Bike ride to Mitchellslacks. Frustratingly several birds were seen but not identified during the course of the day. Great grey shrike not present but a couple of smaller, reddish birds were on one of its perching places - possibly crossbills? Also one brownish bird of prey gliding between the conifers. Too slight to be goshawk and had pointed wings - merlin??
One bird on skulking on moor by second cattle grid may have been a grouse, but hardly got a look at it.
On way back saw a large flock of thrushlike birds at distance, flitting between trees and grassland. Suspected redwing but could not identify positively. One bird I saw on the other side of the road appeared to have red head and breast markings in a similar patter to a linnet. But another with it had a clear white tip to its tail feathers - probably just a chaffinch.
Overall just one of those days.
Showing posts with label great grey shrike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label great grey shrike. Show all posts
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Monday, 13 February 2012
Monday 13th February
Long bike ride to Ae and Poldivan, then on over moors to Cample, Closeburnmill, Auldgirth, Kirkton. Two bullfinches and goldfinch plus long-tailed tits on the cycleway. Just a buzzard or two on Amisfield Moor. A very yellow looking crossbill just past Mitchellslacks turnoff before Loch Ettrick, only my second sighting although appaently there have been many of them in Ae Forest. This was a very cocky bird that flew down to take grit off the road right in front of the bike at three yards range.
Brief resighting of great grey shrike over lunch on the Poldivan clearing and met Brian Henderson again, who told me that my other target for the area, the merlin, is unlikely to show for a month and suggested looking for the black grouse left of the second cattle grid north.
However the wind got up and it was by then too cold for me to hang around long in cycling gear, or to spot more than a couple of pipits on the moortop. On the way down into the valley saw what I took to be a couple of greylags, except that they had a decided ridge just behind the bill. I do not think they were white-fronted geese and cannot find any photos of greylags with that beak formation.
Completely exhausted after Auldgirth and virtually just letting the wind push me home, I startled a roe deer by Dalswinton Estate.
Brief resighting of great grey shrike over lunch on the Poldivan clearing and met Brian Henderson again, who told me that my other target for the area, the merlin, is unlikely to show for a month and suggested looking for the black grouse left of the second cattle grid north.
However the wind got up and it was by then too cold for me to hang around long in cycling gear, or to spot more than a couple of pipits on the moortop. On the way down into the valley saw what I took to be a couple of greylags, except that they had a decided ridge just behind the bill. I do not think they were white-fronted geese and cannot find any photos of greylags with that beak formation.
Completely exhausted after Auldgirth and virtually just letting the wind push me home, I startled a roe deer by Dalswinton Estate.
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Sunday 29th January
Today goes down as my first ever twitch. Decided I had to get out at short notice and elected to head for Loch Ettrick, where a great grey shrike has been sighted.
Having gone too far up the road to Polvidan, turned back and saw a guy with a bird telescope on the side of the road. Got out and asked him if he was looking for the shrike. He said he was looking at it right now and let me take a look. Sure enough, there it was, on the top of an old tree trunk in a reforested area.
Turns out it is a bloke called Brian Henderson of SOC who is writing a study on shrikes in Scotland! So he was able to pass me on a load of further information. Seemingly the shrike has been eating voles and lizards (in January!) and has also taken a coal tit. It has teeth in its bill to break the neck of its prey, eats the head then leaves the rest stuck on a tree stump for later. Except in this case, a kestrel stole one of its dead voles. Brian has been looking for the pellets it regurgitates and sending them for analysis. He wants to know why they eat the heads of their prey.
He has also told me there are merlins in the area. Overall a very successful day. I took a quick walk through the forest further South and there is a lot of walking potential. All of a sudden I know how I'm going to spend the rest of the winter!
On the way back to the car, I saw a kestrel nosing around the woodpile, as if looking for more dead voles.
Having gone too far up the road to Polvidan, turned back and saw a guy with a bird telescope on the side of the road. Got out and asked him if he was looking for the shrike. He said he was looking at it right now and let me take a look. Sure enough, there it was, on the top of an old tree trunk in a reforested area.
Turns out it is a bloke called Brian Henderson of SOC who is writing a study on shrikes in Scotland! So he was able to pass me on a load of further information. Seemingly the shrike has been eating voles and lizards (in January!) and has also taken a coal tit. It has teeth in its bill to break the neck of its prey, eats the head then leaves the rest stuck on a tree stump for later. Except in this case, a kestrel stole one of its dead voles. Brian has been looking for the pellets it regurgitates and sending them for analysis. He wants to know why they eat the heads of their prey.
He has also told me there are merlins in the area. Overall a very successful day. I took a quick walk through the forest further South and there is a lot of walking potential. All of a sudden I know how I'm going to spend the rest of the winter!
On the way back to the car, I saw a kestrel nosing around the woodpile, as if looking for more dead voles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)