dafi
Monday 27th November 2006, 00:33
We assembled in the carpark at Dounby at 10am and decided to head for the RSPB hide at the Loons to start the day. Birds were obvious in the fields as we travelled the 3 miles or so to the hide. It had been a wet and windy week, with yesterday and today providing some respite with drier, calmer conditions. On arrival we were rewarded almost immediately with the sight of maybe 1000 golden and green plover and curlew put up by a marauding peregrine. On the water though, it was very quiet, with a single resident tufted duck in front of the hide, a couple of mallard sat on the bank. A procession of common gulls crossed the sky and a raven was seen in the distance. Skein after skein of greylag geese mixed with flights of widgeon flew across blue skies. There was no sing of one of our 2 target species; white fronted geese. There were 30 or so greylag in the field to the right, but none of the 40-90 white fronted geese that are wintering in Orkney. They are a small spit in the ocean of greylag, but this field is a known hotspot for them. With only a passing hen harrier, we decided to move off to the Loch of Banks hide, checking grazing geese flocks on the way. The first stop, 400 yards from the hide produces 2-300 greylag feeding in groups in three fields, but no white fronts. There were,however, large flocks of golden and green plover and curlew covering the fields. Starlings swirl and boil over the farm, a sure sign of a raptor - but we can't see it.
Tim's eagle eye spots a dark goose way back by the hide so we high-tail it back to recieve a nice view of a single white front! Its white face shining and the dark bars underneath well visible in the scope. With that, its wagon roll to the Loch of Banks (some of us seeing a male hen harrier on the way).
Yesterday several reed bunting were showing well. No such luck today, just one solitary cheep from somewhere in the scrub. There's very few wildfowl to be seen close up, just large flights of widgeon in the air. As its so quiet, Tim will lead us along a new access path along Sabiston Loch, hopefully to see our other target species. The walk takes us from the hide up the Bigging Road toward Greeny Hill - dozens of geese and lapwing take to the air as we head toward the farm of Bigging. In the bushes here are few house sparrows and a robin ticks away. A single pinging call shows us a female chaffinch. A very nice spot for out here. Walking along the hillside track we have spectacular views over the hidden Sabiston Loch and the West Mainland, with the majestic hills of Hoy in the distance. We see our third hen harrier and our first sparrowhawk of the day. Netherfea produces a flock of small brown birds, with our first reed buntings. In older times, every farm would have a resident flock of seed eaters wintering, but now, with the lack of oat sheaves and stacks, things are a lot leaner.
Looking down to the loch we are looking for target 2; a female smew. There's a lot of activity on the water, with mute and whooper swans and the dark shapes of wildfowl sillouetted by the sun. The air is full of the whistles of widgeon as we wait for the sun to go behind a cloud. Tim's other eagle eye spots a smew diving and feeding in the distance. We enjoy a view in the scope before heading off toward the House of Cloke, where ten redwings flit in and out of the bushes. Another hen harrier is seen in the distance as the rain stars to fall. Time for food at the ruined farm of Housby. Here I see a kestrel hovering over the far side of the loch. We hide up for a while to eat, then head off in the lightening rain down to the lochside.
Stopping to scope the loch we have good views of pochard, tufted duck, widgeon and teal. Mute and whooper continue feeding undaunted, as another sparrowhawk crosses the loch with its characteristic 'flap, flap glide'. Unable to see the smew, we skirt the loch along the new path and head toward the Bigging Road. The rain has become sporadic, leaving fantastic rainbows behind us. Up ahead, more geese take off with complaining cries. Arriving back at the Banks hide, there is little to see but a female golden eye, so its decided to retrace our steps to the Loons to give the white fronts another go. Its getting late when we arrive, with no white fronts to be seen among the greylag. Attention is then focused along the fence lines, whre I see a hen harrier on a post (soon turned out to be a short eared owl when viewed with a scope). It, however, put on a good wee show, moving about, hunting from post to post, accompanied by another in the distance. 2 herons passed low over the reed bed in front of us, and a single moorhen paddled feet away. As the sun dips behind the hill, someone spotted another hen harrier in the distance. Tim suggested that we go over to Durkadale to view the hen harrier roost. A good idea - as we left the hide a merlin floated across the field in front of us. I managed to completely miss it!
On arriving at a pull in just beyond Howally we look across the Burn of Durkadale to the heather hillside where, within moments, Tim spots the first hen harrier coming in to roost. The female circles in the gathering gloom to land next to a male. Circling and settling another female joins the loose group. Next a heron causes a brief bit of confusion, but we are soon spotting another two females coming in, and then another. Its now too dark to see but we managed nine! A nice end to a raptor filled, entertaining day out west
Tim's eagle eye spots a dark goose way back by the hide so we high-tail it back to recieve a nice view of a single white front! Its white face shining and the dark bars underneath well visible in the scope. With that, its wagon roll to the Loch of Banks (some of us seeing a male hen harrier on the way).
Yesterday several reed bunting were showing well. No such luck today, just one solitary cheep from somewhere in the scrub. There's very few wildfowl to be seen close up, just large flights of widgeon in the air. As its so quiet, Tim will lead us along a new access path along Sabiston Loch, hopefully to see our other target species. The walk takes us from the hide up the Bigging Road toward Greeny Hill - dozens of geese and lapwing take to the air as we head toward the farm of Bigging. In the bushes here are few house sparrows and a robin ticks away. A single pinging call shows us a female chaffinch. A very nice spot for out here. Walking along the hillside track we have spectacular views over the hidden Sabiston Loch and the West Mainland, with the majestic hills of Hoy in the distance. We see our third hen harrier and our first sparrowhawk of the day. Netherfea produces a flock of small brown birds, with our first reed buntings. In older times, every farm would have a resident flock of seed eaters wintering, but now, with the lack of oat sheaves and stacks, things are a lot leaner.
Looking down to the loch we are looking for target 2; a female smew. There's a lot of activity on the water, with mute and whooper swans and the dark shapes of wildfowl sillouetted by the sun. The air is full of the whistles of widgeon as we wait for the sun to go behind a cloud. Tim's other eagle eye spots a smew diving and feeding in the distance. We enjoy a view in the scope before heading off toward the House of Cloke, where ten redwings flit in and out of the bushes. Another hen harrier is seen in the distance as the rain stars to fall. Time for food at the ruined farm of Housby. Here I see a kestrel hovering over the far side of the loch. We hide up for a while to eat, then head off in the lightening rain down to the lochside.
Stopping to scope the loch we have good views of pochard, tufted duck, widgeon and teal. Mute and whooper continue feeding undaunted, as another sparrowhawk crosses the loch with its characteristic 'flap, flap glide'. Unable to see the smew, we skirt the loch along the new path and head toward the Bigging Road. The rain has become sporadic, leaving fantastic rainbows behind us. Up ahead, more geese take off with complaining cries. Arriving back at the Banks hide, there is little to see but a female golden eye, so its decided to retrace our steps to the Loons to give the white fronts another go. Its getting late when we arrive, with no white fronts to be seen among the greylag. Attention is then focused along the fence lines, whre I see a hen harrier on a post (soon turned out to be a short eared owl when viewed with a scope). It, however, put on a good wee show, moving about, hunting from post to post, accompanied by another in the distance. 2 herons passed low over the reed bed in front of us, and a single moorhen paddled feet away. As the sun dips behind the hill, someone spotted another hen harrier in the distance. Tim suggested that we go over to Durkadale to view the hen harrier roost. A good idea - as we left the hide a merlin floated across the field in front of us. I managed to completely miss it!
On arriving at a pull in just beyond Howally we look across the Burn of Durkadale to the heather hillside where, within moments, Tim spots the first hen harrier coming in to roost. The female circles in the gathering gloom to land next to a male. Circling and settling another female joins the loose group. Next a heron causes a brief bit of confusion, but we are soon spotting another two females coming in, and then another. Its now too dark to see but we managed nine! A nice end to a raptor filled, entertaining day out west