Tayforth Birding (3 Viewers)

[delia todd]

Cheers Delia. I'll do my own research too and by hook or by crook I'll grt up that way sometime. Mark

Do you have a bike Mark?

I'm struggling with B&B's though there are some self-catering places and hotels in Glen Clova and Glen Isla.

If you could stay near Dykehead (hotel), and had a bike, you could do Glenc Clova, Glen Prosen and Glen Moy (little known but really lovely). er... not all on the same day of course LOL

D

 

[Stonefaction]

Had a wee nosey around on google to see what the public transport situation was. I found mention of school buses running in term time only to/from Brechin to Hunthill (Glen Lethnot) and also to Tarfside and Invermark (Glen Esk). I would think they would be going in the opposite direction to what you would want (from up the glens in the morning, and to the glens in the afternoon), but assuming that they would set out from Brechin (or bus depot) in the morning to pick up pupils and head back to Brechin (or bus depot) after dropping everyone off, then it should conceivably be possible to arrange to catch the bus in, and out of the glen, assuming the company would allow it. I couldn't find any more detail, so don't know if the bus still runs or not, but if it did, it would maybe be worth an email to whatever company runs it/them. If you don't ask, you don't get..... unfortunately, I think you've probably got around a fortnight to get something arranaged, as the school holidays are coming up at the end of the month, I think.
Hope that helps.

 

[kawwauser]

delia the sand martin colony at lintrathen is very active at the moment,this colony was abandoned for a few years but i counted 57 nest holes this afternoon, the good thing about this colony is you dont have to leave the car to watch them,
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/sandm88.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/sandm87.jpg

i just teated myself to new binos (nikon monarchs 8x42 dcf)thanks to the info about the price drop on this website,what stunning views you get with these im really going to enjoy these, i was hoping for an osprey fishing but kinnordy/lintrathen/backwater all failed,watching the sandmartins poking their heads out of their nesting holes was a good bonus,
lots of newly hatched kittiwake chicks on arbroath cliffs today this species
is doing well here so far,i only came across 2 eggshells predated by gulls 1 kittiwake 1 razorbill which is a very low number ,2 guillemot chicks plus 1 razorbill chick were also showing,no sign of any puffin chicks yet ,plus i was hoping for cormorant youngsters(have they been officialy recorded here yet ?)
pics
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/kitti88.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/ktti87.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/goldfnch.jpg


http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/goldfnch2.jpg

 

[delia todd]

Where on earth is that Sand Martin colony, kawwauser? I can't think of any bank like that round Lintrathen.:stuck:

Great photos, as usual. Love the Goldfinch preening!

D

 

[forthbirder]

Thanks to all for the advice and recommendations. It looks as though it might be a bit of an adventure to get there by public transport. I do have a good friend who has a car and loves birding but he is in a wheelchair. He is very resourceful but very rough or boggy ground is a bit too much. Do any of the glens mentioned have safe lay bys or parking spots with a good aspect upon the surrounding terrain and a chance of interesting upland or riverside/ woodland species, or areas that could be negotiated with a bit of care and effort to get the wheelchair around?
Once again, thanks for the advice Mark

 

[delia todd]

Thanks to all for the advice and recommendations. It looks as though it might be a bit of an adventure to get there by public transport. I do have a good friend who has a car and loves birding but he is in a wheelchair. He is very resourceful but very rough or boggy ground is a bit too much. Do any of the glens mentioned have safe lay bys or parking spots with a good aspect upon the surrounding terrain and a chance of interesting upland or riverside/ woodland species, or areas that could be negotiated with a bit of care and effort to get the wheelchair around?
Once again, thanks for the advice Mark

Short answer is yes:-O

ummm... where to start?

Glen Moy: very little traffic through the Glen, so you can pull off in various places to look as long as you don't block the road and go far from the car. There a place at at the top where you can park, then follow a land rover track for some distance, until it becomes an uphill path.

Glen Prosen: just a lovely road, quieter than Glen Clova - again lay byes and little places to pull in.

Glen Clova has a large car park at the end beside a river.

Glen Lethnot: similar. Large car park at the end and again a land rover track which can be followed beside the river, on the level, for quite a distance.

Then there's Glen Isla, Glenshee (Ptarmigan can be seen from the skiing car park - unless the cloud has come down as always happens to me:-C) and Strathardle. The Glenshee and Strathardle roads can be busy but there are places to pull off.

A long time since I've been to Glen Esk, but from memory there's laybyes along there too.

D

 

[kawwauser]

delia the sand martin colony is on the east side of the loch in the field just before you hit the crossroards heading for backwater,i first encounterd this colony 25 years ago,there was about 12 pairs then ,in recent years jackdaws
took over the larger holes ,which may explain the sand martins moving out

 

[forthbirder]

Short answer is yes:-O

ummm... where to start?

Glen Moy: very little traffic through the Glen, so you can pull off in various places to look as long as you don't block the road and go far from the car. There a place at at the top where you can park, then follow a land rover track for some distance, until it becomes an uphill path.

Glen Prosen: just a lovely road, quieter than Glen Clova - again lay byes and little places to pull in.

Glen Clova has a large car park at the end beside a river.

Glen Lethnot: similar. Large car park at the end and again a land rover track which can be followed beside the river, on the level, for quite a distance.

Then there's Glen Isla, Glenshee (Ptarmigan can be seen from the skiing car park - unless the cloud has come down as always happens to me:-C) and Strathardle. The Glenshee and Strathardle roads can be busy but there are places to pull off.

A long time since I've been to Glen Esk, but from memory there's laybyes along there too.

D

Wow, talk about a thorough reply! Much obliged Delia. I'll be sure to take a gander up that area sometime this year. Cheers, Mark

 

[Woodchatshrike]

Hello folks.

A Ross's Goose was present with the 2428 re-established Greylags on the north side of St Serfs viewable from the camera at Vane Farm or for you old fashioned purists who like to look through optics from Grahamstone where the bird was first noted. Probably the bird that wintered in Yorkshire. Wild origin cannot be ruled out!!!

Another touch of the unseasonable and following hot on the heals of a bird at Strathbeg recently is a Drake Smew. Found this morning by NFM on the east shore this morning it's repatriated itself distantly of Burleigh with about 20 Goldeneye. A summering first for the site.

Also about are 2 Broods of Barnacles (wild) and 3 Pinkies.

Greater Sacup off Kirkgate tonight too.

Moth trap highlights include loads of Poplar Hawk Moths, Sallow kitten and Buff Tip.

All the best

Jeremy

 

[Woodchatshrike]

Common Rosefinch

Hello folks.

The Common Rosefinch was singing this morning at Tormaukin inn just NW of Glendevon from the tall trees above the cabin for a few minutes this morning at around 5:55am. (NN892049) Beware lots of juv siskins in the area. Also had 9 Common Crossbills including some young in the plantation up the hill.

According to birds of Scotland it's a first for P+K.

Jeremy

 

[delia todd]

Gosh Jeremy, I used to work there. Can't think of a 'cabin' above the Tormaukin though, must be a new addition. Time I went back... a great area.

ummm... think the Grid Ref may be a little out

D

 

[Woodchatshrike]

Hi Delia.

Glad you pointed that out!

Try NN982049 instead.

Cheers

 

[delia todd]

Has the Tormaukin moved then?:-O Thought it was the other side of the Youth Hostel

No matter.... a reminder of many happy days there back in the 70's. The Castlehill Reservoir didn't exist then - they'd just started work on it when I left.

D

 

[Stonefaction]

Went looking for the Rosefinch yesterday around lunchtime. Fortunately it made a brief appearance around 1245 being chased around by a Greenfinch, perching briefly for around a second or so before the other bird caught up and it was off again. Heard it calling before it appeared. Really distinctive call, heard it calling from the area across the road before it sounded like it headed off southeast-ish. Waited around till 1825 but it never showed again, so I had to make do with only a blurry record shot. Nice bird to see though. My 26th lifer of this year!
Pair of Spotted Flycatchers and a Willow Warbler also around the car park area most of the afternoon.

 

[Stonefaction]

Followed up on one of Delia's suggestions and visited Glen Moy for a couple of hours this morning. Not as much to see as Glen Esk/Lethnot but a not bad wee mixture, and a really quiet road (just 1 car passed us until we were on our way back out).
Saw Red Legged Partridege, Pheasant, Buzzard, Kestrel, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew, Black Headed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Meadow Pipit, , Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Wheatear, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Jay, Jackdaw, Starling, Chaffinch and Bullfinch.

 

[delia todd]

I'm glad you found your way up there - think that's my favourite glen after Glen Lethnot.

Did you go for a walk into the hill at all? My first visit there, years ago, saw some Blackcock and another time a white hare.

D

 

[MacGee]

Does anybody know if the Ross's Goose is still around Loch Leven?

Michael

 

[Stonefaction]

Didn't have time to do any walking as we had to be back down the road for 12, basically just a wee reconnaisance run to check the place out, Delia. Will probably be back at some point though.

 

[kawwauser]

there was a bad fire on the sidlaws yesterday in the gorse above the car park
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2010/06/24/newsstory15270446t0.asp

i was up there monday and there was a lot of smaller birds feeding yougsters at this spot, whitethroats/linnits/yellowhammers/robins/warblers. carrion crows were feeding 3 juvs here but i suspect they were able to fly to safety,i had a gs woodpecker up here, the first i have seen here, 20+common gulls were flying about at the back of the hill,there used to be a small colony here (8-10 pairs)hopefully they have returned,kestrel/buzzards/mpipits/stonechats/songthrush/goldfinch/woodpigeon/jackdaw were seen
pics
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/linnet44.jpg


http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/linnet433.jpg


http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/warb.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/warb74444.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/roe433.jpg

 

[kawwauser]

im thinking of heading for glen lethnot sometime next week and noticed there is 3 different approaches to the glen,any advice on which one is best for small birds?