Tayforth Birding (2 Viewers)

[Elf]

A couple of Kingfisher pics from yesterday at Guardbridge

 

[delia todd]

Cracking pictures Elf.

I must try and get back there sometime.

D

 

[Woodchatshrike]

Out counting ducks yesterday. Quite good. At least one maybe two Ring-neck Ducks were with the big flock of moulting Aythyas off the east shore. Also a drake Ruddy duck. (maybe the imfamous fife bird) A total of 7 Greenshank were also present with 3 off Orwell viewable from trail. A juvenile Merlin was on fields West of Vane Farm chasing a Skylark. A small Ruff was off Orwell too. The Ross's goose is still with 20 Barnies on St Serfs. Still loads of Ospreys between the rain showers.

 

[Woodchatshrike]

Out counting ducks yesterday. Quite good. At least one maybe two Ring-neck Ducks were with the big flock of moulting Aythyas off the east shore. Also a drake Ruddy duck. (maybe the imfamous fife bird) A total of 7 Greenshank were also present with 3 off Orwell viewable from trail. A juvenile Merlin was on fields West of Vane Farm chasing a Skylark. A small Ruff was off Orwell too. The Ross's goose is still with 20 Barnies on St Serfs. Still loads of Ospreys between the rain showers.

Plenty of stuff to see at Loch Leven while out with the dog last night. Some Greater Scaup, a Red-necked Grebe, 4 Ruff and 3 Greenshank along the north shore. No sign of the Barnies or Ross's goose. Still Ospreys knocking about. Tidy...

 

[ebenezer]

My usual wander down the Devon at Cambus on Thursday; 8 goosander at the weir, family of gadwall in the second pool and a group of teal on the flooded field. Small mystery, though, looking for suggestions. This raptor was on a tree and floated across to one nearby when it saw me. It looks to me like a sparrowhawk but didn't seem much bigger than a blackbird and it didn't seem to have the yellow ring to its eye, is it a merlin?

 

[MacGee]

Small mystery, though, looking for suggestions. This raptor was on a tree and floated across to one nearby when it saw me. It looks to me like a sparrowhawk but didn't seem much bigger than a blackbird and it didn't seem to have the yellow ring to its eye, is it a merlin?

Juvenile Sparrowhawk, I think, ebenezer. Compare this picture.

Michael

 

[ebenezer]

Thanks Michael; that seems most likely.

 

[airdriebirder]

Hi
Here's a Streetmap showing where the Lurgies are.

D

Delia,
A belated thank you for your streetmap which I used earlier on today when visiting Montrose Basin for the first time. I eventually got to see the Crane after looking up and down the river for some time, it appeared on the basin as if by magic! I also saw the little egret and a greenshank. Now I've found the place I'll certainly visit again.
Cheers,
Tony

 

[delia todd]

I'm pleased you found it OK Tony. You seem to have had a good time there too.

D

 

[Woodchatshrike]

No sign of the WWBT today anywhere around Loch Leven. Only half decent birds today are 1 Ruff, 6 Greenshank and 2 Whinchats in the north of the Loch. Another 4 Greenshank were at Vane. Probably 6000 Tufted Duck present.

 

[kawwauser]

i had a day out in the rain over in fife yesterday,starting from the eden centre i travelled through kingbarnes through to fife ness,i bunped into eck at the gate and he said he thinks the litle egret has dissapeared,the last record was the 19th,the windows of the hide were covered in rain and i couldnt open them,im not sure if i have asked this before but can the windows still be opened ?,a greenshank was feeding right in front of the hide,a large number of lapwings/redshank were spread out along the bank opposite the hide,goosanders were flying up the eden,mutes and 1 shellduck were the only distant birds that were identifiable,lots of waders present ,at the kingsbarnes car park i had 14 goldfinches/1 linnet/stonechats with 1 juv/pied wagtail 1 juv/1 skylark/swallows including 1 in the hut which let me get very close ,the bird seem to be more inerested in watching an old nest,9 ringed plover/1 curlew many redshanks/eiders /offshore flying gannets/sandwich terns,at fife ness there was a pair of magpies at the cottages, one bird had a lot of feathers missing from its head and a bald patch on its back,great views views of gannets here some were virtually flying overhead,unfortunatly because of the rain i had to keep my camera pointing downwards,sandwich terns were also feeding/flying closely ,i was hoping for skuas and did have a couple possibles,i also had what looked like an osprey ,wont count either though
pics
just offshore fife ness
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/sandwich3.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/sandwicht.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/dolphin4.jpg

during a break of rain these hoverflys swarmed over this plant
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/hoverf6.jpg
quite a few of these large snail feeding ,the snail on the left is the normaly seen sized snail
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/snail.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/snail2.jpg

 

[ebenezer]

Daft day to go to Kinneil; dull, started to smir, tide far out so all the waders well out of range, sewage ponging gently; then I spotted a little egret so it didn't seem quite so daft a day to be out, wonder if it's the one from Montrose working its way south again? Just got the one photo before it flew off and I didn't see whether it was still hanging around

 

[gus guthrie]

Daft day to go to Kinneil; dull, started to smir, tide far out so all the waders well out of range, sewage ponging gently; then I spotted a little egret so it didn't seem quite so daft a day to be out, wonder if it's the one from Montrose working its way south again? Just got the one photo before it flew off and I didn't see whether it was still hanging around

Montrose bird still at the Basin about an hour ago, feeding at the top of the Lurgies. 7 Greenshank, single Kingfisher, Osprey & Common Crane also there.

 

[forthbirder]

Daft day to go to Kinneil; dull, started to smir, tide far out so all the waders well out of range, sewage ponging gently; then I spotted a little egret so it didn't seem quite so daft a day to be out, wonder if it's the one from Montrose working its way south again? Just got the one photo before it flew off and I didn't see whether it was still hanging around

Hi. I grew up in Bo'ness and Kinneil was part of my local patch for most of my youth, but haven't been in about fifteen years and wondering what the site is like these days. There used to be huge numbers of shelduck in autumn and winter, plus loads of waders, and great in the winter for short eared owl. Is the birding still good there? Apart from the dump and ash ponds it was totally undeveloped between Bo'ness and the BP when I used to go, is that still the case?
Cheers, Mark

 

[ebenezer]

Hi. I grew up in Bo'ness and Kinneil was part of my local patch for most of my youth, but haven't been in about fifteen years and wondering what the site is like these days. There used to be huge numbers of shelduck in autumn and winter, plus loads of waders, and great in the winter for short eared owl. Is the birding still good there? Apart from the dump and ash ponds it was totally undeveloped between Bo'ness and the BP when I used to go, is that still the case?
Cheers, Mark

Yes; still derelict; prone to fly tipping and generally ugly, but teems with birds; shelduck by the hundred as well as other duck, waders in huge numbers at various times, herons, raptors, lots of warblers in the spring, the odd fox, haven't seen the owls though. Not pretty but it has its attractions.

 

[forthbirder]

Thanks for the reply ebeneezer, I'll get myself back out that way some day. Cheers, Mark

 

[Woodchatshrike]

Hello folks.

Go on holiday for a few days and suddenly loads of birds have turned up.

Bumper numbers of duck have all arrived in the last few days. Pintail, Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler numbers have increased loads.

A juv Garganey is off Carsehall.

A Little Egret is in trees on the eat shore.

A Ruddy Duck is with the Ring-neck Duck in the massive flock of Aythyas for all you purists who like spotting dots!

A Chiff-chaff is singing at the Pier.

At least 8 Greenshank are scattered along the north shore.

Another juv Whinchat and a Tree Pipit are also at Carsehall.

A WT Eagle has also been reported along the east shore viewable from the trail at Findatie.

Happy birding.

J.

 

[Woodchatshrike]

Hello folks.

Plenty of stuff yesterday evening around the loch.

Firstly 23 Pinkies could be new birds fresh from Iceland at Carsehall last night. At least 6 birds summered with the Greylags this year.

A Black-tailed Godwit flew over St Serfs. Also present on the Island was 6 Ruff, 4 Greenshank and 3 Ringed Plover.

One RN Duck is off Grahamstone and the other off Carsehall. The Grahamstone one is probably the closest in. It's a lot browner in the flanks. The other bird is greyer and looks a lot like the bird that was at Angle Park , Fife.

Cheers

Jeremy

 

[Stonefaction]

A really enjoyable day out in Fife with a couple of friends produced over 70 species.
Started out at Fife Ness in the hope of some rarities at "the patch", but we drew a blank. Lots of Pipits and Wagtails around when we got there though. Did a spot of seawatching for a couple of hours. 4 Red Throated Divers, a Bonxie, Common Scoters, Fulmars, double figures of Manx Shearwater and my first Sooty Shearwater just as we were packing up.

A wee stop at Denburn Wood produced nothing of note.

From there we headed to Guardbridge. Great light on the waders opposite the hide. 26 Greenshanks, lots of Redshanks and Black Tailed Godwits, a few Dunlin, loads of Gulls, Wigeon, Teal, Goosander too. Was hoping to find the Curlew Sandpipers which had been reported earlier this week, and surprised myself by finding them - second new bird (of 2010) of the day (I usually struggle to tell the difference between these birds and Dunlin, but today the differences were so obvious). Noticed from photos tonight that we actually overlooked a Ruff when we first spotted the Curlew Sands, but we did pick it up a short time later. 4 Ospreys around, and a Peregrine hunting in front of the hide, plus a Sparrowhawk and Buzzard. A few fleeting views of Kingfisher too. Got some photos of the raptors and waders which I'm very pleased with.

After Guardbridge we found a single White Tailed Eagle from this year's release (Yellow C), getting decent views of it perched in a field.

Stopped off at Rossie Bog, and were greeted with the sight of a Marsh Harrier hunting over the reeds. Loads of Teal and Lapwing, a few Martins (Sand and House) plus Swallows. Shoveler and Mallard also present.

Then onto Angle Park where we had 4 Pintail, Shoveler, Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Moorhen and Coot.

Good weather, good birds, good photo opportunities, good company and an all-round good day out.

 

[MJB]

I had a good time at Montreathmont this morning where i saw 8 jays, 6 great spotted woodpeckers, greenwoodpecker, siskin, great tit, blue tit, coal tit, robin, dunnock, chaffinch, blackbird and red squirrel. I then went on to the basin and saw the ruddy shelduck x9, little egret, 12 ruff, greenshank and common sandpiper.

Darell

Darell,
I saw a map in a scientific paper recently about game-birds (can't remember the reference) that still indicated Capercailzie at Montrimment (as I used to pronounce it when my Dad used to walk there in the 1970s); are they still there?