is OK for me... I'll check it out later.

D

[kas]

Set out this morning with two goals in mind.

First goal was achieved very easily. Grey Plover.
There has been 2 seen at Castlehill this last week, but they have never been there when I visited, but today one was present a Life bird for me.:D

Second goal was to try and find Fiachra the swan mentioned in the post above.
I found 86 Whoopers near to the area he transmitted from last night. They were 2 fields away from the road, but still all looked my way when I got out the car. So Had I tried to go through some fields to get closer they probably would have taken to the sky.
Luckily I spotted a yellow collar, sadly I could not read it. A bit of patience also revealed a yellow leg ring. The light was very poor this morning as you will see from the photos I attempted.

Is it him ? I do not know. I have sent a grid ref to the WWT to see if they can confirm. I have never seen a Whooper with a neckband before so I do not know how common they are. :h?:

There was also 15 Whoopers on St Johns, 58 between Calder and Halkirk and 30-40 on Scramsclate.

Not much moving at Dunnet bay at all. An Arctic Tern (juv) was still where I saw one of four yesterday. Should it not be away by now?
A Slavonian Grebe at Loch Calder and hundreds of Greylags between Shebster and Westfield.

Thurso bay also extremely empty although I suspect it could have something to do with the 3 jetskis being out most afternoon.

Also seen Kestrel, 10 Buzzards, Peregrine, usual Corvids and Gulls, Pochard, Tufted ducks, Goldeneye, Mallard, Wigeon, Red-throated Diver, Mute Swan, Eider, Shag, Cormorant Guillemot, Black Guillemot, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Blackbird, Wren, Stonechat, Chaffinch, Starling, Goldfinch, Lapwing, Gannet.

[kas]

2 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, 1Common Scoter at Loch of Mey on Sunday and a Curlew sandpiper at Castlehill yesterday.

I went back out to West Greenland today as the swan above was not Fiachra, but he was reported there this morning at 0930. Sadly I could see no sign of a transmitter on any of the 121 Whooper Swans backs, but the majority of the birds were two fields away.There was also 30 Greylags. 2 Whoopers also flew in from the firth around 4 this afternoon.

Large groups of Starlings around the county, and have seen some nice displays over Holborn Head. Blackbird numbers appear to be rising as well.

I had a fantastic view of a Raven today but had no camera. It was gliding above a roadside hedge west of Janetstown. It did not flinch when I stopped the car 4-5m away from it.

Plenty Buzzards hunting today, 3 Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk across from our house. Large gull groups scattered around the west side of the county. A red-throated diver below the house, but on the whole Dunnet and Thurso bay are very quiet. 20-30 Wigeon at Thurso River mouth.

[kas]

Sorry I dont have much to report as have been working.

Redwings on the brae outside the house this morning when I was heading for work. They must have arrived over night.

Black throated diver in the bay this dinnertime, also a Red throated diver, Cormorants, Shags, a Gannet and gulls. Pretty quiet really. A lot of surfers as their is a proffesional champoinship on at the mo.

Yesterday there was quite a few Guillemots and Razorbills as well as Long-tailed ducks, 4 Red-throated divers, 2 Black guillemots, Eiders, Cormorants, Shags, Wigeon, Gannets and gulls. Redshank, Oystercathcher, Curlew and Turnstones on the shore.

A flock of Greylags at Upper Dounreay. Hoping to get out tommorrow.
The first of the grey seal pups have arrived in the county as well.

[kas]

Went out on Sunday morning a bit worse for wear from the following evening so I did not get an early start. This could have been while the local woodland did not have much to offer, or it could be because I am a terrible woodland birder.

I saw Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Goldcrest, Blackbird, Robin, Redwing, Sparrowhawk, Rook and Jackdaw. That was it. I can not believe I did not see a Siskin as I have been told there has been a HIgh influx this last week.

There was at least 250 Greylags and 10 Greenland White-fronted Geese near shebster including Orange Neckband BNN. There may have been more Geese as they were on top of a small hill and there was geese on the other side. There were small flocks of geese flying around nearly everywhere I went. Redwings were just along the road, with a possible Brambling in a neep field. I only caught a quick glimpse.

Then I had an hour and a half so I thought I would chance a look for Fiachra. No sign though. 24 Whoopers (2juvs)outside Castletown and 9 near Stainland (5juvs). Was crossing towards Poolhoy at Stempster when I noted a thrush in a bush. Got out and there was my first fieldfare of the season in fact there were 7. They then flew into a filed where I discovered at least 3-400 of them with the odd Redwing. Plent fields full of gulls around the county, and found 10 Roe deer feeding in a field of cattle and a Buzzard hunting insects in the middle of them.

I also had 40 House Sparrows in the garden.

Other birders saw
152 Whoopers at St Johns along with 5 Slavionain Grebes, a
good bunch of Scaup (all juvs and females), over 100 Pochard and a St Johns record 60+siskins.
At Yarrows Whoopers and Greylags were heading south and south east over
the Moray Firth, Fieldfares 70+ and Snow Buntings going west.

Saturday at Loch of Mey,80 to 100 Greeenland White-fronted Geese. Purple sandpipers in, with 50 at Harrow and a handful at Thurso. Several hundred Golden Plovers at Barrogill and 1000+ at Reiss, and again high siskin numbers.

I got a call from a friend today to say she had a bird, which turned out to be a Storm Petrel that had been blown in by the strong westerly winds. I am hoping it recovered so it could be released this evening from the ferry to Dafi Land.

[kas]

The Amercian Wigeon has returned to the Wick River for what I think is its 4th winter.

A Tree sparrow was near John O Goroats yesterday, I have never seen one myself. 8 Mistle Thrushes at Castlehill and a report of lots of Linnets on the move.

I saw an Iceland gull today from the window at work. I think it was a 2nd year bird but not 100% sure.

I have been at work during all daylight hours so the only birds I have seen have been there.

For my BTO Atlas Roving records I have recorded Robin, Jackdaw, Hooded Crow, Raven (first I have ever seen here), Redwing, Blackbird, Iceland Gull, Greylag Goose, Herring gull, Starling, Buzzard, Gannet, Eider, Kestrel, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing and Starling. I have seen plenty of small finch size birds in the distance but never close enough to ID.

[Reay_Bonxie]

Thank you kas for keeping us informed of your sightings.

[kas]

Reay Bonxie, you put the kiss of death on my reports. November the 8th was the day of a storm up here with wind gusts recorded at 90mph+.

So as it is seal pupping time, and I am in the BDMLR this storm could not have occurred at a worse time. I was busy with the seal pups for a week and a half. It was non stop. Poor little things suffered badly up here on the North Coast. Then I got a throat virus and the cold. SO my birding has been minimal. I was hoping to get my Atlas squares done this weekend but the forecast is not good. (surprise surprise)

A slavonian Grebe in the bay yesterday. A flock of 35 Barnacle Geese fighting against the strong winds in the bay today, was an unusual sighting for this time of year.

The local vet had a Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl and Tawny Owl into the surgery this week, the first a victim of the weather, the second got tangled in a fence and the third struck by a car.

Other birds around in the last fortnight have been Storm Petrels and Little Auks which is no surprise due to the weather. One report of Waxings in the county. But on the whole it has been pretty quiet as far as I know. Unlike Orkney which has had some good birds according to Orkbird. CHeers Dafi for putting me onto it.

[kas]

Stilll struck down by a virus so no birdwatching for me apart from the window.

8 Red-throated divers(fri), 2 Black-throated divers (fri), Shags, Cormorants, juv Gannet, Black Guillemot, Eider, Purple Sandpipers, Ringed PLovers, Curlews, Redshanks, Turnstones, the usual Gulls and Corvids, House Sparrows, Greenfinches, Starlings, Robin, Blackbirds, Wren.

Also had a letter in from the RSPB today looking for money. They want to buy Broubster Leans. Which has been my Breeding Bird survey square for the last 2 years. It is a great place.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/broubsterleans/index.asp

[Reay_Bonxie]

I saw a dipper in Reay near the Alllt Torrigal this afternoon.

[delia todd]

Stilll struck down by a virus so no birdwatching for me apart from the window.

8 Red-throated divers(fri), 2 Black-throated divers (fri), Shags, Cormorants, juv Gannet, Black Guillemot, Eider, Purple Sandpipers, Ringed PLovers, Curlews, Redshanks, Turnstones, the usual Gulls and Corvids, House Sparrows, Greenfinches, Starlings, Robin, Blackbirds, Wren.

Also had a letter in from the RSPB today looking for money. They want to buy Broubster Leans. Which has been my Breeding Bird survey square for the last 2 years. It is a great place.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/broubsterleans/index.asp

I do hope our Birthday girl is feeling better today:flowers::flowers::flowers:

D

[delia todd]

I saw a dipper in Reay near the Alllt Torrigal this afternoon.

I just love Dippers RB, do you get many in the area?

D

[Reay_Bonxie]

I've seen a couple this year in the distance but that latest one was very close up, about 20 foot away.

I had another sighting tonight just before midnight, a storm petrel landed in the middle of the road at work, it looked completely exhausted and was clinging on to the road to stop itself being blown away because it was quite stormy. I picked it up (rightfully or wrongfully) and I put it in a more sheltered area away from the wind. We have a works cat so I hope I did the right thing?

[G Anderson]

I've seen a couple this year in the distance but that latest one was very close up, about 20 foot away.

I had another sighting tonight just before midnight, a storm petrel landed in the middle of the road at work, it looked completely exhausted and was clinging on to the road to stop itself being blown away because it was quite stormy. I picked it up (rightfully or wrongfully) and I put it in a more sheltered area away from the wind. We have a works cat so I hope I did the right thing?

Let us know if you see it again, Well done with your efforts trying to to save it - totally wild birds, obviously! Used to live up there and miss the wild! G;)

[Reay_Bonxie]

Sadly I found the storm petrel dead tonight. I think it must have hit one of the buildings in the high winds and it must have broken something.

[G Anderson]

Sadly I found the storm petrel dead tonight. I think it must have hit one of the buildings in the high winds and it must have broken something.

Not so good, Reay_Bonxie! Did yer best!B (:

[WCA]

For anyone interested there was a female Surf Scoter off the car park at the west end of Dunnet Bay this morning, 25th April, from 08:30-09:37 at least. A couple of record shots are on my blog.

http://www.babb2.blogspot.com

Cheers,

Bill.