Tayforth Birding (21 Viewers)

[delia todd]

EDIT 19th July 2009:

The name of this thread has been changed as it now includes Stirling and Clackmannanshire. The areas covered are shown on the attached map:

Angus (2), Perthshire (24), Kinross (16), Fife (13), Clackmannanshire (9) and Stirlingshire (30).

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I've wanted to do this for a while - think it's time for reports from the local area not covered by the Rob's and mine methinks. How about it then? And if you don't like the title I can change it

I went to Kinnordy on Saturday, really, really quiet. Hardly anything visible from the Gullery hide so moved onto the right hand one (never can remember what it's called).

Blue, Coal and Great Tits at the feeders, along with Chaffinch on the ground. A Treecreeper flew onto one of the trees there, but nothing else.

There were a selection of birds on the water, but not many of each. I was hoping to see some geese but there were none. It turned out that they had been shooting there that morning. :storm: I didn't know, but apparently the agreement is for 2 days shooting per year. Obviously everything had either left or gone into hiding.

Things were beginning to come out a bit, Mallard, Wigeon and Coot mostly and there were Heron, Cormorant, Mute Swans with a couple of cygnets and Moorhens. A large flock of Lapwings came in just before I left.

Three Buzzards were flying over the hill in the distance.

Popped into the new hide at Lintrathen on the way home. Lots on there, but still no geese. Mallard, Tufted, Teal, Pochard (no sign of the reported Red Crested though), Wigeon, Coot, A juvenile Great Crested Grebe and a Little Grebe.

Several Herons, Mute Swan and a Great Black Backed Gull with the Commons.

Then Up the Hill – but that's for another thread:t:

D

 

[delia todd]

Forgot to report on Sunday.

The Drimmie Road from Blairgowrie to Bridge of Cally. A Flock of around 30 Goldfinches feeding at the side of the road and further along there were 6 Stonechat. I think these may be migrants.

Two Buzzards and a Kestrel, also spotted.

D

 

[delia todd]

Murton Nature Reserve near Forfar

Very quiet there today, according to Al seems to be a sort of 'between' times.

Only went to the Gladstone Hide, c50 Mallard, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Canada Geese (one with broken wing). Three Pinkfoot flew in. About 20 Rooks.

Flyovers, included Cormorant, Feral Pigeons, Great Black-back Gulls and a Wood Pigeon.

There were several Buzzards, three in my bins at once. A Kestrel came hunting too.

A highlight there were 2 Swallows.

Away in the distance, coming from the north, I could see several flocks of 'little things', so presume these are migrants.

On the way home there were loads of Pinkfoot flying over, 2 skeins joined together for a while and I estimate about 1000 birds there. About 50 of them then broke away and headed SE the remainder going more SW, perhaps to Vane Farm.

D

 

[delia todd]

A visit to Kinnordy gave me one of those Wow moments - loads of Common Gulls flying past heading West. They just kept coming and coming, at one point there must have been over 1000 gulls stretching for nearly a mile with more coming through to catch up. Then 5 minutes later another lot.

The wild fowl seem to have recovered from the shooting on Saturday, and 5 Red Breasted Merganser have joined the party there.

D

 

[delia todd]

Christmas Day Birding

A bright and sunny morning with a very heavy frost.

We decided to head for Loch of Lintrathen. A Robin was pecking about in the long grass in front of the hide. The water was frozen but there were a few ice-free patches, on the far side of course. Good numbers of water fowl - Mallard, Teal, Wigeon and Coot. A few Pochard, Whooper and Mute Swans and I could only see two Cormorants. Gull numbers were very low, all sitting on the ice in the middle of the loch, Common, mostly with a few Herring and a single Great Black Back.

Sadly there was a Whooper Swan frozen into the ice. The police did come to investigate, but it would have taken a major operation to attempt a rescue. There's been a thaw overnight, so hopefully it's survived.

Scoping the trees, one of the pines was very busy with Goldfinch, Blue Tit and Siskin.

The drive there and back we found a total of 5 Buzzards, lots of Blackbirds, more Goldfinch with Chaffinch but little else really - no winter thrushes anywhere.

D

 

[aythya_hybrid]

Staying with my parents in Fife at the moment and will definitely do some local birding soon: probably not tomorrow or the day after, but certainly between 1-5 jan I intend to check Leven, Ruddons, St.Andrews and the Eden.

I see the bonaparte's gull seems to be showing well in the morning at Ferryden, Angus, right near Montrose.

 

[delia todd]

Staying with my parents in Fife at the moment and will definitely do some local birding soon: probably not tomorrow or the day after, but certainly between 1-5 jan I intend to check Leven, Ruddons, St.Andrews and the Eden.

I see the bonaparte's gull seems to be showing well in the morning at Ferryden, Angus, right near Montrose.

Hiya Aythya hope you're enjoying the holidays and see you managed to track down the Barrows Goldeneye - nice one. Have you been escaping the fog we've been suffering with here the last few days?

I must get back up to Montrose - it must be over a year since I've been there.

Yesterday went to Montreathmont and saw nothing all the way for the fog. Clearer on the way home and saw both Buzzard and Kestrel.

The feeding station had plenty of activity with Coal, Blue, and Great Tits, Dunnock, Chaffinch, and Robin. Eventually a single Greenfinch arrived (where are they all??) then a small flock of Long-tailed Tits (so that was me happy). A pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers made constant visits to their favourite feeder.

Scoping round the trees, Ken found a Treecreeper. Green Woodpeckers were calling constantly but never came into view.

Just before we left - whooosh in came a Sparrowhawk.

Walking back along the track to the car we heard, then saw 4 Jays.

We had thought of going to Balgavie, but stayed too long at Montreathmont - hmm... I hear there were some Waxwing there yesterday.

D

 

[matt green]

Looks like you have tayside all to yourself Delia

Do keep up your reports,they do make for very interesting reading.Especialy
for a certain norfolkman who secretly craves for rocky outcrops,deep valleys,
bubbling streams and all those eagles!

Matt

 

[aythya_hybrid]

Managed a spot of local birding today, but my efforts were hampered a bit by the strong winds.

Did manage to pick out the drake Surf Scoter at Ruddons, which showed reasonably well despite the strong winds. Also a female Scaup on Kilconquhar Loch and 23 Whooper Swans and a fem RB Merganser on Cameron. Will try the St.Andrews/Eden area soon, hopefully when the wind's died down a bit!

 

[delia todd]

Looks like you have tayside all to yourself Delia

Do keep up your reports,they do make for very interesting reading.Especialy
for a certain norfolkman who secretly craves for rocky outcrops,deep valleys,
bubbling streams and all those eagles!

Matt

Hardly a bubbling stream Matt - more like raging torrent today!

You had a better day than I did then Aythya-hybrid - I think all the birds were blown away last night.

Best of my bunch (16 species only) were Long Tailed Tit, Dipper and female Goosander. I think I heard a Treecreeper but the noise from the water was too great to be sure. These were all on an afternoon walk along the river, after first having had to climb over a fallen tree, one of several casualties I saw.

I may take a trip to Vane Farm later this week or next, as I'm thinking of going to Hoggs for a new pair of boots.

D

 

[aythya_hybrid]

had a decent few hours in the St.Andrews area today: see Rob's Eden Estuary thread for further details.

 

[delia todd]

the LT Ducks were particularly good.

You had a good day by the sound of it - LT Ducks are my favourites.

I started off with a quick view, in a howling gale, at Murton. Lots of Wigeon, Goldeneye and Tufted out on the large pond and amongst the, mostly, Common Gulls was a Greater Black Backed Gull. Only 2 Lapwing to be seen. Just as we were leaving a flock of about 15 Goldfinch swirled around and settled in a tree just above our heads.

Then off to Balgavies. There were very few passerines to be seen but a Treecreeper in the car park was nice.

Lots of wildfowl on the water, mostly Goldeneye, Tufties and Coot, though I spotted a singleton Moorhen and 16 Greylag . Eleven Cormorants came in to roost on the island trees. Two Grey Herons and 4 male Goosander. Then found a Buzzard sitting on a fence post. Lapwing and Pinkfooted Geese flew over.

The circular footpath has now been completed so I'll give that a try one day.

Some local birders came in as we were about to leave and reported Waxwing in Kirriemuir, so decided to go into the town instead of skirting it. Didn't find the Waxwing but saw 3 Redwing there instead.

Last port of call for the day was Kinnordy. It was really dim light by now - 3pm and nothing on the feeders. Similar birds here to Balgavies, with the addition of Mallard, and Whooper Swans but the real goody there was a female Smew (Redhead) which had palled up with a Goldeneye.

D

 

[aythya_hybrid]

Last day up in Scotland today. Went for a walk with the parents around Abernethy Glen. Nothing spectacular but one or two things: 1 Raven, 3 Sparrowhawk, 2 Redpoll, loads of Redwing (200+) and smaller numbers of fieldfare.

Birnie and Gaddon Loch on the way home: c25 siskin, 18 goosander, not much else....

 

[kawwauser]

i was at kinnordy on the 18/12/06 i think?my days are mixed up with working so hard,this is my first day off,apart from great/blue/coal tits
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/greattit.jpg

i also seen some long tailed tits being chased by a sparrowhawk at the gullery hide,

outside the gullery hide a flock of bullfinches were feeding

on the way to kinnordy from dundee i counted three buzzards and two kestrels,i read about the waxwing but left it late as usual,i noticed some rooks at their rookerys sitting by the nests,

 

[delia todd]

aythya_hybrid: Thanks for posting your reports. That sounds like a pretty good day you had. I went to Birnie Loch for the first time last year very nice there. Have a good trip home.

kawwauser: nice to hear from you again. That's a lovely picture of the Great Tit, but your other links aren't working. Drop us a PM if you're going again and I may be able to join you.

I was back at Kinnordy this afternoon - no sign of the Redhead (must have known I wanted a picture LOL) but did see Teal there today (all hiding in the reeds). Counted 54 Whooper Swans feeding in the grass field opposite.

D

 

[delia todd]

Ah! I see you have the links working now kawwauser, well done with the LTTs I've never managed a good one yet.

Funny I haven't seen a Coal Tit yet this year hmm can't be looking hard enough.

D

 

[delia todd]

Clunie Loch

I went for a drive round Clunie Loch today - so close but not been there for ages.

Mallards a'plenty and there appear to be 2 pairs of Goosander. Goldeneye, Coots and about a dozen Cormorants sitting in their usual place on the castle island. These all seen at the East end.

I stopped by the Kennels on the south side and could hear shooting (presumably a pheasant shoot) in the distance, which disturbed around 200 Jackdaws. There was a lot of activity here, with a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch and Chaffinch all busy feeding.

At the Church I stayed quite a while and went for a walk in the wood - absolutely dead, not a sound. On the loch, though were Tufted Duck, 2 Greylag Geese and a pair of Mute Swans. I was surprised there were no Grebes at all.

Returning by the west end past Clunie Farm a pair of Mistle Thrushes sitting on a rock then at Lunan Burn Long-tailed Tits to finish the day.

D

 

[aythya_hybrid]

visiting parents again.

At least 4 Tree Sparrows in a bush by the small farm between Hill of Tarvit and Craigrothie in central Fife today. They are always in the exact same bush: worth a look if anyone needs tree sparrow!

 

[aythya_hybrid]

In Angus today:

leisurely stroll up Glen Isla - 20-25 Raven, c15 Buzzard, 14 Red Grouse, Siskin, Dipper, Treecreeper.

Loch of Lintrathen - not much: a few Whoopers and Goosanders. No sign of smew reported yesterday but was very choppy.

Major bonus was a ringtail Hen Harrier low over the road just west of Kirkton of Kingoldrum. Also at least 30 Whoopers at Kinnordy seen from the car whilst going past the west end.

Will be back up in two weeks (again!!) for some serious birding.

 

[kas]

Keep up the reports. Nice photos from kawwauser.

One day I will get down for the tour Delia, Green Woodpecker and Jay would be life birds for me, and in return you can come and see my Long tailed ducks whilst having a relaxing seat in the house.
:-O