Birdwatcher's Shoulder!

Firstly, a reminder to click on the photos to get an enhanced view and slideshow.

Since my last post I have suffered from what I've termed 'birdwatcher's shoulder'. Whilst restricting my birdwatching, for example I've stopped carrying a 'scope and tripod, it hasn't forced me to stop!

I joined the RSPB Glasgow Group for one of their 'East Coast Magic' trips and this proved to be very pleasant albeit the winds didn't help so there were no rarities to be found. No pictures either as I left my camera at home.

Back in Glasgow, I managed a couple of visits to Hogganfield Park LNR on the 15th and 22nd and was rewarded with 3 birds I had never seen in the LNR before - Common Tern, Skylark and Jay. This brings my life list for the LNR to 104 and my year list to 80; not bad for a park less than 2 miles from Glasgow City Centre.

Common Tern - 15/10/18

Common Tern - 15/10/18

Other birds included Buzzard and Kestrel which were seen on both visits ….

Buzzard - 15/10/18

Kestrel - 15/10/18

I was pleased to see that more Whooper Swans had arrived, from Iceland ... 

Whooper Swans - 15/10/18

… and it was good to see a family group on the 22nd ….

Whooper Swan family group (2 adults and 4 juveniles) with Mute Swans - 22/10/18

I also managed to find a 'rarity' on the loch in the form of a distant Slavonian Grebe ..

Distant record shot of Slavonian Grebe - 15/10/18

So despite my dodgy shoulder I've still managed to get out and about and see some good birds.

You too could also see dome good birds if you come along to the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs wildfowl feeding event at Hogganfield Park LNR on Sunday 28 October 2018 from 11am. For more info see - 

https://friendsofglasgowlnrs.wordpress.com/

or

https://www.facebook.com/friendsofglasgowlocalnaturereserves

East Coast Magic Part 3

I've just finished an intensive week of birding travelling through to the east with Stephen, Peter and Lynda. Originally we had hoped to spend a few nights away but that fell through so we got to fall in love (!) with the M8 and its traffic.

The weather wasn't conducive to taking photos plus I was concentrating on bird watching/finding - you really can't do both well, at least that's what I've found.

We added to our year list, and in Stephen's case 'life list', saw some rare birds and missed a few and on one occasion -  Great Grey Shrike at Skateraw - this was literally by seconds!

On Monday, we looked at the weather forecast and concluded we needed somewhere with hides! We headed for Vane Farm/Loch Leven RSPB Reserve where our best find was a Scaup on Loch Leven. Note one of the hides was closed due to storm damage. In the afternoon we travelled down to Pettycur Harbour where according to the forecast it would be dry and thankfully, it was. We spotted a couple of Great Skuas as well as lots of common sea birds such as Guillemots and Gannets. This juvenile Gannet came incredibly close to the harbour wall ……

On Tuesday, we visited Musselburgh Lagoons and were successful in finding the Little Stint and White-winged Scoter, but not the Jack Snipe that others had seen earlier!The White-winged Scoter is from North America and very similar to 'our' Velvet Scoter so we were pleased we got good enough sightings to distinguish it from its more common cousins. Record shots follow ….

Little Stint (2nd from right) with Dunlin and Lapwing

White-winged Scoter (3rd from left) with Velvet Scoter

The next day it was on to Torness and Barns Ness. The winds were forecast to eventually turn to a south easterly direction and we hoped that might bring in a few unusual birds. We didn't find anything unusual at Torness although a Wheatear proved some birds were on the move. However, there were 100s of Linnets and Goldfinches using a field planted with sunflowers …

We also saw one of the local Peregrines ..

Having explored all the bushes and shrubs, as well as the sea wall and shore, we headed to Barns Ness where the tide was coming in and allowing us close views of common waders with this solitary Golden Plover standing out ..

Our final day was Thursday (we had Friday off to recover). We started at Musselburgh Lagoons in the hope of seeing Jack Snipe but once again we were 'unlucky' but we did see our first Barnacle Geese of the autumn.

With the winds remaining in an easterly direction we soon headed off as we were convinced we would find something unusual at Torness and/or Skateraw, and we did -  a couple of Yellow-browed Warblers - one at Torness and one at Skateraw. They were difficult to see, although we could hear them calling, as they moved through the sycamores but we eventually got good enough views to confirm their identity.

We also got our first Redwing of the year at Skateraw. Record shot only ….

Sadly, whilst looking for migrants at the waterfall we missed a Great Grey Shrike which flew in, landed on a fence post for a minute or two and then flew off towards a dung heap on the crest of the hill, just as we emerged from the wood. We saw the photos so know it wasn't a wind-up! Despite intensive searching it wasn't relocated.

So, despite missing a few species it was a great week's birding in all sorts of weather. I reached 200 species in Scotland for the year including a UK tick with the White-winged Scoter and had some fun on the way.

And finally, thanks to both Stephen and Peter for doing the driving and to Lynda for being the sensible one!

PS remember to click on each photo to get a slide show and enhanced viewing of the pictures.

Autumn Update

Since the last post I've visited Troon, Barns Ness, Ardmore Point and Hogganfield Park LNR (twice).

Sadly the winds have been 'wrong' and so the hoped for fall of migrants on the east coast has failed to materialise, so far. However, there are always good birds to see, if you look hard enough.

On the 28th we travelled down to Troon with Judith and Mike and had a distant view of a Black-throated Diver which was unexpected. There were also good numbers of Golden Plover and a ringed herring Gull caught my eye.

Record shot of Golden Plovers - Troon

Herring Gull A:B24 - Troon

I discovered from the ringer that it was ringed as a chick on 8/7/13 on Lady Isle, near Troon as part of a wider research project.  It has only wandered away from Troon/Lady Isle on one occasion during the past five years when it was recorded in Stranraer in March 2014.

It can be amazing what you find out about birds by reporting ring numbers and I know that more and more people are now participating in this as part of their day-to-day birding.

On the 30th, we travelled through to Barns Ness and White Sands Bay with Stephen bad sadly no obvious migrants, but yet more Golden Plover ….

Barns Ness

Another record shot of Golden Plover - Barns Ness

We also visited Ardmore Point with Judith and Mike on Friday, but no photos and no surprises.

Thankfully, birding locally at Hogganfield Park LNR (on the 2nd and 6th) did prove fruitful  with Black Tern (I wonder if this is the same bird I found on 20/9/18 or  a new one), Ruddy Duck and the return of the Whooper Swans being the highlights.

Black Tern resting - 2/10/18

Whooper Swan preening - 2/10/18

Ruddy Duck resting - 6/10/18

So, having travelled a good few miles, the most unusual birds were to be found almost on my doorstep! Indeed the Ruddy Duck was the 76th bird I've seen at Hogganfield Park LNR this year.

Next week could be good with the winds changing, for a couple of days at least, to south easterlies and this could result in migrants turning up on the east coast - fingers crossed.