Western Scotland birding (1 Viewer)

[JTweedie]

Just a quick question, but are there many other birders here from the west of Scotland? I'm from Glasgow and do most of my birding at Lochwinnoch, Baron's Haugh, Ardmore Point, Hogganfield Loch, Ayr and Inversnaid with irregular forays over to the east coast to Aberlady Bay, Vane Farm and other locations.

There's loads of regular updates from people in the Scotland group from the east coast, from Lothian right up to Aberdeen, but I don't see many regular reports from the west coast. So are you out there and would anyone be willing to start or get involved with regular updates about west coast sites?

I've posted messages now and then, but it might be good to have one thread to keep sightings together, hopefully building up a good record of the year's birding in this part of the world.

 

[Woodchatshrike]

Nay birds over west. Winky smiley.....

(If someone comes on upset by this I'll list all the birds I've seen in Argyle, Ayrshire and strathclye etc over the years.....)

 

[Stewart J.]

Great Harbour, Greenock.

Black Guilemots displaying along with Eiders and Red-breasted Mergansers and suprisingly very vocal Little Grebes. Several Red-throated Divers feeding on the Clyde viewed from my office window (Gt Harbour) along with groups of displaying Shags and Black Guilemots..

Rock Pipits becoming more vocal and a Robin singing well after dark in the base at 21.00hrs tonight.

ATB

Stewart

 

[allanpcameron]

Happy to be involved

I usually check www.clydebirds.co.uk which does keep a west of Scotland perspective. Was at Hogganfield this afternoon. Didn't see the lesser scaup, but there's some great crested grebes showing nicely, also saw my first grey wagtail of the year. I pretty much keep to most of the same haunts that you mentioned, but what's at Inversnaid?
Also have some lesser redpolls at my feeders in Barlanark, which I'm pretty proud of!

 

[uncle bulgaria]

Hi there, You can check out ayrshire birding on the net and get updates sent to your e-mail. I'm in Bulgaria but still get news from home. I'm a Glasgow man and most of my early birding was in the Clyde and all the way up the west coast when I went fishing with my brother and friends. Girvan was my patch for about five years and the Ayrshire group is very active. The Clyde is great, from Braehead you can see loads of stuff and Bishopton heading down to Woodhall,Gourock and Greenock you will see a multitude of waders. If I can tell you anything else just ask. Uncle Bulgaria aka John

 

[JTweedie]

Sorry everyone, I started this thread and then haven't contributed to it. My internet connection has been down for a few days, it's back up now, but for how long?

Good to see there's a few people from this part of the world.

Re. Inversnaid, I don't go very regularly, but it's got a reputation for Pied Flycatchers in summer, although I've still to see them myself, but also regularly seen are Common Sandpipers, Dippers, always the chance of Golden Eagle (if you're very lucky), Ospreys in summer and I've seen Whinchats there too. It's quite heavily wooded and right up a steep hillside, so you get typical woodland birds alongside mountain/hill specialists. I believe Black Grouse are in the area, but still to see them too.

re. Clyde Birds - yes, I check that too, I've contributed sightings to it on a number of occasions. It's a really good resource and helped me find the Great Egret last year.

re. east coast birding - joking aside, yes I think it's generally considered that the east coast is better, and I make an effort to get there as often as I can, but if I look at my bird list, there's only about 3 species I've seen there that I haven't on the west coast. I'm really not too worried about seeing loads of rarities, so if that's the biggest selling point (an argument I've seen on this forum recently) for the east coast then that doesn't bother me.

 

[JTweedie]

I was out hillwalking today, as I'm not very fit at the moment, picked a hill not too far away, not too strenuous, but just enough to get the lungs working hard and the leg muscles a real workout.

I went a short distance south of Glasgow to Tinto 707m (2320 ft). Good to get quite high up. Still some snow in small pockets around the summit, but the it wasn't too tough, got up and back down in just over 2 hours.

It was primarily a day for walking, but I'm always keeping my eyes open for birds. Not too much to see as is typical with many upland areas, but I did get good views of Red Grouse, Carrion Crows, Rooks, Jackdaws, Common Buzzard, a Kestrel around the woodland at the foot of the hill, and Curlew heard in fields surrounding the nearby River Clyde. There was a large flock of geese flying high overhead, probably up about 1000m - I couldn't really get a good enough view of them so can't confirm species.

It seems to be ideal habitat for Hen Harrier, I'll try and get back later in the summer to see if there's any around, no doubt Wheatears will be present too.

 

[allanpcameron]

I can see Tinto hill from my window, which is close enough!
Like yourself trying to do a bit of exercise, so I've been walking aroung the Hogganfield loch most days. I didn't notice the lesser scaup, but I didn't have my bins, but, like you're climb, its nice to be distracted with whats swimming and flying around.
I haven't had a chance to have a whole day out for a couple of weeks, so I'm looking forward to Wednesday. I haven't been to Baron's Haugh this year, so I think I'll try there, though I'm tempted to try Vane Farm before the geese head home.

 

[clydeboy]

I can see Tinto hill from my window, which is close enough!
Like yourself trying to do a bit of exercise, so I've been walking aroung the Hogganfield loch most days. I didn't notice the lesser scaup, but I didn't have my bins, but, like you're climb, its nice to be distracted with whats swimming and flying around.
I haven't had a chance to have a whole day out for a couple of weeks, so I'm looking forward to Wednesday. I haven't been to Baron's Haugh this year, so I think I'll try there, though I'm tempted to try Vane Farm before the geese head home.

Allan
Wheres Vane farm, and what geese are there?
I tend to go out and about around the Greengairs, Arns, fannyside area where the bean geese hang out and have clocked up a few birds there.
Merlin, crossbill, buzzards, pheasant, coal tits, goldcrest, bullfinch, redpoll, fieldfares, and of course the bean geese.
Also a hen harrier has been spotted regularly around this area, although you can't see it for all the buzzards...lol

Ian

 

[delia todd]

Allan
Wheres Vane farm, and what geese are there?

Vane Farm - i'm sure you knew that really:-O

I tend to go out and about around the Greengairs, Arns, fannyside area where the bean geese hang out and have clocked up a few birds there.
Merlin, crossbill, buzzards, pheasant, coal tits, goldcrest, bullfinch, redpoll, fieldfares, and of course the bean geese.
Also a hen harrier has been spotted regularly around this area, although you can't see it for all the buzzards...lol

Ian

It's great to hear the news from your side guys. Even though I'm not sure exactly where you're talking about.

D

 

[clydeboy]

Vane Farm - i'm sure you knew that really:-O




It's great to hear the news from your side guys. Even though I'm not sure exactly where you're talking about.

D

Lol.....Delia, I didn't even know some of the places around me existed until I started this birding caper.
Some of the place and road names around where we go are brilliant...Jawcraig, limerigg, luckenburn, fannyside, (always raises a smile from non-locals) blackrigg, blackhill, shortrigg, and longriggend to name but a few.
Giving directions to any of them is an absolute nightmare as most of the "roads" have grass growing up the middle and potholes the size of baths on them.:-O
The area was generally used for open-cast mining and quarrying originally many moons ago, surrounded by various forests and woodland which makes for a kind of strange landscape in places which most of the time we have to ourselves as no one else can find it.:-O:-O

Ian

 

[delia todd]

Lol.....Delia, I didn't even know some of the places around me existed until I started this birding caper.
Some of the place and road names around where we go are brilliant...Jawcraig, limerigg, luckenburn, fannyside, (always raises a smile from non-locals) blackrigg, blackhill, shortrigg, and longriggend to name but a few.
Giving directions to any of them is an absolute nightmare as most of the "roads" have grass growing up the middle and potholes the size of baths on them.:-O
The area was generally used for open-cast mining and quarrying originally many moons ago, surrounded by various forests and woodland which makes for a kind of strange landscape in places which most of the time we have to ourselves as no one else can find it.:-O:-O

Ian

Fannyside rings a bell... is that where we went to find the Bean Geese?

I've heard of Luckenburn and Longriggend (think) - Jawcraig sounds good:-O

D

 

[clydeboy]

Fannyside rings a bell... is that where we went to find the Bean Geese?

I've heard of Luckenburn and Longriggend (think) - Jawcraig sounds good:-O

D

Yeah, the fannyside road is the "main" road up into this area from Cumbernauld, although its the first main road I've come across with passing places..lol

Luckenburn farm is where the Beanies appear when they first arrive, b4 they head for deepest darkest blackrigghillend......which is a place with a name that you can't get to as it is basically roadless..:-O

Ian

 

[allanpcameron]

Vane Farm is an RSPB place on Loch Leven, which means I need my passport for the border crossing at Harthill.
They have pink footed geese. Are the bean geese still around in Lanarkshire? I went up there at one point but the farmer said they'd moved.
If they are still around where exactly?
The other place I was thinking for Wednesday was Mersehead down at Southerness. Bit of a trek, but for barnacle geese, which for some reason I don't have on my list!

 

[clydeboy]

Vane Farm is an RSPB place on Loch Leven, which means I need my passport for the border crossing at Harthill.
They have pink footed geese. Are the bean geese still around in Lanarkshire? I went up there at one point but the farmer said they'd moved.
If they are still around where exactly?
The other place I was thinking for Wednesday was Mersehead down at Southerness. Bit of a trek, but for barnacle geese, which for some reason I don't have on my list!

The bean geese are still in the area, although not at Luckenburn which is where you probably spoke to the farmer.
If you take the road to Cumbernauld about 400 yards back from Luckenburn farm towards Greengairs, then drive down the road (fannyside road) towards cumbernauld and take the second on the right about 1/2 mile down.
You'll see fannyside mill from the road before you turn right, thats the road you need to take.
Drive about 6/800 yards along this road until you come to a fork, the right of which is private access only.
Stop here, and get your scope out (you'll need it).
Look to your right as you face the private road sign, and the geese are usually there, although, they are a fair bit away, hence the scope.
We only found them as they flew over us while we were out and followed them in the car with the bins until they landed.
At the distance they were away, there is no way I would have been able to identify them using the bins, as they were a mass of dots in the distance but fortunately we saw them a lot closer when they first arrived at Luckenburn..:t:

This has taught me one thing..........I need a scope :-O

Ian

 

[markgrubb]

Fannyside rings a bell... is that where we went to find the Bean Geese?

It's where we went on the BF trip to not find the Bean geese

Though I had better luck this winter-about half a mile from where we were looking

Great names for places,eh-you can almost picture the rough, hewn countryside

 

[delia todd]

It's where we went on the BF trip to not find the Bean geese

Aw Mark! At least I made it sound as if we saw them

Though I had better luck this winter-about half a mile from where we were looking

Great names for places,eh-you can almost picture the rough, hewn countryside

Did you? I don't remember you posting on that, though I suppose SM's could be responsible!

D

 

[allanpcameron]

re bean geese.
I tried last night on my way home from Musselburgh and Vane farm (see " a nice day out" on your birding day), but the road from Abronhill was closed, so went up the next road, got completely lost, ended up moving a traffic cone, so I could get onto the closed road, then must have driven past the correct turn off was so turned around! I've got a feeling its not meant to be!

 

[allanpcameron]

Walked around Ardmore point today, got drenched and saw, not too much: redshanks, curlews, mallard, goldeneye, great crested grebe, mergansers, shelducks, meadow pipits, greenfinches, chaffinches, blue tits, blackbirds, crows, some gulls, oystercatchers. That's all folks!

 

[Mahsleb]

Hi all, has anyone any tips/ ideas for places to go/ birds to see
in the Loch Duich/ Loch Alsh area?

we have a cottage there for a week in May and need some ideas

thanks