Now that was a Surprise !

It was one of these kind of mornings where I did not really know what to be up to. I had thought about going over to the East Coast but the winds were moderate SSW so I didn't think it was worth it. At 10am I had a run round the Heritage Loch and out of the corner of my eye connected with my 1st Kingfisher of the year as it flew low over the water.

I came home and decided that after lunch I would have a go at Baron's Haugh. Subsequent to that, a Garganey on the pager at the Haugh further confirmed that a visit might be in order. A later glance at the pager and the words "Clyde", "Long Billed Dowitcher" and "Baron's Haugh" all in the one message had me out the door tout suite.

The bird news this week has been filled with news of American waders seemingly all over the place and today I am hearing of American passerines turning up on Scilly but despite that, I wasn't really anticipating any American action within 10 miles of home. Anyway, after a bit of chasing between the Marsh and Centenary hides and dodging a group of girls 'getting mad with it' in the Phoenix hide, I finally caught up with the bird from the Marsh hide. Although never close, it showed in the open constantly for a good hour and a half at least. This is the best I could come up with I'm afraid:



Long Billed Dowitcher


























This represents my 3rd LBD in the UK. The first was way back in the eighties at Caerlaverock & I well remember crooking my neck to see it out of one of the wee fibre glass hides they have down there. A far better view of one was had at Drift Reservoir in Cornwall on the way to Scillies, maybe 6 years ago. That was one of the years that I went down to Cornwall and spent a couple of nights in a B&B before the Saturday chopper flight to Scillies. With all this American stuff around this year methinks that it might be a good idea this year. Scillies in 3 weeks time, it has the makings of a very good week................here's hoping !!!

Still Surviving

Birding has taken a bit of a back seat of late what with gardening and ironing & now decorating eating into time. Perhaps though it has not really been any of them but more August being a really quiet time of year with nothing much to inspire me to go out.

However, now that we are in September, the pace will hopefully quicken and I'll do a bit more birding. Today however, I had a spare couple of hours and spent it at a fairly quiet Hogganfield. The highlight was probably the 3 plus, possibly up to 5 young Great Crested Grebe. Two were close in to the car park of which this is one:

There were also a good number of Little Grebe and I spent some time trying to get a nice shot with this one amongst the overhanging tree branches being quite appealing:

Also still surviving and bird number 200 for the year:

Seawatching

What do you do in August ? You're Summer holidays are over, its not yet September. Answer, you resort to Seawatching !

It was a toss up between Turnberry & Fife Ness and the former got the nod because it was nearer. On reaching East Kilbride I found that the road that leads down on to the M77 was closed for re-surfacing. This meant a frustrating detour through Clarkston. Nonetheless I got to Turnberry for about 10am on a bright morning with a moderate SW wind.

On reaching the sea there was a small group of waders on the beach. Mostly Ringed Plover & a few Dunlin and Sanderling. But the big bonus was a single Curlew Sandpiper. Now that was unexpected and a year tick to boot.

Rounding the point there were 6 Bar Tailed Godwit that despite my best efforts never really allowed for close approach for a photograph. I tried nonetheless:

On reaching the lighthouse I met a group of radio enthusiasts that had set up camp in the lighthouse grounds. The guy described it as their "Lighthouse weekend". Presumably lighthouses and radios have some connection ? Anyway he showed me through the lighthhouse garden that leads to a good seawatching spot and pointed out his various wires that I should avoid.

The expected Manx Shearwaters were quickly picked out although most were a good way out and in the next hour and a half they were basically all I saw. No Skuas or Terns or indeed anything else to get excited about.................... should have gone to Fife Ness, they had Sooty Shearwater & Black Tern.

Next stop was Barassie Beach via the McDonalds in Ayr. Several flocks of Dunlin & Ringed Plover with a few Sanderling & Bar Tailed Godwit. A quick scan from Troon Harbour was looking into the light so I quickly gave up and headed for home.

Halkidiki Greece

Patricia, the girls & myself spent 2 weeks in Halkidiki staying in the Kasandra Bay Hotel close to the small town of Kriopigi. We left Glasgow late on the 24th of July and drove to Newcastle for our flight early the next morning. As we parked at the airport long stay car park a Tawny Owl called from nearby woodland.

I had Googled "Birding Halkidiki" several times in the weeks and months leading up to the holiday and found very little on the subject. I knew that that hotel was surrounded by greenery but in my minds eye the area was very likely to be fairly populated and given that this was a familiy holiday, it was July and we had no transport I decided just to take the binoculars & leave the digiscoping equipment at home................. big mistake !

After the first couple of days I had already become weary of lounging by the pool. Although it was occasionally enlivened by the odd Red Rumped Swallow darting over the hotel. By early afternoon on the 2nd day and being aware of a track leading round the back of the hotel I set off on foot, without binoculars, to explore. The track led me into an area of olive groves, mixed woodland and rough farmland. There were plenty of Sardinian Warblers rattling away and soon I happened upon a family of Shrikes, that I was pretty sure were Woodchat. The area certainly looked promising and certainly worth a further look early morning before it got too hot.

Over the next 3 or 4 mornings I was out at first light (6:30 am) to take a proper look. Best was a family of Masked Shrikes that were in residence in the olive groves at the back of the hotel. They frequently perched up on a nearby fence & if I had only brought the digiscoping kit I surely would have got some nice shots. The same could be said for the many Woodchat Shrikes that were common everywhere. Other birds of interest included Turtle Dove, Cirl Bunting, Jay, Peregrine, Buzzard & Sparrowhawk. A couple of female Sub Alpine Warblers showed well on one of the mornings. Red Rumped Swallows were everywhere and overall accounted for 1 in every 3 Swallows I saw. Given that I had only ever seen 2 before it was terrific to see them so well. Spotted Flycatchers were frequently seen. I also saw a single Eastern Olivacious Warbler that brought back memories of the failed twitch to Flamborough last year.

On the first Sunday I got even more adventurous and decided to attempt the walk from Kripopigi over towards Casandra. The holiday rep had told me that the walk was "very steep" and given the heat the fact that it was a dull morning was comforting. On the way up the hill towards Kriopigi I diverted on to a track that allowed to me to view an area of scrub close to the road. Here there was a party of Red Backed Shrikes including a very obliging male that perched up only yards away..........oh for that camera equipment ! A single Eastern Olivaceous Warbler showed really well here also !

I soon found the lane that led up behind the petrol station and up the hillside. Indeed it was steep but after less than half a mile it reached the top and led down into woodland and open fields. Turtle Dove was common here with several seen and heard. Shrikes continued to be common and I was soon enjoying my 4th Shrike of the trip......... Lesser Grey that again sat obligingly on wires above my head. At this point I was surrounded with birds including even more Red Rumped Swallows and a flock of up to 20 European Bee Eaters perched on wires. I glimpsed a Woodpecker in nearby woodland that from the call I suspected might be Syrian !

By this time it had begun to spit with rain. This rain soon became heavier and I was soon soaked. The path soon became a sea of mud & I had to endure a less than pleasant walk back to Kriopigi. At least the rain was warm.

By midweek I headed into the same general area again. This time it remained dry ! A dry cultivated area provided me with good views of several very vocal Crested Larks. Again Bee Eaters were an absolute delight with over 20 together at one stage hawking above my head.

On the Friday we went on a cruise over to Halkidiki's second peninsula that is called Sithonia. Birds of note includes up to 20 Mediterranean Gulls, some of which were following the boat and 2 Mediterranean Shearwaters.

My final walk into the area at the back of Kriopigi on the final Saturday of the holiday provided over 20 Ravens and calling Golden Oriole. After much scanning I saw a pair of the latter briefly in flight. 

Green Sands

After heavy rain on Saturday, the Clyde at Baron's Haugh on the Sunday morning was high. Good conditions I felt to push a Green Sandpiper on to the Haugh and preferably in front of the Marsh Hide.

Not to disappoint 2 duly obliged. One bird coming close enough for a shot :

Green Sand

Otherwise the Haugh was very quiet with only a calling Common Sandpiper on the river being of any note.

Staying Local

A brief visit mid morning to Baron's Haugh produced c45 Lapwing, calling Water Rail and Grasshopper Warbler. A flyover Crossbill was also noteworthy.

Still unable to connect with Green Sand and despite 20 minutes by the river I again failed with Kingfisher.

Hogganfield Loch

It has been several months since I had been at Hogganfield & the most obvious change was the new decking/bird viewing platform now extending from the car park. Gone also is the metal fence that did its best to obscure the loch now replaced with bollards to prevent cars from falling or more likely, being pushed, into the water. Unfortunately, the bollards do not extend across the viewing platform and this will surely encourage "low life" to park their cars on it. Hopefully, they will sink into the loch. Oh how I do just love the human race !

A 'tern' nesting island has also been constructed in front of the viewing platform. This has obviously been done with good intention but for me it is far to close to the bank to be of any serious interest to nesting birds.

 Being July, most wildfowl are now moulting. The banks were strewn with almost a hundred feral Grey Lags and equally as many Tufted were present on the loch. One female Tufted had 6 ducklings, proving presumably that breeding takes place at this site. The hoped for Ruddy Ducks were absent. If they had been present, I would not have reported them & I would urge anyone who sees Ruddy Duck in the UK NOT TO REPORT THEM. The b******* from DEFRA monitor birding sites to identify sites where birds remain and so by reporting them you are doing the birds absolutely no favours at all.

Folllowing the very hard winter I have struggled to see any Little Grebe this year. My only record for 2011 prior to today was a bird heard at Kilconquhar Loch in Fife. However, today there were 2 adults present. There were also up to 10 Great Crested Grebe present, no juveniles as yet, however, there were 3 birds on nests so hopefully in the coming weeks. Some shots of today's birds: