Up the Hill (5 Viewers)

[delia todd]

Hi Delia, had a magpie in my garden last summer, up in Kirriemuir, not too far from Kinnordy Loch. Often see them down in the south part of kirrie, best place to see them locally is Forfar loch , saw several ther on sunday afternoon when I was down looking at the red-necked grebe.Often get jays where I live as well, though they are very wary of people.

Hi Gus

There's Jays around - I don't often see them but have heard them in the forest beside my patch.

Magpies certainly seem to be spreading their range now - a few years ago I never saw one unless I'd gone to Aberdeen or Edinburgh! Did get one at Lundie around 5/6 years ago.

D

 

[delia todd]

A lovely day today, as some of you may have noticed.

The loch is still basically iced over, but there were one or two patches of free water - nothing to be seen on it though.

Rooks and Wood Pigeons everywhere but the new grass field beside the forest was the best... half a dozen Skylarks, couple of hundred Chaffinches and with them I managed to find 1 Brambling and 1 Linnet.

Spring is on the way??

D

 

[delia todd]

hmmm... I thought the place would be full of life today as the weather had warmed up rather.... wrong! Mind, there was rather a strong cold wind up there and for the first time all the turbines were revolving.

There was hardly a sound - apart from the call of a distant Buzzard. However there were eight Oystercatchers sitting on the causeway. I was hoping they would have arrived, so at least they didn't let me down.

Apart from that the 101 Rooks were still present and 1 Woodpigeon.

D

 

[delia todd]

It was blowing an absolute gale for my visit yesterday - at one point I thought the car was going to blow over it was being rocked so much.:eek!:

I tried a little walk at the loch but my eyes soon filled with tears and I couldn't see where I was putting my feet in the rough ground.

Sooo... the sum total of my visit was:

7 Oystercatchers
1 Wood Pigeon
1 male Mallard (which flew in just as I was leaving)

D

 

[Henry B]

A wee bit o wind and rain ,s not going to put you off Delia, go girl.o

 

[delia todd]

A wee bit o wind and rain ,s not going to put you off Delia, go girl.o

Obeyed orders H:t:

I think Spring has sprung! Or is it just teasing us at the moment?

Meadow Pipits were singing - well a couple of them anyway. Curlews buzzing about, at least two I saw and they were in full voice too. First sighting of a Buzzard for ages.

As I approached the loch I could see the Dabchicks have arrived as well. The Oystercatchers have deserted the causeway, but I could hear them around. A couple of Common Gulls came down for a wash, along with a Black-headed Gull.

Then there was a pair of Mistle Thrushes: I could see one as clear as anything it was really close - the other I could only hear until they both flew off towards the forest. Other 'heards' were, Chaffinch, Pheasant and Song Thrush.

I went for a little walk beside the loch and found Pied Wagtail, just the one.... but it's a start! I was actually looking for frog spawn but couldn't see any.

As I was leaving and got to the gorsey area, there was a Robin singing away there and right down at the cattle grid two Red-legged Partridge ran across the road.

D

The road is closed during the day all next week

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Are Meadow Larks some sort of hybrid? Or maybe they really were Meadowlarks. Eastern or Western though? I should be expecting some crowds if I were you D .

 

[delia todd]

Are Meadow Larks some sort of hybrid? Or maybe they really were Meadowlarks. Eastern or Western though? I should be expecting some crowds if I were you D .

I was just making sure everyone was concentrating:-O

D

 

[Jos Stratford]

I think Spring has sprung!

Think yourself lucky - still snowing here, lakes all frozen. Forecast for next week is below zero day and night, snow on and off throughout. Hmm, time to start trawling the flight websites!

 

[delia todd]

Think yourself lucky - still snowing here, lakes all frozen. Forecast for next week is below zero day and night, snow on and off throughout. Hmm, time to start trawling the flight websites!

I think Spring changed it's mind so although we've not got your snow - it's jolly cold up there and blowing a gale again.

Half an hour at the Raptor watch point produced nothing but a couple of Rooks - sight nor sound of nothing else.

All the action was down by the loch.

Just two Oystercatchers today which flew in just as I arrived and settled on the causeway.

A rare visitor which pleased me, was a Coot in the company of a Moorhen. It's two years since I last saw one up there. Little Grebes were happily feeding. All that was happening at the far end; I started looking in the grass at the side and a white neck with a black head was rather noticeable.... good grief a newbie for the patch Goosander a pair no less, and beside them a female Mallard; her mate later swam across to the other side of the water.

I thought I'd have a look at the water's edge for frogspawn (didn't find any), but just as I got out the car a female Wheatear flew up onto the fence right behind me - I wasn't expecting them quite so soon - especially with this cold weather!

On the way back to the car, I saw a Buzzard soaring over the forest then a few minutes later a Sparrowhawk flew across, finally disappearing in the direction of the pasture field.

D

 

[Ian Bell]

That sounds like a good day Delia.Well worth braving the weather for.

 

[delia todd]

That sounds like a good day Delia.Well worth braving the weather for.

Today was even better Ben!

Rather a pleasant afternoon, not very sunny, but pleasantly warm.

Linnets have arrived in the gorse (well one anyway). He was sitting right on top but I didn't hear him singing, also in that area were singing Chaffinches and a Wren.

There was a Heron sitting beside where I park the car, so I held off going down there for a while, contenting myself with listening to the Skylarks and Curlews whilst looking over the loch from the road. I could see the Little Grebes were feeding and the Moorhen was there too (later saw both of them). Several Common Gulls and 2 Black-headed Gulls came in for a wash (I'd seen a lot of them feeding in a field where they'd been muck-spreading).

Eventually I could contain myself no longer and, sorry to say, frightened the Heron away - he'd had a good innings though I felt!

There were 8 Oystercatchers and 1 Lapwing on the causeway and the odd Rook flying over.

It was far to nice to just hang about round the car, so I risked my dodgy hip and toddled down to the water's edge. Now... would it be frogs or toads with coppery eyes??? anyway there were loads of them. I then walked right round to the tree and on the way 8 Starlings stopped in it for a rest. They'd gone before I got there (nothing to do with me, honest). I paused under the tree for a whilie and blow me... a Reed Bunting landed just above my head.

Back at the car, and thinking about leaving when... ummmm.... what's that? Got the bins up and it was the female Goosander away at the far end in the reedy stuff. No sign of the male though. She flew away eastwards as I was leaving.

Apart from that I could hear a Song Thrush singing in the forest.

D

 

[Ian Bell]

Well worth the visit Delia. :t:

 

[delia todd]

All crashed back down again... 3 visits over the last couple of weeks have really been quite disappointing.

A Swallow arrived on the 19th and came to the loch for a drink, otherwise the water has been really quiet with just occasional sightings of the Little Grebes and Moorhens.

The real puzzle has been what has happened to the Oystercatchers. Previous years they have been sitting on the causeway in double figures, I'm now lucky if I see 2 there! The same with the Common Gulls, they're just not around.

There appears to be a pair or two of Curlew on the moor.

At least Skylarks were singing today and I heard a Willow Warbler in the trees by the cattle grid so maybe they'll get up into the gorse over the next week or so.

A couple of days ago I met the guy who put the trout into the loch when it was first developed - he thinks there are still some remaining and offered me one if he managed to catch any.

He's going to be using this but has made me promise not to laugh

Welll.... I'll see you all in a week or so I suppose.

D

 

[kawwauser]

i wouldn,t fancy trying to balance myself on that contraption delia,although the surrounding wildlife might geta laugh,i passed here a few weeks ago but there was a lot of sheep feeding,i didn,t want to risk spooking the sheep so didn,t get out my car,on the subject of oystercatchers i have also noticed a drop in numbers sitting on nests in fields,at the same time breeding pairs in dundee seem to be growing,another missing encounter for me this year is mallard ducklings i checked tayport pond tuesday and seen 8 males chasing 1 female

 

[delia todd]

Gosh! Is it April since I last updated this thread?:eek!:

hmmm.... well I have been up there a few times in the intervening months, but really not all that much to report, especially as I wasn't fit enough to wander about.

I think the Dabchicks bred, but never managed to get a glimpse of the young ones. They appear to have left now. At least one Moorhen is still present though. Very little sign of any Mallards which seems strange.

Despite careful scanning raptors were virtually invisible. Occasionally heard a Buzzard call, but no sign of Kestrels, again rather strange. A Sparrowhawk gave a quick fly-through one day.

All the waders have now departed.

A visit last weekend and today. Meadow Pipits and Skylarks are still around, as are Swallows, in fact there's quite a few of them still, a single Wheatear was seen on the hill.

But I was really, really, pleased to see a female Hen Harrier hunting today - it's been a long time!

En route today, there was a mixed flock of Starlings and Mistle Thrushes - last week it was Goldfinch, Linnets, Chaffinch and Meadow Pipts feeding on the grass and thistle seeds beside the road.

D

 

[Ian Bell]

Good for you Delia and the Hen Harrier made the journey worth while.I was wondering when you were going back "Up The Hill".I was coming to the conclusion,you might now be "over the hill"..!

 

[delia todd]

Good for you Delia and the Hen Harrier made the journey worth while.I was wondering when you were going back "Up The Hill".I was coming to the conclusion,you might now be "over the hill"..!

Cheeky!:-O

D

 

[delia todd]

An hour on Patch for 6 species!

However, the first bird seen was the male Hen Harrier, which was really pleasing. Just parked the car and was scanning the far distance, when a movement in the dip below caught my eye and there he was!

Just one male Mallard on the loch, but both Moorhens are still present. Heard a couple of Linnents flying over but couldn't see them.

D

 

[Ian Bell]

The male Hen Harrier is a cracking bird.Makes the effort worthwhile for you Delia.