0725 : Westwards (14/10/19)

Ian had an appointment in Glasgow at lunchtime on Monday but with the rest of the day free he decided to turn the trip into a birding opportunity and offered me the chance to join him for the trip. Naturally I agreed, with a lifer (Cattle Egret) and a couple of year-ticks (Taiga Bean Goose and Blue Winged Teal) on the list of prospective targets for the day. An early start saw us arriving at a rather grey and overcast Stirling around 0800. At Bolfornought Farm we found the Cattle Egret showing nicely in a field from where it flew a few minutes later to the small paddock next to the house where we had excellent views of the rather relaxed bird as it fed among the muddier parts of the small field. From there we headed for Slamannan and lucked into a flock of a dozen Taiga Bean Geese in a field just off the main road which flew off as we were concentrating on a small flock of what turned out to be Canada Geese flying over.

Cattle Egret
Then it was a visit to a few of the small Lochs in the area. Garnqueen Loch was very quiet though Water Rail were heard but not seen. Then we headed for Frankfield Loch where most of the birds were rather distant. Ian found the Blue Winged Teal with his scope and I had my 3rd new bird of the day, though views were rather distant. Ian dropped me off at Hogganfield Loch while he attended to his business in Glasgow. I walked a circuit of the Loch with close views of Whooper Swans the main highlight. Water Rails were heard here (and at Frankfield later) but again not seen. We headed back to Frankfield for another look at the Blue Winged Teal which did show marginally better before we decided to head home via Dalgety Bay and another attempt at the Red Necked Grebe. Unfortunately, once again we were out of luck with that particular bird. A very good day out nevertheless with 60 species seen including the 3 year-ticks (in bold) with the Cattle Egret the star of the show.

Dundee to/and Bolfornought Farm - Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Buzzard, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Rook, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Kestrel, Cattle Egret, Greylag Goose, Pink Footed Goose.

Bolfornought Farm to/and Slamannan area - Taiga Bean Goose, Canada Goose, Chaffinch, Great Black Backed Gull.
Mammals - Roe Deer.

Garnqueen Loch, Frankfield and Hogganfield Loch - Moorhen, Coot, Tufted Duck, Meadow Pipit, Mallard, Black Headed Gull, Goldeneye, Redwing, Shoveler, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Goosander, Grey Heron, Blue Winged Teal, Whooper Swan, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Gadwall, Sparrowhawk, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Grey Wagtail, Jay.

Glasgow to Dalgety Bay to Dundee (via Perth) - Pheasant, Greenfinch, Shelduck, Redshank, Slavonian Grebe, Curlew, Turnstone, Wigeon, Eider, Lapwing, Sandwich Tern, Long Tailed Duck, Pied Wagtail, Dunlin.
Mammals seen - Grey Seal.
Butterflies seen - Red Admiral.


Pink Footed Goose

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Woodpigeon

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Greylag Goose

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Canada Goose

Taiga Bean Goose

Taiga Bean Goose

Taiga Bean Goose

Taiga Bean Goose

Herring Gull

Starling

Redwing

Moorhen

Moorhen

Whooper Swan

Goosander

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Black Headed Gull

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Cormorant

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Sparrowhawk

Coot

Sparrowhawk & prey

Whooper Swan

Feral Pigeon

Shoveler & Blue Winged Teal

Shoveler & Blue Winged Teal

Great Crested Grebe

Slavonian Grebe

Slavonian Grebe & Great Crested Grebe

Red Breasted Merganser

Sandwich Tern

Redshank

Herring Gull

Long Tailed Duck

Sandwich Tern

Curlew

Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Blue Winged Teal, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cattle Egret, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Duck, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Shelduck, Shoveler, Slavonian Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Taiga Bean Goose, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Whooper Swan, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.

Butterflies seen - Red Admiral.



Mammals seen - Grey Seal, Roe Deer.