Leighton Moss

Saturday looked by far the best day of the long weekend & I was at Killington Lake services for 7am for my McDonalds style breakfast. My arrival coincided with a coach load of kids, so it took a bit longer than I envisaged.

By 7:30 I was at Leighton Moss. With high tide at Morecambe Bay not until mid afternoon I started off down towards the Public Hide that had been replaced since my last visit. It was cold for late April & this probably suppressed bird song but nonetheless I could still hear Reed, Sedge, Cettis & Willow Warblers.

Pochard from the Public Hide

Disappointingly there was no sight or sound of either Bittern or Bearded Tit but Water Rail was calling. Even this early several Marsh Harriers were quartering the reserve.

Around the Centre the feeders encouraged Nuthatch, Marsh Tit & Bullfinch as well as tame Pheasants.

Great Opportunities for a close up

The Grizedale hide had c20 Black Tailed Godwit & 5 Ruff as well as Lapwing.

With Marsh Marigolds

I drove round at Warton Crag where I had both Raven & Peregine & after coffee to the Allen Pools.

Wader wise there were hundreds of Black Tailed Godwit, along with a main supporting cast of Avocets & a single Spotted Redshank. I got on 2 summer plumage adult Med Gulls for good measure.

I also got a snatch of Lesser Whitethroat in the scrub surrounding the pools.

Finished back at the Public Hide.

Black Headed Gull a feature at Leighton Moss in the summer

Kinneil Lagoon & Skinflats

It was a glorious sunny morning & I was at Grangemouth in jig time. However, the road down to the water treatment plant at Kinneil was coned off & there were men working at the entrance. However, I took a chance & squeezed through a gap. Well it didn't actually say "road closed".

Kinneil is surrounded by the Grangemouth Petrochemical plant so it is never going to win any awards for beauty.

Kinneil is surrounded by industry

The closed Longannet Power Station is on the other side of the Forth

A strange kind of beauty

One of Kinneil's claim claim to fame is the Black Tailed Godwit flock which today totalled 170.

Black Tailed Godwit - just imagine a lot more red for today's birds

Today however, the best bird was a Marsh Harrier. A Grasshopper Warbler also showed well perched up on a bramble for a time. Otherwise there were lots of Shelduck, Teal Redshank & 2 Stock Dove.

I moved round to Skinflats & had 2 Ruff & 1 Common Sandpiper. My summer visitor list was also boosted by Whitethroat, Blackcap & Sedge Warbler.

David Marshall Lodge

David Marshall Lodge

Me & Patricia had a wee wander round The David Marshall Lodge. I had heard my 1st Willow Warbler of the summer in Rutherglen earlier in the week but the woods here were full of them. Aside from a couple of Swallows that was all there was migrant wise.

The feeders at the Centre had a Great Spotted Woodpecker & Siskin & I had a calling Nuthatch in the woods. I really hadn't realised they had got this far north.

Nuthatch

Fife

Started at Ruddons Point on a cold but bright morning. The walk through the caravan park produced several Yellowhammers & Reed Buntings.

Once at the coast the main target was the long staying female King Eider. For about an hour I searched on my own in vain. There were many Eider to go through and the position of the sun and the presence of haze made it difficult. As the morning wore on more birders started to arrive & finally one guy got on the bird & put everyone else on it.

Other birds of note included Swallow, Wheatear, Common & Velvet Scoter, Red Throated Diver, Sandwich Tern & Razorbill.

Spent the afternoon at Loch Leven.

View from the Carden Hide

There was a good selection of wildfowl; Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Shoveler, Tufted, Pochard, Goldeneye, Shelduck, Gadwall, Great Crested & Little Grebe.

Small skeins of Pink Feet were also still around & there were several displaying Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank & Oystercatcher. 11 Black Tailed Godwit were present. The feeders at the visitors centre had both Brambling & Siskin.

Drake Shelduck

Drake Tufted Duck

Spey Valley Weekend

Partick Thistle had the chance to get into the top 6 by getting a result at Ross County so it seemed like as good a time as any to visit the Global Energy Stadium in Dingwall for the first time. Even better if it could be combined with some birding in Speyside.

I reached Loch Garten at 2am and slept in the car until 5:30 for 'Caperwatch'. The cameras had got on a male in view of the forward hide & so the 15 or so hardy souls were invited to proceed to aforementioned hide where very soon I was looking at a male Capercaillie. A good if brief view as it quickly became totally obscured by the trees. Also of note were Osprey, Siskin & flyover Crossbills. Sand Martin were over Loch Garten.

Garten Wood

Loch Garten in the early morning

Tulloch Moor was the next stop in the hope of Black Grouse but I drew a blank. Back in Garten Wood I quickly located Crested Tit and several Crossbill sp.

By late morning I was at Lochindorb and had 2 Black Throated Divers & great views of Red Grouse.

By 2pm I was in Dingwall for the football but despite a spirited showing we finished out of the top 6.

After an overnight stay in Aviemore I headed to Cairngorn for 10 o'clock. Right away I had Ring Ouzel just below the car park. As I climbed into the hills Loch Morlich became ever distant.

The high tops became ever closer:

I was now in Ptarmigan country....

.... and Mountain Hare:

I had a brief stop at Inch Marshes but it was quiet with only 11 Whooper Swans of any note.