Up the Hill (1 Viewer)

[delia todd]

Returnees, almost to the day

Whinchat - a single male seen
Grey Partridge - male and female in exactly the same place as I saw them last year. I wonder where they go in the winter?
Tufted Duck - a pair, wonder if they'll stay and breed this time.

The Coot is still mateless unfortunately. I'm still only seeing the one Dabchick, but I heard him calling, so presume matey is hiding out somewhere.

As for the Oystercatchers, instead of being in a group on the causeway, they're now scattered all over the Patch

D

 

[delia todd]

It's been really quiet this last few weeks.

New for the year at the beginning of the month was a Yellowhammer.

The Tufted Ducks only stayed a few days. Two Sandpipers came and went, and the Coot has departed as well. The Wheatears have gone walk-about! Oystercatchers have dispersed throughout the patch, so are not so easy to keep track of, unlike last year when they spent their time sitting on the causeway.

Although the two Dabchicks are still there, I have seen no 'nesting' behaviour, or any inter-action between the two.

Curlew and Lapwing are still on the moor, though but only really seen when mobbing a corvid or Buzzard.

Plenty of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Linnets and I've counted up to 10 Willow Warblers signing in the gorse and fringes of the patch where the willow/birch scrub is.

Highlight of the month was a female Black Grouse, yesterday, but haven't seen the male for weeks.

Swallows come in for a drink most afternoons and counted up to four at a time at the loch. Although there appears to be about eight of them around the ruined barn in the pasture field.

The farmer has re-seeded the field beside the forest with Barley, undersown with grass. Initially this proved popular with most of the species - Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Mipits and Skylarks and up to 6 Pied Wagtails. It looked like the Lapwings and Oystercatchers were going to nest there, but for the last week the field has been deserted, apart from a Hare, Pheasant and Woodpigeon!

D

 

[Jos Stratford]

the Coot has departed as well.

Not looking after him enough!

 

[delia todd]

Last visit today before my holiday. It was really 'muggy' and I thought there was going to be a thunderstorm.

The Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were singing their heads of and loads of Linnets flying around.

I sat for most of the time above the loch where it is really difficult to see due to the long grass, reeds etc. A Dabchick was at the far end busy feeding, and on the causeway the Oystercatchers had returned - 10 of them.

Searching and searching the loch I eventually saw a female Mallard emerge with her 3 ducklings - really well grown now. Suddenly I saw a dark blob - scoped onto it and there was the other Dabchick. I thought on a nest, but no! There just seems to be no inter-action between the two of them. While I was looking the Moorhen appeared.

I searched the long grass for ages looking for the Reed Bunting but no sign... later on I heard him singing and there he was.

First sighting of Common Blue Damselflies.

It was nice up there today

D

 

[Henry B]

Enjoy yourself ,Delia.

 

[delia todd]

Enjoy yourself ,Delia.

Thanks Henry - I'm sure I will!!

D

 

[delia todd]

And I did! but back to normal now!

Just a quick visit this evening on my way home from work.

Surprise, surprise... the Little Grebes have 2 chicks, quite well grown too. No sign of a Moorhen though.

Meadow Pipits were busy flying around and saw one with a caterpillar in it's beak, so obviously got young somewhere. But the Skylarks have either deserted or just not singing, the same with the Curlews, not a sign of them either.

At the gorse there were at least 4 Goldfinches and about the same of Linnets.

Lots of Swallows (hope they eat the pesky flies LOL) and just 1 Common Gull.

D

 

[Henry B]

Did I get a stick of rock ???

 

[delia todd]

Did I get a stick of rock ???

Ah!:-C Don't think they're into sticks of rock there H, sorry.

I've got lots of lovely bird piccies if you want one of them instead:-O

D

 

[Henry B]

Ah!:-C Don't think they're into sticks of rock there H, sorry.

I've got lots of lovely bird piccies if you want one of them instead:-O

D

Rock Buntings, D. lolo

 

[delia todd]

Rock Buntings, D. lolo

:-O Oh Henry!!

D

 

[delia todd]

Last week I saw the first Grey Heron for a couple of months, and the Pied Wagtails have 3 young ones.

I had a visitor to my Patch today, new member Mike Groves (very into raptors he is ). He certainly knows how to pick a day for the hills - beautiful sunshine!

We met in Blairgowrie and I drove so he could look about him - good move that as en route he spotted a Green Woodpecker, the first I've seen in the area, there was a Great Spotted in the same run of trees as well.

Anyway, arriving on the Patch, we had a walk about near the cattle grid. First we saw a Buzzard (the first of... hmm lost count rather), then a Kestrel. After a few minutes two Common Gulls got rather agitated and we found a Sparrowhawk - I'm not sure they really knew which raptor to go after! There were also some Goldfinch feeding on the grass seeds.

The lochan was looking lovely today with the Water Lilies coming into flower. The usual were visible, fortunately, for my guest, with the Little Grebes and chicks and a Moorhen, also a few Mallard.

Off for a walk then. Firstly round the pasture field. Meadow Pipits, Yellowhammers, Treecreepers heard. Then Wrens (at least two) in the willow scrub, then a fly-over Siskin whilst we were having our lunch.

We crossed the fence back onto the moor and Mike found a Short Eared Owl pellet which looked fairly fresh - I've yet to see one since recording my exploits up there but did a year before then. More Buzzard sightings and eventually found some Skylarks. A Curlew flew up just in front of us and when we watched it realised it had a very short beak... we're presuming this is a juvenile.

In the heather Mike spotted a new moth to him, which I've posted for ID, but a copy is attached here as well. We had to chase it around a bit before we could get a look at it.

Back at the car we watched the Swallows coming in for a drink, checked out the tadpoles and found some Common Blue Damselflies.

A good day out Mike, thanks for you company and hope you enjoyed it too

D

 

[delia todd]

Moth has been identified as a Scarce Silver Y

Aren't these guys great:clap:

D

 

[Henry B]

Like the moth pic D, is that your lochan pic aswell..h

 

[delia todd]

Yep, Henry, that's the lochan on my Patch - the tree does have leaves on it at the moment though

D

 

[delia todd]

The Meadow Pipits seem to have deserted the hill just now and moved to the gorse beside the pasture field. A couple of Willow Warblers in the willow scrub with a Wren and Chaffinch. One Coal Tit feeding in the tree beside the barn.

There seem to be just two young Curlews left, their voices not quite 'broken' yet:-O

On Wednesday I was up there for 20 minutes before I even heard a bird :-C - a single Linnet flying over. However shortly after I saw three Kestrels hunting together.

As I was leaving I then saw 3 Buzzards enjoying the thermals - obviously a family group.

The Little Grebes seem to have only one remaining chick now but I think the Moorhen's failed to produce any this year.

D

 

[delia todd]

The last couple of weeks have been a bit quiet really. A few Meadow Pipits flying about.

Round about the 8th there was only one Little Grebe left but no sign today, though the Moorhen is still there, along with 3 female Mallard.

There's been two juvenile Curlew hanging about but today I heard one cur... and one leeew:-O

A couple of weeks ago I had to pull in for a car and disturbed two Partridge, couldn't see them properly, but they both had pale pinkish eyestripes, they just scurried off into the long grass.

I've spent most of my time recently watching for raptors and had sightings of up to 3 Kestrels.

Today was good though, first one Kestrel then another and then..... at long last.... the male Hen Harrier came over First sighting was in the far distance but then had 3 or 4 more views of him hunting much closer. What a relief I thought they'd abandoned the area with the windfarm development. Then suddenly there were 4 Buzzards flying over the windfarm hill (couldn't make any of them turn into a Kite though LOL)

There's been occasional visits from the Ravens too.

D

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Ah...buzzards...my favourite birds.
Lucky you with the hen harrier, I don't see half as many of them as I would like to.

 

[Jos Stratford]

And, by strange coincidence, I too saw Hen Harrier this day, my first of the autumn and very early for here!

 

[delia todd]

Well I was wrong! The Little Grebe still remains, as does the Moorhen.

A few more sightings of the male Hen Harrier but, I think, I saw a young one yesterday.

Loads of Swallows still around and the Chaffinches seem to be flocking together, more than 50 of them feeding in the barley field (not harvested yet). Linnets seem to be flocking there too, but not so many of them 20-30 I'd guess.

D