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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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  1. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Had to stay in to wait for my new scope (a present to myself) to be delivered today, so decided to see if there might be anything remotely interesting passing by (that wasn't just a Meadow Pipit, which I'm seeing/hearing most days). My expectations were very low. At 0630, I spotted a couple of...
  2. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    I found a flock of around 25 a week past Sunday here in Dundee very near the Kingsway, not far from Forfar Road. They flew off later in the morning due to a Sparrowhawk. We also had a flock of at least 31 in Dundee around Ancrum Road from at least Monday until Friday afternoon. Thankfully, I...
  3. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    No worries, Brian. I can sympathise with regards the weather - the latter of my two visits to that general area (for landscape photography rather than birding) coincided with the beginning of the snow that ushered in that pretty bad winter in 2010-11.
  4. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    The way you worded the Hawfinch sighting in your original post was ambiguous giving the impression that although the bird looked 'big', the sun behind it made viewing difficult and as Merlin said it could 'hear' a Hawfinch that was enough to confirm the ID of the 'big' bird for you - rather than...
  5. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    A word of caution on your Hawfinch too. While not impossible, Merlin will quite often suggest Hawfinch based on call, but 99% of the time it'll be a Robin which has only ticked, rather than tic-tic-ticked. The good thing about Merlin is that it will take you to the actual recording of the call...
  6. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Nice surprise above Broughty Ferry this afternoon...... a ringtail Hen Harrier. My 155th species of bird from within Dundee this year (my target was 145 and I thought I'd struggle to get that). I was looking up because of the nacreous clouds and spotted it circling a little east of the castle...
  7. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Here's a few of my recent Dundee birding blogs that you might not have seen yet (others about Riverside Nature Park visits are posted in that thread). Boat trips on the Tay, vis-mig from the Law, visits to Broughty Ferry etc...
  8. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    A few recent blog-posts covering a large chunk of July. I don't often do too much birding in July as it gets a bit too warm for me, so I don't usually see much. This July was an exception. https://stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com/2023/07/1127-sunday-and-saturday-2723-8723.html...
  9. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Had a wander down to Balmossie today in hope of maybe seeing a Little Gull, or a Mediterranean Gull. Didn't expect to see an adult Pomarine Skua flying down the Tay (trailed by an Arctic Skua for a minute too)! Not the greatest of photos but a great bird to get from Dundee. A little later had a...
  10. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    When I was a kid back in the 70s/80s I never thought I'd see a Peregrine, or a Red Kite (or Osprey, Marsh Harrier etc). Have had both of the former together over Dundee this year - see Peregrine regularly on way to/from work. Little Egrets have gone from very rare to a bird that I can reasonably...
  11. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Cheers. I'd actually checked my pics last night to see what the date of yours was, so it was fresh in my mind today. Although I did think it was a (very slim) possibility I might run into one, I was still very much surprised when I actually did. If you're there tomorrow, it was in the fenced off...
  12. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Late May is a fairly typical time for Red Backed Shrikes to be passing through northwards (a few reported elsewhere in UK today). Scandinavia (Finland) would seem most likely destination.
  13. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    It would be, but most likely just having a breather and a feed on the way to Scandinavia for the summer.
  14. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Found by me. Only 2nd record for park. 1st was 20/5/13 found by BF's own Kawwauser. Bird went missing late morning for a few hours but was refound by chance back where it had spent most of its time this morning. Was still showing quite well when I finally left park at about 1730 (having spent 10...
  15. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    It could definitely still be better than it actually is - and for a variety of (generally human related) reasons there are declines in some species (though others are on the increase), but I've never heard it said that Scotland is a 'poor' area for nature. As with most countries, Scotland has a...
  16. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Had a few hours birding outwith Dundee (first time this year - other than cutting corners around outskirts of Dundee into Angus and Perthshire for a few minutes) yesterday with my birding buddy, Ian. With no actual plan for where to go, other than Angus or Fife, I suggested Easthaven to see if...
  17. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Red Throated Diver is usually the default Diver in the Tay, though obviously the others can show up too, though sightings of these tend to be far less frequent. RTD is fairly distinctive and tends to hold its bill at an upwards angle, BTD and GND hold theirs more level. RTD is relatively slight...
  18. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Divers have been in VERY short supply since late last year from the Ferry. There have been a few Shags about recently on the river which do bear a passing resemblance at a distance to a RT Diver (as can the Cormorants - especially when their bills are pointed upwards at an angle like a RTD)...
  19. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    As the 'blogs' section on here doesn't see too much traffic, here's a few recent blog-posts from my birding around Dundee in the first half of February, that may be of interest... https://stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com/2023/02/1076-down-by-windy-tay-8223.html...
  20. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    My pal mentioned (likely) that same bird a few weeks ago, having seen it mentioned somewhere (possibly also Facebook). She was going to try to get a better idea of the actual location. If it is still being photographed then it would appear to be over-wintering, wherever it is. Bonnie wee birds.
  21. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Given that my entire year of birding took place in the area covered in this thread (mostly in Dundee, with single figure visits to both Angus and Fife), this would appear to be the ideal place to share my birding blog review of 2022 in four parts... Part 1 is the tale of the year (& a few...
  22. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Heard it a few weeks ago as I arrived at the ponds but couldn't see it, despite 2 circuits of the top pond. Got confirmation that I hadn't imagined it during the week via a lady on Twitter and saw it on Saturday and Sunday during visits on my way elsewhere. She (it is a female) flew off on...
  23. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    With that wind behind it, it'll be in Russia by now....
  24. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    A few recent blog-posts you may have missed if you don't usually look at the 'blogs' section on here, all about my birding around Dundee (not including Riverside Nature Park - except for 1 post where I visited multiple sites on the same day) as I try to reach a target of 140 species seen (or...
  25. Stonefaction

    Tayforth Birding

    Initially reported on Sunday afternoon, and was still there this morning (given the weather today probably wondering to itself "what am I doing here?").
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