A Special Day
On Tuesday I had three guests to take up to my Patch. Scott (SAFM) and Ross Hunter, both from Perth and Brianfm from Newcastle.
Scott's father brought 'the boys' over to Blairgowrie at 10am, it was rather cloudy but not cold. After loading everything into my little car, I thought I'd take them for a short walk along the River Ericht which runs through the town.
The river was in spate after the heavy rain of the day before, so I knew some of the birds we may have seen were going to be rather difficult. Walking along the footpath we could only hear a few birds calling (Wren being the most obvious) one nearly deafened me when it started singing right beside me.
We were on our way back when Scott suddenly called Kingfisher. He had seen 2 sitting on a branch but they immediately flew. We stopped for a while at a vantage point hoping they would return. While we were waiting Brian saw a Dipper feeding at the mouth of a side burn. I thought this augurs well for the day.
The Kingfishers didn't return so we set off 'Up the Hill' towards my patch.
The road is narrow and winding and at times climbs quite steeply (oh my poor wee car with all these big boys in it!) There are some nice views though which I pointed out to them. I can't remember all that was spotted on the drive but probably Swallows, Linnets, Meadow Pipits and some assorted corvids.
Our first stop up there is an area neighbouring my Patch where I record the sightings for Bird Track. I wasn't going to bother doing a proper count that day, until we found a Golden Plover, which was a new species for there! (The day is getting better and better). After scoping around for a while the lads walked on while I moved the car up. The road passes a couple of houses and a small copse. The highlight birds there were Dunnock, Goldfinch, Kestrel and a single Curlew in the hay field.
Back in the car we drove on round to the other end of this area and at the Shepherd's house there was a juvenile Wheatear on the garden fence (another first for this area).
Over the cattle grid and we're finally 'Up the Hill'. We stopped for some time at this point searching for any sign of the Whinchat and then climbed the bank to look for Stonechat. The first thing we saw was a butterfly (Ringlet??) This is an area of gorse that lines the road. Brian wanted to walk along there, so I returned to the car and moved it further along the road. When I re-joined them they reported having seen either a female or juvenile Stonechat.
We crossed the road and sat for a while searching for the Whinchat again, still no sign but we watched Swifts, Linnets and Starlings flying around. A Kestrel was hunting and we saw a Buzzard flying over the forest, then Scott picked out a Roe Deer eating the Kale beside the forest.
The boys walked on along the road while I moved the car to the next vantage point. As I parked I noticed an Oystercatcher walking across the road, peeping quietly, and there, on the road, was a fluffy baby. I got quietly out of the car and called the boys attention to it – I think they all saw it.
Our next stop was just a bit further along on a bank over looking the lochan. We sat down with the scope to search the grassy end and there were the Little Grebes with their 3 chicks. I'm so glad they were showing as I'm quite proud of them! Also the Mallard with her 10 little ducklings.
I finally parked the car at the far end of the lochan where we sat on the bank and ate our lunch. We had a count of 22 Oystercatchers there and a Pied Wagtail.
After lunch we had a walk round the pasture field (what whimps these big strong men are – all terrified of the cattle!) Crossing a burn that runs through the field there was a Grey Wagtail (a new species for my patch). On this jaunt we got 4 Skylarks and about 20 Rooks. Ross also spotted some Sand Martins, which only occasionally seem to visit there, so that was a good one for the day.
Time to be moving on now, so back to the car and continuing on through more windy roads I stopped the car beside a field and got out to set up the 'scope. There were puzzled looks from everyone – why are we stopping here! After focusing the scope I let them look through it and there, on top of an electricity pylon in the middle of the field was an Osprey nest with one head visible.I moved away to an area of woodland to try for Great Spotted Woodpecker but they weren't showing today.
After a while we set off for Kinnordy (an RSPB reserve). There were Mute Swans, Mallard, Wigeon but no Great Reed Warbler showing unfortunately. We had superb extended views of an Osprey fishing and heard the Water Rail in the reeds beside the hide. We walked along to the feeders and got Great, Blue and Coal Tits, including young ones. I saw two Jays fly past but I think only one of the others caught a glimpse of their backends. Then we watched a pair of Bullfinches in an old tree stump and wondered if that was where their nest was.
At the Swamp Hide there was a large raft of Mallards. Ross eventually called us over to try and identify a funny looking duck he had seen in the scope. It was rather difficult to work out which one he meant but I eventually found it. Brian and I both studied it rather carefully, it had a rather white neck and face. We decided in the end it was 'just a funny female Mallard' possibly crossed with a Pintail. It was too far away to photograph (even with the scope)
By this time it was about 6pm and we discovered that Scott's father was already waiting for us back in Blairgowrie so had to whizz off back. On a little road near Alyth I had to do an emergency stop due to a shout of 'What's that?” and there flying over was yet another Osprey.
Pretty good end to the day that!
D
