Going Downhill into the Winter.

With increasingly shorter Winter days now upon us opportunities for travel is much more limited and local birding is the better option.

The weather in Glasgow over the last 5 days has been dreary but Saturday morning was brighter and I spent about an hour at the Heritage Loch. Very little change from last week with still C50 Tufted Duck and C15 Lapwing present. There was also 13 Fieldfare in the fields to the West. I haven't been lucky with opportunities to photograph any Waxwings yet although there have been several fairly large flocks flocks in the Glasgow area and indeed I saw a flock of c40 over Rutherglen Cemetery on my way to work on Friday.

Spent considerably longer at Baron's Haugh on Sunday afternoon and I spent some time trying to get some scenery shots of the various early winter scenes:

Chestnut Walk now that most of the leaves have fallen

River Clyde looking South

Bird wise there was nothing of particular special interest. However, there were 31 Whooper Swans, that spend most of their time in the fields around Merryton, on the Haugh and I spent some time from the Phoenix hide trying to get some shots:

 

Duck numbers were also buiding with good numbers of Wigeon and Teal and a few Gadwall.

Taiga Beans

Managed a few hours birding this afternoon out at Slamannan to see if I could locate the Taiga Bean Geese. There was no sign in the fields around Luckenburn Farm but further East at Slamannan I located a distant flock of 67 in the fields just North West of the playing fields.

Driving around I managed to get a bit closer and discovered another flock of 92.

Some birds with neck collars

 

Other birds of note were a few Ravens and a small flock of Bramblings feeding in beeches by the main road

From here I headed back down the M80 and walked round Hogganfield Loch. Lots of Swans & Gulls milling around the car park area but very little on the North side of the loch and certainly not the hoped for Ruddy Ducks. Wonder if I'll ever see these beautiful Ducks again ? I was reading recently that they are now virtually wiped out in the UK. Seems such a dreadful waste to me !

Male Goosander

Whooper Swan

Winter Patch

I spent a good deal of time at the Heritage Loch last winter but stopped going in the Spring once the boating commenced and all the birds were scared off.

Now that boating has stopped for the winter, I had my first look at it this morning. The most numerous duck was Tufted with c50 present. There was also c30 Lapwings:

Best however was c40 Waxwing that flew over and alighted briefly in trees at the West end. With very good numbers both North & West of here I'm hopeful of getting some good images over the next few weeks.

Teeside

Louise was on an RSPB Phoenix practical conservation course centred around the RSPB Saltholme reserve on Teeside, so naturally I had to take her down and spend the weekend birding.

Since there was a strong North West wind blowing it seemed logical to spend Saturday morning at Hartlepool Headland. Initially the weather was horrendous and I spent periods sheltering in the car from the hail. Eventually it dried up sufficiently to allow a decent sea watch. Several large flocks of Common Scoter were present both on the sea and passing. 4 Velvet Scoter, 3 Long Tailed Duck and a Goldeneye were about the best but frustratingly I was unable to connect with any Little Auks.

By midday I headed for Saltholme. It was generally quiet with the best being 49 Barnacle Geese in with the many Canada Geese. Ducks included lots of Wigeon and a few Shoveler and Pintail. The Kestrel trail produced an obliging Kestrel:

Goldfinch were frequently seen:

By 4pm the light was excellent from the Saltholme Pools hide allowing some nice shots of various things:

Grey Heron

Little Egret



Golden Plover

Next morning I headed back to Hartlepool Headland and in a 1 hour seawatch connected with c30 Little Auks heading back North. This is only the 2nd time I have seen this species so I was chuffed.

There was also 1 Great Crested Grebe and 1 Red Throated Diver and still some Common Scoter. There was an adult Med Gull nearer the harbour and after a bit of searching I caught up with 2 Purple Sands:

Purple Sand - a year tick.

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - 3rd Time Lucky.

After dipping an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler at Flamborough 3 or 4 years ago and then the one that turned out to be a Chiffchaff in Fife earlier this year, when one turned up in the same place in Fife at the beginning of the week I was keen to see it.

Being busy at work it did not seem likely that I would be able to go until Saturday. Looking at the weather forecast of continuing Easterlies I was hopeful that it might stay but the element of South Westerly looming for Friday night meant I could wait no longer and with good progress at work I left the office at midday.

I arrived at Kilminning at just after 2pm and as luck would have it there was a wee knot of birders on the bird and it was performing admirably & calling almost continually. It soon however hoped up over the bank and I did not see it again until it was nearly dark. I'm afraid the photos are rubbish, even more than usual:

Autumn Colours - with a blurred Eastern Olly

Autumn Colours - with a slightly more obvious Eastern Olly - note no yellowish tones !

Absolutely no yellow tones, longish bill, sloping head profile, dipped its tail & called "tek" almost constantly.

 

A Red Breasted Flycatcher was an added bonus:

 

RB Fly

Rounded off the day with a fish supper from the Anstruther Fish Bar.

Lerwick at Night

Shetland Day 8

I had passed Clickimin Loch every day but had not checked it until today. 2 Whooper Swan, 25 Wigeon and a few Tufted & Mallard were present.

Channerwick provided my first Redwings of the Autumn plus a male Blackcap. Quendale Mill had a nice view of a Merlin as well as Goldcrests, 3 Swallows and Raven.

In between showers I caught up with the Red Backed Shrike at Grutness and 2 Long Tailed Duck on the Pool of Virkie.

Overall it had been a good trip, bird wise the 1st 3 days were definitely best but once the wind turned into the North it became a bit of a slog. Nonetheless Shetland provides plenty of potential to find your own birds & maybe next time PG Tips & Lancy.