Another bike ride yesterday, about which my first reaction is to say I didn't see very much. In fact there was a couple of bullfinches, a few buzzards and just past Irongray Church a flock of finches that I took to be chaffinches. But they seemed a bit more nervous than chaffinches normally are and I noticed that some had some white showing in the tail rather than the wing area, so I think that at least some of them may have been linnets.
And on the way back there were a couple of medium-sized brown birds that I didn't stop to investigate as I was riding with someone. Later the flick of a very white, short tail that probably belonged to a stonechat. Another white flash of rump was almost certainly a jay and I certainly heard a couple.
Even so, I find myself reflecting that I invariably see more when I'm out than I actually report. I don't for example note sparrows other than tree sparrows, any gulls (which I mostly dislike), blackbirds, crows or rooks. Chaffinches and the commonest tits generally don't get a mention but goldfinches and coal tits often do, even though they are often more plentiful. Wrens, robins and dunnocks don't score much either and neither do mallards, coots or moorhens. Jackdaws might get a mention if they're doing something interesting, as might an oystercatcher. A thrush almost certainly would but starlings would need to be part of a murmuration, while buzzards have a chance if no other birds of prey are around.
The assumption is broadly that some birds are so common that you will always see them. Or is it that you always used to see them, even though this is no longer the case?
Friday, 16 December 2016
Thursday, 8 December 2016
Thursday 8th November
Malcolm was over so we did a little nature ramble on Monday, with the idea of ending up at Gretna for the starling murmuration around dusk.
A quick ferret around Dumfries for waxwings proved unsuccessful so we headed for Ae Forest. In retrospect we might have been better taking a walk along the River Annan as there was once again precious little to see at Ae Forest itself beyond a few tits and robins. It may just be down to bad luck
but I still have a feeling That the Hairstanes Windfarm Project has lead to a decrease of brid sightings in the forest.
However we did see a few redwings and thrushes in the village itself and, just as we were on the way back to the car there were nice views of two individual dippers on the Water of Ae.
Unsure of timing, we abandoned the idea of a coffee break and headed straight across to Gretna, arriving around 3.15 p.m. We could have sneaked a coffee as the first birds started to turn up about 4.05 p.m., 20 minutes after sunset. The location was just South of the Gretna turnoff from the M6 north, on the service road to Metal Bridge.
The birds were still circling the area as 4.40 p.m. when the dark and cold finally drove us off in search of a cafe. Without any real evidence we felt the display stopped almost immediately afterwards.
Here's a video from the later stages of the murmuration:
A quick ferret around Dumfries for waxwings proved unsuccessful so we headed for Ae Forest. In retrospect we might have been better taking a walk along the River Annan as there was once again precious little to see at Ae Forest itself beyond a few tits and robins. It may just be down to bad luck
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| A dapper Dipper |
However we did see a few redwings and thrushes in the village itself and, just as we were on the way back to the car there were nice views of two individual dippers on the Water of Ae.
Unsure of timing, we abandoned the idea of a coffee break and headed straight across to Gretna, arriving around 3.15 p.m. We could have sneaked a coffee as the first birds started to turn up about 4.05 p.m., 20 minutes after sunset. The location was just South of the Gretna turnoff from the M6 north, on the service road to Metal Bridge.
The birds were still circling the area as 4.40 p.m. when the dark and cold finally drove us off in search of a cafe. Without any real evidence we felt the display stopped almost immediately afterwards.
Here's a video from the later stages of the murmuration:
Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Wednesday 30th November
Of course I should have realised that the unidentified waders in the last post were in fact turnstones. I'm really not quite sure how I missed that as I've seen them before. Perhaps the photo made them look bigger than I was expecting.
Last week mainly avoided the great outdoors in view of ongoing cold snap, but on Sunday visited Northumberlandia with my sister - a surprisingly barren place for birds in view of the fact that it's been established for a few years. Just two swans on one lake and a couple of crows and seagulls. More exciting was a kestrel hovering over the edge of the huge opencast mine next to it. It made me remember how rarely we see them now in Dumfries and Galloway.
I have spent some time out looking for waxwings but couldn't find them at the ice bowl or in where sitings had been reported, nor around St Michael's churchyard, where they often attack the yewberries.
Heathhall
Then following a lead on twitter I amended my planned bike ride today and found them just a few minutes away on the main road out of the estate towards the Craigs. They seemed to be still roosting. Also it looked to be a bigger flock than reported elsewhere. I counted them and there were about thirty.
Had a bit of spare time so took a detour to Caerlaverock WWT and quickly saw a stonechat moving across the road. I then regretted not having brought a pair of binoculars as there were a couple of birds that were hard to identify at distance, including the statutory barnacle geese (no binoculars needed).
Returning through the same area, I then did spot a kestrel, making it two in four days. Very pleased after my wistful thoughts about kestrels on Sunday.
To top that there were about 100 whooper swans in a field just past the Brow Well riding east - not a totally rare sight, but pleasing nevertheless..
I returned through Heathhall, but two groups of waxwings on the same day was asking too much.
Last week mainly avoided the great outdoors in view of ongoing cold snap, but on Sunday visited Northumberlandia with my sister - a surprisingly barren place for birds in view of the fact that it's been established for a few years. Just two swans on one lake and a couple of crows and seagulls. More exciting was a kestrel hovering over the edge of the huge opencast mine next to it. It made me remember how rarely we see them now in Dumfries and Galloway.
I have spent some time out looking for waxwings but couldn't find them at the ice bowl or in where sitings had been reported, nor around St Michael's churchyard, where they often attack the yewberries.
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| Waxwings in Georgetown |
Then following a lead on twitter I amended my planned bike ride today and found them just a few minutes away on the main road out of the estate towards the Craigs. They seemed to be still roosting. Also it looked to be a bigger flock than reported elsewhere. I counted them and there were about thirty.
Had a bit of spare time so took a detour to Caerlaverock WWT and quickly saw a stonechat moving across the road. I then regretted not having brought a pair of binoculars as there were a couple of birds that were hard to identify at distance, including the statutory barnacle geese (no binoculars needed).
Returning through the same area, I then did spot a kestrel, making it two in four days. Very pleased after my wistful thoughts about kestrels on Sunday.
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| Whooper Swans |
I returned through Heathhall, but two groups of waxwings on the same day was asking too much.
Monday, 21 November 2016
Monday 21st November
Rather slim pickings over the past few weeks, but here's a summary of what has happened.
Last Wednesday, did a windy bike ride to Crocketford and back through the Glenkilns. Three long-tailed tits passed through a tree on the cycle track and a red kite was sailing around just South of Crocketford. On the way back there were good sightings of three more kites and a buzzard.
Stopped on the hill where red squirrels and tits often come down to feed, but few did. The one squirrel that did turn up seemed more intent on guarding the feeders than eating itself, though it did take a couple of bits of apple.
The following day, I followed up news that waxwings are in the Dumfries area, but didn't see any in the obvious areas of Dock Park and St Michael's Churchyard though the latter already contained plenty of yewberries and the blackbirds and thrushes were making merry.
On Friday I travelled to Alnwick and paused briefly at Bolam Lake where a couple of male goldeneye were visible.
At the coast over the weekend there was not a whole lot to see. However the rocks at Alnmouth contained some sanderling and redshank, plus these waders (right) which I haven't been able to identify. I'm wondering if they were juvenile plovers.
Also unidenitifiable were some large brown-looking diving birds that we at first mistook for seals, but they were too far off to even hazard a guess at.
At home my favourite coal tit is still busy and was picking minute grubs out of the pear tree today.
Last Wednesday, did a windy bike ride to Crocketford and back through the Glenkilns. Three long-tailed tits passed through a tree on the cycle track and a red kite was sailing around just South of Crocketford. On the way back there were good sightings of three more kites and a buzzard.
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| Squirrel on Guard |
Stopped on the hill where red squirrels and tits often come down to feed, but few did. The one squirrel that did turn up seemed more intent on guarding the feeders than eating itself, though it did take a couple of bits of apple.
The following day, I followed up news that waxwings are in the Dumfries area, but didn't see any in the obvious areas of Dock Park and St Michael's Churchyard though the latter already contained plenty of yewberries and the blackbirds and thrushes were making merry.
On Friday I travelled to Alnwick and paused briefly at Bolam Lake where a couple of male goldeneye were visible.
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| Unidentified |
Also unidenitifiable were some large brown-looking diving birds that we at first mistook for seals, but they were too far off to even hazard a guess at.
At home my favourite coal tit is still busy and was picking minute grubs out of the pear tree today.
Monday, 7 November 2016
Monday 7th November
Took advantage of a sunny afternoon to walk along the merse from Caerlaverock Nature Reserve to the edge of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust site before gloomier waether sets in this week.
You wouldn't think there had already been a couple of frosts from the number of insects on the wing, notably a number of whitefly around the car park and path and even a brown dragonfly.
On the way to the merse I caught site of a bright male bullfinch and shortly after a fleeing jay. Otherwise there wasn't much to be seen on the way there but there was a lot of gorse around and also this stuff. The nearest suggestion I can get from my Book of Flowers is white mustard.
In the hedgerow bordering the Wetland Trust, I was amused to identify another goldcrest, making it two in two visits. Maybe they are managing a comeback. I'm sure they were very badly hit by the extreme winters of five years ago.
On the way back there was a single buzzard moping in a tree, a quick glimpse of a couple of lapwing sailing over the distant fields, and this little brown item (pictured below). I'm still waiting for suggestions about it's identity but the yellow beak and lack of white tail outline suggests it might just be a twite.
You wouldn't think there had already been a couple of frosts from the number of insects on the wing, notably a number of whitefly around the car park and path and even a brown dragonfly.
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| White Mustard? |
In the hedgerow bordering the Wetland Trust, I was amused to identify another goldcrest, making it two in two visits. Maybe they are managing a comeback. I'm sure they were very badly hit by the extreme winters of five years ago.
On the way back there was a single buzzard moping in a tree, a quick glimpse of a couple of lapwing sailing over the distant fields, and this little brown item (pictured below). I'm still waiting for suggestions about it's identity but the yellow beak and lack of white tail outline suggests it might just be a twite.
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| Twite?? |
Monday, 31 October 2016
Sunday 30th October
Took my first nature walk for a long time and chose to go around the Threave Castle area.
On the way to the Stepping Stones hide I saw the first goldcrest for a very long time. It hung around obligingly but I could not get a camera shot that showed it up amongst the tree foliage. At the hide there was a score of corbids sitting on an island in the middle of the river, presumably rooks. One or two were stockier than the others and I wondered if they could be ravens. In any case I have never seen either bird behave in this fashion before.
Then three whooper swans flew up the river, not quite fully mature as they still had bits of grey on them.
In the trees just before the castle on the far side, there was a flock of birds foraging. I had a quick check to see if they were all blackbirds and indeed thought I saw several redwing, though the
photo I took shows clearly they were fieldfares.
There were a lot of them in the woodland near the other two hides, but they weren't offering more than the most cursory sighting. From the upper hide, I saw a tree creeper but not much else and from the lower just a couple of roe deer and a pair of birds in the reed grasses I could not identify. They were behaving like whinchats and flicking their tails but surely it was too late in the season for them.
The weather was still very mild and lots of flies on the wing. Ducks and geese were not to be seen but apparently there have been some pink-footed geese very recently.
On the way to the Stepping Stones hide I saw the first goldcrest for a very long time. It hung around obligingly but I could not get a camera shot that showed it up amongst the tree foliage. At the hide there was a score of corbids sitting on an island in the middle of the river, presumably rooks. One or two were stockier than the others and I wondered if they could be ravens. In any case I have never seen either bird behave in this fashion before.
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| Whooper Swans |
Then three whooper swans flew up the river, not quite fully mature as they still had bits of grey on them.
In the trees just before the castle on the far side, there was a flock of birds foraging. I had a quick check to see if they were all blackbirds and indeed thought I saw several redwing, though the
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| Fieldfares and a couple of blackbirds |
There were a lot of them in the woodland near the other two hides, but they weren't offering more than the most cursory sighting. From the upper hide, I saw a tree creeper but not much else and from the lower just a couple of roe deer and a pair of birds in the reed grasses I could not identify. They were behaving like whinchats and flicking their tails but surely it was too late in the season for them.
The weather was still very mild and lots of flies on the wing. Ducks and geese were not to be seen but apparently there have been some pink-footed geese very recently.
Saturday, 29 October 2016
Saturday 29th October
In view of continuing convalescence, decided to take on the hills and do the bike run to Castle Douglas on Wednesday.
On setting out, a large flock of barnacle geese overflew the estate. Just before Lochfoot, I was surprised to see there were several flowers still in bloom - cornflowers, purple clover and some sort of tall daisy. Unsure of my timetable I didn't hang around to investigate further.
Stopped by the Spottes Burn in Haugh of Urr to recover from consistent headwind. I've often thought this looks like an attractive little stream for fishing but have never seen any fish in it - even though it flows into the River Urr, which definitely holds fish.
This reminds me that I haven't been fishing for ages. Somehow I just can't get the taste for it and have decided not to force myself to try before the urge comes back.
On the way back there was a nice view of a red kite, one large and one small buzzard, plus the almost inevitable goldfinches.
Meanwhile the sunflower in the garden has passed away without attracting a goldfinch but the coal tits are still busy taking seeds from the bird table as if it was a major industry. Someone told me that sunflower hearts are better for goldfinches so will give it a try.
On setting out, a large flock of barnacle geese overflew the estate. Just before Lochfoot, I was surprised to see there were several flowers still in bloom - cornflowers, purple clover and some sort of tall daisy. Unsure of my timetable I didn't hang around to investigate further.
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| Spottes Burn |
Stopped by the Spottes Burn in Haugh of Urr to recover from consistent headwind. I've often thought this looks like an attractive little stream for fishing but have never seen any fish in it - even though it flows into the River Urr, which definitely holds fish.
This reminds me that I haven't been fishing for ages. Somehow I just can't get the taste for it and have decided not to force myself to try before the urge comes back.
On the way back there was a nice view of a red kite, one large and one small buzzard, plus the almost inevitable goldfinches.
Meanwhile the sunflower in the garden has passed away without attracting a goldfinch but the coal tits are still busy taking seeds from the bird table as if it was a major industry. Someone told me that sunflower hearts are better for goldfinches so will give it a try.
Sunday, 16 October 2016
Sunday 16th October
A fairly quiet couple of weeks. I did a couple of bike rides where not much was seen. There was a yellowhammer on a telegraph wire on the way back from Gretna a week ago on Friday and I only identified that by taking a photograph of it and blowing it up.
Last Wednesday there were a good few birds stirring in the woods around Cowhill but not hanging around. There were a couple of buzzards about and it's some time since I've seen them.
On the way back home I noticed this tree near Portrack House. I assume it's a crab apple but the fruits look very small compared to the ones I remember when I was a kid.
More puzzling was a bird perching on the River Nith, which I could quickly see was not a heron. I reckoned it was a juvenile
but couldn't work out which species. The answer is actually quite simple - it's a young cormorant. The white chest is misleading but the posture and other parts are quite typical.
Meanwhile at home, a sunflower I allowed to grow has become very bedraggled but has attracted the regular attention of a coal tit. It has become extremely adapt at stealing the seeds one by one, but always moves off again to eat them. In fact there are two coal tits around but I fancy
it's always the same one that goes for the sunflower.
A coal tit is not a rare visitor to the garden but recently they have become frequent. It has opened my eyes a bit to see how agile their flight is and far quicker than most other garden birds as they dart around the bushes. They also seem to be capable of a hovering action that almost reminds of a humming bird.
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| Crab Apple? |
On the way back home I noticed this tree near Portrack House. I assume it's a crab apple but the fruits look very small compared to the ones I remember when I was a kid.
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| Young Cormorant |
but couldn't work out which species. The answer is actually quite simple - it's a young cormorant. The white chest is misleading but the posture and other parts are quite typical.
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| Coal Tit |
it's always the same one that goes for the sunflower.
A coal tit is not a rare visitor to the garden but recently they have become frequent. It has opened my eyes a bit to see how agile their flight is and far quicker than most other garden birds as they dart around the bushes. They also seem to be capable of a hovering action that almost reminds of a humming bird.
Sunday, 2 October 2016
Sunday 2nd October
Another trip to Northumberland at the end of last week, which resulted in a pleasant walk along the coast between Craster and Dunstanburgh Castle.
I was a little surprised to sight a number of wheatears, all male, moving around the rocks on the shoreline. I've seen wheatears in coastal areas before but not on the shoreline, plus I would have expected them to be on their way back to Africa by now. Maybe they were getting ready for the effort. There were also a couple of rock pipits darting around in similar fashion.
Nearer the castle, a seal pooped its head out of the water now and again and a couple of eider duck were spotted amongst the floating seagulls. In the fields next to the castle, quite a large number of swallows were flying around at speed and I was told they are usually there. The entrance castle itself was guarded by some young cows who seem to like small dogs.
On the way back the smaller birds had been replaced by a number of calling turnstone.
Meanwhile I am hoping that my stray sunflower might attract a goldfinch or two. So far the only visitor has been a hyperactive coal tit.
I was a little surprised to sight a number of wheatears, all male, moving around the rocks on the shoreline. I've seen wheatears in coastal areas before but not on the shoreline, plus I would have expected them to be on their way back to Africa by now. Maybe they were getting ready for the effort. There were also a couple of rock pipits darting around in similar fashion.
Nearer the castle, a seal pooped its head out of the water now and again and a couple of eider duck were spotted amongst the floating seagulls. In the fields next to the castle, quite a large number of swallows were flying around at speed and I was told they are usually there. The entrance castle itself was guarded by some young cows who seem to like small dogs.
On the way back the smaller birds had been replaced by a number of calling turnstone.
Meanwhile I am hoping that my stray sunflower might attract a goldfinch or two. So far the only visitor has been a hyperactive coal tit.
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Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Wednesday 21st September
A first tentative bike ride to Beeswing, but cutting the normal route by takeing the road to the east of Lochrutton Loch. On top of the hill saw half a dozen linnets playing in the hedgerows, but they wouldn't let me get very close.
On the way back to wards New Abbey, looked for the "red tree" I have noticed before more or less adjacent to the Waterloo Monument. It looks to be some sort of maple. Eventually all the leaves will go red. Today it looked at first as if it was in blossom, but it's definitely the leaves turning.
On the way back to wards New Abbey, looked for the "red tree" I have noticed before more or less adjacent to the Waterloo Monument. It looks to be some sort of maple. Eventually all the leaves will go red. Today it looked at first as if it was in blossom, but it's definitely the leaves turning.
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| The red tree |
Friday, 16 September 2016
Friday 16th September
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| House Spider |
There is still a minute bit of buddleia flowering and individual butterflies are still visiting.
There was a red admiral two days ago, a peacock yesterday and a small tortoiseshell today, which I suspect is the latest the buddleia has still been doing the trick.
One sign of worsening weather has been the number of spiders appearing in the house. Now I have very large hands, so this one that I found camping on the dining room carpet is a pretty big spider in my view.
I wonder what it's been eating since it got in.
Sunday, 28 August 2016
Sunday 28th August
As I am becoming more mobile, I decided on a late summer walk at Caerlaverock Nature Reserve, which was short enough for me to manage with the aid of one crutch.
I was hoping to see some butterflies, possibly some blues but it wasn't to be. In spite of reasonable
sunshine, the only ones on the wing were whites, predominantly large whites. The scotch argus mentioned on a noticeboard did not appear either.
There were however a number of brown dragonflies around and one much larger one that passed through quickly. Here's a picture of one of the small ones - a common darter, I believe.
On the way back to the car park spotted a willow warbler and a very small lizard that ran across the path and down a hole before I could get a decent look at it.
Perhaps the almost total lack of any meadow flowers in the area will have accounted for the lack of butterflies.
I was hoping to see some butterflies, possibly some blues but it wasn't to be. In spite of reasonable
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| Common Darter |
There were however a number of brown dragonflies around and one much larger one that passed through quickly. Here's a picture of one of the small ones - a common darter, I believe.
On the way back to the car park spotted a willow warbler and a very small lizard that ran across the path and down a hole before I could get a decent look at it.
Perhaps the almost total lack of any meadow flowers in the area will have accounted for the lack of butterflies.
Wednesday, 17 August 2016
Tuesday 17th August
Unfortunately I became unwell a week after the last post and spent several weeks ill in hospital. There wasn't anything much to report from the bits of ward window I peered through, apart from one where I could see swallows perching on a railing on the hospital roof, and close enough to see the red bibs on them.
Now released but only partially mobile, I have at least managed a few butterfly sightings on the several buddleia plants in the garden. Today, a warm day there was a painted lady, not something that happens every year by any means. There have been numerous peacocks and several red admirals over the past few days, though interestingly no small tortoiseshells, so I was pleased that I photographed one of a small group that appeared two weeks back. In other years I would have still been sighting them in large numbers.
Here are the best photos I managed:
It would have been nice to report today's sightings to the Big Butterfly Count especially the large number of peacocks. However it appears it finished on 7th August - somewhat early surely?
Now released but only partially mobile, I have at least managed a few butterfly sightings on the several buddleia plants in the garden. Today, a warm day there was a painted lady, not something that happens every year by any means. There have been numerous peacocks and several red admirals over the past few days, though interestingly no small tortoiseshells, so I was pleased that I photographed one of a small group that appeared two weeks back. In other years I would have still been sighting them in large numbers.
Here are the best photos I managed:
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| Painted Lady |
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| Peacock |
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| Small Tortoiseshell |
Friday, 17 June 2016
Friday 17th June
Last Sunday, I went on a late trip up the Cairn Valley to the area I have indentified as being likely for redstarts. It was a very dark evening, very little about - plus the path to Netheryett lead me through some lush meadow, which quickly brought on a hay fever attack.
I did manage to identify a couple of chimney sweeper moths in the aforementioned meadow. There were some samll white ones drifting around as well but I'm not good enough on moths to know which of many species they could have been. Otherwise a heron and a couple of wagtails were about all I saw. I spent some time wondering about the difference between white wagtail and pied wagtail. I really think I'd need to be with an expert to be sure of it.
This week's bike ride was a bit more interesting. For the first time, there was a really large number of sand martins on the River Nith and they made a fine spectacle swooping around (unfortunately no picture as was still awaiting new camera). Then I stopped at Lochrutton to see if there were any birds moving in the reeds. There were - sparrows and a couple of blackbirds. But heading along the military road on a fast downhill section, a bird momentarily settled in the hedgerow and, from its profile showing a dark tail with white edging and a mottled breast, I was able to identify it as a female linnet. Not bad for a two second sighting at 20 m.p.h!
Approaching Kirkgunzeon, I heard - not for the first time here - some birdsong I could not recognise and, eyes streaming with hay fever again, the only indistinct sighting I got looked like a chaffinch with wing bar but chaffinches don't sing like that. Stopping at the stream there, oddly known as Kirkgunzeon Lane, I did momentarily think I'd seen a female redstart among the sparrows drinking at the water's edge. It wasn't.
I did manage to identify a couple of chimney sweeper moths in the aforementioned meadow. There were some samll white ones drifting around as well but I'm not good enough on moths to know which of many species they could have been. Otherwise a heron and a couple of wagtails were about all I saw. I spent some time wondering about the difference between white wagtail and pied wagtail. I really think I'd need to be with an expert to be sure of it.
This week's bike ride was a bit more interesting. For the first time, there was a really large number of sand martins on the River Nith and they made a fine spectacle swooping around (unfortunately no picture as was still awaiting new camera). Then I stopped at Lochrutton to see if there were any birds moving in the reeds. There were - sparrows and a couple of blackbirds. But heading along the military road on a fast downhill section, a bird momentarily settled in the hedgerow and, from its profile showing a dark tail with white edging and a mottled breast, I was able to identify it as a female linnet. Not bad for a two second sighting at 20 m.p.h!
Approaching Kirkgunzeon, I heard - not for the first time here - some birdsong I could not recognise and, eyes streaming with hay fever again, the only indistinct sighting I got looked like a chaffinch with wing bar but chaffinches don't sing like that. Stopping at the stream there, oddly known as Kirkgunzeon Lane, I did momentarily think I'd seen a female redstart among the sparrows drinking at the water's edge. It wasn't.
Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Wednesday 8th June Part II
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| Flowers by road |
So we moved on to the unofficial feeding station near Bogle Bridge, where nuthatch and the three main tits turned up immediately though interest in the nuts I fed them was halting.
Moving on to the Craigadam Woodland area we started to have better luck. While driving the car along in low gear a willow tit paraded itself on the drystone dyke. We got out for a brief walk and
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| Broom |
Then to my pleasure, we heard the cuckoo again, probably four or five times. I had doubted but hoped that Malcolm would at least hear one but hereby lies a bit of a controversy as my understanding from the telly was that cuckoos are the earliest birds to leave the country and often do so by the end of May. The RSPB book suggests however that they may be around until August. Could there be a bit of a North South divide on this one? I don't think I've heard cuckoos after June at any rate.
Continuing the second gear journey through the Glenkilns, there was even better luck when we got a view of a brownish bird sitting on a fencepost that proved to be a whinchat, so it was good after the non-appearance of willow tit at Ken Dee Marshes that Malcolm had the chance to see a genuinely scarce bird.
This was quite near where I sighted the whinchat a couple of weeks ago so we stopped there again and there was another probable whinchat sitting on the fenceposts there but it was hard to make out against the light and the brown vegetation in the background.
Further along there were a good number of meadow pipits about but they wouldn't pose for long and weren't parachuting. The skylark was only heard fleetingly.
The other thing we didn't see on Friday or Sunday was very much evidence of birds of prey. this perhaps confirms the message we got on the goshawk hunt last March, when the ranger pointed out that they tend not to be active if the wind is low.
We made another brief excurdion along the path from Roukin Bridge as I reckoned it looked possible for redstarts. We didn't see any but it does. I may well return.
Wednesday 8th June Part I
Last Wednesday's bike ride turned into a time trial rather than a nature watch but a visit from Malcolm gave the opportunity to make a couple of excursions into birdland.
On Friday we decided on an evening trip to the Ken Dee Marshes Reserve, my personal agenda being the continuing pursuit of summer visitors as well as the chance for Malcolm to see things he hasn't encountered before. I was also hoping that an evening visit might be more productive than the last couple of late morning sessions.
Frankly, the reserve proved somewhat frugal in revealing its potential. A possible explanation was the large colony of nesting black-headed gulls that have colonised the islands between the two main hides. Noticeably there was not much non-gull life out on the lagoon apart from a couple of sunbathing tourists on the far bank of Loch Ken. Remarks in the logbook suggested that other species are not best mates with black-headed gulls.
The feeders did at least attract male and female woodpeckers, a great tit and eventually a rather pale looking nuthatch, presumably a female.
On the way to and back from the second hide, I did at least manage to identify a spotted flycatcher emerging from the nesting boxes. Of redstart there was (as ever at this location) no visible sign and we did not hear the wood warbler singing, though we did both have the experience of thinking that birds emerging from nesting boxes looked too yellow to be flycatchers. Surely not?.. More likely to have been blue tits.
As last year even pied flycatcher seemed to be a bit of an isolated experience rather than the frequent one encountered in past years. ON the feeder at the now somewhat dilapidated hide, woodpecker and nuthatch duly reappeared.
There wasn't anything else on the way back to the car park, where a singing song thrush displaying clearly at the top of a nearby tree kind of ironised the whole experience.
On Friday we decided on an evening trip to the Ken Dee Marshes Reserve, my personal agenda being the continuing pursuit of summer visitors as well as the chance for Malcolm to see things he hasn't encountered before. I was also hoping that an evening visit might be more productive than the last couple of late morning sessions.
Frankly, the reserve proved somewhat frugal in revealing its potential. A possible explanation was the large colony of nesting black-headed gulls that have colonised the islands between the two main hides. Noticeably there was not much non-gull life out on the lagoon apart from a couple of sunbathing tourists on the far bank of Loch Ken. Remarks in the logbook suggested that other species are not best mates with black-headed gulls.
The feeders did at least attract male and female woodpeckers, a great tit and eventually a rather pale looking nuthatch, presumably a female.
On the way to and back from the second hide, I did at least manage to identify a spotted flycatcher emerging from the nesting boxes. Of redstart there was (as ever at this location) no visible sign and we did not hear the wood warbler singing, though we did both have the experience of thinking that birds emerging from nesting boxes looked too yellow to be flycatchers. Surely not?.. More likely to have been blue tits.
As last year even pied flycatcher seemed to be a bit of an isolated experience rather than the frequent one encountered in past years. ON the feeder at the now somewhat dilapidated hide, woodpecker and nuthatch duly reappeared.
There wasn't anything else on the way back to the car park, where a singing song thrush displaying clearly at the top of a nearby tree kind of ironised the whole experience.
Sunday, 29 May 2016
Sunday 29th May
A week of contrasts has just elapsed.
I was messing around in the garden on Monday when I was pleased to hear the shrieking of a group of swifts as they skimmed round the rooftops. My first reaction was that it wass early to hear them as I normally think of them as turning up in early June. Anyway, for the record it was 23rd May.
On Tuesday, noting that the weather was starting to break, I decided on a trip to Wood of Cree to check for summer visitors, in particular wood warbler. Signs were promising at the otter car park where willow warblers were playing by the river and a couple of orange tips drifted by. But on two brief walks I saw neither wood warbler, nor redstart, nor pied flycatcher. Other birds were calling but not showing and all I could muster in the woods was a wren and, in spite of observing several nesting boxes, one blue tit.
Although the scenery on the way there and in the Wood was beautiful, the only thing I spotted of note was the first small copper butterfly of the summer. Both Tuesday's walk and the one to Castramon last week were in the mid morning and early pm, so I wonder if my timing wasn't good. Another notable factor was that on neither walk did I hear a chiffchaff. I am quite surprised not to have seen the pied flycatcher as they would normally be present in some numbers by late May.
Wednesday's bike ride to Dalry brought better fortune. After an early start I paused briefly to check the sand martins on the River Nith, having forgotten to mention they were already around last Wednesday.
I had decided to go via Loch Urr for the first time and was pleased I did. A strange occurrence just
before the turn off to the loch was when a small group of sheep were encountered ambling along the road in front of a lady's car coming the other way. I stopped the bike but as they came level with me, the sheep decided to bolt into a big hawthorn bush on the opposite side of the road. One ram, who had managed to get snagged on the bush and a lamb doubled back behind the car and so ended up running down the road for a half a mile in front of me on the bike, as if I was pursuing them, the ram curiously still trailing a large sprig of hawthorn in his wool.
On reaching the turn off, they decided on the Loch Urr route too, so in the end I must have followed them for over a mile before the ram saw sense and lead the lamb off onto the moor, where he continued to eye me with considerable suspicion.
The moor on the way up to Loch Urr was a bit of a revelation as I have never seen as many meadow pipits in an area before, many of them calling and parachuting away in display. Loch Urr itself was a bit bleak and I got pretty chilly in the east wind when stopping for a break. There was however a field full of greylag geese in the field before it.
On the A702 towards Dalry a cuckoos was audible and a couple of red kites were wheeling around. I have never explored this road and there are a lot of attractive niches.
On the way back from Dalry and struggling increasingly against the wind, I made a break up the hill from Bogle Bridge where there is a bit of an unofficial feeding station. Nothing happened for ten minutes but in the end a female nuthatch and a some coal and blue tits turned up and poked around the leaves a few feet from where I was sitting. Just as I made ready to get moving, a squirrel ran down the tree next to me before scurrying off. I noticed it was interestingly coloured, top half red and bottom half maroon.
On the way past Craigadam Woodlands another cuckoo was audible and I saw a quick flash of a siskin flying out of a tree on the outskirts of Dumfries.
I was messing around in the garden on Monday when I was pleased to hear the shrieking of a group of swifts as they skimmed round the rooftops. My first reaction was that it wass early to hear them as I normally think of them as turning up in early June. Anyway, for the record it was 23rd May.
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| Wood of Cree |
Although the scenery on the way there and in the Wood was beautiful, the only thing I spotted of note was the first small copper butterfly of the summer. Both Tuesday's walk and the one to Castramon last week were in the mid morning and early pm, so I wonder if my timing wasn't good. Another notable factor was that on neither walk did I hear a chiffchaff. I am quite surprised not to have seen the pied flycatcher as they would normally be present in some numbers by late May.
Wednesday's bike ride to Dalry brought better fortune. After an early start I paused briefly to check the sand martins on the River Nith, having forgotten to mention they were already around last Wednesday.
I had decided to go via Loch Urr for the first time and was pleased I did. A strange occurrence just
 |
| Suspicious ram with hawthorn attached |
On reaching the turn off, they decided on the Loch Urr route too, so in the end I must have followed them for over a mile before the ram saw sense and lead the lamb off onto the moor, where he continued to eye me with considerable suspicion.
The moor on the way up to Loch Urr was a bit of a revelation as I have never seen as many meadow pipits in an area before, many of them calling and parachuting away in display. Loch Urr itself was a bit bleak and I got pretty chilly in the east wind when stopping for a break. There was however a field full of greylag geese in the field before it.
On the A702 towards Dalry a cuckoos was audible and a couple of red kites were wheeling around. I have never explored this road and there are a lot of attractive niches.
On the way back from Dalry and struggling increasingly against the wind, I made a break up the hill from Bogle Bridge where there is a bit of an unofficial feeding station. Nothing happened for ten minutes but in the end a female nuthatch and a some coal and blue tits turned up and poked around the leaves a few feet from where I was sitting. Just as I made ready to get moving, a squirrel ran down the tree next to me before scurrying off. I noticed it was interestingly coloured, top half red and bottom half maroon.
On the way past Craigadam Woodlands another cuckoo was audible and I saw a quick flash of a siskin flying out of a tree on the outskirts of Dumfries.
Thursday, 19 May 2016
Thursday 19th May
It's amazing how interesting species can turn up all of a sudden in quick succession.
Last Wednesday I deliberately planned a bike route through Laurieston Forest that would give me a chance of seeing a cuckoo. A couple of years ago one of the guys that cycle on Wednesday got a really good view of one just on the Forest edge.
Once up there, a cuckoo was about and easy enough to hear but obviously at a fair distance. On the way back from Twynholm I saw an orange tip butterfly for the second time (first was on a brief ride on the previous Sunday) plus a couple of goldfinches.
This Tuesday there were clear signs that the dry weather that had prevailed for over a week was on the way out, I decided on a trip to Castramon Woods in the hope of a pied flycatcher, wood warbler or redstart...
Frustratingly there was plenty of birdsong around but everything was up in the tree canopy and not really showing. No wood warblers calling at all. Apart from various tits, the birds I saw most were male blackcaps and interestingly in greater numbers than I've seen before and no females. The disappointment for the lack of sightings was partly made up for by the beautiful spread of bluebells that covered virtually the whole of the woods. Stunning!
On the point of leaving, I heard a cuckoo calling up the valley, but once again at some distance.
Yesterday's bike ride was to Crocketford. To allow a bit of relaxation time, I decided on the shortest
way their via Lochfoot, not the most obvious choice for potential spottings.
But just after crossing the A75, I noticed a constant churring and grumbling sound coming from the hedgerow and stopped the bike parallel with what I fairly quickly worked out had to be a reed warbler, singing away twenty to the dozen. Of course it took fright when I made to get the camera out no more than three yards away but I was most surprised for it to turn up on agricultural land a good mile away from the loch. Apparently newly arrived migrants can do this sometimes.
At the loch itself I saw a reed bunting in the reeds. Although nothing new, it is a while since I saw one.
Part of the thinking in setting out late was to take time on the way back in an attempt to see a cuckoo coming through the Glenkilns where I saw one for the first time. I duly stopped at the Craigadam Woodland, scene of my last success, and heard nothing. Moving on to the eastern end of the Craigadam area, I stopped at the far track and found I could hear a cuckoo, again in the distance. I stayed and it seemed to be geeting a bit nearer, though still back up the forest path.
Eventually moving on, I reckoned I could hear it again. Looking up I saw a bird in flight that might well have been a cuckoo, probably moving round after the ladies.
At this point I stopped and happened to see another bird, playing around on the dead twigs in the moorland. It looked very light in colour initially, so, discounting a pipit, I got the binoculars out for a closer look. It hung aroud, retiring to the fence posts and I noticed that it had a strong head pattern and a reddish breast that only showed when the light was on it. So it dawned on me it was a whinchat, no rarity perhaps but not a common sighting either.
At this point, I heard cuckoo noises again and turned around just in time to see him, settling in a tree just down the road. It was only a brief sighting as it also fled quickly when I got the camera out, but it was a bit closer than when I've seen them before. All I had for a souvenir was a photo of the tree, but never mind...
Last Wednesday I deliberately planned a bike route through Laurieston Forest that would give me a chance of seeing a cuckoo. A couple of years ago one of the guys that cycle on Wednesday got a really good view of one just on the Forest edge.
Once up there, a cuckoo was about and easy enough to hear but obviously at a fair distance. On the way back from Twynholm I saw an orange tip butterfly for the second time (first was on a brief ride on the previous Sunday) plus a couple of goldfinches.
 |
| Bluebells at Castramon Woods |
Frustratingly there was plenty of birdsong around but everything was up in the tree canopy and not really showing. No wood warblers calling at all. Apart from various tits, the birds I saw most were male blackcaps and interestingly in greater numbers than I've seen before and no females. The disappointment for the lack of sightings was partly made up for by the beautiful spread of bluebells that covered virtually the whole of the woods. Stunning!
On the point of leaving, I heard a cuckoo calling up the valley, but once again at some distance.
Yesterday's bike ride was to Crocketford. To allow a bit of relaxation time, I decided on the shortest
way their via Lochfoot, not the most obvious choice for potential spottings.
But just after crossing the A75, I noticed a constant churring and grumbling sound coming from the hedgerow and stopped the bike parallel with what I fairly quickly worked out had to be a reed warbler, singing away twenty to the dozen. Of course it took fright when I made to get the camera out no more than three yards away but I was most surprised for it to turn up on agricultural land a good mile away from the loch. Apparently newly arrived migrants can do this sometimes.
At the loch itself I saw a reed bunting in the reeds. Although nothing new, it is a while since I saw one.
Part of the thinking in setting out late was to take time on the way back in an attempt to see a cuckoo coming through the Glenkilns where I saw one for the first time. I duly stopped at the Craigadam Woodland, scene of my last success, and heard nothing. Moving on to the eastern end of the Craigadam area, I stopped at the far track and found I could hear a cuckoo, again in the distance. I stayed and it seemed to be geeting a bit nearer, though still back up the forest path.
Eventually moving on, I reckoned I could hear it again. Looking up I saw a bird in flight that might well have been a cuckoo, probably moving round after the ladies.
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| Female Whinchat - honest! |
At this point, I heard cuckoo noises again and turned around just in time to see him, settling in a tree just down the road. It was only a brief sighting as it also fled quickly when I got the camera out, but it was a bit closer than when I've seen them before. All I had for a souvenir was a photo of the tree, but never mind...
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| This tree had a cuckoo on it - honest! |
Saturday, 7 May 2016
Saturday 7th May
Still playing catch up...
On Wednesday it was back to what has become somewhat usual - a testing bike ride in rather challenging, windy conditions so that the concentration was more on the road on the wildlife.
Managed a stop at Loch Arthur for half an hour, where I did however see some swallows and house martins flying over the water surface in the search for flies, plus a great crested grebe and a diving cormorant. A question arose as to why I did not see any swallows when I was in Italy last week?? And so here's a theory: the birds need to spend more time in Northern Europe than Southern Europe in order to get enough food to feed their offspring and nourish themselves for the flight back to Africa.
Whether this idea has any sense in it, I really do not know. I do however remember comparing notes with a German friend who told me one Autumn that swallows had already left Thuringia when I was still seeing them in Scotland, which struck me at the time as strange. The grebe incidentally was only just developing his crest.
Today took part in a walk from Whitehaven to St. Bees with the Amnesty West Cumbria Group, a total of about fifteen miles. This is the first and only time I have walked that far, and I had wondered how well I would cope, as I often notice on birdwatching trips that I am quite tired after about six miles.
Well I was fine, although I saw comparatively little in the way of birdlife on the walk. I think the main reason is that the pace was so much faster than when idling around scanning the horizon for birds. There were a couple of magpies and pipits, some skylarks and the odd cormorant. And I did get the chance to photograph this guillemot colony, although did not attempt to count guillemots.
Another thing that is prejudicial to birdwatching on a long walk is the use of walking sticks. Although much appreciated in terms of getting through the walk, you really need to keep your eyes on the ground to see where you are going to put them.
I was pleased to manage the walk, but for nature purposes, I prefer to take things more slowly.
On Wednesday it was back to what has become somewhat usual - a testing bike ride in rather challenging, windy conditions so that the concentration was more on the road on the wildlife.
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| Loch Arthur |
Whether this idea has any sense in it, I really do not know. I do however remember comparing notes with a German friend who told me one Autumn that swallows had already left Thuringia when I was still seeing them in Scotland, which struck me at the time as strange. The grebe incidentally was only just developing his crest.
Today took part in a walk from Whitehaven to St. Bees with the Amnesty West Cumbria Group, a total of about fifteen miles. This is the first and only time I have walked that far, and I had wondered how well I would cope, as I often notice on birdwatching trips that I am quite tired after about six miles.
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| Guillemots |
Another thing that is prejudicial to birdwatching on a long walk is the use of walking sticks. Although much appreciated in terms of getting through the walk, you really need to keep your eyes on the ground to see where you are going to put them.
I was pleased to manage the walk, but for nature purposes, I prefer to take things more slowly.
Thursday, 5 May 2016
Thursday 5th May
I'm playing catch up again here.
Not much more happened mid April until I departed for my planned holiday in Naples. This should have included a couple of nature outings, but inconsistent weather and poor local cycling limited the scope to get outdoors a little. The main trip I did manage was to the Parco Virgiliano along the Naples peninsular at Posillipo. This is pretty much an urban Sunday stroll but on the 24th, cooler
temperatures and occasional showers perhaps reduced visitor numbers.
The approach to the park is lined by rows of massive conifers that I was pleased to identify as stone pines, though I had less luck in identifying subsequent local species of tree apart from some almond willows and some lemon trees already in fruit.
During some intermittent spells of sunshine, a couple of wall butterflies and a red admiral showed themselves but, curiously, it wasn't until I was sheltering under a disused ice cream stand that I started to pick out some of the bird species.
A serin parked itself on top of an unpromising bare treetop a few yards away and shortly afterwards, a pair of hooded crows settled briefly in roughly the same area. Apart from a very dubious possible
sighting at Balcary some time back, this is the first time I've seen them, so it was a pity they couldn't stay to pose for the camera.
I had been seeing some sparrow like birds creeping around in the hedgerows and tree foliage. Whilst again sheltering briefly next to the ladies toilets (!), I found I was seeing them again while looking up into a shrub with spiky red flowers that I believe was a callistemon.
A little bit of book work in my German Book of European Birds revealed that it was in fact an italian (cisalpine) sparrow, an
interesting species or sub-species depending on your point of view. The opinion of the German Book of European Birds is that it is a cross between a house sparrow and a spanish sparrow (Weidensperling). Little matter - it basically looks like a house sparrow with a totally brown head.
More italian sparrows and serins turned up at different times and I also identified a couple of mail blackcaps. They looked a bit slimmer and more agile than UK blackcaps, but I decided they weren't sardinian warblers (Samtkopf-Grasmücke). These matters get very complicated in mainland Europe!
Two days later I was visiting Pompeii and, although not on nature alert, was pleased to see a swallowtail and a couple more wall butterflies on the wing, as well as a few wall lizards creeping over the remains. I didn't allow myself to check out the birdlife, as there is more than enough to see at Pompeii in a day.
Altogether a pleasing result for what threatened to be a non-nature holiday.
Not much more happened mid April until I departed for my planned holiday in Naples. This should have included a couple of nature outings, but inconsistent weather and poor local cycling limited the scope to get outdoors a little. The main trip I did manage was to the Parco Virgiliano along the Naples peninsular at Posillipo. This is pretty much an urban Sunday stroll but on the 24th, cooler
 |
| Stone Pines |
The approach to the park is lined by rows of massive conifers that I was pleased to identify as stone pines, though I had less luck in identifying subsequent local species of tree apart from some almond willows and some lemon trees already in fruit.
During some intermittent spells of sunshine, a couple of wall butterflies and a red admiral showed themselves but, curiously, it wasn't until I was sheltering under a disused ice cream stand that I started to pick out some of the bird species.
A serin parked itself on top of an unpromising bare treetop a few yards away and shortly afterwards, a pair of hooded crows settled briefly in roughly the same area. Apart from a very dubious possible
 |
| Callistemon |
I had been seeing some sparrow like birds creeping around in the hedgerows and tree foliage. Whilst again sheltering briefly next to the ladies toilets (!), I found I was seeing them again while looking up into a shrub with spiky red flowers that I believe was a callistemon.
A little bit of book work in my German Book of European Birds revealed that it was in fact an italian (cisalpine) sparrow, an
 |
| Italian Sparrow |
More italian sparrows and serins turned up at different times and I also identified a couple of mail blackcaps. They looked a bit slimmer and more agile than UK blackcaps, but I decided they weren't sardinian warblers (Samtkopf-Grasmücke). These matters get very complicated in mainland Europe!
Two days later I was visiting Pompeii and, although not on nature alert, was pleased to see a swallowtail and a couple more wall butterflies on the wing, as well as a few wall lizards creeping over the remains. I didn't allow myself to check out the birdlife, as there is more than enough to see at Pompeii in a day.
Altogether a pleasing result for what threatened to be a non-nature holiday.
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| Spot the wall lizard |
Friday, 8 April 2016
Friday 8th April
Things often happen unexpectedly. Last Sunday I headed off to buy a paper at the local shop and happened to notice about a dozen birds in the treetops on the road up I hadn't seen before. I couldn't make out much in the prevailing light beyond some pale colouring and shortish length. So having retrieved the paper I went back out with the binoculars and realised quickly they were siskins, feeling slightly annoyed I hadn't recognised their twitterings.
Siskin was also the first bird I saw on Tuesday, when I set off on a lone bike ride towards Annandale having decided the Wednesday group ride would be a washout. Two siskins were sitting on the ground on a farmer's field doing not much apparently.
Skylarks were much in abundance again. I heard them calling in five or six different locations, though only once near enough to observe. I also heard curlew and a lapwing that I saw briefly in passing.
The early afternoon was fine and there was a heron flyng over a field, a couple of magpies and a mobbed buzzard. Not observed however were tree sparrow or linnet, or indeed any form of butterfly.
On the way back there was a dead pheasant on the roadside so I pinched a couple of its tail feathers for the cat.
Siskin was also the first bird I saw on Tuesday, when I set off on a lone bike ride towards Annandale having decided the Wednesday group ride would be a washout. Two siskins were sitting on the ground on a farmer's field doing not much apparently.
Skylarks were much in abundance again. I heard them calling in five or six different locations, though only once near enough to observe. I also heard curlew and a lapwing that I saw briefly in passing.
The early afternoon was fine and there was a heron flyng over a field, a couple of magpies and a mobbed buzzard. Not observed however were tree sparrow or linnet, or indeed any form of butterfly.
On the way back there was a dead pheasant on the roadside so I pinched a couple of its tail feathers for the cat.
Friday, 1 April 2016
Friday 1st April
Mixed weather has again brought mixed fortunes on the nature front.
On Tuesday I did a tour of Mersehead Reserve in the hope mainly of seeing some lapwings displaying. There wasn't much around in the fields except a couple of flocks of remaining barnacles. There was more action on the ponds where tufted duck (maybe one scaup), shoveller, wigeon, pintail, whooper swan and shelduck were all apparent.
At the reserve building there had been a sign saying the first chiffchaff had been heard that day. I certainly heard one on the way to Meida Hide and managed to capture the song (though not the actual bird!) on this video in spite of competition from the background rookery.
I did manage to see one on the way to the seashore and think there were about three or four birds actively calling.
A couple of stonechats were playing on the fenceposts near the shore, the first time I've seen them there in several visits. But the most numerous bird on the second half of the walk was definitely the skylark, several of them plying the heavens with their songful ascents and sudden plunges that I still do not understand the meaning of. There were a few pipits and, yes, some lapwings too - but they weren't displaying.
The bike ride the following day was again affected by rain for half of the run, but there were a couple of red kites and a field full of about 50 greylags between Rhonehouse and Twynholm. I checked them over and could see no other species of goose among them.
On Tuesday I did a tour of Mersehead Reserve in the hope mainly of seeing some lapwings displaying. There wasn't much around in the fields except a couple of flocks of remaining barnacles. There was more action on the ponds where tufted duck (maybe one scaup), shoveller, wigeon, pintail, whooper swan and shelduck were all apparent.
At the reserve building there had been a sign saying the first chiffchaff had been heard that day. I certainly heard one on the way to Meida Hide and managed to capture the song (though not the actual bird!) on this video in spite of competition from the background rookery.
A couple of stonechats were playing on the fenceposts near the shore, the first time I've seen them there in several visits. But the most numerous bird on the second half of the walk was definitely the skylark, several of them plying the heavens with their songful ascents and sudden plunges that I still do not understand the meaning of. There were a few pipits and, yes, some lapwings too - but they weren't displaying.
The bike ride the following day was again affected by rain for half of the run, but there were a couple of red kites and a field full of about 50 greylags between Rhonehouse and Twynholm. I checked them over and could see no other species of goose among them.
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| Selection of Greylags |
Sunday, 27 March 2016
Sunday 27th March
Back to wintry weather for most of Wednesday's bike ride and also to reduced sightings.
It started well enough with a nice thrush active on the cycle track, followed up by a couple of goosanders on Lochrutton Loch and, most interestingly, a small number of greylag geese in the fields just past Lochfoot. I certainly haven't seen them there before.
As the colder, rainy weather moved in, the ability and willpower to heep a good lookout faded and much of the ride was about survival. There were a couple of buzzards around and lots of seagulls.
It started well enough with a nice thrush active on the cycle track, followed up by a couple of goosanders on Lochrutton Loch and, most interestingly, a small number of greylag geese in the fields just past Lochfoot. I certainly haven't seen them there before.
As the colder, rainy weather moved in, the ability and willpower to heep a good lookout faded and much of the ride was about survival. There were a couple of buzzards around and lots of seagulls.
Sunday, 20 March 2016
Sunday 20th February
Things have looked up on the birdwatching front as slightly more pleasant weather reached Dumfries and Galloway over the past 10 days, during which it has not rained at all (!) and some days have proved quite sunny.
I took advantage of the opportunity on Thursday, when I took the train out to Gretna and cycled back at gentle pace to Dumfries hoping to see a few things on the loops off the 'low road' via Cycle Track 7. I must have missed a signpost as I ended up riding straight to Eastriggs, but on the next loop towards Annan, I noticed a large flock of birds flying overhead and tweeting away merrily before landing on the telegraph wires in the distance.
My first reaction was that they would probably be goldfinches, but on getting out the binoculars I could see that they had nowhere near enough colour about them. Annoyingly they had their backs to me, but I could see they were not chaffinches as they did not have a white wing bar, just a white outline to the tail. I could see that one bird had some streaking on the side of its chest, and then one of them turned round to reveal a reddish breast.
At this point I realised they had to be linnets. In another photograph, I could identify that there were 42 on the wire and that was after some had flown off. This is not untypical for linnets at this time of year but it was the first time I have seen so many together.
From the same place, I had a view of a skylark ascending and on rejoining the tourist route, there was a woodpecker hammering violently in some bare trees but I couldn't get a view of it.
I stopped for lunch near Powfoot Golf Course where a couple more linnets flew over. After that the wind got a bit more chilly and I rode faster towards home, only hearing some curlew and seeing a couple of buzzards.
On Saturday I was at Cragside House in Northumberland, where there wasn't much active on a still, cool day barring a few small trout. But there were a couple of duck diving on the same lake and I was able to identify that they were scaup. If I have seen scaup before I don't remember it or haven't known it, so that was pleasing.
Just before leaving this morning, there was a greenfinch at the top of a conifer, singing his head off.
I took advantage of the opportunity on Thursday, when I took the train out to Gretna and cycled back at gentle pace to Dumfries hoping to see a few things on the loops off the 'low road' via Cycle Track 7. I must have missed a signpost as I ended up riding straight to Eastriggs, but on the next loop towards Annan, I noticed a large flock of birds flying overhead and tweeting away merrily before landing on the telegraph wires in the distance.
My first reaction was that they would probably be goldfinches, but on getting out the binoculars I could see that they had nowhere near enough colour about them. Annoyingly they had their backs to me, but I could see they were not chaffinches as they did not have a white wing bar, just a white outline to the tail. I could see that one bird had some streaking on the side of its chest, and then one of them turned round to reveal a reddish breast.
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| Linnets On Wire |
From the same place, I had a view of a skylark ascending and on rejoining the tourist route, there was a woodpecker hammering violently in some bare trees but I couldn't get a view of it.
I stopped for lunch near Powfoot Golf Course where a couple more linnets flew over. After that the wind got a bit more chilly and I rode faster towards home, only hearing some curlew and seeing a couple of buzzards.
On Saturday I was at Cragside House in Northumberland, where there wasn't much active on a still, cool day barring a few small trout. But there were a couple of duck diving on the same lake and I was able to identify that they were scaup. If I have seen scaup before I don't remember it or haven't known it, so that was pleasing.
Just before leaving this morning, there was a greenfinch at the top of a conifer, singing his head off.
Sunday, 13 March 2016
Sunday 13th March
Wednesday's bike ride was to Thornhill and the approach to Portrack seemed promising. A lot of singing was heard from the trees,a flock of goldfinches flew high over the trees and a small volley of yellowhammer passed over the hedgerow. There was also a slightly mottled bird with some tail decoreation that didn't look spotty enough anyway to be a redwing or a fieldfare. I wondered about golden plover as I got the binoculars out just before it made off, but didn't convince myself.
After that there was just a heron standing in a farmer's field (why do they do that?) and a fleeting buzzard. However, I did get a puncture and after that was more concerned with getting home in a sensible time than anything else.
On Friday I finally got round to my first attempt at flyfishing at Alderneuk Fishery but typically, the sport went off during the day while I slowly learned the art of casting a fly line. In spite of a lot of water-whipping I didn't get anything in my net until I packed up (see below).
Today has been considerably warmer and the fish have been belting frenetically round the pond in the garden. This seems to be a futile attempt at mating activity. Also got out for a quick walk around Crichton Gardens listening for chiffchaffs, but no luck.
P.s. I forgot to add that last Monday (7th March) I saw my first butterfly of 2016, parading past the window of a friend's living room. It was a red admiral.
After that there was just a heron standing in a farmer's field (why do they do that?) and a fleeting buzzard. However, I did get a puncture and after that was more concerned with getting home in a sensible time than anything else.
On Friday I finally got round to my first attempt at flyfishing at Alderneuk Fishery but typically, the sport went off during the day while I slowly learned the art of casting a fly line. In spite of a lot of water-whipping I didn't get anything in my net until I packed up (see below).
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| 5 lb Catfish? |
P.s. I forgot to add that last Monday (7th March) I saw my first butterfly of 2016, parading past the window of a friend's living room. It was a red admiral.
Thursday, 3 March 2016
Thursday 3rd March
It's really been a case of little to report over the past ten days. Last week's bike ride was a 'saw nothing, heard next to nothing event' and, to my surprise, so was the walk I went on at the north end of Ae Forest last Saturday. After four hours all I had seen was a couple of blue tits and a robin and was left wondering whether the new windfarm had anything to do with it. Then, on the way back to way back to the car, a couple of dippers showed themselves briefly on the Ae Water, which was incidentally incredibly clear so that you could see straight down into a pool about 10' deep - and that it was totally empty of fish.
Yesterday I decided on a long bike ride down the west side of the Nith estuary and it was a similar story. Even usual bankers like goldfinch and buzzard were not appearing. Then coming back over the moors, I saw two red kites being mobbed by a bunch of corbids a bit north of Fallgunzeon Farm. This is certainly not the furthest east they've been seen, but I haven't noticed them in this area before, which is a good way from their original haunt on the far side of Loch Ken.
Yesterday I decided on a long bike ride down the west side of the Nith estuary and it was a similar story. Even usual bankers like goldfinch and buzzard were not appearing. Then coming back over the moors, I saw two red kites being mobbed by a bunch of corbids a bit north of Fallgunzeon Farm. This is certainly not the furthest east they've been seen, but I haven't noticed them in this area before, which is a good way from their original haunt on the far side of Loch Ken.
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| Red Kites
Then on the military road just after Milton, there was a kestrel hovering - always good to see but these days you see one where a decade ago you would have seen ten. At times I wonder if there's just less birds around than even two years ago.
Today however, as if to call me a liar, there was a small flock of goldfinches sitting in the hedgerow as I made my way along the cycle track after dropping the car off. Then there was a row of dunnocks in the tops of the smaller trees, singing for all they were worth. A lot of birds were singing in fact, and my thoughts turned happily to spring. |
Thursday, 11 February 2016
Thursday 11th February
I am playing catch-up again here as various domestic disasters have combined to distract my attention.
Last Wednesday I managed the bike ride to Moniaive in nice sunny conditions, but also very chilly once in mid Nithsdale. There was a good view of a meadow pipit going up towards Newtonairds and further up another reasonable flock of redwings. Not quite sure where the fieldfares are, unless I'm missing them.
On the way back I noticed a clump of snowdrops that were almost out before joining a couple of others for a pacey ride as far as the Old Water bridge. But getting back home, I noticed a clump in my garden that were nearly in bloom too. No news there then!
In the garden, I'm astounded that the fish in my pond are still feeding regularly, even including the orfe, who usually disappear all winter long. This is testament to the mild if stormy weather. Last night the pond froze for only the third time and I'm shocked to see the lawn already needs mowing. I'm already sowing seeds for butterfly friendly plants indoors, thinking they might be going out surprisingly early.
Yesterday things got a little more interesting on my travels. Coming down from the Glenkilns toward Bogle Bridge, I stopped at the place where someone is obviously feeding the birds on a regular basis. as soon as I sat down on the wall, the coal and blue tits started appearing, so I started throwing some bits of apple out towards the tree and, sure enough, they came down to feed, later joined by a chaffinch and nuthatch. None of them seemed especially perturbed by the arrival of a mewing buzzard a hundred yards back.
Last Wednesday I managed the bike ride to Moniaive in nice sunny conditions, but also very chilly once in mid Nithsdale. There was a good view of a meadow pipit going up towards Newtonairds and further up another reasonable flock of redwings. Not quite sure where the fieldfares are, unless I'm missing them.
On the way back I noticed a clump of snowdrops that were almost out before joining a couple of others for a pacey ride as far as the Old Water bridge. But getting back home, I noticed a clump in my garden that were nearly in bloom too. No news there then!
In the garden, I'm astounded that the fish in my pond are still feeding regularly, even including the orfe, who usually disappear all winter long. This is testament to the mild if stormy weather. Last night the pond froze for only the third time and I'm shocked to see the lawn already needs mowing. I'm already sowing seeds for butterfly friendly plants indoors, thinking they might be going out surprisingly early.
Yesterday things got a little more interesting on my travels. Coming down from the Glenkilns toward Bogle Bridge, I stopped at the place where someone is obviously feeding the birds on a regular basis. as soon as I sat down on the wall, the coal and blue tits started appearing, so I started throwing some bits of apple out towards the tree and, sure enough, they came down to feed, later joined by a chaffinch and nuthatch. None of them seemed especially perturbed by the arrival of a mewing buzzard a hundred yards back.
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| How many birdies? What kind? |
Then just as I was thinking of heading home, a red quirrel turned up and started hunting for the apple chunks the birds had missed. Not sure if this gives the impression fully, but s/he actually got no more than a couple of arms lengths away:
After that I took a few steps back and tried to catch him again, but he went camera shy and, after a couple of peeks over the wall, decided to run off into the beech trees.
Thursday, 21 January 2016
Thursday 21 January
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| Winter at last! |
On the way back, took a little detour via the Ken Dee Marshes area and was glad I did. A number of buzzards and red kites were wheeling around and showing well above the road over from Laurieston. There was one buzzard who did not take part and sat moping in a tree as I cycled right by.
Then a flight of redwing took off from another tree, again before I could very close up. I'm sure they dislike my cycling jacket.
Then on the way back towards Glenlochar, I observed fascinated as three youngish roe deer did a steeplechase through the fields, outpacing the bike until they ended up by the road and the first one crossed the road just in front of me before the others panicked and doubled back.
Last a small clump of snowdrops, not quite out, reminded me I must start thinking what to get for the garden this year. I think I'm going to go for butterfly friendly plants and maybe leave a strip of lawn to go 'back to nature'.
Saturday, 16 January 2016
Saturday 16th January
Spent a few days in Northumberland, which resulted in a lengthy walk at Low Newton. Part of the idea was to check out the nature reserve that we discovered exists behind the Ship Inn - which was probably the source of the yellow-browed warbler reported in an earlier post.
In fact the beach was the main source of action. Spent some time watching a cormorant sitting on a pile of rocks in the first bay, wondering if it might be a shag - interesting to find on researching more today that, according to bird-x.com 'There is no clear distinction between the term "cormorant" and "shag". ' Now that I didn't know!
Some usual suspects started turning up, i.e. greenshank, redshank and sanderling. Further out some tufted ducks were fishing and once we passed a large outcrop of rocks, I was able to identify a pair of eider ducks even further out, messing around in the surface swell - so a first sighting.
On the way back to the pub, a large number of smaller birds were messing around by the kelp brought up by storms and I figured out they were rock pipits - another first sighting! By this time I was glad I had brought the bird book along, even though my fingers got pretty cold every time I got it out. Just heading off the beach there were a few stonechats in the dunes. I didn't need the bird book for them, but it was nice to see them again.
In fact the nature reserve, which was heavily flooded so the full path couldn't be covered, didn't have much to add to this. Apart from more 'shanks, there were some greylag geese on the far side of the pond, too far away to see if other species were among them - plus a few wigeon and a single lapwing.
By now it was getting cold and we made it to the pub.
In fact the beach was the main source of action. Spent some time watching a cormorant sitting on a pile of rocks in the first bay, wondering if it might be a shag - interesting to find on researching more today that, according to bird-x.com 'There is no clear distinction between the term "cormorant" and "shag". ' Now that I didn't know!
Some usual suspects started turning up, i.e. greenshank, redshank and sanderling. Further out some tufted ducks were fishing and once we passed a large outcrop of rocks, I was able to identify a pair of eider ducks even further out, messing around in the surface swell - so a first sighting.
On the way back to the pub, a large number of smaller birds were messing around by the kelp brought up by storms and I figured out they were rock pipits - another first sighting! By this time I was glad I had brought the bird book along, even though my fingers got pretty cold every time I got it out. Just heading off the beach there were a few stonechats in the dunes. I didn't need the bird book for them, but it was nice to see them again.
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| Stonechat |
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| Rock Pipit - honest! |
In fact the nature reserve, which was heavily flooded so the full path couldn't be covered, didn't have much to add to this. Apart from more 'shanks, there were some greylag geese on the far side of the pond, too far away to see if other species were among them - plus a few wigeon and a single lapwing.
By now it was getting cold and we made it to the pub.
Monday, 4 January 2016
Monday 4th January
Took advantage in a break in the weather to make a morning trip to Mersehead RSPB Reserve, taking care to make sure I had the wellies with me.
A quick trip to the Visitor Centre showed a lot of action on the large feeder directly in front of the main window. I very quicly noticed a large number of greenfinches and, amongst the tits and chaffinches, about four or five tree sparrows who kept coming back repeatedly. I have seen them at Mersehead before but otherwise associate them more with Annandale and Cumbria.
The wellie boots were definitely necessary as the path to Bruaich Hide was well flooded. Having passed a rambling roe deer and some of the 7,000 barnacle Geese present, there were pintail ducks, shovelers, teal and widgeon on the water. Another young roe deer showed up on the far side under the trees. I was a bit surprised not to see any whooper swans, having seen them last week. Meida Hide was less rewarding. Apart from a decent close-up of a teal, most other ducks were at a distance. The typology of this area seems to have altered and the water levels appeared uneven.
After that there wasn't much to see on the beech. On the merse there was just one hare running wildly around, as if in pursuit of a lost tortoise, a rabbit and a wren in the dunes.
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| Tree Sparrows and Greenfinch |
The wellie boots were definitely necessary as the path to Bruaich Hide was well flooded. Having passed a rambling roe deer and some of the 7,000 barnacle Geese present, there were pintail ducks, shovelers, teal and widgeon on the water. Another young roe deer showed up on the far side under the trees. I was a bit surprised not to see any whooper swans, having seen them last week. Meida Hide was less rewarding. Apart from a decent close-up of a teal, most other ducks were at a distance. The typology of this area seems to have altered and the water levels appeared uneven.
After that there wasn't much to see on the beech. On the merse there was just one hare running wildly around, as if in pursuit of a lost tortoise, a rabbit and a wren in the dunes.
Saturday, 2 January 2016
Friday 1st January
Hadn't intended to anything taxing today, but with weather closing in again, decided to day was the best day to get out on the bike.
Did a quick tour round the Caerlaverock loop. Saw a couple of buzzards, one of which was being mobbed by 30-50 rooks. There was a jay fussing around a couple of dead trees, and on riding back up the Nith, several hundreds of barnacle geese feeding in the soaking fields.
Last of all I was overflown by a couple of small groups of whooper swans, honking away as they flew.
There was remarkably little sign of flood damage riding up into Dumfries, but a lot of flooded fields and natural debris showing how high the water had been.
Did a quick tour round the Caerlaverock loop. Saw a couple of buzzards, one of which was being mobbed by 30-50 rooks. There was a jay fussing around a couple of dead trees, and on riding back up the Nith, several hundreds of barnacle geese feeding in the soaking fields.
Last of all I was overflown by a couple of small groups of whooper swans, honking away as they flew.
There was remarkably little sign of flood damage riding up into Dumfries, but a lot of flooded fields and natural debris showing how high the water had been.
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