0252 : Perthshire Pickings (3/2/16)

With the Ring Necked Duck which we managed to see back in late November in Pitlochry still hanging around, myself and Nat had been hoping to get back up there to add the bird to the 2016 year-list. However bad weather and other good birds closer to home had conspired to mean we hadn't yet made it up the A9. A Mandarin drake had also apparently put in an appearance on the same pond, The Cuilc, which would also be a nice bonus bird. With Nuthatch now seemingly a regular sight just a few miles outside Pitlochry at Killiecrankie we could hope to add a third species if we were lucky. With the weather forecast being reasonable we decided to go for it on our mid-week outing.

Nuthatch

Carrion Crow and Herring Gull got the list started before I got into Nat's car. Starling and Feral Pigeon joined them on the list before we stopped for fuel at Tesco Kingsway. Rather than the boring route via Perth and the A9 we headed cross-country to Dunkeld hoping that we might see a few more species along the way. Pheasants were the first, followed by Jackdaws then Woodpigeons and a number of Common Gulls in a field by the road. A possible Little Grebe and a few Goldeneye were on the first loch we passed, with a small flock of Canada Geese at the next one - my first of the year. We eventually spotted Mallards a bit further on. We had a pair of Fallow Deer in the trees near Dunkeld and a Red Squirrel left crossing the road a little late requiring a spot of urgent braking.

Arriving at Killiecrankie car park we watched Great Tits and Blue Tits flit around in the car park before walking along to check the feeders at the visitor centre. We managed to add 4 new species around the feeders - Chaffinches, Coal Tit, a female Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Dunnock below. We then walked down the steps and across the bridge and up the other side. I spotted a pair of Jays fly up through the trees ahead of us. We watched them for a few minutes before walking the short distance to the viewpoint overlooking the river. There was no sign of any Dippers or Grey Wagtails down on the river.

As I scanned downwards, Nat was searching the trees around us and soon found a Nuthatch in the trees beside us. We had decent views though we were looking into the sun. Thankfully the bird flew into the trees on the other side giving us slightly better views before it flew off deeper into the wood. We then found a Treecreeper picking along a mossy branch giving us pretty good views. We walked back in the direction of the visitor centre before cutting off into the trees to our left. We were soon rewarded with the sight of not one but two Nuthatches chasing around up in the treetops. One eventually settled nearby, and we watched it feeding and calling in good light, with the sun shining through the branches and a blue sky behind the bird. Mission accomplished - part 1.

At the car park we watched a large gathering of Rooks circling up together high above, with more birds joining them from all directions. Jackdaws soon joined in before we lost sight of the flock when it disappeared behind the trees that blocked our line of sight. We headed back into Pitlochry to see if we could find the second main target bird, and the 3rd for my year-list for the day. Another birder was getting out of his car as we arrived. He went in one direction while we walked to the open area at the road junction. Mute Swans, Mallards and Tufted Ducks were all visible. Among them, but on its own was the Ring Necked Duck, showing very well. We were joined by the other birder who was visiting from Edinburgh and pointed out the bird to him.

The bird didn't come any closer and there was no sign of any Mandarin drake though I found a Moorhen across the far side of the pond. We decided to head to Loch of the Lowes to have our lunch and see if we could see Red Kites above the hills. A pair of Grey Herons were stood in a field by the A9 near Ballinluig and a Buzzard was in another. We sat in the car and ate lunch watching the birds nearby. A Robin and a Yellowhammer dropped down to a puddle to drink, while a Chaffinch had a bath. Coal Tits flitted through the trees next to the car.

We headed into the elevated hide and scanned out over the loch. I found a Moorhen and a Little Grebe near the reeds as well as a pair of Mallards further round. Scanning along the ridges to the north I found a few raptors which appeared to be mostly Buzzards. A flock of Wigeon appeared out on the loch much closer than some Goldeneye which were closer to the far end of the loch. A few more raptors were seen but it was tricky to be sure what they were though Buzzards did seem most likely. With the time around 1300 we decided to head towards Amulree in the hope of seeing Black Grouse.

The road was pretty quiet so we were able to take our time. We found a flock of Lapwings in a field with some cattle. A few miles further on I noticed a single male Black Grouse stood just inside a field, but Nat couldn't see it from her side of the car. She put on the hazard lights and stepped out for a look. It turned out that there were actually a trio of the birds and they flew off in different directions. Yet another successful search. A bit further on we saw 2 Brown Hares on a small slope in a field. A flock of Starlings shared another field with Redwings, Fieldfares and Mistle Thrush. We turned into Glen Quaich to search for Red Grouse but there was still a bit of snow on the road so having reached the end of the stretch most likely to hold the birds in the heather, we turned back.

At the southern end of the Sma' Glen I've seen Red Kites before so I suggested that we head back towards Dundee that way, heading east towards Luncarty then home via Perth. With time still on our side that was what we did. There was nothing to see until we reached the turn-off for Luncarty. No sign of any Red Kites but a pair of Ravens were perched up in a tree. We drove eastwards adding a Sparrowhawk which crossed the road in front of us, swooping up into a tree. A pair of Moorhens crossing the road a bit further on was a surprise though it turned out there was a small burn flowing from below the road and under the roadside hedge.

Nat spotted a raptor to the north of the road gliding above the fields. When she stopped the car, trees blocked the view. However I could just about see the bird through the branches so I kept tracking the bird and got a few photos when it appeared back in the open, showing it to be a Red Kite. Yet another successful hunt and the 5th year-tick of the day for me. A few Blackbirds and a Jay were seen as we neared the Luncarty flyover. While crossing the Tay in Perth and stopped at traffic lights, Nat spotted a bird downriver. A quick check and we had a Goosander for the day list. Black Headed Gull was added on the Kingsway when we got back to Dundee.

Jay

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Treecreeper

Treecreeper

Nuthatch

Ring Necked Duck and Tufted Ducks

Ring Necked Duck

Ring Necked Duck and Tufted Duck

Ring Necked Duck

Ring Necked Duck

Tufted Duck

Raven

Red Kite

Another really successful day out with 5 new year-ticks (in bold) among the total of 42 species. It was quality rather than quantity though.

Species seen - Black Grouse, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Goldeneye, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Lapwing, Little Grebe, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Nuthatch, Pheasant, Raven, Red Kite, Redwing, Ring Necked Duck, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.    

0251 : Sunday Stuff (31/1/16)

One of the good things about keeping a year-list, even if you aren't chasing a big total, is that it gives you a reason to get out and an idea of where to go. This year Nat is intentionally keeping a year-list, having managed a very credible 201 without intending on trying last year, only 5 behind my personal best year of 206. This year we are both keeping running totals again, though we are unlikely to go long distances chasing rarities on their own. Possibly a different story if we can potentially get 3 or more other species at the same time but even then Lothian and Aberdeenshire are probably the limits of our outings. With 2016 off to a really good start there weren't too many 'easy' birds left to target so for a spot of weekend birding we decided to try Riverside Nature Park in the hope of getting Lesser Redpoll or Skylark.

Redwing

I arranged to meet Nat around 0930 to head out to the park. I walked down to our rendezvous point managing to see 8 species on the way - Blackbird and Carrion Crow to start with, followed by Herring Gull, then Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon and Starling with Chaffinch a slightly less common addition on this particular route. On the way out along Riverside Drive we managed to see a few Oystercatchers and Black Headed Gulls on the grass near the rail bridge.

As we drove into the park we saw a few Carrion Crows and had a group of 4 Greenfinches in trees by the side of the road. As we got out of the car a Magpie flew into the trees. A Grey Heron overflew, while a few Herring Gulls glided by and a Stock Dove was a nice early 'good' bird for the list. There were a few smaller birds around at the car park including Chaffinches, Blue Tits and Great Tits. A number of Woodpigeons passed over quite high in the sky, heading west. We then chanced upon a large mixed flock of winter thrushes, mostly Redwings but also a few Fieldfares and at least one Mistle Thrush. They were quite wary and flew on ahead of us.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker called and after a wee bit of searching Nat spotted it in the trees behind us - a female bird showing well. A Kestrel glided over a lot higher than usual, stopping briefly to hover above us before continuing on. A Dunnock popped out from under a hedge to feed and a small skein of Pink Footed Geese headed inland, quietly for a change. We walked round towards the Lochan, adding Robin and Blackbird. A single Black Headed Gull was on the water with more stood together at the side while a few Oystercatchers picked around in the grassnearby. A small group of Mallards rested on the opposite bank.

We continued on towards the hide. A few Jackdaws passed over before I spotted 6 Stock Doves flying up from the hill, circling round and landing again. A large-ish group at the park for the species with a pair being the more usual amount together. Invergowrie Bay held a selection of birds, mostly gulls, ducks and waders - Common and Great Black Backed Gulls in addition to Black Headed and Herring Gulls, Mallards and Teal as well as Curlew, Redshank and Oystercatcher. Despite lots of scanning there didn't appear to be anything unusual among them. A Cormorant was on the outflow pipe and a few Siskins dropped into the trees at the hide. Feral Pigeons were in their usual spot on the bridge.

After a good look we moved on again to walk round the front edge of the hill back towards the car park before exploring the lower half of the park. I heard Skylarks calling and we managed to see the birds, a first for both of us this year. One indulged in a short song-flight up above the hill. Nice to hear even if Spring is technically still a wee bit away yet. A Meadow Pipit flew up ahead of us giving Nat another addition for her year-list. A bit of loud cawing signified some corvid commotion produced the sight of a Buzzard being pursued by 3 Carrion Crows low over the edge of the bay.

A Wren was added at the car park and a Pied Wagtail was seen near Buzzard Wood. There was a lot of flooding around the lower half of the park so there were a lot of detours required to get around. I checked part of the regularly flooded area for Snipe but drew a blank, though when I turned around I spotted a bird hurtling away at a great rate and climbing into the sky. A quick check showed that it was actually a Snipe but it hadn't flushed from anywhere near us. A Song Thrush was singing over in the trees by the road and after a bit of searching we managed to spot it.

We had good views of the large mixed thrush flock feeding en masse on the ground to the west of Buzzard Wood, the amount of flooding around limiting the likely disturbance. To get back to the car park we had to skirt round past them, resulting in them taking flight though they quickly settled again. Goldfinches were in the trees as we walked up the small brae and round to the car park. With nothing of note reported we debated where to go next before settling on Barry Buddon where there was a slight chance of Short Eared Owl and possibly Redpoll. So off we went.

After a spot of lunch we wandered along the cycle path for about a mile, the red flags meaning the main area was off-limits. Birds were in very short supply, a few Chaffinches, Blackbirds and Robins near the beginning, a Buzzard being hassled by two Carrion Crows but little else.We decided to cut our losses and he back to the car. A flock of Lapwings were seen circling round beyond the golf course. Nat spotted a Kestrel in a tree and there were 2 Reed Buntings nearby. Goldfinch rounded off the rather meagre offerings from Barry Buddon. With still a bit of daylight available we weighed up the options for other potential additions before deciding on heading to Craigmill Den in the hope of seeing Treecreeper, a slightly surprising omission so far.

House Sparrows were seen as we headed out of Monifieth. There were also a number of Curlews feeding in roadside fields near Barry village and Collared Dove went on the list as we passed through Carnoustie. There was a flock of Chaffinches around where we parked the car but there didn't appear to be anything else in amongst them. We headed down into the Den but it seemed rather quiet with no birds on the wires and both the burn and trees rather quiet. We eventually spotted movement in a small bush and found a Goldcrest foraging among the branches. A few noisy Jackdaws flew over towards the fields.

While watching another Goldcrest across the burn we both spotted movement above it and there was our target bird, a Treecreeper, though we did then both lose sight of it. Still, it was my second new bird of the day. Great Tit and Yellowhammer were both seen in the back garden of the house at the bottom end of the Den. We decided to cross the railway line at the level crossing and check out the gull roost at the mouth of the burn. This turned out to be a decent idea with a number of new species for the day bumping up the overall total. Offshore were Eiders, Mallards and Wigeon. On the rocks were Cormorants and among the gulls were a few Great Black Backeds. Grey Herons and Redshanks were on the other side of the burn. A Pied Wagtail flew down onto the beach and a Wren popped up onto a fencepot nearby. Heading back up through the Den we added one final species in the shape of a Dunnock.

Black Headed Gull

Pink Footed Geese

Redwing & Fieldfare

Stock Dove

Redwing

Black Headed Gull, Teal, Mallard, Carrion Crow & Redshank

Pink Footed Geese

Skylark

Carrion Crow & Buzzard

Grey Heron

Buzzard

Redwing

Redwing

Magpie

Redwing

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Mistle Thrush

Carrion Crow

Buzzard & Carrion Crow

Reed Bunting

Wren

Chaffinch & Yellowhammer

A good day out even though we had no real plan for the day. 49 species seen in total including 2 year-ticks (in bold). Species only seen in one location in italics.

38 species seen at Nature Park - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Snipe, Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Wren.

36 species seen outwith the Nature Park - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lapwing, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Starling, Treecreeper, Wigeon , Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.