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Birding at Loch of Kinnordy (1 Viewer)

delia todd

If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment
Staff member
Opus Editor
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Scotland
Wow Mark!!!! What great pictures to get.

If it was 'large' it'll be a Great White, as Cattle Egrets are very small only around the size of a cow's head!!

Fabulous - I hope he stays as I can't get there today.

Kinnordy does it again.

If you really want confirmation though you'd be better to check with the ID forum, but it looks good to me - only seen one at a distance though.
 

Ben Nevis

Registered User
Supporter
Scotland
Hi Mark.
Yes Indeed,the bird you were watching was a Great white Egret.I have seen them often In Majorca but never In Scotland.......yet. ;)
 

Stonefaction

Stuck in Dundee.....
Scotland
Popped up for a few hours this afternoon. Missed the Bittern as it dropped into the reeds across the far side, but my pal who had never seen one before did manage to see it. Thankfully, a short while later I happened to look up and saw it flying across the loch towards us (we were in the East hide). I grabbed a few photos as it turned and landed on the small reedy island just to the left of the hide.

We waited and hoped it would pop out and feed along the edge. Meanwhile the hide filled up with a few more birders who we told where the bird was and all binoculars and scopes were trained on the island. We didn't have to wait too long before the bird showed again, as it took off again and flew past the end of the flattened reeds and along to the east end of the reserve somewhere.

Also saw the Great White Egret across the far side, plenty Greylags, some Canada Geese and a couple of Pinkies. There were well over 100 Snipe on the bogbean islands in front of the Gullery hide. I've never seen as many Snipe in one place before. Everywhere you looked there were more of them. Still couldn't find a Jack Snipe among them though. No sign of the Hen Harrier or Smew though.

A few photos below. More photos on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/stonefacti...28021.1073742126.591318020&type=3&pnref=story

Video of some of the Snipe -https://youtu.be/BU3Bo19ph-0
 

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kawwauser

Well-known member
I got the bittern at kinnordy at long last B :),i was there for 3 and half hours ,i had the reserve to myself for the first hour,i checked all 3 hides for the egret but there was no sign,i decided to spend time in the gullery hide as it had most birds and i figured if the egret was still about it would probably be on the sheltered water at the back,the bogbean was packed with snipe,there was also a lot of teals and lapwings,all the birds were resting,as the light improved the birds started moving about,i then realised there was even more snipe than i thought there was,as the light improved again more birds turned up,2 goosanders and 2 shovelers were feeding in front of the hide along with a female goldeneye,some wigeon and tufted ducks appeared,flocks of redwings flew over and 1 flock of golden plovers also flew over,2 visitors appeared at 11.25 and asked about the egret,i told them it hadn,t been seen and one of them went out to his car for his scope,he had just left the hide when i spotted the hen harrier hunting on the opposite side,moments later the egret flew up from the far side and quickly landed slightly to the right,after viewing the egret through my binos i put them down and noticed a large brown bird jump up and down,i was 98 per cent certain this was the bittern,i couldn,t think of any other large brown bird that acts like this,i was a bit disappointed as bittern was still a lifer for me and without knowing for certain i wouldn't count it,more visitors appeared and most asked about the egret,i pointed out the landing spot and also said im sure the bittern is also there,the harrier showed for a few people, as the hide began filling i headed for the east hide to see if i could get a better view of the egret,the egret was right out in the open on the far side,as i began filming it took flight and landed near the spot i seen the large brown bird,some visitors from the gullery hide appeared and there was no need to point it out as it stood out quite a bit,the harrier flew right above it,after watching the egret i began scanning the area where i saw the large brown bird when suddenly it took flight,1 bittern:t:it was a short flight and it landed at the spot the egret had been previously fishing,the sighting was approx. 10 secs and i only got a crappy record shot but it was a good feeling getting a lifer especially after searching for it for a few years


egret in flight vid
https://vimeo.com/145179777

lots of snipe vid
https://vimeo.com/145179847
 

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Stonefaction

Stuck in Dundee.....
Scotland
I thought there were a lot of Snipe when we were there, but there are even more in your video, and the light you got was so much better too! The Bittern must have been in a very showy mood today (thankfully).
I hope you don't mind, but I've shared your video of the Snipe on facebook as it is an amazing sight.
 
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kawwauser

Well-known member
no problem barry, after my first sighting of the snipes they were disturbrd a couple of times by carrion crows,all took flight but only some returned,i think the egret is disturbing the bittern which is increasing the chances of actually seeing it ,maybe kinnordy isn't big enough for both a great egret and a bittern
 

edenwatcher

Well-known member
Saw a heron a couple of times on Sunday morning. We missed the bittern but the egret was very showy. The barn owl was visible in the box as viewed from East hide. The number of snipe at the moment is quite mindboggling.

Rob
 

delia todd

If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment
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Scotland
I tried to go over one day last week, got as far as Alyth and turned back, the weather was foul!!

A little better today, my next opportunity to go and got there about 2.30. The Egret was on the far side in a little bay beside the Osprey post, which is where he seemed to favour today. He flew off past the barn, turned and disappeared behind the trees. Eventually he emerged again back in that bay. Though did come a bit nearer onto one of the islands for a while. Flew off to settle in a tree, which I thought was him going to roost, but once more came down to hunt in that bay again.

Meanwhile the Bittern was found at the water's edge to the right of the barn. Nice views of him too... puffing himself up. He took flight and landed nearer the old pine deep in the reeds. Thought that was him for the night too, but someone re-found him way left about an hour later.

The Hen Harrier flew right past the hide heading for the swamp end.

Still loads of Snipe and Lapwings. Starlings started to arrive around 3.30 and we had quite a nice display from them... I guess around 500.

One of my best visits there.

Pictures:

1: Flighty Lapwings (just some of them)
2: First views of the Great Egret in the bay
3: Later views of the Great Egret on the island
4: Just a small selection of the Snipe on one of the islands
 

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Plenty of birds at Kinnordy this afternoon. GW Egret still visible but distant, Barn Owl standing sentry in its box, a Bittern seen from the East hide and 5 species of goose on the same area of the loch. The snipe influx continues. No sign of the harrier. Red squirrels at close quarters. What a splendid place.
 

Tomwbhx

I need to retire! ....oh I have!
United Kingdom
29th January

Spent a few hours at Kinnordy today.
Highlight being the Bittern flying in front of the Gullery hide around lunch time, but a great day overall, minimum of 13 Snipe in view at one time, plus 4 Whooper Swan lurking at the back of the Loch.
Also seen:
Large numbers of Teal, Wigeon & Mallard
Some Tufted Duck and Goldeneye
A solitary male Goosander, asingle Cormorant and a Grey Heron plus
Around a dozen Mute Swan and plenty of Lapwing,
In the woods:
Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tit,
Treecreeper, Chaffinch, Robin, Blackbird and 3 Red Squirrel
in the surrounding fields, Jackdaw, Rook, Crow, Greylag and Buzzard
 

delia todd

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Nice one Tom. I'm glad you got there OK, I was afraid that the roads would be blocked after the gales.

Hoping I might manage over the weekend - probably Sunday.
 

delia todd

If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment
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My first birding trip out yesterday and met up with AndyG and Phil Johnston, eventually finding them at the feeding station.

It ended being very busy there after the feeders had been topped up with Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Robin, Great Spotted Woodpecker. I spotted a Brambling which disappeared before I could get a picture, so the other two didn't believe me of course;)... not until Andy got a picture of one later!

Phil and I wandered off to the East Hide and had a group of Greylag outside the hide, with Mute Swans and Wigeon in view too. Later a fly past of some Whoopers. Most of the ducks were way over the far side though. Andy came in later and showed us pictures of loads of Long-tailed Tits at the feeders!!

Anyway, eventually we went back to the feeders and the Long-tails returned. So at long, long last I've got decent pictures of these wee blighters.

Time for me to go then, not sure if Andy and Phil got anything new after I left.

There's a fallen tree across the path on the way to the feeding station. A kind gentleman lifted my shopping trolley over it for me.
 

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delia todd

If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment
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Sorry, completely forgot to mention Redwing sitting at the top of a tree.

Got a half decent picture too, after advice from Andy and Phil, couldn't do much about his pose, of course LOL
 

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AndrewG

AndrewG
Hi Delia, was great to meet up again, and once again Kinnordy produced the goods, well apart from the elusive Bittern, One other bird that we saw apart from the one's you mentioned, was a male Sparrowhawk that flew past the Gullary Hide, and don't forget the Treecreeper also, hope to get back soon.
 

delia todd

If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment
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Aaaarghhh... don't know how I missed the Treecreeper Andy!!!

Nice one with the Sparrowhawk. Presumably the same one did two flypasts there last year.

Thanks for the advice on taking pictures!
 

delia todd

If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment
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those are really nice pics delia,looks like there was tricky lighting on the long tailed tits too

Of course... did well didn't I C;);) I made a good pupil; Andy should be proud of me LOL.

At least we had some sun that day... not seen much of it lately, have we?

Ospreys will be back soon, won't they!!
 

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