To use up the last of my annual leave allocation for the year before the end of March I decided to take a couple of days off this coming week giving me 5 days in a row off work. With February having been a bit of a damp squib compared to the explosive start to the year that January's birding delivered for me, I want to try and get out birding on all 5 days and hopefully add a few more species to the year-list. With this in mind I decided to head for Scone Palace on Saturday morning to try for Hawfinch and Nuthatch.
 |
| Hawfinch |
I headed out just before 0825. Herring Gull, Blackbird and a small flock of Goldfinches were seen as I waited for the bus into town. Woodpigeon and Feral Pigeon were noted from the bus but things were otherwise rather quiet. Oystercatcher was added near the railway station. I was seated on the 'wrong' side of the train so wasn't expecting to add much on the way to Perth. I did manage to see Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow and a skein of Pink Footed Geese. A single Roe Deer was in a field and Mute Swans were at the fishery by the Friarton Bridge. A pair of Goosanders were on the Tay as the train crossed the river into Perth.
I walked through the town. House Sparrow, Coal Tit, Chaffinch and Jackdaws were seen before I reached the river where Mallard was noted. There was plenty of birdsong in the unseasonal mild weather. I was able to add Dunnock, Blue Tit and Song Thrush but couldn't see Robin or Goldcrest which were both heard. A larger skein of Pink Footed Geese headed over northwards. A Starling flew over. A trio of Stock Doves were in the field near Quarrymill Park. As Scone Palace grounds didn't open until 1000 I detoured in to the wooded park to kill some time. The burn was very quiet. I did find a Robin and a Grey Squirrel.
Another birder caught up with me and we chatted for a bit. It turned out Norman from Yorkshire remembered me from 2 years previously when we were both looking for Hawfinches at Scone Palace (successfully, eventually). We had a short wander before I headed off to head into the Palace grounds while Norman checked out the rest of Quarrymill. I found a Grey Wagtail on the burn near the road, and heard a Dipper before adding a nice male Bullfinch and a Long Tailed Tit in the Scottish Water site next door to the Palace grounds. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in and landed high in a tree just before I wandered in through the gate to the Palace grounds.
A Jay was seen flying off up into a tree just behind the gatehouse. Jackdaws were relatively numerous in the fields. Coal Tits and Great Tits were seen in the driveway trees and another pair of Bullfinches were seen near the bridge by the Friar's Den. I had a wander down through the Snowdrop-edged path but only saw Blue Tits. Curlews were heard but not seen. I bumped into Norman again as we both reached the car park at the same time. We headed down towards the north-east corner of the grounds where I've had most success finding Hawfinch in the past. A Goldcrest and a few Coal Tits were seen but no Hawfinches.
We checked the tree-tops before wandering round to the gardening dump area. I heard what I thought was a Nuthatch but couldn't see it. A little while later we heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming nearby. A bird appeared on the tree trunk in front of me, moving downwards -
Nuthatch! I grabbed a few photos and was aware of some bird shaped 'lumps' in a tree-top well behind the trunk the Nuthatch was on. Once the Nuthatch flew off I checked them out.
Hawfinches - my second year tick of the morning. We had reasonable views of at least a dozen of the birds. Norman had chatted to a couple of ladies who were also looking for them and rode off on his bicycle to try and find them to let them know the birds were showing relatively well.
He found them quite quickly and we were able to point them out to the ladies. We also had a few brief views of Great Spotted Woodpecker and eventually I was able to relocate the Nuthatch for them too. After spending around an hour with the Hawfinches and Nuthatch we decided to move on again. Norman headed down towards the racecourse and I headed back towards the Palace and out the driveway and back to Perth. A small flock of Rooks and a pair of Magpies were seen on the walk out as well as another Jay. Jackdaws, Song Thrush, House Sparrows, Herring Gulls, Common Gull, Black Headed Gull, a drake Goosander and a Greenfinch were seen on the way back to the station where another Greenfinch was seen distantly and a Goldcrest was heard in trees at the end of platform 2. Nothing else was added on the way home.
A successful outing though a rather short list for the day with only 35 species seen (2 year-ticks in bold) and 2 mammals. Though the Hawfinches in particular were relatively distant we had quite prolonged views of the small flock which was a bonus. I was also quite pleased to pick up the Nuthatch by its call given I tend to see these birds once or twice a year.
 |
| Coal Tit |
 |
| Grey Wagtail |
 |
| Bullfinch |
 |
| Jay |
 |
| Common Gull |
 |
| Bullfinch |
 |
| Bullfinch |
 |
| Chaffinch |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Hawfinch |
 |
| Hawfinch |
 |
| Hawfinch |
 |
| Hawfinch |
 |
| Coal Tit |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
 |
Great Spotted Woodpecker
|
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail,
Hawfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan,
Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Pink Footed Goose, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon.
Mammals seen - Grey Squirrel, Roe Deer.
