kinnordyvolunteer
Darell Berthon
I arrived at 7 this morning and it was a bit more active than it was last week. Blue tits and Great tits were in the car park area along with siskins and chaffinches.
from the gullery hide it was quiet with only a few ducks around the edges of the bog bean. Over to the east i could see some wigeon, mallards and a few tufties. On the far side i saw two female goosanders flying to the back of the reserve while two shoveler flew into the gullery area.
herons, buzzards, crows, gadwall and lapwing were the next birds on my list for the day. I could hear bullfinches outside the hide so decided to go for a walk in the rain, along to the eastern edge of the reserve. It did stop raining on the way round and i added dunnock, wren, robin, blackbird, blackcap, pheasant, great spotted woodpecker and woodpigeon to my list. The white pheasant was in the field where it was earlier in the year, waiting for snow to blend in with the surroundings!!
Red squirrels were seen at various places while bullfinches and siskins were also present in good numbers. Pied Wagtail and meadow pipits were next on my list along with a single swallow which was passing through.
When i got back to the gullery area, Gus was there and he had seen Pochard from the gullery hide. We went to have a look for them but they had either moved on or were where we couldn't see them. 5 Snipe then did a fly past before Gus headed off. he was only away 5 mins when the juv Goshawk appeared over the willow scrub opposite the gullery hide. It made it way down one of the channels sending ducks and lapwing into the air. It then soared upwards, changing direction, giving great views of its underside and bars on the tail. My camera was in the car!!! It had been raining before i went for my walk and decided to leave it behind so it wouldn't get wet. Forgot to pick it up again on my way back!! Next time!! lol
A really good mornings bird watching with the Goshawk a bonus at the end. No sign of the harriers this morning and wonder if they have now headed south. With the weather like it was today, i don't blame them. 1st Whoopers of the winter at Vane farm yesterday and geese starting to arrive in numbers, i'l have to look out the thermals and gloves again very soon.
Darell
from the gullery hide it was quiet with only a few ducks around the edges of the bog bean. Over to the east i could see some wigeon, mallards and a few tufties. On the far side i saw two female goosanders flying to the back of the reserve while two shoveler flew into the gullery area.
herons, buzzards, crows, gadwall and lapwing were the next birds on my list for the day. I could hear bullfinches outside the hide so decided to go for a walk in the rain, along to the eastern edge of the reserve. It did stop raining on the way round and i added dunnock, wren, robin, blackbird, blackcap, pheasant, great spotted woodpecker and woodpigeon to my list. The white pheasant was in the field where it was earlier in the year, waiting for snow to blend in with the surroundings!!
Red squirrels were seen at various places while bullfinches and siskins were also present in good numbers. Pied Wagtail and meadow pipits were next on my list along with a single swallow which was passing through.
When i got back to the gullery area, Gus was there and he had seen Pochard from the gullery hide. We went to have a look for them but they had either moved on or were where we couldn't see them. 5 Snipe then did a fly past before Gus headed off. he was only away 5 mins when the juv Goshawk appeared over the willow scrub opposite the gullery hide. It made it way down one of the channels sending ducks and lapwing into the air. It then soared upwards, changing direction, giving great views of its underside and bars on the tail. My camera was in the car!!! It had been raining before i went for my walk and decided to leave it behind so it wouldn't get wet. Forgot to pick it up again on my way back!! Next time!! lol
A really good mornings bird watching with the Goshawk a bonus at the end. No sign of the harriers this morning and wonder if they have now headed south. With the weather like it was today, i don't blame them. 1st Whoopers of the winter at Vane farm yesterday and geese starting to arrive in numbers, i'l have to look out the thermals and gloves again very soon.
Darell
