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Tayforth Birding (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter delia todd
- Start date
We had a very successful day. Over 40 species and 6 ticks for my year list: Fulmar, Kittiwake, Rock Pipit, Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin. I also saw my first Rock Dove, but having already ticked Feral Pigeon, I couldn't count it. Shame. There were also lots of butterflies: Painted Ladies everywhere, plus Small Copper, Common Blue and Small Blue. Delightful.
Michael
kawwauser
Well-known member
im glad you had a nice day macgee,you got an impressive bird count, ,the swt website certainly does the area no justice, i arrived today in the rain ,when the rainstopped i travelled along the cliff 50 yards and had house martins buzzing around my head a skylark singing ,rock pipits jumping about and curlews/oystercatchers/herring/lsb gulls /shags all on view at once, my main aim was to see puffins which i did and had some nice views of an adult carrying eels,i also spotted the female peregrine which i haven,t seen for a few years,i also saw 1 brindled guilemot and a razorbill sitting on a ledge with a beakfull of eels (see pic below)i dont think there are any auk young about just now the eels must have been for the mate,a pair of shags have been nesting in the same crevice for as long as i can remember,when the female starts sitting it must be comfortable, but when the chicks grow it starts to become a bit of a squeeze, today i caught the female with the3 youngsters all on the nest, the female is on the right, 1 juv is to her right 2 juv is nearly standing on her,the 3rd juv is standing with its back to the wall with its leg streched out on the left of
the pic,
all the smaller birds were carrying food in their beaks and were giving great views, the area i encountered stonechats a few weeks ago has now been cut down,not sure why,a family of porpoises was swimming slowly offshore diving then resurfacing as if they were in no hurry, there was roughly 8 of them,1 individual was leaping about and was left behind by the group,i also had 1 hare 1 seal and a lot of insects
pics
razorbill ith eels
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/razorbillfb.jpg
brindled guillemot
fulmars
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/fulmar442.jpg
porpoise family
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/porp996b.jpg
show off
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/porp997b.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/porp998b.jpg
the pic,
all the smaller birds were carrying food in their beaks and were giving great views, the area i encountered stonechats a few weeks ago has now been cut down,not sure why,a family of porpoises was swimming slowly offshore diving then resurfacing as if they were in no hurry, there was roughly 8 of them,1 individual was leaping about and was left behind by the group,i also had 1 hare 1 seal and a lot of insects
pics
razorbill ith eels
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/razorbillfb.jpg
brindled guillemot
fulmars
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/fulmar442.jpg
porpoise family
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/porp996b.jpg
show off
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/porp997b.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/porp998b.jpg
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Hi Malcolm
Pied Flycatchers!.... in your garden!....... you lucky ummmm:-O
I'd think they were worth reporting... not sure but I don't think there are many over this way. I did hear of some at Killiecrankie a few year ago, but don't know if they're regular there.
D
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
Pied Flys are thinly distributed throughout Western Perthshire/Breadalbane in suitable habitat (thinly grazed/ungrazed oakwood & old unmanaged riparian birch woods).
There are some Pied Flys in Glen Lochay (north of Killin) -it's not too far from there to Glen Lyon.
That said it's still a good record, especially as a potential garden bird. Wish I had them in my garden!!!
If you've got Pied Flys there are probably also Redstart & Wood Warblers in the area.
There are some Pied Flys in Glen Lochay (north of Killin) -it's not too far from there to Glen Lyon.
That said it's still a good record, especially as a potential garden bird. Wish I had them in my garden!!!
If you've got Pied Flys there are probably also Redstart & Wood Warblers in the area.
You did pretty well yourself. Nice pictures; the close-up of the Fulmars is particularly impressive. I'd forgotten that Guillemots come in bridled and unbridled forms. We saw the bridled form, but I didn't notice if we saw the unbridled.
Michael
We were told Pied Flycatchers used to nest in the area but had,nt done so for a number of years so I made and put up around 20 nest boxes 2 years ago and this year the Flycatchers have hatched a clutch in one of the boxes and both birds are in and out obvously feeding chicks. I think there may be a second female sat on eggs in another box but I,ve stayed well away.I,m very pleased to see the boxes being used by such scarce birds.
Malcolm
Malcolm
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
Can't help with the Kinnordy birds Michael but the Tay reedbeds are normally the most reliable site for Beardies in Scotland. All my views have been at a distance but others have seen them close up. You should also see Marsh Harriers here.
From the end of the M90 motorway take the Perth-Dundee road & heading east take the turn-off for Errol & St Madoes (about 6-8km from the end of the motorway) > drive through St Madoes towards Errol. After about 6km there is a road on the right signed Port Allen (it's easy to miss in which case you will quickly arrive in Errol). Drive down the Port Allen road which ends at a converted barn complex (evidence of recent building work). Park carefully here on the grass verge making sure you don't block access (it's best to turn here & drive back up the road 10-20metres parking on the soft grass verge -beware you don't get stuck). Walk down to the end of the road onto a small track beside the garden of a large cottage > cross a small bridge over a tidal burn & the track then turns left through woodland.
The plan is to follow this track for a few kilometres until you reach a cottage then retrace your steps back to the car. Highlights are:
1) A small loch/flooded grassland which runs parallel to the first section of track just beyond the trees. This area can hold Little & G C Grebes, various dabbling ducks including Shoveler & often a few waders.
2)Narrow woodland/hedgerows hold the usual stuff such as Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Yellowhammer,etc. I've also seen G.S Woodies & Jays here.
3) A gap in the woodland allows a clear view of the reedbeds -scan from here for Bearded Tits & Marsh Harriers. Water Rails can usually be heard from here but are murder to see!!
4) At the cottage at the far end of the track it is possible to walk down into a part of the reedbeds though it's better to find an elevated viewpoint. Scan from here for Marsh Harriers & Beardies. If you hang around for a while you should see Marsh Harriers -especially male birds hunting. It's also a good place to witness a food-pass between the harriers.
Bearded Tits are a bit more difficult -it helps if you are tuned in to their call. They flit from one area to another on whirring wings then drop down into the reeds. Getting views isn't too difficult, getting good views .......well that's a different matter!
Good luck,
Steve
From the end of the M90 motorway take the Perth-Dundee road & heading east take the turn-off for Errol & St Madoes (about 6-8km from the end of the motorway) > drive through St Madoes towards Errol. After about 6km there is a road on the right signed Port Allen (it's easy to miss in which case you will quickly arrive in Errol). Drive down the Port Allen road which ends at a converted barn complex (evidence of recent building work). Park carefully here on the grass verge making sure you don't block access (it's best to turn here & drive back up the road 10-20metres parking on the soft grass verge -beware you don't get stuck). Walk down to the end of the road onto a small track beside the garden of a large cottage > cross a small bridge over a tidal burn & the track then turns left through woodland.
The plan is to follow this track for a few kilometres until you reach a cottage then retrace your steps back to the car. Highlights are:
1) A small loch/flooded grassland which runs parallel to the first section of track just beyond the trees. This area can hold Little & G C Grebes, various dabbling ducks including Shoveler & often a few waders.
2)Narrow woodland/hedgerows hold the usual stuff such as Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Yellowhammer,etc. I've also seen G.S Woodies & Jays here.
3) A gap in the woodland allows a clear view of the reedbeds -scan from here for Bearded Tits & Marsh Harriers. Water Rails can usually be heard from here but are murder to see!!
4) At the cottage at the far end of the track it is possible to walk down into a part of the reedbeds though it's better to find an elevated viewpoint. Scan from here for Marsh Harriers & Beardies. If you hang around for a while you should see Marsh Harriers -especially male birds hunting. It's also a good place to witness a food-pass between the harriers.
Bearded Tits are a bit more difficult -it helps if you are tuned in to their call. They flit from one area to another on whirring wings then drop down into the reeds. Getting views isn't too difficult, getting good views .......well that's a different matter!
Good luck,
Steve
Marsh Harrier
Im hoping some regular on this thread can help me out,on this one ?
While travelling by Train yesterday to go to Glasgow (with the wife,to see Take That),I am 80% sure I seen a Marsh Harrier hunting over fields to the north of the Tay,between Dundee and Perth.Im not sure the name of the place but I watched the bird (from an ever growing distance) for a couple of minutes.It had all the "jizz" of a Marsh Harrier but could it have been something else ? Do they hunt,within a reasonable distance of the Railway line ? I believe there are birds in this area but can someone confirm if it could have been ?
Im hoping some regular on this thread can help me out,on this one ?
While travelling by Train yesterday to go to Glasgow (with the wife,to see Take That),I am 80% sure I seen a Marsh Harrier hunting over fields to the north of the Tay,between Dundee and Perth.Im not sure the name of the place but I watched the bird (from an ever growing distance) for a couple of minutes.It had all the "jizz" of a Marsh Harrier but could it have been something else ? Do they hunt,within a reasonable distance of the Railway line ? I believe there are birds in this area but can someone confirm if it could have been ?
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
I've seen Marsh Harriers hunting over fields a few kilometres to the west of Errol -some of these fields will probably be visible from the train so you possibly did see a Marsh Harrier.
Thanks Steve.I shall try and have a look at a map and judge if I could have been near Errol when I seen the bird.
We went to Kinnordy for the first time today. No Bearded Tits or Marsh Harriers or Black-necked Grebe, unfortunately. Someone told us that the Grebes haven't bred there for many years and are rarely seen these days. Time for the RSPB to take the Black-necked Grebe off the cover of its brochure, perhaps. Still, there were lots of other things to see and hear. Water Rail, Osprey, Wigeon, Redshank, Reed Bunting were among the highlights. Also a fine selection of Warblers. Willow Warbler, Blackcap (a family of three foraging close to the middle hide), Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat. And the place itself is well worth a visit.
Michael
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Thanks, Steve. That sounds great. I've printed off a brochure and map and will be going first chance I get.
Michael
Just had a look at the map of the area and I would not have been far away from Errol at the time I seen the bird.Thanks Steve.Certainly not the kind of bird,you expect to see,while travelling on a Train in Scotland..!
Steve G
RAINBIRDER
Went up Glen Lochay today, driving up & over into Glen Lyon.
The birding is getting a bit harder as everything is feeding young at the moment. Got Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher (a cracking male) & G.S.Woodpecker -all near the small hydro-electric plant.
About 2km further up I had the usual suspects on the river: Dipper, Grey Wagtail & Common Sandpiper but what wasn't expected was a family party of 4 Kingfishers which, on seeing me split 2 up the river & 2 down though the upstream birds then doubled back.
The river Lochay is teeming with small fish, has well-wooded banks & there are a number of sandbanks (one has a Sand Martin colony) about 1-2 kms north of where I saw the Kingfishers so I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise that they are there ....but still a pleasing find!
Only about 200m north of where I saw the Kingfishers there was another male Pied Flycatcher with a female & across the river two singing Redstart -one near & one distant.
The riparian woodland here is comprised of ancient gnarled Birch, Oak & Ash trees -most with lost limbs, split branches & numerous holes, all perfect for hole-nesting woodland birds such as Redstart & Pied Fly. Apart from Chaffinch, Spotted Flycatchers were the most numerous birds seen on this stretch which is in stark contrast to Fife which seems to have almost lost this bird as a breeding species!
Finally the drive over & into Glen Lyon yielded a pair of Twite & a number of family parties of Wheatear. Unlike my last drive up here two weeks ago Cuckoos were conspicuous by their absence!!
The birding is getting a bit harder as everything is feeding young at the moment. Got Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher (a cracking male) & G.S.Woodpecker -all near the small hydro-electric plant.
About 2km further up I had the usual suspects on the river: Dipper, Grey Wagtail & Common Sandpiper but what wasn't expected was a family party of 4 Kingfishers which, on seeing me split 2 up the river & 2 down though the upstream birds then doubled back.
The river Lochay is teeming with small fish, has well-wooded banks & there are a number of sandbanks (one has a Sand Martin colony) about 1-2 kms north of where I saw the Kingfishers so I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise that they are there ....but still a pleasing find!
Only about 200m north of where I saw the Kingfishers there was another male Pied Flycatcher with a female & across the river two singing Redstart -one near & one distant.
The riparian woodland here is comprised of ancient gnarled Birch, Oak & Ash trees -most with lost limbs, split branches & numerous holes, all perfect for hole-nesting woodland birds such as Redstart & Pied Fly. Apart from Chaffinch, Spotted Flycatchers were the most numerous birds seen on this stretch which is in stark contrast to Fife which seems to have almost lost this bird as a breeding species!
Finally the drive over & into Glen Lyon yielded a pair of Twite & a number of family parties of Wheatear. Unlike my last drive up here two weeks ago Cuckoos were conspicuous by their absence!!
Attachments
What a super day you had Steve, and nice weather for it too.
I've never seen more than one Kingfisher at a time - I'd have been walking on air if I saw four of them - good one that.
Well I got myself to Kinnordy this afternoon. The Osprey was right outside the hide when we arrived and was around for a while, eventually setting of with a fish in its talons. He returned about an hour later. I was really pleased at the number of Yellowhammers I heard singing en route.
D
I've never seen more than one Kingfisher at a time - I'd have been walking on air if I saw four of them - good one that.
Well I got myself to Kinnordy this afternoon. The Osprey was right outside the hide when we arrived and was around for a while, eventually setting of with a fish in its talons. He returned about an hour later. I was really pleased at the number of Yellowhammers I heard singing en route.
D
You won't believe me either
We went up to Carsebreck this morning, but when we arrived the weather had turned atrocious and my wife had forgotten her boots, so we decided I would have a short 20 minute dash around and then we'd go back south where the weather was fine. I had hardly climbed the style when I saw a bird sitting on a wire. I got it in the binoculars and watched it fly along to another part of the wire (where I took this terrible photograph) then back again. Then a second bird appeared briefly before disappearing towards the trees. I could hardly believe it but it looked like a Nightjar. The short, neckless, nose-cone head, the hawk-like wings, the long, wide-ended tail. What else could it be?
When I got back to the car, my wife didn't believe me about the Nightjars. Even if they were found this far north, they shouldn't be out in the daytime. She wouldn't listen to my argument that birds don't know what they're not supposed to do. We went on to Doune, where the weather was dry but motor bike racing was making the whole village unbearable. We ended up in Callander, where I told the lady in the cafe about the Nightjars. She didn't believe me.
The picture was taken using a hand-held compact camera with 16.9x zoom in the rain with rotten visibility. If I'd been able to find the bird in the viewfinder I might have got more than one shot. Have a look at it and see what you think.
Michael
We went up to Carsebreck this morning, but when we arrived the weather had turned atrocious and my wife had forgotten her boots, so we decided I would have a short 20 minute dash around and then we'd go back south where the weather was fine. I had hardly climbed the style when I saw a bird sitting on a wire. I got it in the binoculars and watched it fly along to another part of the wire (where I took this terrible photograph) then back again. Then a second bird appeared briefly before disappearing towards the trees. I could hardly believe it but it looked like a Nightjar. The short, neckless, nose-cone head, the hawk-like wings, the long, wide-ended tail. What else could it be?
When I got back to the car, my wife didn't believe me about the Nightjars. Even if they were found this far north, they shouldn't be out in the daytime. She wouldn't listen to my argument that birds don't know what they're not supposed to do. We went on to Doune, where the weather was dry but motor bike racing was making the whole village unbearable. We ended up in Callander, where I told the lady in the cafe about the Nightjars. She didn't believe me.
The picture was taken using a hand-held compact camera with 16.9x zoom in the rain with rotten visibility. If I'd been able to find the bird in the viewfinder I might have got more than one shot. Have a look at it and see what you think.
Michael
