Nice video that Burnie. Well done - sound would be good LOL
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Montrose Basin and the surrounding area (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter burnie
- Start date
Drove home from Perth last night and the Barn Owl was sat on it's post near Rescobie Loch again, what was the real surprise was a Red Deer stag near Balbegie, never seen one other than higher in the hills over here on the east side, saw a Brown Hare too, minus 2 degrees.
Had a few hours shivering in the forest near me, it's a funny old winter so far, birds I saw last winter missing so far include Crossbill, Siskin, Redpoll, Yellowhammer and Long Tailed Tits. Bramblings were always a bit hit and miss as was the Great Grey Shrike that usually turns up. No raptors either, can't remember the last time a Sparrow Hawk shot through, no Buzzards, wrong terrain for a Kite and the Goshawk is not known as the woodland ghost for nothing.
What I did see was in profusion, more titmice than you could shake a stick at, a few Chaffinch, Robins, Blackbird, Wren, a female Greater Spotted Woodpecker, brief view of a Jay, though they were shouting at something, but couldn't see what. Bank Vole popped out of the wood under the feeder station and the drumming of the male Great Spotted Woodie was louder than I've heard in a long time, it must have been very close, but I couldn't see it.
What I did see was in profusion, more titmice than you could shake a stick at, a few Chaffinch, Robins, Blackbird, Wren, a female Greater Spotted Woodpecker, brief view of a Jay, though they were shouting at something, but couldn't see what. Bank Vole popped out of the wood under the feeder station and the drumming of the male Great Spotted Woodie was louder than I've heard in a long time, it must have been very close, but I couldn't see it.
Had a wander round the fields round the village, first spot was a Magpie on the kids park, Carrion Crows in large numbers, what ever happened to the saying " they are Rooks and that's a Crow", they hang around in gangs round me. Around two dozen Curlews on the autumn sown Barley fields. A few Blackbirds and quite a lot of Robins, one Blue Tit and the Rooks are building nests already in the village new rookery.
LOL the one I know is "if you see one Rook it's a Crow or if you see three Crows they're Rooks".
Not too sure it applies in the winter though?
We had a wander to the Scurdie Ness light house, flat sea and bitter cold, with not much to be seen, ! Cormorant a dozen Herring Gulls, a couple of dozen Eiders, mostly males, half a dozen Oystercatchers and seven Purple Sandpipers, we didn't hang around for long but had a Harbour Seal for company on the return walk.
What a glorious walk in almost Spring like temperatures, it certainly woke up the wildlife, as we left the village to walk towards the coast we were greeted by a large flock of Rooks on the Barley field, on the opposite side on last seasons stubble four Skylarks showing all the signs of displaying to each other. Further along this path which is thick with gorse and brambles we came up on eight Yellowhammers shining in the sunshine, we also saw A large number of Fieldfare and Redwings and to top this part of the walk two Corn Buntings on the wires. Back on the tar making our way back into the village we came across a female Kestrel sat on the power line and with the trees bare we found where the Buzzards nested last year too. More Skylarks were spotted on the edge of the village, before coming back into House Sparrow territory as we passed the village school and under the noisy Rookery.
Had a wander round most of Montrose Basin, beginning at the centre and went to see the improvements from the BoS hide, they have done an excellent job, it looks like a bomb has gone off, but this time next year I reckon we will be queueing to get in there, there was nothing there however. I then dropped into the Lurgies and there was one Redshank and one Black Headed Gull, the tide was out and "stuff" was miles away. Then went round to the Widgeon hide, where ironically the only thing on show was Shell Ducks, about a dozen or so of them, I could hear Teal, Curlew and Redshank but couldn't see any of them. Giving up, I went back to the BoS hide in case something turned up as the tide rose and the light dropped, there were three Grey Herons having a sleep, all the water was frozen, hence nothing around, not a single goose. On the car park was a single Magpie, one for sorrow could have been fitting for the day, but I actually enjoyed the cold weak sunshine.
There is a bit of commentary if you click on the video link.
Let sleeping birds lie by tigerburnie, on Flickr
There is a bit of commentary if you click on the video link.
Let sleeping birds lie by tigerburnie, on Flickr
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Todays walk saw us leave the village and go down to Lunan Bay, pretty uneventful start, but on dropping down towards Corbie Knowe we encountered the biggest covey of Grey Partridges I have seen in around 40 years, around 20 of them, which for an area where they are not put on the ground for shooting is really pleasing. On the beach were around 2 dozen Oyster Catchers and a similar number of Herring Gulls, a couple of Carrion Crows and that was it. On the walk back we saw around a dozen Skylarks scattered around the fields.
Attachments
Weather and everything else permitting, thinking we might go to Montrose on Sunday... anything nice around.
I can probably manage to do a bit of the Lurgies, if we can get parked there, but won't be able to walk any distance, so the Shelduck Hide is out for me.
I can probably manage to do a bit of the Lurgies, if we can get parked there, but won't be able to walk any distance, so the Shelduck Hide is out for me.
The old salt pans have been given a serious makeover and not before time, it looks a bit like a bomb site just now, but already things are moving back in, so a visit to the Bank of Scotland hide if you can do the steps might be worthwhile, Water Rail and Snipe along with Egrets and Herons are your likely things to look out for on the pans and lots to see further out in the Basin. High tide is around 02.00 pm, always the best time for the pans and the Lurgies as the water pushes stuff closer to you.
Thanks very much Burnie. I think I should be able to manage the hide OK.
Hopefully everything will work out for the trip. I've not been to the coast here for some years now.
Hopefully everything will work out for the trip. I've not been to the coast here for some years now.
Thanks.... it would be one or the other for me though at this time of year, as I'm not too keen on driving in the dark nowadays (which is a complete turnaround from my younger days!!)
Gosh.... it really has been many years since I went to Arbroath.
Gosh.... it really has been many years since I went to Arbroath.
Stonefaction
Dundee Birding....(target 150 in 2024).
The 'bash' when we tried for Ring Necked Parakeet in Arbroath, back in 2016?
0344 : Birdforum "Bash"(29/10/16)
stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com
