Scottish Wanderings (1 Viewer)

Hiking in Angus

Last weekend I was away for a four-day walk through the low hills of south Aberdeenshire and Angus, supervising a Duke of Edinburgh hike group. The weather was actually too sunny and hot at times, but all-in-all the weather was very pleasant, and that made sitting around during breaks from walking comfortable. I always take a pair of decent binoculars on these hikes, partly to check up on the hike group from afar, but also to spot all of the wildlife that inhabits these areas.
One of the most noticeable things about the areas we passed through was that from Glen Dye to Glenogil I spotted no deer at all. At one point there was an electric fence with signs on it saying that deer were being kept out to aid regeneration of the moorland – but that won’t work when there are sheep on both sides of the fence. I know that there are deer up around Loch Lee, but none further east in the areas that we were.
I spotted the usual moorland birds – meadow pipits and red grouse mostly, with one unidentified wader that hasn’t left the moor for the winter yet and some migratory thrushes starting to move in. There were still some swallows and martins, so not all of them have gone south for the winter yet. A couple of grey herons working the burns were also spotted. Of particular note were two groups of six black grouse, which were a welcome spot. Down in the valleys there were the usual common small birds – coal, blue and great tits, robins, black birds, song and mistle thrushes. Finally there were the raptors, and there were plenty of these, mostly working the ridges in the sunshine and easily visible with the binoculars. Particularly numerous were the buzzards, which were so common that I gave up on counting them. Alongside these we spotted three golden eagles, five or six red kite, one peregrine mobbing a raven (quite a few of those kicking around) and a single sparrowhawk. Once again, it was worth lugging the extra weight of a pair of good binoculars.

Wanderings catch up

October saw a very productive wander west into Ayrshire. Despite damp and blustery weather, three lifers were found. A Ruddy Duck came first, then in Ayrshire, a couple of White-Rumped Sandpipers and a Snow Goose made my list for the year.

More excitingly for me though was a later wander to a reservoir in Perthshire. There we found my most wanted bird. A Great Grey Shrike giving a prolonged hunting display. I'd thought that the Red-Backed Shrike I saw offshore earlier this year would be a shoe in for my bird of the year, however the Grey Grey Shrike has now taken that particular biscuit.

Which brings us to November. A solo visit to Outhead, nr St Andrews turned up a single but very welcome Snow Bunting. To say it was confiding would be an understatement! The following day, I was back out with Stonefaction. Ten minutes after picking him up in Dundee, we saw my first Waxwings of the year. Very welcome, as I'd spent two weeks checking reports a sites in Kirkcaldy, with no success. Only two birds seen in Dundee, however, a little later after making a stop on the edge of Arbroath, another two Waxwing found us, as we returned to where the car was parked. Later again, between Arbroath and Montrose, we scored the hat-trick finding a flock of fifteen Waxwing raiding berries from a cottage garden.

Also seen that day were a Great White Egret and a flock of approx fifty Twite at the Montrose basin.

First of 2020

Today saw my first wandering of 2020. Somewhat delayed due to car problems, now resolved, I was glad to be out and about again.

Teaming up with Stonefaction, we headed out of Dundee to do a circuit in Angus.*First target was an old friend. The Backwater Great Grey Shrike had been my bird of the year in 2019, and having successfully found it again today, it is an early contender for my bird of the year, 2020.

Following uneventful visits to Lintrathen and Kinnordy, Murton Farm was our next location. Here, we found the currently resident Green-Winged Teal - a lifer for me.

Finally, a visit to the Montrose Basin revealed some usual, but welcome suspects.

Not a huge list today, however, as most of the birds seen were year ticks for me, I was not bothered in the least. Barry also picked up a few more year ticks to further boost his already lightening start to the year.

The Backwater access road was where I saw my first ever GGS Paul.

Oh goodness.... that was way back in the early 2000's, remember digiscoping it as it was quite a distance off on the power lines.

Happy New Year to you lad.... hope it's a good 'un for you.

delia todd said:

The Backwater access road was where I saw my first ever GGS Paul.

Oh goodness.... that was way back in the early 2000's, remember digiscoping it as it was quite a distance off on the power lines.

Happy New Year to you lad.... hope it's a good 'un for you.

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The whole area looks like good terrain for GGS. We saw the same bird at the end of last year, but it was across on the other side of the water, so it appears to be ranging about a bit.

And a Happy New Year to you too.

Royal wander

January and February saw us wandering in both Fife and Angus. Lots of year ticks picked up, with Green Woodpecker at Tentsmuir, and Great White Egret at Forfar being the highlights.

Yesterday saw us heading out to Scone Palace to wander in the footsteps of kings. I'm not sure if Hawfinch would have been around when royalty frequented the palace, but it was with the Hawfinch that we were seeking an audience.

Last year I missed out on Hawfinch, as I left it too long into the year before visiting; allowing leaf cover to make viewing very difficult.. Yesterday, with the trees still bare of leaves, it did not take us too long to locate our targets in the tree tops. Conditions were murky (as you'll tell from the photo).

I don’t have much time for going out looking, the best I’ve had recently was some pigeons eating a damp calzone off the pavement in Paisley Gilmour street. However I’m hoping to visit Drumpellier park at the weekend as there seems to be some nice variety around the loch there.

WrenSolar said:

I don’t have much time for going out looking, the best I’ve had recently was some pigeons eating a damp calzone off the pavement in Paisley Gilmour street. However I’m hoping to visit Drumpellier park at the weekend as there seems to be some nice variety around the loch there.

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Sounds good. Hope you have a good day. :t:

It's been a while hasn't it?

On Friday, I was forced to provide essential travel for someone, to Musselburgh and back. This meant I had three hours to kill, so I headed or the scrapes. Just to be socially distant of course!

There was not much on the scrapes, however, a wander along the sea wall proved quite productive.

Yes, it has Paul.... far too long!

But it's been a difficult year, so I'll let you off this time.

Lovely picture those lad; I'm glad the trip was worth it.

Today, I took my first wander of the new year. Despite having the whole of Fife open to me, I have not been comfortable in going too far from home. Burntisland though is only a few minutes drive past my regular patch, so continued reports of a Great Northern Diver at the harbour, tempted me out a little further from home.

I made a detailed inspection of the harbour area, but apart from a handful of Eider, and a couple of Red-Breasted Merganser, there was nothing on the water. I decided to take to the sea wall that runs from the Lammerlaws to the harbour mouth. It was from the point at Lammerlaws, a few years ago that I spotted my first ever GND. I was not a birder at the time, but had wandered out onto the point, to kill some time while one of my daughters was having a dance class in the town. Looking down from the point on the harbour side, there was a GND. It was this bird really that inspired me to start taking birding up seriously.

I reached the sea wall at the pallet yard, but there was nothing to see. Despite a lack of bird activity on the fairly calm water, I decided to wander back towards the harbour, along the wall. Halfway there, I picked up a black and white bird drifting in the opposite direct to my walking. Guillemot I thought momentarily, but size ruled that out in a split second. Red-Throated Diver then I thought, not daring to believe the obvious. Then I got a good look at the head shape. Yes, a Great-Northern Diver.

Only my second ever, or maybe the return of the first?

Oooh!! Nice one Paul.

That's made up for the slow time out on the rig this year, hasn't it?

delia todd said:

Oooh!! Nice one Paul.

That's made up for the slow time out on the rig this year, hasn't it?

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Now if I can just get one at the platform, that would really get my year going!

Yesterday, for the first time in over two years, I teamed up with Stonefaction (Barry) for a wander. Our chosen destination was the Angus glens. As you will understand, I am being deliberately vague about Angus locations due to sensibilities concerning breeding birds.

I'd arranged to pick up Barry at about 8am, but I woke at 4am. Tried to roll over until my alarm went off, but gave up after a brief period of resistance. I headed out the door with a couple of hours to burn, and with Letham Pools in mind to burn them at.

Arriving at the pools, there was quite a strong blustery wind, so I tried to get as much shelter from the body of the car as possible. I soon had a list of the more common wildfowl, including Shoveler, while Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting were evident around me. A few Pink-footed Geese mingled with the resident Greylag flock. One of the pinkies had a tag collar, which for me is an ugly, obtrusive and unnecessary way to tag a bird. Scanning the main pool from east to west, I was surprised to find the Temminck's Stint, that has been there for a few days, resting on the mud flat at the west end.

It was as if the Stint knew it was being watched after a few seconds, as it took to the air and flew low along the channel into the pool area at the extreme west end of this water. Letham Pools has been kind to me in recent times, but after an hour, I decided to move on. Hitting the bridge over the Tay, I phoned ahead to warn Barry of my impending early arrival. Soon, we were both heading north to the glens.

Before hitting the glens proper, we did make a short diversion to a pool, where we found a Little Ringed Plover. A great start to our wander!

Now making our way too and up our fist glen, we started finding birds. Red Kite, Red-legged Partridge and Swift were year ticks for me. An unexpected Black Grouse was a first for me in this glen. Parking up, we progressed by foot, following the route of a loch fed burn. Grey Wagtail and Dipper foraged on the stream. A year tick for both of us was the Spotted Flycatcher found at the edge of the woodland, just before we emerged from the trees onto a heather clad terrain. Here, we found Ring Ouzel, a pair, on the rocky, steep slope at the side of the path.

With Ring Ouzel found, we decided to descend back into the cover of the trees. Taking more time than when we had ascended the track, we managed to spot two more of our main targets, with Tree Pipit and Redstart added to our lists.Another highlight was a Stoat seen dragging a rabbit along, before disappearing with its meal, into the roots of a tree. Reaching the car, we heard Cuckoo calling, giving us hope of a sighting on the way down the glen.

As we drove back down the glen, our Cuckoo hopes were realised, as Barry spotted a pair. I managed to pull in, and jumping out of the car, I was in time to getting a sighting of the pair, as they flew over the road behind us and headed out of sight across the glen. A short sighting, but that is the way it seems to be with Cuckoo, doesn't it?

Reaching the bottom of the glen, we now headed up another. We reached an area where we in previous visits had found Black Grouse, but found none on this occasion. Red Grouse however were present. Also found on the way up this glen were both Stonechat and Whinchat. On the way back down the glen, I pulled in to get a view of a chat on a power line. We were soon distracted by a flock of Raven passing across the slope on the other side of the steep sided valley.

Progressing a little further down the glen, I pulled into a convenient lay-by, for a reason I can not recall, but almost as soon as we stopped we heard Cuckoo calling from the opposite slope. We both jumped out, and started scanning fence posts, with Barry quickly locating a Cuckoo. This bird spent some time flying from post to post, and occasionally onto the ground. Then it was joined by a female. Gradually they worked their way closer, until separating and heading off in different directions.

The Cuckoos were a fitting end to a long overdue and worthwhile wander, so we called it a day and headed off south to Dundee and Fife.

I attach a few record shots, but if you keep an eye on Stonefaction's blog page, I'm sure a full report with much better photos will appear soon.

What a list! I haven't seen half of those birds yet, nevermind seeing them in one day!

A superb report Paul. Thanks.

I'm so glad you've managed a trip out with Barry at last.

See this post in 'Blogs' for my version of events (with regards last Wednesday's birding in the Angus Glens with Paul).

I'm a little bit behind with my reports, but will try to catch up today.

A week ago Wednesday, I was able to head out to the Montrose basin. I picked up Barry (Stonefaction) along the way, and we were soon parking up at the Lurgies. The tide was way out, so the basin was in mud flats mode, with the birds concentrated along the river channels. Highlights were three Little Egrets, an Osprey, Kingfisher, two Ruff and a small flock of Black-tailed Godwit. Also amongst the highlights was a Great white Egret. Only the third time I've seen this species.
From the Lurgies we headed for the coast, stopping at several spots, including Arbroath harbour. I was hoping for Black Tern, but despite several being around in the previous week, this is a lifer that continues to evade me. There was plenty else to see though with Little Gull, Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Great Skua, Harbour Porpoise, Common Tern, Arctic Tern and good numbers of Sanderling featuring.

And a rat at Arbroath!

On Wednesday morning, I headed across Fife to the Eden Estuary. Setting up at the centre, I managed to disturb a Kingfisher from the post set in front of the centre. It returned several times during the morning though. The incoming tide soon started to herd waders towards the centre. Black-tailed Godwit were present, along with Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew and Oystercatcher. Also present were three Curlew Sandpiper, giving me the closest views I've ever had of them.

At least two Osprey patrolled the estuary. Beneath them an almost incredible twelve Little Egret were present.

Leaving at about midday, I headed for Kilminning. In the upper part, a Spotted Flycatcher was flitting about. In the lower part, I was looking for reported Pied Flycatcher, when a bird appeared in an Elderberry bush. I only saw it briefly, and head on, so I think expectation led me astray with the identification, especially when I had good views of a Pied Flycatcher in an adjacent bush a little later on. My elderberry bird later turned out to have been a Garden Warbler.

A flock of Golden Plover passed overhead, before I set off for the muir. The muir was dead, so I called it a day.

Gander said:

I'm a little bit behind with my reports, but will try to catch up today.

A week ago Wednesday, I was able to head out to the Montrose basin. I picked up Barry (Stonefaction) along the way, and we were soon parking up at the Lurgies. The tide was way out, so the basin was in mud flats mode, with the birds concentrated along the river channels. Highlights were three Little Egrets, an Osprey, Kingfisher, two Ruff and a small flock of Black-tailed Godwit. Also amongst the highlights was a Great white Egret. Only the third time I've seen this species.
From the Lurgies we headed for the coast, stopping at several spots, including Arbroath harbour. I was hoping for Black Tern, but despite several being around in the previous week, this is a lifer that continues to evade me. There was plenty else to see though with Little Gull, Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Great Skua, Harbour Porpoise, Common Tern, Arctic Tern and good numbers of Sanderling featuring.

And a rat at Arbroath!

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Blog-post about that particular day out can be found here....