28 Oct-The highlands, the lowlands and the wetlands

we had stayed the night with my Uncle, Aunt and two kid Cousins in Kirriemuir, Angus, and today Uncle Danny, Dad and Me went out around some of the spectacular areas of Angus. The first birds  we saw were 12 Pink-footed Geese, flying low over the house in Kirriemuir and honking all the time.

The first stop was Loch of Kinnordy RSPB. Out on the Loch we saw loads of Teal and Shoveler, quite a few Gadwall and a handful of Wigeon and Goldeneye, but not the Goosanders or redhead Smew put out on RBA the previous day. We also saw a few Fieldfares, while in the alders between Swamp Hide and Gullery Hide were a lot of Siskins and a few Redpolls. However, the absolute highlight was a flock of 40 WAXWINGS. They flew into one of the pine trees visible from Swamp Hide, and showed gorgeously in the early morning sun.

male Shoveler

two female Shovelers and a lady Teal (on the island at the back)

a few Mallard and two female-type Goldeneye

and a shitload of Waxwing!!

With Kinnordy done, we headed up into the mountains of Glen Isla. We stopped to eat luch on a small road through a mountain wood, with Siskin and Redpoll above our heads. A walk through the valley of Glen Isla had no birds, bar a few Buzzards, Crows and a flock of 15 Linnets. But no matter how Dipper-less were the streams, no matter how obviously Golden Eagles lacked from the mountain tops, it was a beautiful, scenic walk in some of the remotest country left in Britain.

October snow on the mountains

you see? not bad is it! kinda makes up for the avian dearth

Driving back to Kirriemuir, we were going through along a road through a mountain-side wood, when a RED SQUIRREL ran accross the road in front of the car! we saw it for about 30 seconds as it scampered away through the wood. This was the undoubted highlight of our two days around Kirriemuir.

following that, we headed back to Kirriemuir for a drink with Danny, in a deathly quiet pub. The only other humans were a couple of subdued alchholics, the only sub-human was an angry, sulky barmaid, and the only music was the morose, monotone noise that my generation seem to love for some unfathomable reason...

We bid farewell to Danny after this, and began the drive back to Edinburgh. With one stop along the way...

A Slavonian Grebe and a Greenland White-fronted Goose had been seen at Burleigh Sands, and we stopped along the way to keep a look. We saw 200+ Greylag Geese, a few Pink-footed Geese, 100+ Whooper Swans, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Mallard, Wigeon and Gadwall and the highlight, 15 GOOSANDER and 3 Red-breasted Merganser (all redheads), but neither of our target birds. The Goosanders were a yeartick (no. 192)

After this it was back down to Edinburgh. We had one more day left before it was time to go home, and we saw a few mre good birds, as I shall write in the next post n the trip...

27 Oct 2010-up into real Scotland!

On October 27th, we drove up to Kirriemuir, where we stayed the night with my Uncle Danny, having a day in the Highlands (next post, prbably to be put on tomorra) before heading back down to Edinburgh the following afternoon...

We stopped off first at Fannyside Lochs, near Falkirk. Here were 160 TAIGA BEAN GEESE, in a faraway field with sheep onLuckenburn Farm. This, aside from being great birds, was the first time we've ever parked the car in one county (Clackmannanshire) and seen a bird in another (Falkirk)! The nearest place to the Bean Geese where we could park the car was in fact 20 yards over the border! A few flyover Redpoll and Siskin were also seen/heard. This was only the second time I've seen geese of this race, the previous time being in Feb 2008 in Suffolk.



Taiga Bean Geese, 27 Oct 2010, very distant photo!

The geese were my 190th birds of the year.

We later stopped off at Vane Farm RSPB. Here I had great views of 30 Whooper Swans, my 191st bird of the year. There were also about 300 each of Wigeon and Teal, several Tufted Duck, a few Pochard, 8 Goldeneye and a single male Pintail showing well on the water, and a flock of 80 Pink-footed Geese flying over the Loch fairly distantly, though still showing well until they dropped down on a marsh.



try and find the two Goldeneye and two Pochard in this photo!
The Whooper is a bit more obvious...

a lonely little Black-headed Gull

Whooper Swans, Mallards and a Tufted Duck

Grey Heron in the marsh

Driving along the small B-Roads to Kirriemuir, Fieldfares were in all the fields in brilliant numbers, and a few more flocks of Pink-footed Goose flew over, probably abut 300 overall.

Splash Point, seaford

in an two and a half hours of seawatching at Splash Point today, SE winds looked promising, and we saw some good birds, but it wasn't a classic day.

Dad and I started at 7.00, with the first bird we saw being...

a White Wagtail!
It was walking in the middle of the road, 30 yards back from the carpark at Splash Point, as we drove along. First priority, don't run it over(!), second priority, have a closer look at the pied wagtail, which is now deeply indebted to us, and realise it is in fact the Pied's much scarcer cousin! Sharifin Gardiner and Dick Gilmore were alreadt at Splash, and had seen an Arctic Skua and a few other things without us. During an hor and a half until 9.30, To start with, we saw mainly Common Scoter (we saw about 150 overall), and they were by far the most numerous species during the moring. We also saw 25 Sandwich terns, a similar number of Brent Geese, 5 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Mediterraena Gulls, 2 Teals and a Velvet Scoter, along with 2 Meadow Pipits, amd presumably the White Wagtail, coming in off the sea. Some o the Common Scoter were close in, and I managed to separate males and females within the flocks that were reasonably close in, the male/female ratio was approximately 3/1, though I don't remember very specifically. One flock of 10 Common Scoter settled 100 yards offshore, giving excellent views throgh the scope, with the males yellow bills very noticeable. Another flock of about 15, flying high above the sea a dn also about 100 yards out, had a female Velvet scoter in it, the first time I have seen this species locally and only the second time I have managed to pick one out in a scoter flock. the two Mediterranean Gulls were passign with 5 Sandwich Terns, which went through in small groups of 4-10 througout the morning. One flock of Brent Geese, seen from the car as we were leaving, were flying directly over the beach, and it looked like they would go directly over the groyne and the watching Dick Gilmore and Matt Eade, but taking one look at the two men with binoculars they came to their senses, and dramatically swerved around the groyne at the last possible moment. However, despite their impressive flight co-ordination and escape manouveres, Matt still managed a photograph, see here.

Garganey, a Glaucous and everything else!

After a successful seawatch this morning, I had had my birding 'fix' for the day, which included two year-ticks and loads of other good birds at Splash Point. However, that all changed thanks to a phone call from my dad. Apparently there were two Garganey showing very well on the Ouse Estuary Project! I'd spent almost everyday around there in late March 2009 without seeing one! I rushed down as fast as my bike could carry me, and upon getting there the Garganey were showing brilliantly. It was two drakes in all their beauty, hanging around with a flock of Teal. My best photo attempts are below;

Also present on the wetlands were 60 Teal, 30+ Snipe, a Lapwing and a Curlew. Winter obviously isn't quite over yet. While I was there, dad mentioned there were five Mediterranean Gulls in the gull flock on the floodwater. Almost immediately, I heard the cooing, Eider-like sound of one, and picked out one in the 200 or so gulls. I then noticed something else flying overhead. It was biscuit-coloured, with a creamy-pink bill and blackish-brown speckling, and it looked quite big. In the back of my mind I thought "Glaucous Gull", but I had just found a possible Yellow-legged Gull in the flock, so I put it out of my mind, convincing myself I had seen a Herring Gull looking odd in the light. Anyway, the Yellow-legged Gull turned out to probably be a juvenile Great Blackback (though I'm not totally convinced, and if I find it does look like a Yellow-leg or Casp in the gull books I'll put a picture of it on here). But getting back to the story, Mum and Dad had gone to sainsbury's for the shopping, and I was currently at home. So imagine how annoyed I was when dad rushed through the door, saying he had gone back to the Ouse Estuary and seen... a Glaucous Gull!!! We got down there, and checked through the gull flocks, to no avail (although I did manage to see four Mediterranean Gulls). Still, I am now sure I saw the Glauc before, and since I cathink of no reason why a bird you only identify a few hours after you've seen it shoudln't count, it now goes on my year list, which, with the addition of Garganey as well, is now on 114!!

Finally, a quick two pictures, of flocks of Brent Geese flting very close inshore at Splash Point this morning.

14 Feb 2010-Bittern and some other stuff

I didn't expect much birding today on mother's day, but sometimes you can get really surprised!

I started at the Cuckmere, with some of the pictures I took shown below.

In the Cuckmere Valley between Charleston Reedbed and Litlington, totals of 60 Wigeon, 30 Teal, 7 Redshank, 5 Snipe, 2 Shelduck, and a possible Yellow-legged Gull with the gull flocks, a record shot of which is shown below.

This gull was seen with a small flock of Common and Black-headed Gulls just south of Litlington. Dad and I decided it was probably a juv Herring Gull, but it didn't look quite right, and may have been a Yellow-legged. Comments welcome on it. If it was a Yellow-legged, it wold be the second good gull around here this March, after the Glaucous Gull seen by Steve Dawson at the start of March

After this, and at the slight annoyance of mum, dad got a phone call from Nick Pope, who had found a Bittern at Deans Farm Pond (actually a flooded field) with some reeds around the edges. As ridiculous as it sounded, when we got there, the bird was showing very well. I got a few record shots, but the evening light, the bitterns camoflage and my shivering hand in the cold evening all made a steady and focused photgraph a less than easy task! My best effort is shown below.

Note* A better photo of the Bittern can be found on Matt Eade's blog

Egret in the Ouse

following up the Crane reported by Les Bird yesterday in the Ouse, I checked all the levels from Lewes-southease, with a lengthy detour to Glynde. Highlights were a Common Sandpiper and a Kingfisher on the river Ouse just South of Lewes and 4 Green Sandpipers along Glynde Reach, an excellent count. Some of these showed very well when they were flushed as I walked along. Also along the reach and the surrounding levels were 100+ Teal, 50+ Wigeon, 1000+ Lapwing and 3000+ Starling and a calling Chiffchaff, with 2 Water Rails 'squealing' from a small reedbed just south of Glynde. Also seen atleast 4 Grey Wagtails along the river. However, after spending six and a half hours in the field, The best bird came from the train back to Seaford, as at Southease, I saw a CATTLE EGRET!! It was in a field about 200 metres south of Southease station. I only saw it for about a minute, but I noted its short, dagger-like orange bill, short neck, compact and stocky appearance and a more rounded head than a Little Egret, It also appeared slightly smaller. My year list now stands at 103, with five addititons today, Common Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper, Chiffchaff and Cattle Egret.

31 Jan 2010-Cuckmere Haven

In the Cuckmere today, 3 new birds for my year list, which took it up to 98. These were Little Owl (2 calling to each other from the copse on South Hill, Seaford Head) Goldeneye-2 drakes showing well on the river; and Raven-one seen flying over West towards Seaford Head. Also a few Little Grebes, 1 Snipe flushed from the path along the East side of the river, 3 Brent Geese again, 700+ Great Blackbacks, 200+ Teal and 400+ Wigeon. Doing the big garden birdwatch this morning I saw a Blackcap, and on the buildings at Chyngton Farm, Seaford a Grey Wagtail, perhaps the same bird seen at my school a few weeks ago(two areas c.200 metres apart).

10 Jan 2010-Tide Mills

smaller numbers of waterbirds today, with 60 or so Dunlin and Teal, 25 Redshank, a few Lapwing and Curlew, the 2 Shoveler heading off West and a Water Rail scurrying under the bridge at the West End of the Mill Creek to feed in the sewage outfall. Showed very well, its creamy-white rump and red bill visible against the dark background.

9 Jan 2010-Newhaven Tide Mills and Seaford

A Fantastic day in the local area. a Rock Pipit made itself noticeable on the coast road through Seaford, an unusual suburban record. A Red-throated Diver was offshore in Seaford Bay, while in a Blizzard on the outskirts of Seaford, a Woodcock, presumably as surpsied as I was, made a brief appearance, emerging from the caravan park, coming to its senses and swooping down underneath a Caravan. Four Snipe were flushed from te fields below Bishopstone, two hiding in a bramble patch, one flying over the railway and one flying off to sit in the snow, desperately attempting to find some food. Also in these fields were a Stonechat and a Kestrel. Waders were well represented along the Mill Creek, with 300 Dunlin, 50 Redshank, small numbers of Curlew and Lapwing, and single Jack Snipe and Black-tailed Godwit. Also present on the Mill creek were 300 Teal and 2 drake Shoveler. on the beach were 2 Ringed Plover, while 8 Wigeon passed west offshore. Back in seaford, three figure counts of Redwing and Fieldfare, with singles of Mistle Thrush and Blackcap.