Caithness Birding (1 Viewer)

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.

nice iceland there Was that Scrabster?

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.

Not good news in the papers today

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.

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.

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???)

deborah4 said:

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

Click to expand...

Will do Deborah, Thanks.

kas said:

Will do Deborah, Thanks.

Click to expand...

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?.

dafi said:

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?.

Click to expand...

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.

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.

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

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.

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

North Highland College - Birdwatching

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

Friday, 9th Feb 2007

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

Iceland Gulls - Scrabster

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

Nice pics rin.

Ben Nevis said:

Nice pics rin.

Click to expand...

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!

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

Last few days

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.