 |
| Robin |
 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
 |
| Blue Tit |
 |
| Pheasant |
 | |||
| Wood Warbler (archive shot) |
 |
| Red Grouse |
 |
| Red Grouse |
 |
| Canada Goose |
 |
| Canada Geese and Oystercatchers |
 |
| Whitethroat |
 |
| Orange Tip butterfly |
Wednesday's weather forecast was rather favourable and with my pal, Jacqui Herrington free once again the options for a spot of birding a bit further afield than usual were on the table. After considering and ruling out various journeys for a combination of factors we settled on a wee foray into Perthshire, first to Killiecrankie in the hope of seeing two local summer specialities - Wood Warbler and Pied Flycatcher. Depending on how long it took to find these two, would dictate the rest of the day.
We decided to head off a bit later than normal to avoid the rush hour in Dundee, so Jacqui arranged to pick me up at around 0920. Wandering along the road produced very few birds with only a few Herring Gulls seen until I reached the meeting point near Lidl. While I waited I spotted a Blackbird on the grass by the police station, a pair of mating Herring Gulls on a roof behind me, a flyover Lesser Black Backed Gull and a rather unwary Magpie which landed relatively close then hopped closer as it hunted among the grass for something edible. A nice surprise.
We headed off down the Kingsway and onto the A90 with birds being few and far between. Carrion Crow was seen as we passed Invergowrie, then Starling and Woodpigeon at Kinfauns and Swallows at Glendoick. Rook was added as we headed round the bypass and onto the A9. Buzzard was seen as we exited Perth northwards and en route to Pitlochry a few Pheasants and Oystercatchers were seen in the roadside fields. A Grey Heron overflew the road as we exited Pitlochry.
On arriving at Killiecrankie and having put money in the parking meter we had a quick look in the trees by the car park. A Blue Tit was coming to a nest box next to the cars and Great Tit, Robin and a nice male Bullfinch were all added in rapid succession. A Blackcap was eventually found up in a tree near the toilets, having proved elusive despite singing loudly. We heard a Wood Warbler down from the car among the trees but couldn't see any movement, so we set off to check out the more usual spots where I have seen them in the past, as well as the hoped for Pied Flycatchers. Unfortunately the usual area was almost silent with hardly any birds around, though we could hear Common Sandpiper down on the river. From the small viewpoint overlooking the Soldier's Leap I spotted a Dipper and Jacqui found the Common Sandpiper.
We headed down to the path along by the river in front of the railway viaduct. Robin and Blackcap were both seen down below the bridge, with Grey Wagtail spotted out on the pebbles. We heard a short burst of Wood Warbler song but again couldn't see the singer. We decided to head back up to the car park. Movement in the trees ahead turned out to be a female Great Spotted Woodpecker which worked its way through the branches before flying off. A few Goldfinches dropped into the trees in front of us. We found a Coal Tit as we reached the car park and a Siskin flew over calling loudly. A Buzzard circled over the hill on the opposite side of the river.
We could hear a Wood Warbler calling from the same area we had before, but we were having no luck in picking it up. I stepped over the small wooden barrier and edged a little down the hill to try and get a different perspective while Jacqui had something to eat back at the car. I soon spotted movement down the slope from where I was and the song now came again from where the bird I had seen had flown too. I now needed to hope for a clear view for confirmation. It didn't take too long before my first Wood Warbler of 2014 appeared briefly on a low branch before flying up hill towards the corner of the car park. I pointed it out to Jacqui who had wandered along to look for me, and she managed to see where it had gone. We both managed a few other fleeting glimpses before the bird flew across the road and began calling from the treed slope opposite. A second bird was heard, but we had had no Pied Flycatchers at all. Chances are that they are either in short supply or we were still slightly early in the year to see them. Hopefully the latter rather than the former.
We decided to drive down to the Ballinluig junction and head along to Aberfeldy and on towards Kenmore to take the Glen Quaich road and hopefully see a selection of species including maybe a Cuckoo. A jackdaw landed on a small post in Pitlochry as we drove past, despite the pedestrians nearby. We passed a few Pheasants and Oystercatchers in the fields as we headed along the rather quiet road to Aberfeldy, passing a few Bluebell woods as we went. Jacqui spotted a couple of Red Legged Partridges in a field as we passed so we turned around to confirm the ID (as Grey was also a possibility). A few Black Headed Gulls were around also, with Woodpigeons, Swallows and Starlings being the other birds seen.
We found the single track road into Glen Quaich as we neared Kenmore and Jacqui pointed her car skywards (or so it seemed) and we hoped that we wouldn't meet anyone coming downhill. Thankfully we didn't and we made it to the top of the hill where we stopped to have a look at the view back down towards Taymouth Castle and eastwards along the river valley. Pushing on we soon came across two male Red Grouse by the roadside and with the top down on Jacqui's convertible we were both able to get a few photos. Another two male Red Grouse flew in on my side of the car, but slightly further away. Their landings were anything but graceful and controlled being more of a crash in both cases. We spotted a few Meadow Pipits before we reached the downhill section complete with a couple of hairpin bends. Jacqui wasn't overly keen on the road, but was relieved to make it all the way back down to the bottom in one piece, having discovered why she'd only ever driven partway along the glen in the past from the other end.
A couple of Mallards were in a roadside field and a few Lapwings flew up from behind a drystane dyke. Jacqui spotted three large ducklings running across the road (possibly goslings) and stopped for a quick look in the drainage ditch by the roadside. As we approached the Loch we spotted a Canada Goose in a field and stopped to take a few photos. A Curlew was also in the same field. The other side of the farm track nearer the water a few family groups of Canada Geese with parties of goslings between them sat and watched the car intently as another photographer tried to get closer by walking down the track. The birds weren't impressed and shuffled off. The small group of Oystercatchers also in the field edged away too. While Jacqui photographed the geese, I scanned the loch finding a single Great Crested Grebe well out on the water plus two parties of Greylags with goslings. A Pied Wagtail landed in the field closer to the car, tail wagging up and down. A Mute Swan was on the loch near the edge and a Chaffinch flew up from the field onto the fence by the road.
A little further on a small group of Common Gulls flew up from the field. A few Sand Martins flew above us and a Pheasant and Red Legged Partridge were seen in the field by the road. Mistle Thrushes were seen next flying up and away from the car as we passed. I spotted a wader in a ditch as we passed, so Jacqui stopped the car and I managed enough of a view to ID the bird as an unexpected Redshank. A few Swallows swooped around over the grassy field. We spotted a bird in a small roadside tree which turned out to be the first Willow Warbler of the day. Passing Amulree we picked up House Martins overhead plus a few Feral Pigeons and further along the road to Dunkeld we also saw Starlings and Woodpigeons in addition to one or two Pheasants.
We decided to try and explore the Tay reedbeds in the hope of maybe finding Grasshopper Warbler or maybe even Bearded Tits. We headed first to St Madoes and drove down to the edge of the reeds near the water. A Whitethroat displayed in flight and sung loudly from an overhead wire as we got out of the car. Walking along a muddy track bordered by Giant Hogweed we added Chiffchaff and Reed Bunting, and after a bit of searching, a Sedge Warbler. Out over the Tay a few small groups of Shelduck flew upriver. walking back to the car we spotted a distant raptor high on a thermal inland. It turned out to be an Osprey. Driving up back through the village we saw Collared Dove, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow with Oystercatcher and Lapwing plus a few Pheasants in fields before we reached our next stop at Port Allen.
There was no sign of any Grasshopper Warblers at Port Allen but we did see Sedge Warbler here. Blackbird and Starling were near the buildings with Swallows darting about. The eastern pond held Coot, Little Grebe, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe and Wigeon. A Grey Heron landed at the mouth of the inlet. As we headed back towards the car we spotted a Tree Sparrow and House Sparrow together in a small tree chirping away. As Jacqui was starting to tire we decided on one last stop at Powgavie. Access to the reeds here was blocked by a gate, so we saw very little. Reed Bunting, Woodpigeon and Stock Dove being the only things, until we started to drive away back towards the main road. A male Marsh Harrier was quartering over the large cereal field on our right, and we watched it disappear off over the trees westwards. A nice way to end the day, although I did add Swift as I reached home again after Jacqui dropped me off in town.
A very decent 62 species seen - including 1 year tick (in bold). Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Curlew, Dipper, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Grebe, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Red Grouse, Red Legged Partridge, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Siskin, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Willow Warbler, Wood Warbler, Woodpigeon.