Went to the cafe at the Heritage Loch with Patricia to celebrate spending a lot of money on a new bathroom !
Had the binoculars in the boot, so scanned through the Gulls. The 1st Winter Iceland was still there, but an adult was also present making it 4 or possibly 5 different Icelands at Glasgow's 'Gull Capital' this winter.
Monday, 12 March 2012
Iceland Gull Again
Last day of my long weekend & so went up to the Heritage Loch for a look.
The Drake Scaup was still present, associating with the single Drake Pochard rather than with the 30 Tufties that remain present. More significantly, the 1st Winter Iceland Gull was again with the small group of loafing Gulls :
The Drake Scaup was still present, associating with the single Drake Pochard rather than with the 30 Tufties that remain present. More significantly, the 1st Winter Iceland Gull was again with the small group of loafing Gulls :
2 Oystercatchers were on the island and a Little Grebe was heard trilling from the 'nature reserve'.
I hesitate to call the Heritage Loch my 'patch' but it is handy, not a big area to cover and I have found it interesting to watch it over the past few months. As we move into Spring however, there is likely to be a lot of boating activity (indeed there was an inflatable there today) that will undoubtedly create disturbance and make it less attractive to birds. So how long I continue to watch it is open to question.
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Scaup & -no- Goose
Have been on holiday for the past few days but the time of year and the dull weather have done nothing to entice me out. However, eventually ventured up to the Heritage Loch to see if there was anything of interest.
All winter I've been scruitinising the Tufted Ducks in the hope of a Scaup................ and today.........:
Of course I did not have the camera. These were taken the following morning!
Best of the rest included at least 40 Fieldfare in the fields adjacient to the loch, 1 Cormorant and 1 Goosander. The 2 Canada Geese remained and presumably the Drake Pochard that has been present off and on all winter had returned. In total there were 30 Tufted Duck. The following morning when I took the photographs a single Oystercatcher was present and Skylark were singing from the surrounding fields.
Having a little time in the afternoon, I ventured down to Douglas Water for a look at the Snow Goose that was found a couple of days ago. There were impressive numbers of Pink Feet and a few Greylags, but despite the Snow Goose apparently being with them it just disappeared and in 2 hours there was no sign. The only other birds of note were 30 Whooper Swan on Douglas Water.
All winter I've been scruitinising the Tufted Ducks in the hope of a Scaup................ and today.........:
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| 1st Winter Drake Scaup |
Of course I did not have the camera. These were taken the following morning!
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| Face On |
Best of the rest included at least 40 Fieldfare in the fields adjacient to the loch, 1 Cormorant and 1 Goosander. The 2 Canada Geese remained and presumably the Drake Pochard that has been present off and on all winter had returned. In total there were 30 Tufted Duck. The following morning when I took the photographs a single Oystercatcher was present and Skylark were singing from the surrounding fields.
Having a little time in the afternoon, I ventured down to Douglas Water for a look at the Snow Goose that was found a couple of days ago. There were impressive numbers of Pink Feet and a few Greylags, but despite the Snow Goose apparently being with them it just disappeared and in 2 hours there was no sign. The only other birds of note were 30 Whooper Swan on Douglas Water.
Friday, 2 March 2012
Great Crested Grebes Displaying
Went up to Hogganfield at lunchtime. There were at least 5 Great Crested Grebe present with 2 displaying close to the car park.
Other notable signs of Spring included an increased number of Lesser Black Backed Gulls, Heron activity on the island and the trilling of at least 1 Little Grebe.
On the debit side the numbers of Whooper Swan had dropped to around 10 as presumably some of the flock that numbered 20 in January are starting to move North again.
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| Displaying Great Crested Grebes |
Other notable signs of Spring included an increased number of Lesser Black Backed Gulls, Heron activity on the island and the trilling of at least 1 Little Grebe.
On the debit side the numbers of Whooper Swan had dropped to around 10 as presumably some of the flock that numbered 20 in January are starting to move North again.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Lots of Year Ticks in East Lothian
All my birding this year has been on the West coast. Time to go East and catch up with some some of the stuff over there.
I left drizzly Glasgow about 9am, but by the time I had reached Livingston the sky was considerably brighter & by the time I reached Musselburgh it was dry & relatively bright. I parked at the Esk Mouth end but headed back towards the boating pond covering the rough grassland in the hope of Grey Partridge but I was out of luck. It is 5 years since I last saw a Grey Partridge.
From the sea wall there were small numbers of the usual suspects, Velvet Scoter, Long Tailed Duck, Slav Grebe etc. There was a single distant Diver either Red or Black Throated, probably the former but I could not be sure. Also Red Breasted Mergansger, Shag & a single Razorbill. Later I had a Grebe that was probably Red Necked.
On reaching Esk Mouth I located a small flock of Knot and there were the usual Dunlin, Redshank & Turnstone present. Normally shy waders are fairly confiding and allowed for some shots:
Spent some time looking for the reported Snow Buntings without success.
In the afternoon I moved down to Barn's Ness. Here I had splended views of the Water Pipit. 2 Stonechat were also welcome.
I left drizzly Glasgow about 9am, but by the time I had reached Livingston the sky was considerably brighter & by the time I reached Musselburgh it was dry & relatively bright. I parked at the Esk Mouth end but headed back towards the boating pond covering the rough grassland in the hope of Grey Partridge but I was out of luck. It is 5 years since I last saw a Grey Partridge.
From the sea wall there were small numbers of the usual suspects, Velvet Scoter, Long Tailed Duck, Slav Grebe etc. There was a single distant Diver either Red or Black Throated, probably the former but I could not be sure. Also Red Breasted Mergansger, Shag & a single Razorbill. Later I had a Grebe that was probably Red Necked.
On reaching Esk Mouth I located a small flock of Knot and there were the usual Dunlin, Redshank & Turnstone present. Normally shy waders are fairly confiding and allowed for some shots:
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| Grey Plover |
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| Bar Tailed Godwit |
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| Curlew |
Spent some time looking for the reported Snow Buntings without success.
In the afternoon I moved down to Barn's Ness. Here I had splended views of the Water Pipit. 2 Stonechat were also welcome.
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Quick Check on Heritage Loch
My initial plan for the weekend was to go to Wales for the Yellowthroat but thought better of it at the last moment. Instead I went to the Heritage Loch this afternoon. 5 Oystercatchers on the island and 2 Canada Geese were additions to the Heritage Loch year list, if I was keeping such a thing !
There were also 12 Lapwing (big drop from 2 weeks ago), 40 Tufted Duck & 3 Little Grebe. Probable Fieldfares with Starlings in far fields but distant.
There were also 12 Lapwing (big drop from 2 weeks ago), 40 Tufted Duck & 3 Little Grebe. Probable Fieldfares with Starlings in far fields but distant.
Sunday, 19 February 2012
A Very Tolerant Wife
My wife is very tolerant, she let's me get away with an awful lot. Despite me being away all day yesterday in Ayrshire, she let me off with my family chores again today to indulge myself yet again, this time in Dumfries & Galloway. In my slight defence it is now 3 minutes to 10 and I have just finished 2 and a half hours ironing.
The indulgence today was targeted at the Red Breasted Goose at Loaningfoot with the added bonus of a Todd's Canada Goose to boot. On arrival at Loaningfoot there were hundreds of Barnacles circling in the sky but by the time I had driven on to the minor road and parked up they had settled again with several thousand of their kin in an adjacient field. An awesome sight, but where does one start to locate two single Geese in all that. After about an hour of scanning I had seen nothing. My only compensation being a year tick in the form of a small flock of wheezing Twite. I gave up and headed to Carsethorn for a look at the merse. Aside from a handful of Great Crested Grebe it was very disappointing and certainly no sign of an Scaup that in my experience are reliable from here.
Back at Loaningfoot the Geese had moved and were now largely out of sight down behind the farm. Moving on to Mersehead I scanned a few hundred Barnies from the approach road more in hope than expectation although there was a single leucistic bird present. From the Bruich hide a Drake Green Winged Teal showed well as did several pairs of Pintail, Shelduck and Gadwall.
There was nothing else for it other than to try at Loaningfoot again. The Geese were still below the farm but I noticed a road that I had previously thought was a farm track going down towards the Geese. 2 birders advised that both the Todd's and the RB Goose were present. Because of its brown back, the former was fairly easy to pick out in the huge flock. I was surprised how big it was in comparison to the Barnies ! Eventually after lots of scanning I saw the Red Breasted for all of about 5 seconds before it merged back in behind the Barnacles again. Despite now knowing the area it was in I could not locate it again. It was a very frustrating bird. With a bright red breast you would think it would stand out but it absolutely does not.
The indulgence today was targeted at the Red Breasted Goose at Loaningfoot with the added bonus of a Todd's Canada Goose to boot. On arrival at Loaningfoot there were hundreds of Barnacles circling in the sky but by the time I had driven on to the minor road and parked up they had settled again with several thousand of their kin in an adjacient field. An awesome sight, but where does one start to locate two single Geese in all that. After about an hour of scanning I had seen nothing. My only compensation being a year tick in the form of a small flock of wheezing Twite. I gave up and headed to Carsethorn for a look at the merse. Aside from a handful of Great Crested Grebe it was very disappointing and certainly no sign of an Scaup that in my experience are reliable from here.
Back at Loaningfoot the Geese had moved and were now largely out of sight down behind the farm. Moving on to Mersehead I scanned a few hundred Barnies from the approach road more in hope than expectation although there was a single leucistic bird present. From the Bruich hide a Drake Green Winged Teal showed well as did several pairs of Pintail, Shelduck and Gadwall.
There was nothing else for it other than to try at Loaningfoot again. The Geese were still below the farm but I noticed a road that I had previously thought was a farm track going down towards the Geese. 2 birders advised that both the Todd's and the RB Goose were present. Because of its brown back, the former was fairly easy to pick out in the huge flock. I was surprised how big it was in comparison to the Barnies ! Eventually after lots of scanning I saw the Red Breasted for all of about 5 seconds before it merged back in behind the Barnacles again. Despite now knowing the area it was in I could not locate it again. It was a very frustrating bird. With a bright red breast you would think it would stand out but it absolutely does not.
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| Think I'll be seeing these in my sleep tonight ! |
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