gus guthrie
gus guthrie
looks to me like a juvenille marsh harrier ? both the adults were up and feeding this morning, landing back in different places.
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Birding at Loch of Kinnordy (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter kinnordyvolunteer
- Start date
looks to me like a juvenille marsh harrier ? both the adults were up and feeding this morning, landing back in different places.
Oh gawd, I'm getting confused again. The ID forum are saying it's an older female and they do get white heads as they age. I've just not seen her before.
I've only seen females with the gold head stripe and cream forewings - which I'm sure last year's female sported.
That was great for you to see both of them out Gus.
kinnordyvolunteer
Darell Berthon
First time ive seen the female on top of that tree, she usually perches near the bottom or half way up. They were both active on sunday and monday. The osprey was in for quite a while on sunday and caught nothing. I stayed for quite a while before heading to Forfar loch to see the red crested pochard...beautiful bird.
On monday morning it was all about youngsters. first of all there were mute swans with 6 cygnets, then a juv pied wagtail sat in the bogbean infront of the hide, getting fed as often as it could and then a moorhen appeared with 2 newbies.
There are alot of mute swans on the loch at the moment which is unusual for this time of the year. Usually we have 3 or 4 nests but this year it looks like its just the one brood, but there are 20 or so swans on the loch. A flock of 30+ lapwing also appeared on sunday morning which i thought was unusual too, could that be a sign of breeding failure or is autumn upon us already!! Hope not!!
There are 8 broods of greylags and the curlew and lapwings have been very succesful over at egnomoss, across the road from the reserve. The otters have had a big effect on the gulls and also other ground nesting birds eg coots and lapwing.
On monday morning it was all about youngsters. first of all there were mute swans with 6 cygnets, then a juv pied wagtail sat in the bogbean infront of the hide, getting fed as often as it could and then a moorhen appeared with 2 newbies.
There are alot of mute swans on the loch at the moment which is unusual for this time of the year. Usually we have 3 or 4 nests but this year it looks like its just the one brood, but there are 20 or so swans on the loch. A flock of 30+ lapwing also appeared on sunday morning which i thought was unusual too, could that be a sign of breeding failure or is autumn upon us already!! Hope not!!
There are 8 broods of greylags and the curlew and lapwings have been very succesful over at egnomoss, across the road from the reserve. The otters have had a big effect on the gulls and also other ground nesting birds eg coots and lapwing.
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kawwauser
Well-known member
the female marsh harrier was hunting for a while today seen mainly from the swamp hide,at least 2 pairs of sedge warblers feeding youngsters in front of the same hide,reed buntings/greylags/mutes with 5 cygnets.jackdaws/rooks/carrion crows/curlew/oystercatchers/mallards/willow warblers/wren/woodpigeon/buzzard/swallows all at the swamp hide area/at the gullery hide only mallards were on the water,the swallows were very busy flying under the hide to their nest,i thought this would make it easy to catch a swallow in flight shot,i was totally wrong,at the east end hide swifts were flying and 1 common gull landed,18 mutes were on the water,1 wren singing on a perch to the right of the hide (i have seen this bird here lots of times)1 great spotted woodpecker heard,a blue tit was flying in and out of one of the nestboxes but didn,t seem to be carrying food
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kinnordyvolunteer
Darell Berthon
I was at Kinnordy this morning for a couple of hours and it was reallly quiet. A good number of mallard and mute swans, a pair of tufties, lapwing, oycs, redshank, sedge warbler, willow warbler, reed bunting, female marsh harrier who was joined by the male just before i departed and an Osprey. The local nest has 2 youngsters in it this year which is great. last year there was only one and the year before produced 3, so a good result so far for this year. I also heard water rail in 3 different locations close to the gullery hide. i will be back up next weekend, but before that am off to Norfolk for a few days. Am hoping the weather is a bit better down there but am not putting any money on it. It was lashing down as i departed kinnordy today!!
Darell
Darell
The weather can't be much worse down there, can it.
Enjoy Darell
Enjoy Darell
kinnordyvolunteer
Darell Berthon
I saw a strange object in the sky over kinnordy this morning...the SUN with blue skies, but the wind was strong, bringing a very chilly feel to the place. I did stand in the car park for a while to feel the rays warmimg me up!!!
As per my last visit, it was quiet. A good number of mute swans along at the east end along with a few mallards. Blackcap, goldcrest, blue tit, coal tit, great tit, robin, wren, blackbird, song thrush and chaffinch were all in the area of the gullery hides boardwalk. Eventually i walked along the path to the two bridges and saw bullfinch, yellowhammer, reed bunting, willow warbler and dunnock. The marsh harriers were both visible at different times, with the female disturbing a large flock 80+ of lapwings on the far side opposite the east hide, while an osprey came in, caught some food, went to a perch to take the head off and then continued back to the nest. Lots of mallards appeared just before i departed along with a pair of tufties. Other birds present were greylags, rooks, crows, woodpigeons, swift, sandmartins, swallows, pheasants, buzzards, lesser black backs, black headed and common gulls. Water rail could be heard but not seen.I suppose quite a few birds around for a "quiet" day which would have been better without the strong wind. I suppose i have to be greatful there wasnt a drop of rain.
Darell
As per my last visit, it was quiet. A good number of mute swans along at the east end along with a few mallards. Blackcap, goldcrest, blue tit, coal tit, great tit, robin, wren, blackbird, song thrush and chaffinch were all in the area of the gullery hides boardwalk. Eventually i walked along the path to the two bridges and saw bullfinch, yellowhammer, reed bunting, willow warbler and dunnock. The marsh harriers were both visible at different times, with the female disturbing a large flock 80+ of lapwings on the far side opposite the east hide, while an osprey came in, caught some food, went to a perch to take the head off and then continued back to the nest. Lots of mallards appeared just before i departed along with a pair of tufties. Other birds present were greylags, rooks, crows, woodpigeons, swift, sandmartins, swallows, pheasants, buzzards, lesser black backs, black headed and common gulls. Water rail could be heard but not seen.I suppose quite a few birds around for a "quiet" day which would have been better without the strong wind. I suppose i have to be greatful there wasnt a drop of rain.
Darell
kawwauser
Well-known member
i had a superb view of an adult wren feeding its tiny chick on a log just to the left of the gullery hide boardwalk ,the chick was hidden and the adult was picking up food from the path then flying on to the log,the chick jumped out grabbed the food from the parents mouth and dived back into cover,it looked like there was only one chick,the adult fed the chick several times before they both dissapeared into the undergrowth,the bullfinches were at the feeder area and the colourfull males were giving themselves a bit of a preen,the male marsh harrier was hunting at the swamp end and made 3 unsucesfull dives
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kinnordyvolunteer
Darell Berthon
I was back up at kinnordy for a couple of hours this morning. Both marsh harriers were showing well along with lots of mallards, mute swans, tufties, oycs, lapwing, reed bunting, sedge warblers, willow warblers, robin, wren, greylags, goldcrests and 3 ospreys Quite a nice morning with NO RAIN!!
Huh! I was there for 10 minutes this evening (on the way back from a long day out) - in the rain. Loads of swans at the East end and not a lot else!
We were tired and hungry, which is why we didn't stop for long; I was just showing my brother and sister in law where the reserve is.
We were tired and hungry, which is why we didn't stop for long; I was just showing my brother and sister in law where the reserve is.
kinnordyvolunteer
Darell Berthon
I was up at kinnordy again this morning and again, it wasn't raining. It was dull and overcast but still good for seeing what was around. It was still fairly quiet but lots of mallards along with 4 tufties. I sat in the gullery hide and looking eastwards found a common tern sitting on a log that lies in the water at that end of the loch. It only satyed for a few mins before heading off somewhere else. a common sandpiper also made a fly past of the hide, a bird i hadnt seen here for a few weeks. marsh harriers, lapwing, oycs, heron, mute swans, buzzards, blackcap, goldcrest, wrens, reed bunting, willow warblers, sedge warblers, swift, swallows, house and sand martinswere also present. Will be up again on sunday, but there is the kirriemuir show on tomorrow where the RSPB have a stall, trying to raise the puplics awareness that the reserve does exist on their doorstep!!
Darell
Darell
kinnordyvolunteer
Darell Berthon
4 Marsh Harriers flying around this morning!!! 2 adults and 2 juvs, great to see they have been successful again this year!!!
Darell
Darell
Ratal
Well-known member
Kinnordy is second from top on my 2013 must visit list. Sounds fabulous.
Never seen a Marsh Harrier so the travel would be well worthwhile.
I was there for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon/early evening and saw one of the youngsters sitting on top of the lone pine (a very gingery head). That was the only one in sight, though someone said the male had gone to the west end earlier.
No sign of any Osprey. Loads of swans and the usual ducks on the far side.
No sign of any Osprey. Loads of swans and the usual ducks on the far side.
kinnordyvolunteer
Darell Berthon
Other birds today were Mallard, wigeon, tufties, snipe, lapwing, oycs, song thrush, bullfinch, common gulls, black headed gulls, herring gulls, mute swans, greylag geese, wren, robin, reed bunting, willow warbler, sedge warbler, dunnock, goldfinch, blue tit, great tit, buzzards, osprey.
kawwauser
Well-known member
3 marsh harriers in the air together today at the swamp hide area,2x females plus 1male,the male was carrying prey,the females both youngsters (i think)were sticking close to each other and fighting at the same time,they were landing in the grass plus perching on the bush last year youngsters seem to favour
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ArbroathBirder
Well-known member
Kinnordy is a great place at any time of year, just wish it was a bit nearer Arbroath!
Great to see the Marsh Harriers doing well. While on holiday in East Anglia I managed to visit Minsmere and Strumpshaw Fen. Practically tripping over Marsh Harriers! Saw more of them than any other bird of prey.
Hey! You've got the coast!!!! Don't be greedy AB!
I'm just glad it's near Blairgowrie:-O
