Tayforth Birding (1 Viewer)

[Nicola Main]

I'm planning on visiting Kinnordy on Wednesday I take it it's open? Don't want to travel all that way to find it closed. This will be my first trip out of the house (aside from going to work) since February so a tad nervous what with Covid but have not been birdwatching for ages and miss Kinnordy.

 

[delia todd]

Hi Nicola

I've not been for a few weeks. The reserve was open but not the hides at that time. Maybe worth checking with Loch Leven. You'll get the links etc from our Opus article for Kinnordy.

The feeders seem to get filled once a week (or were then!)

Hope this helps.

 

[Nicola Main]

Thanks Delia will take a look!

 

[delia todd]

What did you find out Nicola? Did you go to Kinnordy in the end?

 

[delia todd]

Dammit... spoke to my neighbour this morning and she told me she'd had a Magpie in the garden yesterday.

I've not seen one since Christmas/New Year time round here, though did see one in the Glens back in the summer.

 

[Nicola Main]

No we didn't go Delia as the hides are closed. What a coincidence about Magpies as I had one in my garden on Sunday! We have a pair that live locally and I actually quite like seeing them as they only started becoming more common here in the last 5 years or so.

 

[burnie]

A garden visitor

 

[kawwauser]

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/new...tumnwatch-to-broadcast-from-tentsmuir-forest/

 

[delia todd]

Thanks Kawwauser. Looking forward to it.

 

[burnie]

Rare sight of a Hooded Crow at Montrose

 

[delia todd]

I heard an unusual call when I was walking into town earlier!! Going to have to learn it I think.... a Magpie flew over!

I saw one in my neighbours garden at the New Year, then again on the shed roof about a month ago. First time I'd heard the call here though!

 

[mummymonkey]

I heard an unusual call when I was walking into town earlier!! Going to have to learn it I think.... a Magpie flew over!

I saw one in my neighbours garden at the New Year, then again on the shed roof about a month ago. First time I'd heard the call here though!

That rattle is now pretty familiar in Perth. Hear it most days. I was in my late teens before I saw a magpie in the flesh and that was on a visit to Glasgow!
I would say magpies and buzzards are the two most noticeable birds that have increased their range in my lifetime. Buzzard was also unknown to me growing up in Rattray. Collared dove was just a little before my time and were common here by the 1970s when I started bird watching.

 

[delia todd]

I see loads of them when I go to visit my brother in Wales, but I've not been down there for a couple of years.

 

[delia todd]

Saw my first Red Squirrel of the year today. They seem to be waking up.

 

[burnie]

Although it is warming up the songbirds still seem to be in winter groups round here, sizeable flocks of Linnets and also Yellowhammers seen today, though the Skylarks are on the wing singing in the sun, I think at least a dozen on todays walk.

 

[delia todd]

Not so here with the Long-tailed Tits Burnine. There were 8 or more in a group visiting the new feeding station on the edge of town. This last week there's only been two of them.

 

[Stonefaction]

Got a rather unexpected* house-tick (and welcome year-tick) on Wednesday just before noon......
Not really what you expect to see circling for 5 minutes over Dundee, a mile or so north of the city centre.

* - not completely unexpected as I did see one of this pair last March over a nearby park.


Full story and more pics here....

0840 : A Rather Big Surprise (17/3/21)

stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com

 

[Mikewander]

@Stonefaction
I saw one from my Dundee garden a few weeks after the first Fife release. Never thought that could ever happen!
I possibly saw your pair on Wednesday too, down at Riverside. Too far away to be sure though.

 

[Stonefaction]

I've been quite fortunate with White Tailed Eagles over Dundee. I had this pair over the west end of the city & Invergowrie Bay from the Nature Park back in March 2013. Last year I had 1 of this pair over Baxter Park, again in March and a 2nd year bird very low over Ninewells in April. It would appear (at least from my limited records) that March seems to be the best time to see them 'wandering' over the city. I suspect if they were as vocal as Buzzards, we'd maybe notice them more often. Have seen them circle higher and higher in Fife before setting off towards the river, so they likely do cross the city at higher levels than Wednesday's pair from time to time.

 

[Mikewander]

Looking from the nature park, my 2 'maybes' seemed to be circling over an area between the park and Ninewells. The wings seemed to be broader than a buzzard, but too far away to see any white tail. I've just started going to the nature park, and it has a good variety of habitats. Great to hear the skylarks again.
I've enjoyed reading your blog, and wish i could spot half the different birds you spot!