 |
| Greylags |
 |
| Greylags |
 |
| Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush and Starling |
Out at 0825 on a cold grey morning to meet Jacqui Herrington for a morning outing to Loch of Kinnordy in the hope of adding some more birds to my growing yearlist. Not too much around en route to meeting Jacqui - a Blackbird, a few Herring Gulls and a Carrion Crow. A large flock of Woodpigeons overflew the dual carriageway as we headed north out of Dundee.
We decided to take the back roads to Kinnordy in the hope of seeing more birds than were likely on the faster route up the dual carriageway. Before we'd gone too far we picked up a Buzzard perched on a telegraph pole and the first new bird added was a Pheasant near Glamis. In fields near Kirriemuir we saw Common and Black Headed Gulls, and in one of the fields next to Kinnordy a small gaggle of Greylags and a single Pink Footed Goose eyed the car suspiciously as we stopped to check them out.
The car park was already almost full despite our relatively early arrival. The trees and feeders outside the Gullery hide were surprisingly quiet. We asked in the hide if we'd missed anything and discovered a Water Rail had flown past a short time before. The Barn Owl had also been seen showing in the entrance hole to the box on the 'lone pine' and within a few minutes it became the second addition of the day to my yearlist. Not having too much luck with Owls most years, it is always good to get one early in the year.
Out on the Loch there were a few Mallards, Tufted Duck, Teal and Goldeneye. A lone Pink Footed Goose swam past in the company of a large white "farmyard" Goose. My 3rd addition was Whooper Swan, a number of which were dotted around the edges of the Loch. One or two Mute Swans were also visible. To the left of the hide in among the flooded area of the reedbed were a number of Wigeon, Greylags and Teal. Birds came and went to this area and fed noisily throughout the morning. A Moorhen swam out to an area of vegetation. Sometimes a reed would quiver and binoculars were raised in the hope of seeing a Bearded Tit or two, but it was the waterfowl feeding around the bottoms that was causing the movement.
New bird number 4 was a nice glowing drake Goosander which splashed down opposite the hide, and number 5 was a drake Gadwall. Neither unexpected but both very welcome all the same. We were hoping that the drake Smew and/or the Bittern would show but neither did. A distant brown bird flying low over the reedbeds turned out to be just a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk shot past close to the hide windows. Pheasants and Rooks were feeding in the fields and sometimes they could be heard above the noise of the nearer birds around the Loch. A couple of Herring Gulls drifted over. We debated heading along to the east hide but Darell Berthon had a better suggestion. Popping up to Backwater Dam and Reekie Linn. So off we went in a two car convoy, stopping briefly to check out a small flock of birds in the trees by the edge of the Loch which turned out to be the first Goldfinches of the day.
Near Peel Farm B&B Darell stopped his car and there in the field was a small covey of Grey Partridges which only flew off when we drove off again. A Rook was on a telegraph pole doing a very good Buzzard impression. Only when it lifted its head and showed its beak was the illusion broken.
Reaching Backwater Reservoir a Cormorant was on the structure in the water. Unfortunately there was no sign of any Crossbills or any Grouse. A Landrover hurried us on faster than we had planned. At the car park we scanned the water, spying 3 Mute Swans and a small group of Mallards. 2 distant pale shapes proved tricky to decipher, but turned out to be a rear end view of two juvenile Mute Swans feeding with their necks in the water. A Buzzard mewed distantly behind the forest, but within the minute had shown as it flew down towards the reservoir. A Raven "prukked" a couple of times but despite much scanning likely perches we failed to find it. I did spot 3 gamebirds in a sheep field, which were identified from a quick photo as Red Legged Partridges. New bird number 7 for the day. As we left the car park to drive further on in the hope of finding the Raven we had heard, I spotted the ripples of a bird which had just submerged. We decided to check again on the way back.
Down by the farm only a few Carrion Crows were seen but as we turned a bird was spotted atop a Larch. It was a scruffy looking small raptor. Merlin was hoped for but the few ID photos were quite inconclusive until I looked at home on the PC. It turned out be a juvenile Kestrel. Nearing the car park we stopped to check the edge of the reservoir for the diving bird. Jacqui picked it up, an unexpected Little Grebe - the first I'd seen at that location which sometimes freezes over at this time of year. Another Kestrel, a male, hovered by the side of the road and another few Mallards out on the water were seen. Further on, Jacqui spotted a couple of birds perched in the treetops which were Mistle Thrushes. We then spotted more birds on the wires opposite the trees, which were a mixed flock of more Mistle Thrushes, Fieldfares and a couple of Starlings. More lifted from the trees further on and the whole lot milled around in the air above the cars before settling back on the wires. Before we moved off again, Jacqui found a male Bullfinch a bit further on. There seems to be lots of Bullfinches around all over the place just now. Perhaps an influx of "northern" types? A small group of 4 Chaffinches flew ahead of us for a short distance.
Jacqui had to be back home for around 1pm, so we headed down the back roads via Reekie Linn to Dundee. The river at Reekie Linn was flowing fast owing to the amount of recent rain and there were few perches for Dippers. I scanned any likely spots before pointing out a white patch in an area of shadow on a rock further downstream which looked like a possible. As we looked through the binoculars, a Dipper flew through our collective view calling as it did so, before landing on the far bank. Bird number 8.
Very little was seen on the way down the road from there, except Carrion Crows and Mute Swans feeding around the flooded fields by the Isla at Coupar Angus and a few Pheasants by the roadsides. When we reached Birkhill a Woodpigeon and a Collared Dove shared adjacent chimneys on a house by the roadside. The rain was persistent so I decided not to be dropped off at Riverside Nature Park, and in town I added a couple of Feral Pigeons behind the Caird Hall to the morning's tally before heading for the bus home.
36 species seen - (8 new in bold).
Barn Owl, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dipper, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Grey Partridge, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Little Grebe, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Pink Footed Goose, Red Legged Partridge, Rook, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Teal, Tufted Duck, Whooper Swan, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.