Birding at Loch of Kinnordy (4 Viewers)

[blairbiker]

Newbie

Met Delia at Kinnordy today and she invited me to join the site. I was telling her that I'd had a nuthatch in my garden in Coupar Angus , Perthshire this morning

 

[delia todd]

Hi Kenny

It was good to meet you, and I'm glad you've managed to find your way here and to this thread. As you'll see, there's lots of Scottish threads, but this is the best one

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

I spent a few hours on the reserve this morning waiting for the smew to get close enough to get decent photos but it wasn't at all obliging. It was good to see it back again after a couple of days away. Another good sighting was a peregrine which spent quite a while over the reserve. It kept a lot of the ducks in the air for quite a while.

Over 160 wigeon this morning along with gadwall, teal, goldeneye, tufties, goosander, greylags, whooper and mute swans, cormorant, mallard, pink feet, shoveler and coot.
Smaller birds were also out in force as well. Redpoll, brambling, chaffinch, goldcrest, treecreeper, wren, robin, blue tit, great tit, coal tit, siskin, goldfinch and bullfinch.

Other birds included wood pigeon, pheasant, crow, rook, jackdaw, reed bunting, blackbird.

Darell

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

I was at kinnordy again this morning for a couple of hours. The Smew was playing hard to find, but eventually he appeared at the east end of the loch and stayed there before disappearing again. Lots of whoopers around...70+ at the moment along with a few hundred greylag geese. In amongst a group landing, a couple of white fronts were seen which was good.
Lots of ducks around including mallard, wigeon, teal, shoveler, goldeneye and tufted ducks. Goosander, cormorant and mute swans were also on the water.
There is also a small flock of redpoll present and can be seen quite often from the gallery hide. Other small birds were siskin, chaffinch, brambling, goldcrests, blue tits, great tits, and coal tits.
The boardwalk to the swamp hide is fine now, though you still need wellies because of the water before both boardwalks.

Darell

 

[gus guthrie]

Male Smew still on the loch, mainly at the east end but does occasionally come and give good views from the Gullery hide.
At least 60 Whoopers hanging around at the west end on the flooded reeds.
Lots of Greylags, Teal, Wigeon,Mallard as well as Shoveller,Goosander,Goldeneye,Tufties and a couple of Gadwall.
Plentu small birds around the hides and feeding area including; goldcrest, Redpoll,Reed Bunting, Long-tailed Tits & Brambling.

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

Male smew was still present today but very hard to find. It was very cold and snowed most of the time i was on the reserve today. A few ducks in front of the gallery hide with teal, mallard and a couple of male goosanders. Most of the other ducks were along at the swamp hide with more teal, mallard, wigeon, goldeneye and a cormorant. Along at the east end of the loch were tufted duck, whooper swans and mute swans.
I filled up the feeders which attracted coal tits, blue tits, great tis, chaffinches, brambling and robins. Between the feeding station and the east hide was a lovely flock of bullfinches, trying to find food in amongst the snow covered bushes.
Flocks of siskins and redpoll were seen flying overhead along with buzzards.
Other birds seen were reed bunting, treecreeper, wren, blackbird, wood pigeon, kestrel, crow, pheasant, jackdaw, rook and greylags.

Darell

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

My list of birds seen at Kinnordy so far this year.

1 Smew
2 Goosander
3 Cormorant
4 Greylag Goose
5 Pinkfeet
6 Mallard
7 Teal
8 Wigeon
9 Goldeneye
10 Tufted Duck
11 Shoveler
12 Gadwall
13 Whooper swan
14 Mute swan
15 Blue tit
16 Great tit
17 Coal tit
18 Long tailed tit
19 Chaffinch
20 Bullfinch
21 Goldfinch
22 Brambling
23 Goldcrest
24 Treecreeper
25 wren
26 Robin
27 Blackbird
28 Peregrine
29 Buzzard
30 Kestrel
31Crow
32 Jackdaw
33 Rook
34 Pheasant
35 Woodpigeon
36 Great Spotted Woodpecker
37 Common Gull
38 Great Black Backed Gull
39 Herring Gull
40 Lapwing

 

[gus guthrie]

My list of birds seen at Kinnordy so far this year.

1 Smew
2 Goosander
3 Cormorant
4 Greylag Goose
5 Pinkfeet
6 Mallard
7 Teal
8 Wigeon
9 Goldeneye
10 Tufted Duck
11 Shoveler
12 Gadwall
13 Whooper swan
14 Mute swan
15 Blue tit
16 Great tit
17 Coal tit
18 Long tailed tit
19 Chaffinch
20 Bullfinch
21 Goldfinch
22 Brambling
23 Goldcrest
24 Treecreeper
25 wren
26 Robin
27 Blackbird
28 Peregrine
29 Buzzard
30 Kestrel
31Crow
32 Jackdaw
33 Rook
34 Pheasant
35 Woodpigeon
36 Great Spotted Woodpecker
37 Common Gull
38 Great Black Backed Gull
39 Herring Gull
40 Lapwing

oh !.....you lister...!!!!

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

1st time for everything Gus!!! lol

 

[Stonefaction]

It's a slippery, slippery slope, Darell........

 

[gus guthrie]

carpark has a lot of snow in it, so unless it thaws fast or you have a 4x4 it's difficult to park there.
Plenty birds at the feeders there today though; brambling, robin, wren, treecreeper, redpoll, siskin,chaffinch,blackbird, blue tit,coal tit,great tit, long-tailed tit and pheasants,
A couple of unfrozen areas on the loch have greylags,mallard,wigeon,teal, goldeneye and a couple of goosander...no sign of the drake smew today though.
Biggest surprise was a pied wagtail and eight meadow pipits feeding out on the ice.

 

[delia todd]

Biggest surprise was a pied wagtail and eight meadow pipits feeding out on the ice.

LOL it's nice to see something different isn't it Gus!

The way the weather was going, I wouldn't be surprised to see them with webbed feet; though snow shoes might be the order of the day just now!!:-O

 

[gus guthrie]

LOL it's nice to see something different isn't it Gus!

The way the weather was going, I wouldn't be surprised to see them with webbed feet; though snow shoes might be the order of the day just now!!:-O

it is strange weather....2 weeks ago the paths were all flooded...now a foot of snow !

 

[gus guthrie]

popped into the reserve on my way home from work today at 4pm. carpark is still full of snow yet, but there is a clear bit at the gate.
everything still frozen from gullery hide and very little on show.
along at the swamp hide there is an open area in the ice where the birds were congregated.
mallard,wigeon,goldeneye.teal,goosander and a couple of whooper swans.
then the drake smew popped up pretty close to the hide in a small unfrozen area.....within a minute or so the bittern flew up from the back of the loch and headed back towards the big reedbed. not too bad for 15 minutes on my way home.

 

[gus guthrie]

between my visit yesterday and today at 4pm..some idiots have dumped a load of household rubbish inside the gate to the reserve..... really annoying as we have a great recycling centre here in kirriemuir.

 

[Tomwbhx]

Fingers Crossed!

popped into the reserve on my way home from work today at 4pm. carpark is still full of snow yet, but there is a clear bit at the gate.
everything still frozen from gullery hide and very little on show.
along at the swamp hide there is an open area in the ice where the birds were congregated.
mallard,wigeon,goldeneye.teal,goosander and a couple of whooper swans.
then the drake smew popped up pretty close to the hide in a small unfrozen area.....within a minute or so the bittern flew up from the back of the loch and headed back towards the big reedbed. not too bad for 15 minutes on my way home.

We are up in the area next week and looking forward to paying a visit, fingers crossed that the Smew will sill be about. I'll keep my eye on this thread.
Do you ever head over to Montrose basin and could recommend the best spots?

Cheers
Tom

 

[Stonefaction]

Best place to start at the basin is the visitor centre (south side of the basin just as you come into the southern edge of Montrose). You can pick up a leaflet there which shows the paths to the hides/parking etc, and the staff can help with directions too. You can also scope the basin from there too and find out if there is anything else around. There are two hides on the north side of the basin, near the northwest corner, though it is a bit of a walk to get to them (twite possible en route though).

http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserve/montrose-basin/

A walk from nearby Ferryden to the lighthouse at Scurdie Ness can sometimes be quite productive too - with Purple Sandpipers along the rocky shoreline.

 

[gus guthrie]

We are up in the area next week and looking forward to paying a visit, fingers crossed that the Smew will sill be about. I'll keep my eye on this thread.
Do you ever head over to Montrose basin and could recommend the best spots?

Cheers
Tom

Hi Tom, if you ask the staff at the Wildlife Centre they will give you directions to the area known as the Lurgies, this has an area of reedbeds and is where the river South Esk enters the basin.
This can be a very productive area for birding. The centre is only open on certain days during the winter months so check before you go which days it's open.
The drake smew is still here at Kinnordy ,bring wellies with you though as some of the paths are flooded, particularly the path to the Swamp Hide.
Other birds recently seen at the loch have been Merlin, Bittern, Peregrine, Bearded Tit, Brambling and Whooper Swans.
Give me a shout if you need any more info.
cheers, gus

 

[Tomwbhx]

Hi Tom, if you ask the staff at the Wildlife Centre they will give you directions to the area known as the Lurgies, this has an area of reedbeds and is where the river South Esk enters the basin.
This can be a very productive area for birding. The centre is only open on certain days during the winter months so check before you go which days it's open.
The drake smew is still here at Kinnordy ,bring wellies with you though as some of the paths are flooded, particularly the path to the Swamp Hide.
Other birds recently seen at the loch have been Merlin, Bittern, Peregrine, Bearded Tit, Brambling and Whooper Swans.
Give me a shout if you need any more info.
cheers, gus

Just arrived in Braemar, which will be our base for the next 6 days, so thanks, for the info. Don't know which day yet that we are heading that way, but looking forward to it.

Cheers
Tom

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

I was at Kinnordy this morning, first time for a couple of weeks due to the weather. Thankfully the car park is now more or less snow and ice free, but the loch is not so fortunate.
In front of the gallery hide the water is completely frozen but there are areas at the east and swamp ends that are ice free. In those areas there are teal, wigeon, mute swans, greylag geese, goldeneye and mallard at the swamp end and over to the east end there were goldeneye, mallard, goo sander, mute swans and the male Smew. We had good views of the smew flying from east to swamp, back again and then back to the swamp end yet again.
I filled the feeders up and it wasn't long before the birds found them. Coal tits, great tits, blue tits, chaffinch, greenfinch, brambling, robin, blackbird and in the trees behind the feeding station redpoll. Other birds seen today were treecreeper, buzzard, wood pigeon, crow and rook.

Darell