STONEFACTION BIRDING: April 2015

0148 : Here Comes The Rain Again (26/4/15)

At this time of year a trip up the Angus glens can be quite productive in terms of species seen, compared to other times of year, with Spring migrants returning from their winter haunts and the glens full of breeding activity. For my latest trip out with my pal, Rhona, the glens were where we were going. With the weather to take a turn for the worse around lunchtime we only realistically had the morning to see what we could find.

Redstart

Rhona picked me up at our usual time and we were soon on our way out of the city northwards. Blackbird, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Starling and Woodpigeon starting the day list. Rook and Jackdaw were added as we headed up the A90 with the first Buzzard of the day seen on a fencepost soon after. A few Pheasants in the roadside fields as well as a handful of Black Headed Gulls and Lapwings were next to be spotted. Carrion Crow and a Blue Tit were added once we left the main road to head for our glen of choice.

A Grey Heron in flight away from us was soon followed by feeding Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush, as well as Chaffinch and some Swallows sweeping low over a grassy field. A Robin was by the side of the road a little further on. Soon the terrain began to look more 'glen-like' with hills beginning to appear. Oystercatchers appeared in the roadside fields along with Lapwings. A Jay landed not far from the road as we passed. A flock of Common Gulls in another field, and a few Feral Pigeons overflying were next. A Curlew was wandering around next to a large estate lodge building.

A Pied Wagtail scurried around in another field. A target bird for Rhona was Sand Martin and knew just the place to find them. She wasn't disappointed by the views we had of them by their nest tunnels and swooping low over the car. We pushed on, aware of the closing time window we had to work with, and as a reminder the grey skies overhead were not exactly looking overly promising.

The first Wheatear of the morning was seen in flight away from a drystane dyke as we passed, the tell-tale white of the tail showing well. A Great Tit was perched in another small roadside tree as we passed. An area where I have seen Cuckoos in the past was empty, rather disappointingly. A little further on we did find a few Red Grouse among the heather and perched on rocks near the road.

Rhona suddenly screeched to a halt, yelling and pointing at the roadside ahead of us on my side of the car. Woodcock, not one but two, right in front of the car. Unfortunately I had to photograph them through the windscreen before they flew off, so the photos weren't as good as I would have liked. Still, it was good to see them so close. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was next to be spotted by Rhona as we drove further into the glen. When we could drive no further, it was time to go for a walk.

Song Thrush, Meadow Pipit, Blackbird, Dunnock, Woodpigeons, Oystercatchers were all seen within a few minutes of leaving the car. Lesser Redpolls flew around overhead, sometimes displaying. A Common Sandpiper was on the burn, not unexpectedly. There were at least two, possibly three of the birds calling loudly from among the rocks. Three Mallard drakes were next. A Goldcrest was heard and then seen high in a tall conifer.

Having familiarised myself with the song of my own target species for the day, I knew immediately when I heard a bird singing that there was a Redstart nearby. A nice male too, perched in low branches and flying down to feed on the ground before flying back to its perch. It ventured closer as we stood and watched, eventually ending up in a nearby tree and I managed to edge close enough to get some reasonable shots.

We could hear Snipe calling but failed to see the birds, though I did spot a sleeping male Teal on the far bank of the burn. I did succeed in finding a Tree Pipit in a tree, although there were also a few Meadow Pipits dotted around. A second male Redstart wouldn't settle long enough for photos. Another target species for Rhona was Ring Ouzel and I spotted at least 3 birds together quite far up a hillside. However, my directions to get Rhona onto the bird were a bit too vague (when rocks are the only 'landmarks' it isn't easy to differentiate one rock from another), and it took quite a while until she succeeded in getting onto a pair of them.

Having seen both of our target birds we turned to head back to the car. We had another extended encounter with one of the two male Redstarts and this allowed me to get a few more reasonable shots. The rain was just starting to fall, and we chose not to loiter for too long. We did have cause to stop again soon after when I spotted a Woodcock in below the trees, staring back at us. After taking a few photos I realised there was a second bird a little off to the right. As I pointed out the second bird's presence to Rhona both birds suddenly took flight.

Another male Redstart showed quite well, but the rain began to get a bit heavier so we walked a bit faster back to the car, adding only a Coal Tit en route, and getting a bit wetter than ideal on the way. From the car we had close views of Meadow Pipit, Jackdaw, Chaffinch and Pied Wagtail feeding nearby in the rain. Having had something to eat we set off back down the glen. A brief stop added a Willow Warbler to our day list, but nothing else of note was seen. We then encountered a rather heavy hailstorm which turned the road a rather unseasonal white.

I had considered a trip to a second glen but the hail and the rather black and threatening clouds in that direction soon ruled that out. Having checked the weather forecast before leaving home, I knew the coast gave us the best chance of avoiding a soaking, so we headed towards Montrose. We stopped first at Bridge of Dun to watch the Swallows and Sand Martins hawking low above the river below the bridge. A single House Martin appeared among the birds, and we also saw a male Reed Bunting and a pair of Grey Wagtails. With the dark skies looming closer we hurried to The Lurgies for a quick look.

House Sparrows were seen on the way. Having parked the car we headed out to view the basin. The tide was out but there were good numbers of Eiders around, as well as at least one pair of Red Breasted Mergansers among them. Some late Pink Footed Geese were over the middle of the basin. A few Redshanks were dotted around. One or two Mute Swans could also be seen. I thought I heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling from the reeds but the arrival of the hail once again ensured that I didn't wait to hear it call again. Back in the car, the hail rattled off the roof and we had a loud rumble of thunder overhead too.

Arbroath was next, and we passed through yet another heavy hail shower on the way, the main road turning rather white and the noise of the hailstones on the car being loud enough to drown out conversation at normal volume. Thankfully when we arrived at the Arbroath cliffs the grey skies were still to the north. A pair of ringed Herring Gulls were stood on the wall, though I didn't realise that both were actually ringed at the time, concentrating on photographing the one with the yellow plastic ring.

A Cormorant was stood out on the rocks, wings held out to the sides. A Rock Pipit flew by. A Gannet was picked out against the dark skies out over the sea, the white wings and black wingtips contrasting with the strong blue-grey cloud. A Great Black Backed Gull flew by. We headed along to the other side of the harbour to see if we could find the Iceland Gull which had been in the area for a week or two. Initially we couldn't see it. It wasn't on the harbour wall with the Herring Gulls and Great Black Backed Gulls, or out on the rocks. Something made me look back over my shoulder at the building, and there was the bird sat on the roof.

I opened the car door and took a sequence of photos and some video though the bird wasn't doing anything at the time. Rhona got out to take a few photos and after a few minutes the bird got airborne, hanging in the wind and slowly edging forward before landing a short distance away. More photos were taken before we headed back westwards towards Dundee. We decided to stop at Easthaven on the way. There wasn't too much to see here, except a Grey Heron and a few Linnets and a couple of White Wagtails. Collared Dove was our final bird on the list as we passed through Carnoustie heading for home.

Despite the weather a very successful day out with 5 new year-ticks (in bold) out of a total of 60 species.

Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Gannet, Goldcrest, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Iceland Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Grouse, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Redstart, Reed Bunting, Ring Ouzel, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Sand Martin, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Teal, Tree Pipit, Wheatear, White Wagtail, Willow Warbler, Woodcock, Woodpigeon.

Sand Martin

Woodcock

Meadow Pipit

Common Sandpiper

Meadow Pipit

Redstart

Meadow Pipit

Ring Ouzel

Redstart

Woodcock

Redstart

Swallow

Iceland Gull

Herring Gull

White Wagtail

0147 : More Parklife (25/4/15)

With Spring migration well underway as recent blogs will testify, a visit to my former 'local patch' at Riverside Nature Park to see if the Lesser Whitethroats and their common-er cousins the Whitethroats had returned was a reason to get out and about once the wet weather in the morning had abated.

Swallow

I headed out at around 1240, picking up Starling and then Herring Gull as the first and second species seen, followed a minute later by a Carrion Crow and from the bus into town, Feral Pigeon. Nothing was added from the bus on the second part of the journey and I reached the park shortly before 1315.

A Carrion Crow overflew and a Woodpigeon flew off as I entered the wooden gate at the eastern end of the park. A Pied Wagtail scampered around on the grass. Long Tailed Tits flitted through the bushes, their distinctive contact calls ringing out. A pair of Swallows flew low above the longer grass. A Chiffchaff sang from the bushes and I succeeded in taking a short video with the Nikon P900 (now on YouTube - search for "stonefaction" for this and other bird clips).

A Chaffinch was next on the list followed by a singing Willow Warbler in a tree at Buzzard Wood. A Blackcap called from further in, and proved rather tricky to see, but perseverance finally paid off with slightly more than a glimpse of the male bird as it buzzed around among the branches. Goldfinches and Reed Buntings fed along the hedge opposite Buzzard Wood. Feral Pigeons overflew and a wander through the marshy ground put up two Common Snipe.

Heading back for a better look at Buzzard Wood, I was rather surprised when a female Mallard splashed down in the corner puddle rather noisily. A Stock Dove passed over towards the bay. I spotted a Magpie disappearing into the trees over to the west. The first Blackbird of the day hopped around near the path before ducking into cover as I approached. A female House Sparrow feeding around the corner of the path at the fields was a bit of a surprise. Another Pied Wagtail showed well here also.

Great Tit and then Blue Tit were seen among the trees and bushes by the short sloping section up to the western half of the park. I was pleasantly surprised at the Lochan to find a pair of Gadwall sleeping, alongside 3 pairs of Teal while a Mallard pair fed around the edges of the pool. The Gadwall had been seen a few weeks ago during the Dawn Chorus event run by the Friends Of Riverside Nature Park group but I had only heard about the sighting a day or so previously. The Gadwall is the 137th species recorded at/from the park since it opened in 2011 and one of my predictions that I made in my "Nature Park" ebook (available on Blurb or itunes) for potential new birds for the park list.

A pair of Jackdaws dropped in for a drink, as did a Stock Dove. I headed along to the hide next overlooking the bay. With the tide well out I wasn't expecting much, and with the vegetation nearby blocking a lot of the view I didn't see too much. A ringed Mute Swan (SBV) was in the burn outflow. Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls stood on the pipe with others in the burn. A few Shelduck could be seen on the mud. Another three Gadwall swam up the burn a bit before drifting back down out of sight again.

I walked back round to get a better look out over the bay, spotting Oystercatchers, more Shelduck pairs, Redshank, Teal, Mallards and a single Black Tailed Godwit. Behind me, a Skylark took t the iar from near the top of the hill. I scanned out over the exposed mud in the river which added Curlew and Black Headed Gull to the day list. From the wooden gate into the compost area, I scanned over the grassy area beyond, and found a Wheatear hopping around. Then another, and another and another. Four of them together. Another nice surprise.

A Meadow Pipit called as it overflew and a small group of Linnets lifted from the grassy bank along the compost area. I wandered up the hill and scanned from there, adding a Cormorant and a Common Gull. Another lazy circuit of the park added nothing new and at around 5pm I headed for home, adding House Sparrow as I waited for the bus.

38 species seen in the park (1 extra outside - in brackets). No sign of the hoped for 2 species though.

Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Bue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Feral Pigeon, Shelduck, Skylark, Snipe, (Starling), Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Wheatear, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon.

Swallow

Pied Wagtail

Gadwall

Jackdaw

Mute Swan

Black Tailed Godwit

Wheatear

Gadwall

Stock Dove

0146 : Under The Weather (23/4/15)

The weather forecast for the latest evening birding trip with Nat had looked rather positive with relatively warm sunny weather with only light winds. We intended a trip to the Tay reedbeds so Nat could hopefully see Bearded Tits. However around mid-afternoon, mist started to form on the Tay and to the east a haar was growing in size over the mouth of the river. This wasn't a promising development with visibility likely to be minimal down by the river. A change of plan would be required.

Dipper

Nat arrived to pick me up and we discussed the alternatives. The coast was out as was down by the river, so inland it would have to be. Hopefully, the sunshine and clear skies of earlier in the day would still be in evidence towards the glens. North it was.

Carrion Crow, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon then Starling and Herring Gull got the list off to a start as we headed out of the city. The sky was overcast and grey as far north as we could see. Jackdaws and then Rooks followed before we turned off the main road to take the back road via Glamis to Kirriemuir and a quick stop at Loch of Kinnordy. A few Pheasants and Oystercatchers were in some of the fields. Chaffinch and Blue Tit were seen in the trees by the roadside as we passed a farm. A pair of Mallards flew in and landed in a field as we neared Kinnordy. An Osprey could be seen hovering above the Loch as we turned towards the reserve.

We headed into the hide for better views of the Osprey which was still circling around above the loch. Within minutes it had dived into the water and came up with a rather small fish which it flew off to one of the large poles around the loch to eat it. Not a bad way to start. Scanning around we added Mallard, Lapwing, Moorhen, a Little Ringed Plover, Mute Swans, Teal, a few Black Headed Gulls, Pied Wagtails and Redshanks. Above the far end of the loch Sand Martins hawked for insects.

A couple of pairs of Shelduck were off towards the eastern end. Greylags honked loudly as they flew low past over the water. A Grey Heron could just be seen picking around at the very edge of the far reedbed, a thin curtain of reeds providing a little cover. The male Marsh Harrier briefly showed above the reeds near the lone pine tree before dropping out of sight again, before lifting again and flying a short distance before disappearing into cover again. A Swallow skimmed by at speed. We headed back to the car to carry on to our intended destination.

Blackbird and House Sparrow were seen as we passed through Kirriemuir and onwards. Red Legged Partridges began to appear along with more Pheasants. A Raven overflew, and a number of Common Gulls stood around in the fields. A Stock Dove took flight as we swept by. Arriving at our destination we parked the car and could hear a Mistle Thrush singing loudly from the top of a tree which made spotting it rather easy. A Goldcrest foraged around in another tree nearby.

With the time now around half past seven I decided we should go for a walk until eight o'clock and then head back to the car while there was still a bit of light to see where we were going. The overcast conditions meant that photography opportunities were going to be rather limited. We headed off along a path by the edge of a large wooded area. Siskins and a Willow Warbler showed quite well but were too quick for the camera. A Song Thrush was next, and a Dunnock dived back into cover as we got closer.

A Dipper was resting on a small stone in the river and it blinked continuously as I took a few photos and attempted to shoot a short video. The bird then flew off upstream. There was little else to see so we headed back towards the car. A Buzzard briefly appeared above some conifers then disappeared once again out of sight. The light was now rapidly going and Nat spotted some deer ahead of us just off the track, near a wooded area. These were mostly Red Deer but there were also a few Roe Deer too. They watched us for a minute or two before deciding to retreat into the trees until we passed. Nat heard a Tawny Owl calling a couple of times from in the trees.

Heading back down the glen in the car we spotted a few (probable Pipistrelle) bats flitting around above the road. We stopped at an open area to look for owls and to listen. We could hear Red Grouse, some probable Black Grouse and some definite Lapwings but it was impossible to see any of them. It was an interesting blend of sounds. We hoped for an owl at some point on our way home but as with our luck with regards the weather, we saw none.

A quieter evenings outing than some of our others, but a different experience. We somehow still managed to see 42 species
which was pretty good considering. Nothing new for the year list, but still an interesting evening.

Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Dipper, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Ringed Plover, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Raven, Red Legged Partridge, Redshank, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Siskin, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon.

Dipper

Red Deer

0145 : Springy Ness (20/4/15)

Having to change my plans for the previous day owing to Steph's car trouble I now needed a different location for my Monday annual leave day off. With a very early doctor's appointment first a lot would depend on how early I was seen and was then able to get to a bus stop, or the bus station. I managed to come up with 3 or 4 options, all of which had potential for some good birding.

Starling

On the way to the surgery I got my list for the day off to a reasonable start with 6 species seen - House Sparrow, Collared Dove, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow. I managed to catch a bus to the bus station a little earlier than expected (adding Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon) and managed to catch a bus for St Andrews. This also meant that I could catch the connecting bus for Crail and some birding around that area. While maybe not quite as good as in Autumn, Spring migration could bring in some good birds if I was lucky.

Cormorant on submarine rock, a Pheasant in a field near Drumoig, Rooks at St Michael's, Starlings, Blackbird and Jackdaw in Leuchars, Mallards on the Motray at Guardbridge and Oystercatchers in the fields between there and St Andrews kept me occupied as the bus rolled on through Fife. While sat at the bus station on the number 95 waiting to leave I watched some rather oversized visitors to feeders in the garden opposite. A Rook and a Jackdaw feeding on the peanuts. Not quite as nimble and agile as Blue Tits but showing their versatility nonetheless.

Heading for Crail I managed to add the firs Kestrel of the day as well as a few scattered Lapwings, a Yellowhammer on a roadside wire and a few Stock Doves in a flock of Woodpigeons in what appeared to be a recently planted field. I got off the bus at my usual stop in Crail and wandered along past the church towards the top end of Denburn Wood. First bird was a nice Goldfinch, followed by a Blackbird collecting food for young, a Blue Tit with nest material and a Song Thrush perched in the top of a small tree.

A few Woodpigeons flew off as I approached the burn, and a couple of Chaffinches were joined in a small tree by a Greenfinch. I wandered down through the wood noting a vocal Great Tit, a Wren by the burn and a few Blackbirds, but surprisingly no Chiffchaffs, Willow Wablers or even a Blackcap. This didn't bode particularly well for a mass of migrants. I had good views of a Woodpigeon and of a Collared Dove before I reached the end of the village and headed out along the straight road for Kilminning.

My main target bird for the day was Corn Bunting and it didn't take too long to hear one singing, and then it was a matter of checking likely perches for the singer in question. Within a few seconds I had my first Corn Bunting of the year, perched atop of a fence post between fields. A few Swallows swept low over the fields, and the first Skylark of the day took to the air singing loudly. A Meadow Pipit took flight also, calling loudly as it flew to another field and landed. Further on, a Buzzard was heard mewing and then watched as it glided over the buildings to the north beyond the cattle field. A pair of Woodpigeons displayed on a roadside pole before flying down to land on a brick building on the other side of the road.

A Pied Wagtail was by the edge of the very small puddle, rather than a much larger pool that it can be at times. A few finches, pigeons and tits were all that was seen until I reached Kilminning. As I wandered around what appeared to be a rather quiet site I heard a loud call that sounded a bit like a Blackbird but wasn't. It was clearly a relative though. I headed for the source of the sound and soon saw a bird land in the top of the small trees that back onto the former airfield and the industrial units. A male Ring Ouzel. My first of the year and nowhere near where I thought I might see one. A nice bonus.

I sent a text to the Fife Bird Club grapevine to put out the news and searched around to see if there was anything else of interest around. A possible second Ring Ouzel was heard but not seen, and it could have been the same bird. A Magpie flew into the conifers at the top end, and a Buzzard drifted over. I wandered down the track to check out the bottom end. Song Thrush, Coal Tit, Yellowhammer, Goldfinch and Dunnock were all that was seen though. A Gannet was seen out over the water.

I walked along the coastal path, a pair of Pied Wagtails and a Meadow Pipit or two but little else seen except for a passing Kestrel just after I had spotted a small rodent scurry across the path and into cover. A few Eiders on the water and a passing Great Black Backed Gull went on the list and I found the first few Linnets of the day as I neared Fife Ness. I considered sitting in the FBC hide but chose instead to perch out on the rocks.

Two male Wheatears which were perched atop the rocks, looking like new arrivals getting their breath back delayed me for a short while as I didn't want to cause them to have to move unnecessarily. Although the sea was relatively calm there was steady movement of birds offshore. Gannets mostly as is often the case but also a nice mix of other species. I finally moved out to the rocks for a closer view.

Great Black Backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Kittiwakes, a few Sandwich Terns, Razorbills and a handful of Guillemots, three Red Throated Divers all at different times, Cormorants, Shags, Fulmars, a female Red Breasted Merganser and a pair of Puffins kept my attention for over an hour. Although the sun was shining it was still relatively cool, but thankfully the wind wasn't too strong. A Carrion Crow joined me for a short time, relatively close by and giving me some nice photo opportunities.

Around 2pm I headed up into the 'patch' to see if there was anything around in there, but a Chaffinch was as good as it got there. Out on the rocks offshore were a mix of Cormorants, Shags and Eider, but no waders. A Grey Heron stalked Stinky Pool and after I took a few photos I crossed the golf course and headed uphill. Another Magpie flew by and a Starling perched on the wires in the sun gave me some nice photos. I spotted the kestrel perched on the small wind turbine. I heard a bird calling which I didn't recognise but it had a wader-like tone. Whatever it was I failed to see anything though it sounded like it was flying around.

A woman stopped her car to ask about the Ring Ouzel and I told her it had likely moved on, but we decided to search for it anyway. Within a few minutes we were joined by Willie Irvine and the three of us wandered down through the site searching for it, and my 'mystery wader'. We found neither, though we did find another 3 Wheatears perched on the fence and tyres near the end of the old runway of the airfield. Willie dropped me off back in Crail and from the bus back home I managed to add one final species in the shape of Mute Swan as I passed through Guardbridge.

A reasonably good day with the target species added and a nice bonus bird among the 52 seen (year-ticks in bold).

Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Dunnock, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Puffin, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Red Throated Diver, Ring Ouzel, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Wheatear, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.