Tayforth Birding (1 Viewer)

[burnie]

I'm noticing that where birds are they seem to be concentrated in a relatively small area, with lots of open space too.

 

[burnie]

Drake Smew photographed at Cameron Res and a Ring Necked duck at Birnie Res, both pictured yesterday.

 

[burnie]

Just driven home from Arbroath on the A82, the first field on the left hand side as you head to Montrose must have had around 50 Curlews in it, when folk talk of the decline in these birds, it's nice to be able to still see them.

 

[burnie]

Stretching it a bit to call it Tayside, but we had a drive to take the wee grandsons to see the Kites at Argaty, on the way we found a recently ploughed farm field with around 50 Mute Swans, they were still there many hours later on our return, they looked to be feeding, maybe the farmer had sown some Barley, most odd?

https://flic.kr/p/2ohawTp

 

[delia todd]

I keep meaning to go, but never made it yet.

 

[kawwauser]

Somebody posted a pic of a firecrest in the Tay reedbeds on Facebook pic taken yesterday

 

[delia todd]

Thought we'd go for a run round some local farming roads today, in the hope of picking up some winter thrushes and finches. No luck on them at all really.

Sadly I noticed that the road down to Clunie Church, at the west end of Clunie Loch now has a barrier, so was not able to get down there to see any water birds. Don't know when that happened!

Very few birds in view at all. A small flock of Jackdaws, a couple of Crows and a few more Rooks with a single Pheasant was all that section produced.

So we crossed the main road from Blair to Dunkeld and headed up the hill on that side. A bit more interesting, after we'd stopped for lunch beside a wood with a lovely display of Snowdrops. Nothing heard or seen there though.

Off we set again along a narrow road. Then I jammed on the brakes for there flying above a field were two Red Kite, obviously a pair as they seemed to be displaying. We soon lost them behind some trees but they came back into view again a few times but were rather distant for my camera, but managed a couple of identifiable shots.

Continuing on after a while we came to a cottage where I think they must have bird feeders, as there were quite a few Chaffinch around but a star there was a single male Yellowhammer. Sadly no pic of him as he departed as soon as I'd stopped the car.

 

[Stonefaction]

Somebody posted a pic of a firecrest in the Tay reedbeds on Facebook pic taken yesterday

My pal mentioned (likely) that same bird a few weeks ago, having seen it mentioned somewhere (possibly also Facebook). She was going to try to get a better idea of the actual location. If it is still being photographed then it would appear to be over-wintering, wherever it is. Bonnie wee birds.

 

[Stonefaction]

As the 'blogs' section on here doesn't see too much traffic, here's a few recent blog-posts from my birding around Dundee in the first half of February, that may be of interest...

1076 : Down By The Windy Tay (8/2/23)

Raven The letter "W" has featured rather prominently with regards the weather conditions on Wednesdays over the course of late 2022 and so f...

stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com

1077 : Way Out West (11/2/23)

Bullfinch Having tried and failed to find any Tree Sparrows out to the northeastern edges of the city a few times already this year, it was ...

stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com

1078 : Scope For Surprises (12/2/23)

Yellowhammer It had been a while since I last visited Riverside Nature Park and with Tree Sparrow added on Saturday I decided I might as wel...

stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com

1075 : Searching For A Speug (5/2/23)

Goosander Having spent all day at a rather overcast Swannie Ponds on Saturday watching and photographing the female Ring Necked Duck I'd had...

stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com

1074 : Swannies Surprise! (4/2/23)

Ring Necked Duck Swannie Ponds is more or less my closest birding spot to home, other than the rough ground at Mains Terrace. It has a relat...

stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com

1073 : Breezy Balmossie (1/2/23)

Stonechat Windy conditions are never my favourite weather for going birding, unless that wind is going to bring birds closer in to shore whi...

stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com

 

[burnie]

Had a wander along the shore North(ish) and East of Broughty Ferry, loads of Carrion Crows, ditto Oystercatchers a couple of Redshanks, half a dozen Curlews, four Eiders, a Cormorant and an unidentified Diver well out.

 

[Stonefaction]

Had a wander along the shore North(ish) and East of Broughty Ferry, loads of Carrion Crows, ditto Oystercatchers a couple of Redshanks, half a dozen Curlews, four Eiders, a Cormorant and an unidentified Diver well out.

Divers have been in VERY short supply since late last year from the Ferry. There have been a few Shags about recently on the river which do bear a passing resemblance at a distance to a RT Diver (as can the Cormorants - especially when their bills are pointed upwards at an angle like a RTD). I've been scanning out over the river repeatedly each visit to Balmossie and Broughty Ferry in search of (even) a Red Throated Diver for my Dundee145 list, so if there is one or hopefully more around, I hope I manage to catch up with it soon.

 

[burnie]

I only had my binos, but it was no Shag or Cormorant

 

[Stonefaction]

I only had my binos, but it was no Shag or Cormorant

Red Throated Diver is usually the default Diver in the Tay, though obviously the others can show up too, though sightings of these tend to be far less frequent. RTD is fairly distinctive and tends to hold its bill at an upwards angle, BTD and GND hold theirs more level. RTD is relatively slight and is the smallest of the Divers, BTD is a little more 'average' in size/build, GND is a step up in being bulkier than both and has a 'dagger' of a bill (WBD holds bill at an angle and is at least GND sized but bill colour is very evident in most lighting conditions, even at a distance).

RTD - Red Throated Diver
BTD - Black Throated Diver
GND- Great Northern Diver
WBD - White Billed Diver

 

[burnie]

I didn't think it was GND, I have seen a few of those this winter

 

[mummymonkey]

Male blackcap singing in Rodney Gardens, Perth this lunchtime. Presumably a wintering bird getting some practice in.
Also the first (that I've noticed) lesser black-backed gulls are in town.

 

[burnie]

Couple of Ravens over Corsie Hill the other day displaying, not sure if they breed at Kinnoul?

 

[burnie]

Had a short wander round Keptie Pond, most of it was frozen and sadly the female Mandarin had gone off looking for somewhere warmer.

 

[burnie]

Been over to Perth to visit family, on the way back surprises in the snow, the first not far from Meigle was a Scotland first for me....................a Boar Badger, luckily I was driving slowly because of the weather and he got away without any drama. Closer to home, very close was a Barn Owl, I am making a list of suitable sites to try and film one in the early summer in daylight.

 

[mummymonkey]

Osprey back at Loch of The Lowes today.

 

[delia todd]

Oh wonderful... thanks for that news MM.

The season kicks off!!! Good luck to them.