My original plan for Tuesday was to get up much earlier than usual and catch a bus at 0715 to Loch of Kinnordy where a female Garganey had been reported on Monday. Some of the Summer specialities were also back at the Loch, so the prospects for at least some nice photo opportunities looked good, even if the Garganey would be a long shot given how they like to sleep among the vegetation. Having done a lot of walking on Monday when the alarm went off at 0530, I turned it off and resolved to get up at a more sensible time and to catch the 0830 bus. It would mean that it would be around 0935 before I reached Kirriemuir and then I had to walk out to the reserve, though having had a lift back the last time, I wasn't sure how long the path to the reserve would take to walk.
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| Osprey |
I headed out at about 0820, immediately hearing a Siskin overflying but I was unable to see it. The local Blue Tit pair were more accommodating, and Herring Gull and Feral Pigeon soon followed them onto the list. A Sparrowhawk was spotted circling up over the DISC pitches to the north, and a pair of Collared Doves flew into a tree as I neared Dura Street. A male Chaffinch sang from another tree nearby and a Woodpigeon was seen perched on a lamp post.
I was able to add more species from my seat upstairs on the bus. Starlings, Rooks and Carrion Crows before reaching Forfar and Jackdaws, House Sparrow, Buzzard and another Sparrowhawk around the town. Mute Swans were seen on a pool that I hadn't known was there between Forfar and Kirriemuir, a car being too low a viewpoint to see it from the road from. Lesser Black Backed Gull and Blackbird were seen as the bus circumnavigated Kirriemuir. The bus stop was only a short distance from the end of the Kirriemuir path network path which leads along to the reserve.
It was quite quiet with Robins and Chaffinches and a few unseen Wrens being the main distractions on the walk out. A few Oystercatchers were in the fields along with Woodpigeons. A Great Tit was in a tree and I spotted a few Roe Deer in a field to the north along with a male Pheasant. I eventually spotted a Wren scolding noisily in the undergrowth by the burn. Another field held a few Greylag Geese and a pair of Brown Hares. A small flock of Linnets were feeding in the field but a bit closer than the Hares. When I reached the end of the Loch I scanned across the water to see what was around. Tufted Ducks and Shelduck were the only birds visible utilising the rather limited view from the path.
I bumped into Roddy McKenzie again and we compared notes. As we chatted I scanned around and spotted a few hundred birds flying in to land in the fields to the south of the reserve. I thought they looked like Golden Plovers, and was later able to confirm this from the southeastern corner of the reserve, though this appeared to be the only spot they were visible from given the layout of the fields. I wandered into the East Hide and had a quick look around - Teal, Wigeon, Lapwings, Black Headed Gulls, Mute and Whooper Swans were all seen from here but I didn't linger in the hide, instead choosing to walk along to the Gullery Hide for a better view, and hopefully more bird species.
Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches, Blue and Great Tits were at the feeders along with a few Siskins and a Robin. I was surprised to find the Gullery Hide with only one photographer inside. More scanning ensued and within the first ten minutes a raptor was seen flying low across the water. It turned out not to be the expected Marsh harrier but instead was a Red Kite, a bird I'd seen in the same place exactly a year before. On the water, a Mallard pair were seen near the hide. A female Marsh Harrier flew up to engage with the Red Kite and there was some aerial jousting but the Kite always had the advantage with its superior flying capabilities. It glided alongside a Grey Heron before we lost sight of it.
A few minutes later panic ensued out on the water with ducks and waders flying up from their spots on the bogbean and the Loch. A Peregrine glided over but kept going to the east. There were a few Redshanks picked out around the bogbean islands and I was surprised to find a roosting Snipe well camouflaged though it was, in the cut reeds to the left of the hide. Coot and Little Grebe were next onto the list and we were joined in the hide by Ron Mitchell from Montrose Basin. Common Gulls drifted over, and a pair of Gadwall were seen over towards the pine trees. Rooks were busy in the rookery trees. A Shoveler pair swam out onto the open water, before a Pied Wagtail dropped in to feed.
An Osprey popped in to hunt over the Loch, eventually choosing to hover rather low in front of the hide we were sitting in. I crouched down on the floor and had to zoom my lens back in from the 600mm end to around 350mm to fit the whole bird in. The three of us willed the bird to dive for a fish in front of us, but it chose not to and instead drifted off further out and away, though I did see it minutes later with a fish in its talons flying inland over the Swamp Hide. Photos showed the bird to be ringed (white LN), a regular visitor for the past few years, if memory serves me correctly. Roddy joined us in the hide for a short while before Ron decided to have a walk along to the Swamp Hide. I went to, so that I could find out where the Garganey had been seen (Ron had seen it along with the finder, the day before). A Reed Bunting was seen flying past just before we left.
Long Tailed Tits were seen in the trees near the boardwalk. A small party of Pink Footed Geese dropped in to join the much larger group of Greylags on the water. Lots of scanning however drew a blank on any sign of Garganey. Ron headed off again, and I settled down to see what else I could see, and photograph. A Redshank appeared in front of the hide and was quite relaxed in its wandering around only a few feet in front of the hide. A Lapwing dropped in to join it, giving me great views, and photo opportunities. A video recording captured vibrating of one leg as the bird hunted, behaviour which has been noted in other Lapwing species also. As I don't often get such close views of the species I was pleased to see it and the photos which resulted. A small group of Teal also hunted around among the boggy ground out front. Moorhen was the only addition before I walked back along to a now busier Gullery Hide.
We had further views of Marsh Harriers and a Little Grebe showed very well out front. A Great Black Backed Gull passed over headed westwards. There was always something happening and the light remained good for photos though the wind was keeping the temperature down. A Buzzard was seen over the trees to the north and a Roe Deer was spooked by dog walkers along the path at the back of the Loch, with 2 of the dogs apparently disappearing into the reeds at one point, which can't be good for the birds in the reeds, such as the Water Rails which we'd heard plenty of 'sharming' from, but which had stayed hidden. A few Sand Martins were seen over the Loch along to the east.
I chatted away to one of the photographers who recognised me from Guardbridge and whose photos I'd seen on Flickr, Thomas Steer. We eventually decided to wander along to the Swamp Hide for another attempt at Garganey. Great Spotted Woodpecker flying away from us, a Coal Tit in a tree by the path and a male Bullfinch near the Swamp Hide were all new additions for the day. We had good views again of two Redshanks and Teal but with the time approaching 1600 and a half hour walk to the bus stop ahead of me I had to call it a day at around 1555.
On the brisk walk back I added Song Thrush, Dunnock, Goldcrest, a Red Squirrel and 2 Yellowhammers to take the bird species total for the day to 60, and the mammals to 3. Rabbits and a Magpie were seen from the bus back to Dundee rounding off what had been a very good day, with some brilliant photo opportunities being good compensation for the no-show of the Garganey.
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| Brown Hares |
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| Golden Plover |
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| Whooper Swan |
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| Whooper Swan |
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| Red Kite |
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| Red Kite & Marsh Harrier |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Red Kite & Grey Heron |
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| Snipe |
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| Peregrine |
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| Black Headed & Common Gulls |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Black Headed Gull & Shoveler |
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| Osprey |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Redshank |
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| Moorhen |
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| Gadwall |
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| Greylag |
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| Redshank |
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| Lapwing |
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| Lapwing |
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| Redshank |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Teal |
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| Teal |
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| Shoveler |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Wigeon |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Teal |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Golden Plover, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Kite, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Siskin, Snipe, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Whooper Swan, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
