Angus Hills and Glens (4 Viewers)

[delia todd]

Ken and I went along to the Glen Ogil area on Sunday - not been there for about 20 years!

Red Kite between Memus and Noranside, along with loads of Jackdaws, assorted gulls - Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull.

Turned up to Afflochie then up and over the hill... loads and loads of pot holes! Dropping down to a loch on the left near Glenley, where we had lunch.

Started with three Tufted Duck 1 male with two girls. Then a Little Grebe, then two quietly swimming around. Then they got excited and we realised there was a third, then a fourth and finally a fifth!!! They were battling all over the place it was hard to keep track, but very entertaining!

Several Oystercatchers and Lapwings seen in various places.

Finally my first Red Squirrel for quite a while.

 

[MJB]

Ken and I went along to the Glen Ogil area on Sunday - not been there for about 20 years!

Red Kite between Memus and Noranside, along with loads of Jackdaws, assorted gulls - Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull.

Turned up to Afflochie then up and over the hill... loads and loads of pot holes! Dropping down to a loch on the left near Glenley, where we had lunch.

Started with three Tufted Duck 1 male with two girls. Then a Little Grebe, then two quietly swimming around. Then they got excited and we realised there was a third, then a fourth and finally a fifth!!! They were battling all over the place it was hard to keep track, but very entertaining!

Several Oystercatchers and Lapwings seen in various places.

Finally my first Red Squirrel for quite a while.

Unfortunately, Glenley doesn't appear on Google Maps... I was trying to retrace your journey to see if I had been round that way over 60 years ago!
MJB

 

[delia todd]

Unfortunately, Glenley doesn't appear on Google Maps... I was trying to retrace your journey to see if I had been round that way over 60 years ago!
MJB

Hi MJ.... no I rarely use Google Maps, they don't really put anything useful on them.

Here's a link showing Glenley on StreetMap.

That's an Ordnance Survey map. Use the bars on the right to change the view. If you move the map around, you'll see it's near Noranside; think the prison closed about 10 years ago, not sure what it is now.

 

[MJB]

Hi MJ.... no I rarely use Google Maps, they don't really put anything useful on them.

Here's a link showing Glenley on StreetMap.

That's an Ordnance Survey map. Use the bars on the right to change the view. If you move the map around, you'll see it's near Noranside; think the prison closed about 10 years ago, not sure what it is now.

Got it Delia! Thanks! I wonderwhy Noranside was inkling away at the back of my mind... It closed in 2011. I think it specialised in young offenders and low-risk adults.
MJB

 

[delia todd]

Got it Delia! Thanks! I wonderwhy Noranside was inkling away at the back of my mind... It closed in 2011. I think it specialised in young offenders and low-risk adults.
MJB

I didn't realise there were young offenders there. They would probably have been transferred to Polmont, with the adults going to Castle Huntly.

Friarton Prison in Perth was also closed around that time I think. I worked at Perth Prison until 2004 so a bit out of things in that way since then.

 

[Scozmos]

Took a wander up Backwater Reservoir again today, wasn't a bad morning but, that soon changed as I reached the second gate so, a walk back down in chilly rain.
Not a huge amount around, did think I'd spotted a Cuckoo in its usual spot........ just a Woodpigeon hunkering down in the rain but, I did see a slightly unusual Cormorant? Thought I was seeing a Diver, you'll see.....



That's a different hairdo!
I also came across that Buzzard again.


I also watched a very distant bird flying very like aPigeon when it does that climb and dive thing, turned out to be an Osprey! Looked .like it was practicing its dives?

A pair of Wigeon landed on the water near the top gate, other than that? Chaffinch, Robin, Tits, Common Gulls .....
Sorry about the bold, it's stuck ON again

 

[Scozmos]

Went up to the reservoir again this morning to an empty car park 🎊
A beautiful morning with a chilly breeze started with a pair of Greylags on the dam itself.
From there on it was a pretty normal, perhaps quiet walk in bird terms but, not according to Merlin 🤔Now, the Osprey was allegedly heard through my den window before I set off, I could hear what I thought was our regular Mistle Thrush sounding a bit different?
The second was at the reservoir before the wind got up.
Now, I know Merlin has its moments but neither of those oddities are beyond possible?
Anyway, nothing more exciting to report, one Osprey, a couple of Buzzards and lots of Meadow Pipit, along with all the regulars.
Nippy out there now (AGAIN) 👍

 

[Stonefaction]

If you select the species from the list it will take you to the first snippet on the recording of that particular species (or at least what Merlin has ID'd as that species). You can then see the sonagram and compare it to other recordings (try Xeno-Canto website for other recordings and sonagrams) to try to ascertain whether Merlin has called it wrong or not. (I've had distant gull calls picked up by Merlin as Osprey before).

 

[Scozmos]

Well! I've just had my most exciting morning with my clothes on for a long time and the first time I've ever filled an SD card on the camera! (64Gb) It was chuffing freezing in the Swamp hide, my first visit to this one and someone had left two windows open, overnight maybe?
Anyway, the sun came out eventually but that chilly wind that seems to have been blowing since 2022 was right in the windows! The Marsh Harriers were gathering nesting materials and hunting I presume. An Osprey passed by on the lookout for a meal then spent quite a while hunting until it eventually dived and caught a fish, behind the reeds sadly but I got the before and after shots. A Red Kite had a good look around for a while and I took a few long shots with the P950 to check what was gliding around on the water at the farthest points from me. Just got back and found three Northern Shoveler shots, which was nice and yet another first for me, the pair of Marsh Harriers yesterday, enough to bring me back today.
All told, today saw Blue & Great Tit, Carrion Crow, Rook, Grey Heron, Greylag & Pink-footed Geese, Lapwing, Long-tailed Tit, Mallard, Marsh Harrier (pair), Osprey Red Kite, Reed Bunting, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Redshank, Whooper & Mute Swan, Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, GSW and a Red Squirrel who had either just had youngsters or is due to have.


Many more photos to edit yet

 

[burnie]

Always a chance of Bearded Tits there too, more often heard than seen, same goes for the Water Rail. To the left of the hide along the waters edge is a good spot for waders like Ruff.

 

[Scozmos]

Always a chance of Bearded Tits there too, more often heard than seen, same goes for the Water Rail. To the left of the hide along the waters edge is a good spot for waders like Ruff.

Cheers I've been trying to plan a trip to Errol but this weather............

 

[burnie]

A very cold strong wind blowing down Glen Esk, even with a bit of sunshine, I was looking for reptiles but found none. A single Red Kite, couple pf Buzzards, the Eagles seem to have been pushed away by the forestry work, not seen any for a while. Good numbers of Lapwing and Curlew, dozens of Oystercatchers, a lot of game birds, Frenchies and Pheasants. Fist two House Martins seen, couple of Tufted Ducks. a couple of Goosander, a few Wheatears but no Cuckoos or Ring Ouzels yet. A few Chaffinches, one Greater Spotted Woodpecker but no Red Squirrels this time. Forgot to add two Mistle Thrushes and five Song Thrushes.

 

[delia todd]

Was on my Patch today. Very quiet, unlike the previous two visits. I mentioned Cuckoo, but we didn't hear one. A couple of sightings of a single House Martin, so don't know if there was one seen twice or....

Although it was sunny, still rather cold up there, well at least the wind was cold LOL

 

[Scozmos]

Not heard any Cuckoo over the hill or up at the reservoir ...... yet