Birding at Loch of Kinnordy (5 Viewers)

[Nicola Main]

Wow! Would love to see that photo and well done you Delia for even just getting 'the splash' photo! I have a 300mm lens for my bird photos but I doubt I would have even got a photo the speed that these birds go at! Is that unusual then for an Osprey to go for a goose?

 

[delia todd]

Hi Nicola

I think questions have been asked elsewhere as to whether they take any other food than fish but I've not heard that they do. Many years ago I was having lunch beside Loch Con (at the back of Loch Errochty) when we saw an Osprey hunting over what seemed to be firm ground, so wondered if it was looking for rabbits or frogs or something, but when we wandered round there later, we realised there was an 'arm' of the loch in that area. HBW Alive says "almost exclusively fish".

A goose would be far to heavy to an Osprey to tackle - they're the preserve of Sea Eagles, but even then I don't believe they'd carry a fully grown adult away.

Anyway, back to yesterday, I think it's more likely the Osprey landed right beside the goose which took off in terror (he did have rather a panicked look on his face LOL).

I don't know if anyone knows him, he lives in Kirriemuir and works for the SWT but said he's not a member here. Hopefully he may publish his picture somewhere so keep an eye out for it on the 'net somewhere!

 

[Moadib]

My wife and I stopped off at the loch yesterday, driving back down from Speyside, and avoiding the A9 We had a great time, and really enjoyed the loch - a great place. An osprey turned up twice, and also saw a water rail skulking in the reeds way over at the west side (as looked at from the east hide).

Lovely place, and well worth a trip.

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

The reason the water is so low, is that the channel between the edge of the reserve and going into Kirriemuir has been dredged by the estate and the barrier built by certain creatures, has been removed. The slues boards have been put in place to stop water disappearing.

I saw an incident a week ago with a goose and Osprey. As the Osprey dived down to get a fish, a greylag goose landed in the water at the same time....the Osprey was not amused and continued to dive down on the goose for a few minutes.

Water Rail have been showing really well to the right of the gallery hide. I had 3 at the same time on sunday morning. Both harriers were seen as well on sunday...first time i had seen the female, but no activity of nest building!! Several Ospreys in as well, flying off in different directions with fish. Lots of willow warblers around along with Goldcrests at the end of the boardwalk at gallery hide, treecreepers, song thrushes, wrens and blue tits.
Just 1 whooper swan still present outside the east hide and a few pink feet still present.

I was looking through some of my photos from the beginning of May last year and came across the male smew and a pair of Garganey. The smew has gone, so we await the return of the Garganey!!!

Darell

 

[delia todd]

Soooo the Osprey v Goose action continues LOL.

Lovely to hear from you again Darell.

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

Last sunday I popped into kinnordy after a trip up Glen Esk with the Dundee RSPB group.
Osprey, Marsh Harrier-male, Willow Warbler, Reed bunting, redshank, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler. Took a walk along to the East hide an walked in, just as a common tern decided to make an appearance.
There have been both Ringed Plover and Little Ringed Plover on the reserve recently and on sunday, 3 Dunlin turned up just as we were about to leave.
A pair of Garganey turned up yesterday, almost a year to the day that a pair arrived last year. Lets hope they stay until I can get there on sunday!!!

Darell

 

[richardblackburn]

Loch of Kinnordy - 6 - 7:30 pm (Sat 3 May)

Osprey, 3 little ringed plovers, 1 common sandpiper, 2 buzzards, pied wagtail, lapwings, redshanks, oystercatchers, swallows, sand martins, gadwall, shoveller, tufted ducks, greylag geese, teal, mallards, coot, moorhen, willow warbler, treecreeper, blackbirds, black headed gulls, crows and woodpigeons. Also, 4 mute swans, a few greylag geese and a pink footed goose in the fields.

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

I had a really good day on the reserve today. Arriving at 7, the first birds on the list were a pair of Little Ringed Plover. There had been 3 but we could only find 2. A few minutes later the male Marsh Harrier flew over the reeds and down...didn't see it again for the rest of the day. An Osprey sat on the post at the east end of the loch, surveying the area.
Gus and I had a walk round to the lilly pond area and had our first sightings of whitethroat on the reserve, for this year. Reed Bunting, Great Spotted Woodpecker, willow warbler, Yellowhammer, skylark, swallows and song thrush were also seen. A pair of shelduck were present in one of the fields, on our way back.
The LRPs were still present when we got back to the gullery hide along with Oystercatchers, Lapwing, Teal, Wigeon, mallard, tufted duck, mute swan and greylag geese.
Awhile later, I decided to go back along the path, this time with my camera, to try and get some photos of the whitethroat. Treecreeper, bluetit, great tit, coal tit, pheasant, mistle thrush, blackcap were added to my list.
Back at the hide, a Greenshank arrived and stayed for a couple of hours while redshank continued to appear and disappear from in front of the hide. A whooper swan flew past the hide on its way to the swamp end while Ospreys continued to fish all afternoon.
Other birds seen today included- Wren, Robin, Goldcrest, chaffinch, long tailed tits, coot, moorhen, Gadwall, Shoveler, Crow, Rook, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Buzzard, Cormorant, Heron and Little Grebe.

Photos are just record shots

Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and Osprey....more to follow.
Darell

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

Here are some more record photos from today.

Teal, Greenshank, Osprey, Little Ringed Plover and the last one I think is a Garden Warbler...could someone please confirm this!!

Darell

 

[gus guthrie]

Popped in to the loch after finishing work this evening and found a very interesting group of waders out on the bogbean in front of the Gullery Hide.
These turned out to be;
1 Pectoral Sandpiper
3x Wood Sandpiper
1x Ruff
3 x Little Ringed Plover
1 x Ringed Plover

never seen anything like it !

 

[Stonefaction]

Darell, your last photo is a rather skinny Willow Warbler I think.

Gus, that is some group. I'd be happy with Pec Sand or Wood Sand on its own. Add in Ruff at this time of year, and 2 out of 3 would be great. To get all 3 together is pretty mad. LRP & RP as bonus too.

 

[delia todd]

OMG Gus... what a cracking record for Kinnordy with all that lot.

Wonder if the Wood Sandpiper will hang around? That'd be a Lifer for me but I've rather a busy week dammit.

 

[gus guthrie]

OMG Gus... what a cracking record for Kinnordy with all that lot.

Wonder if the Wood Sandpiper will hang around? That'd be a Lifer for me but I've rather a busy week dammit.

never too busy to see birds like these Delia !

 

[kawwauser]

great finds gus, looks like the low water levels are paying off,pectorial and wood sandpiper are still lifers for me,i was there mid afternoon for an hour and there was no sign of the lrps on the bogbean,there were quite a few visitors and none had seen any plovers either,looks like a 5.00pm or later visit is the best chance,the female red squirrel that feeds on the gullery hide feeder looks heavily pregnant

 

[delia todd]

Oh! Is that feeder back again - I couldn't see it last week?

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

All the feeders are back again!!
Cheers Barry. I wasn't sure. It kept opening its beak but no sound came out and it looked completely different to the other ones that were around.
Great birds at kinnordy just now!!

 

[kawwauser]

no sign of any of the sandpipers tonight(7.15pm)the ruff had just flown out,1 little ringed plover and house martins flying with the swallows and sand martins were new year birds for me

 

[gus guthrie]

no sign of any of the sandpipers tonight(7.15pm)the ruff had just flown out,1 little ringed plover and house martins flying with the swallows and sand martins were new year birds for me

wood sandpiper, ruff, dunlin and a common sandpiper on the bogbean from the gullery hide this morning.

 

[richardblackburn]

Loch of Kinnordy - Wed 15 May (7-9pm)

2 little ringed plovers, 2 common sandpipers, 2 redshanks, 100+ black headed gulls, oystercatchers, lapwing, mute swans, moorhens, coots, mallard (+ 7 ducklings), 2 reed buntings, marsh harrier (yellow wing tags), 2 wigeon, shelducks, tufted ducks, sand martins, mallards, coots, moorhen. Also had a young roe deer and views of the otter.

 

[kinnordyvolunteer]

I had a good day at Kinnordy today with lots to see.

Male Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, redshank, Curlew, Oycs, lapwing, Heron, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Coot, Moorhen, Mute swans, Greylags, Blackcap, Whitethroat, yellowhammers, Bullfinch, Skylark, Meadow pipit, Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Black Headed Gulls 100+, Common Gull, Buzzard.

Darell