STONEFACTION BIRDING: 05/28/15

0163 : Sunday Spin (17/5/15)

With 8 days of birding completed I had one last throw of the dice before having to return to work the following day. A day out with Rhona had been provisionally planned though no route or preferred sites, or even preferred target birds had been discussed. However, this was fairly standard operating procedure for our outings and if we happened to see something good along the way, then all the better.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Rhona arrived to pick me up at the usual departure time of 0815 and we started the list with fairly standard species for my local surroundings - Blackbird, Starling, Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gull, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon. I knew of an area near where we had stumbled upon the Short Eared Owl two days previously, where some really nice Cuckoo shots had been taken in the past, with the bird perched on roadside fenceposts, so I suggested we head for there, and if Rhona got to see the Short Eared Owl in the passing then all the better.

Heading inland across country we picked up a stream of new day-list species starting with Swallows. Mistle Thrush, Jackdaw, Oystercatcher, Rook and Pheasant were all seen in fields as we passed. Blue Tit, Robin and a surprise Magpie were seen in more wooded stretches of road. Rhona saw a Whitethroat on a gorse bush and I suggested a slow, stealthy approach down the opposite side of the road if she wanted photos. The bird wasn't impressed by her attempts and she returned to the car without photos.

As we neared the area where Cuckoo was a possibility we slowed down and scanned ahead of us. A Buzzard flew off away from the car. Chaffinch and Greenfinch were seen in trees by the road. A Curlew flew across the road but there was no Cuckoo to be seen, or heard. A pair of Linnets showed well in front of the car and Rhona eventually managed a photo or two of the rather flighty birds. A Meadow Pipit shared the fence with them from time to time.

As we drove along, Rhona spotted a large bird on the ground on her side of the car. It lifted from the ground and flew in the general direction of the car and across the road as Rhona snapped a few photos. Unfortunately the window on the passenger side of the car doesn't work, so I missed out on decent shots, but this was no big deal having seen the bird on Friday. We watched the bird hunt low above the ground, making a few unsuccessful short dives into the vegetation but coming up with empty talons.

Eventually the bird was successful in its attempts and flew off purposefully with a suspected rodent in its feathered talons. Rather than eating its prey near where it had caught it, the fact it had flown off suggested a nest somewhere in the vicinity. Hopefully, it will remain undisturbed by over-eager photographers and un-persecuted by those "less keen" on raptors and be able to raise a brood this year.

We headed onwards still searching for Cuckoo but seeing none, nor any other hoped for species that might frequent the area. We did however see Kestrel, Lapwing and a rather out-of-place Mallard flying past at speed. We did a spot of exploration of some of the wee single-track roads in the area, adding Willow Warbler and a Little Grebe and Tufted Duck on a fishery lochan. House Martins skimmed overhead nearby.

We decided to head east stopping off at any likely spot along the way and ending up wherever we finally ended up at "time to go home" - time. Loch of Kinnordy was the next 'likely' spot, so we set course for there picking up a few new day-ticks on the way such as Song Thrush, Common Gull and Swift. Things were rather quiet at the Loch but we spent some time in the hide which bumped the list up a few more notches. The Black Headed Gulls were still on their bogbean island nests and a Cormorant overflew.

Scanning around added Greylag, Mute Swan and Coot on the water and round the edges, with Redshank wandering about on the bogbean. Shoveler edged in close to the hide again which meant more decent photo opportunities with what is usually a hard-to-get-close-to species. A few Moorhens and a pair of Shelducks put in an appearance. Swallows and Sand Martins skimmed low over the islands and the water, with a Swallow resting for a few minutes on a branch near the hide sticking out of the water. A Great Tit showed in the trees as we walked back to the car to head for Murton nature reserve.

We popped into the hide by the car park when we arrived at Murton, but once again there wasn't a huge amount of variety out on the water, though we did add 3 new species. Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall and a few Wigeon. While walking down to check the lower pool both Lesser Redpoll and Siskin overflew. Pied Wagtails scurried around on the mud and a sleepy Pink Footed Goose was found among the Greylags. On the way back to the car again, we watched a Long Tailed Tit fly across the path and into the trees.

A quick stop at Balgavies Loch found a busy hide with no chance of a seat so we made do with a quick look at the Osprey nest, where a head was visible above the rim. Although we had considered heading for the coast around Montrose Basin, time was against us as Rhona needed to be at Blairgowrie for a Beaver tour around 6pm. We settled on Montreathmont Forest as our final stop of the afternoon.

On the walk to the hide we spotted Chifchaff, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Robin. Once into the hide we watched as bird after bird dropped into the feeders, sometimes settling inches from the hide for a few seconds, either oblivious or unworried by our presence and the clicking of camera shutters. Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Dunnock, Yellowhammer all shuttled in and out. A Jay arrived and stayed for just seconds and departed at speed just as quickly. A Great Spotted Woodpecker uncharacteristically stayed put on the feeders while we snapped away. Even when we spoke to one another it stayed put. A pair of Pheasants wandered in, and a Bank Vole appeared below the table, before rushing back into cover. I eventually succeeded in getting a video clip of it.

A Green Woodpecker called repeatedly from its usual spot, unseen across the relatively open area behind the feeders. No matter how hard we looked we could not see the bird. Eventually we managed to catch a glimpse of the bird as it flew into another tree where it promptly seemed to vanish again. With time wearing on, we walked back to the car again to head back to Dundee, adding 1 final species as we neared home, a Sparrowhawk.

All in all, a decent enough day out with 63 species seen, despite the apparent lack of variety at each of the sites visited.

Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Green Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Short Eared Owl, Shoveler, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tufted Duck, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.