HE2's 2007 Birding Forays (1 Viewer)

[Helenelizabeth2]

p.s. Have just been watching 3 Siskins feeding on my parent's birdtable. Not something I get a chance to do in Peterborough. Also just popped up to the stream at the back of the garden to look for the Grey Wagtail that's been there this week. No luck unfortunately, but maybe in the morning.

Why don't I live here?

 

[J Jones]

sorry to put a dampener on things, but this was showing well at Baston & Langtoft this early morning....

http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=77961

They're really easy at the moment.

 

[delia todd]

155. Merlin - flying off the roadside in the forest (actually could somebody just nip pack through all 8 pages of my list and check I haven't had this already? Waddya mean no? You're all so lazy - it'll just have to stay there till someone checks then)

You're OK Helen - you mentioned one on post #98 but didn't tick it :t:

Good spot that

D

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

sorry to put a dampener on things, but this was showing well at Baston & Langtoft this early morning....

http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=77961

They're really easy at the moment.

Aargh! Please, please hold on to them for me. I'll be back on Good Friday. I might have the strength for just one more attempt if it goes well up here.

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

You're OK Helen - you mentioned one on post #98 but didn't tick it :t:

Good spot that

D

Thanks, Delia, you're a pal. I didn't imagine anyone would actually bother to look!

 

[will bowell]

Aargh! Please, please hold on to them for me. I'll be back on Good Friday. I might have the strength for just one more attempt if it goes well up here.

And what a 'Good' Friday it would be if you finally nailed Smew..... hmmmm bad joke.

Good luck in Spey

Will

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

And what a 'Good' Friday it would be if you finally nailed Smew..... hmmmm bad joke.

Good luck in Spey

Will

Actually quite good by your standards, I thought.

Thank you - I'll be sure to text you if I see anything good!

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Black and White Bird

I'm hoping the trip so far is an omen for the rest of it because my day began brilliantly today. Standing at the window upstairs overlooking the loch drinking my cup of tea at quarter to 7, I spotted the flock of Black-Headed Gulls mobbing something over the water. Bins up and sure enough, the big black and white bird was:

157. Osprey

A very nice sighting for this time of year - they're obviously back at Glentress already.

If only my parents kept a garden list it'd be a pretty damn good one.

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Another Black and White Bird!

Yay! Internet access at the cafe we've just stopped at near Kingussie means that I can tell you about today's star tick:

On Loch Verthingummy, mostly distant in a small group of Commons but flew our way and settled quite close for a few minutes till a motorboat flushed it again:

158. Barrow's Goldeneye (lifer) (Sorry, Will)

Can't be much better than getting a lifer in glorious sunshine surrounded by hills standing on the bank of a Scottish loch.

P.S. Have you noticed an emerging pattern here? All of my year ticks in Scotland so far have been black and white birds with a connection with the water. Could be a very good omen - are there any S*** in the Highlands?

 

[Jos Stratford]

Standing at the window upstairs overlooking the loch drinking my cup of tea at quarter to 7, I spotted the flock of Black-Headed Gulls mobbing something over the water. Bins up and sure enough, the big black and white bird was:

157. Osprey

Talking of black and white birds from the window, guess what was on view from my kitchen window today?

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Talking of black and white birds from the window, guess what was on view from my kitchen window today?

White-fronted Geese, I hear. Saw thousands of those in Bulgaria, remember?

 

[Jos Stratford]

White-fronted Geese, I hear. Saw thousands of those in Bulgaria, remember?

Communications somewhat lacking in Scotland I see - White-fronted Geese are brown and white But don't worry Helen, it was not the S... word, or at least not an S... word ending in w!

 

[turkish van]

Communications somewhat lacking in Scotland I see - White-fronted Geese are brown and white

Nay, communications top notch, is the memory dept that is lacking

 

[Jos Stratford]

Nay, communications top notch, is the memory dept that is lacking

Not so top notch my dear Scottie, maybe lost in translation I do remember saying I had a black and white bird, but said it wasn't the one Helen might think it would be (adding the closest I could come to that was the W-f Geese, which most certainly aren't black and white). However, it was not the geese that were black and white, but the storks that arrived back - now they are black and white, pretty pure so.

Awfully sorry for wrecking your thread Helen, you know just can't get the staff these days

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Bad luck and good luck

The day dawned badly at 4.45am when the alarm went off to rouse us all for the Capercaillie watch. Outside a thick mist lay over everything and temperatures had dropped from a balmy 15 the night before to a less welcome -3! Undaunted we donned everything we'd brought with us and set jauntily off to Loch Garten in the fog and dark. 2 hours later, when we'd been standing in a freezing cold hide seeing absolutely nothing in the thickening gloom, our spirits were a little lower. The kids were turning blue and begging for mercy so I finally relented and took them back to the hotel for a hot breakfast and a post-breakfast nap. Attempt No. 1 at viewing a Capercaillie declared an unmitigated failure. Was our run of good luck at an end?

A couple of hours later we emerged refreshed into glorious sunshine and a warming 8 degrees. Following the suggestions of the very kind DBradnum, we headed off for a drive around Findhorn Valley. Raptor kind of weather, we reckoned.

DB's notes said 'stop frequently to scan the mountain tops for raptors including possible Golden Eagle' so a short way into the drive we made the first of what we thought would be many such stops.

I set up the scope, scanned the mountain ridge, and blow me, what was the stonking great bird perched on a rock on the very top of the ridge? Could it be? It flew, spreading massive wings and soaring over the brow of the hill.

159. Golden Eagle (lifer)!

Feeling jammy as hell we spent a further half an hour scanning at that spot. We saw the eagle again - a little more distant and in flight. And also a nice pair of buzzards, circling and displaying and emphasising beautifully the sheer size of the eagle. And finally, near the end of our vigil, another welcome sight:

160. Raven

The kids were clammering for something different so we went to the Cairngorms for a trip on the funicular railway. Uneventful for birds but worth it for the views and the chance to have a snowball fight at the top. We ended the afternoon (after a brief stop at the internet cafe) at Loch Garten standing looking out on the loch in absolute peace and stillness - what a beautiful place! (Shame about the mozzies - what the hell are they doing out in April already?)

Tomorrow am another attempt at the Capers - watch this space.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Ah takes me back, I remember a couple of fine Easters up the Findhorn, what a classic spot. Nice report, pity about the Capers though.

 

[pcurpb]

Yay! Internet access at the cafe we've just stopped at near Kingussie means that I can tell you about today's star tick:

On Loch Verthingummy, mostly distant in a small group of Commons but flew our way and settled quite close for a few minutes till a motorboat flushed it again:

158. Barrow's Goldeneye (lifer) (Sorry, Will)

Can't be much better than getting a lifer in glorious sunshine surrounded by hills standing on the bank of a Scottish loch.

P.S. Have you noticed an emerging pattern here? All of my year ticks in Scotland so far have been black and white birds with a connection with the water. Could be a very good omen - are there any S*** in the Highlands?

Are you sure it wasn't a melanistic s**w...? I mean, did you REALLY check?

 

[Xenospiza]

2 hours later, when we'd been standing in a freezing cold hide seeing absolutely nothing in the thickening gloom, our spirits were a little lower. The kids were turning blue and begging for mercy so I finally relented and took them back to the hotel for a hot breakfast and a post-breakfast nap. Attempt No. 1 at viewing a Capercaillie declared an unmitigated failure.

I hope you succeeded, but in the mean time I hope these tales of successful, but mostly not less uncomfortable, American Grousewatching can amuse you: http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0703e&L=birdchat&D=1&O=D&P=1391

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

Are you sure it wasn't a melanistic s**w...? I mean, did you REALLY check?

Tempting. I hadn't thought of that. But you know what - even my pessimism reckons I will see a Smew before I see another Barrow's Goldeneye so I think I'll keep it at that!

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

I hope you succeeded, but in the mean time I hope these tales of successful, but mostly not less uncomfortable, American Grousewatching can amuse you: http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0703e&L=birdchat&D=1&O=D&P=1391

Nice story - made me smile but I didn't need that since my story ends just as happily. See below.