24 - DECEMBER 2009 BIRD SIGHTINGS (ANGUS)

[Mark Caunt]

Angus Bird Sightings for DECEMBER 2009

[chris_taylor]

21,500 geese still on the basin - there has not been this number, at this time of year, since 1998. Usually down to a steady 10-15 (thousand) by now.

[stevendoig]

FORFAR LOCH

Usual suspects but a couple of notables (For me anyway!)

6 Whooper Swans
1 Shoveler

Also, 20 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, 20+ Siskin, 1 Kingfisher, 500+ Tufted Duck, amongst others.

[Clive McKay]

Hi Chris

Just wondering if the large number of geese is due to an influx of birds? From Kingoldrum yesterday (1 Dec) I could see a constant stream of Pink-feet heading northeast over the Sidlaws and Forfar - as if coming from the Tay or even Loch Leven? I wondered what there destination might be - maybe it was Montrose.

Clive

[Bob McCurley]

DEC. 5th. 11a.m. CORN BUNTINGS 40 ( They are back to their winter quarters ! )
At Boghead Farm N.O. 682463

DEC. 5th. 1200 CURLEWS 83 -- A very good high count .

Seen on beach from ADBC Redcastle Hide , Lunan Bay .

[stonefaction]

Brambling at Loch of Kinnordy with a flock of Chaffinches in the trees by the car park around 11am this morning (Sunday 6th December).

[Bob McCurley]

December 7th. 1330hrs. EIDER 3000 On Tay Estuary , close in , opposite Sentry Box at Light House on Barry Buddon .
Also present on Beach were -- 45 GREY PLOVER .

[Mickey Mellon]

An early morning paper round in the Arbroath area regardless of weather is a nice start to the day especially when familes of foxes are found at 0530 foraging the farmland, Robins singing at Arbroath station at 0500 and on Condor at 0600, but hearing the Barn Owl screeching on Letham Grange grid 632460 at 0700 really makes the day start. Tawny's were very active on Condor west grid 616439 and of course the geese flying overhead. Am surprised the number of Blackbirds also very active from about 0530 onwards.

[Mickey Mellon]

07/11/2009 Elliot 618388. Bumped into John Henry at stretch of water accross level crossing from Arbroath golf club. 3 Dippers were found and this is the first time that both of us have seen them here, Bob McCurley says he has no recollection of them ever being there.. Flooded Burns may have driven them in. To the right of crossing went into the reed beds and had 22 Snipe and 1 Jack Snipe. If you want to go into those reed beds wellington boots is a must, some areas are deep in flooded water

[John Paul Allon]

Kinnaber Woods 11.30 to 1.00 8th Dec.

Magpie flying from east plantation towards W.T.P. & woods beyond. 2 pairs Goldcrest in north plantation & 1 Jay in flight nearby. Large rafts of Scoter in the bay.

John Paul

[Nicola]

In reply to Mickey Mellon's post about the Dippers I have seen them a few times at that part of the burn but obviously only in winter. This was from 2004-2006 when I had to get the bus into college.

[Clive McKay]

Dear all

I'm just preparing a list of observers/contributors for use with the A&D bird reports, and wonder if you could have alook at the list below and check that yuor name is spelt correctly, and that you are happy with the suggested initials for the bird report (plese excuse the formatting problem). Also if you see names on the list of folk that are no longer active in the area, that would be useful to know.

If you want to make a change, please e-mail me at clive.mckay@the-soc.org.uk

Many thanks in anticipation

Clive McKay

-------------------------------------

Contributor name Initials
-------------------------------------
J Adam JA
R Adamson RAd
ADBC Big Sit ADBC
G Addison GAd
G Anderson GAn
Anon Anon
R Averiss RAv
G Baird GBd
G Balfour GBr
A Beat ABe
H Bell HBe
E Bickerstaff EBi
H Bickerstaff HBi
H&E Bickerstaff H&EBi
BirdGuides BirdGuides
RA Bramhall RB
A Brennan ABr
J Brown JB
S Busitill SB
DA Carmichael DAC
A Carpenter AC
BJ Cartwright BJC
M Caunt MCa
G Christer GC
M Clark MC
J Cobb JCb
J Cook JCk
D de Gernier DdeG
K Donald KDn
K Drysadale KDy
R Duncan RD
K Edwards KE
N Elkins NE
I Ford IF
J Ford JF
J Garnes JGn
J George JGg
T Gillies TGi
T Grant TGr
SR Green SRG
FC Gribble FCG
M Groves MG
T Gulson TGu
A&A Hall A&AH
C Hendry CH
J Hendry JH
B Herschell BH
D&A Hood D&AH
Int. Grey Goose Count IGGC
R Jaffrey RJ
I Kelman IK
C Lamond CL
J Landsman JL
E Lashley EL
AJ Leitch AJL
A Lovie AL
P Mason PM
W Mather WM
E McCabe EMcC
D McCullough DMcC
R McCurley RMcC
D McFarlane-Smith DM-S
CR McKay CRMcK
JB McKay JMcK
M Mellon MMn
N Mitchell NM
Montrose Log Log
M Morphy MMy
H Morton HM
M Nicoll MN
R Nisbet RN
R Noble-Nesbitt RN-N
J Ogilvie JO
A O'Hara AO'H
R Payne RP
J Pilley JPil
J Pinkerton JPin
K Puttick KP
A Reid ARe
T Rennie TR
C&B Renwick C&BR
Report Report
G Rodger GR
A Rollo ARo
T Samson TS
F Scott FS
I&W Shepherd I&WS
AH Sheppard AHS
M Slaymaker MS
C Smith CS
GM Smith GMS
D&J Stewart D&JS
J Strachan JS
A Tee ATe
AE Thiel AET
K Thomson KT
L Thomson LT
S Thorpe ST
A Tindal ATi
Unknown Unknown
Visitor Visitor
A Wakelin AWn
WeBS count WeBS
A Westwood AWd
G Whitehead GW
D Winter DW
G Yarnell GY
L Young LY
N Young NY
------------------------------------

[Clive McKay]

Also please let me know if your name is NOT on the list! The list of names is based mostly on contributors to past bird reports, so it is not up to date.

Cheers

Clive

[Grant Balfour]

Around 20 Crossbill seen on the walk up to the Montreathmont hide around 9:30am.

[Hannah Morton]

12th Dec at NO2845 can be seen from road bridge, but be careful, parking space for 3 cars just past bridge.
Large (couple of thousand) flock of mostly pink footed geese, some greylags and 25 canada geese. In amongst I saw 4 geese which I am fairly confident are barnacles, they were spooked before I had a chance to triple check. There was also 1 bird with a small white neck mark (-brent?) didn't manage to refind that bird to double check before they were spooked.
There has been a flock around the area since fields flooded, and are often on an unharvested tattie field on the other side apparently.

[Mickey Mellon]

13 Dec 2009 Boysac, Tetrad 64J, I decided to drive to the basin by the back roads to Farnell.
I must have seen over 150 pheasants in various fields, Buzzards were in good numbers, but nearing Farnell I found 20 Bullfinches, the colours were brilliant and bright. Bob feels they could be N european visitors. Just before turning to the Basin at Farnell had 2 Jays flying towards the trees

[Bob McCurley]

DEC. 13TH 10AM - 1430PM.-- VARIED SPECIES ON BARRY BUDDON DURING WINTER COUNT -

RECORDED 35 SPECIES DURING WINTER COUNT-- HIGHLIGHTS WERE --

1 GREYWAGTAIL ( Rare on B/ B ) 1 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER , 5 STONECHATS , 3 MISTLE THRUSH,
3 MAGPIES ( FLYING TOGETHER AT MONIFIETH END ) 51 GOLDEN PLOVER 12 GREY PLOVER , 6 KNOT, 10 DUNLIN , 70 BAR TAILED GODWIT, ETC. ------ PLUS MY FIRST EVER SIGHTING ON B/B OF A STOAT ! A GOOD DAY OUT .

[Bob McCurley]

Dec. 14th 10am. GREAT WHITE EGRET 1 Monikie Country Park on ISLAND POND

This Bird was found by the Monikie Ranger Staff and phoned me with the news . I went up to confirm the ID. and arrived at 10am to see the bird in flight only flying off in Forfar Loch direction ! - I went up to Forfar Loch later in the AM. and refound the Bird at the community centre end at 12-50. only toi see it fly off again after only viewing it for 15 seconds ! it flew off in a Northen direction . It had been seen by the Forfar Loch warden Mhairi Kimmet at the Yachting Club end ( The Insh ) at 11-45 It took off going North at 12-55 when I saw it . We will look for it tomorrow , If anyone sees this Bird please make its location known . Thanks Bob

[Mickey Mellon]

18th Dec 2009 Elliot Mouth to Hatton sewage works. Had to do my WeBB count today because visitors over the weekend and it was quite successful. Elliot end there were 21 Sanderling, 2 Ringed Plover, from then on just normal gulls. Nearing the Hatton end had 1 Golden Plover. On way back via reed beds near railway crossing from golf club 21 Snipe and 2 JackSnipe. In the stretch of water to the left of reed beds had further 3 Snipe, 2 Dippers and what looks like a female Long Tailed Duck in its winter plumage

[Clive McKay]

Lots of duck out on the open water today due to icy edges, included 1 SHELDUCK (first returning spring migrant?), 3 GCGREBE and 1 LGREBE, 22 WHOOPERS.

Knock of Formal - 1 Merlin flew over.

CRM

[Bob McCurley]

DECEMBER 21ST. 1400HRS. WOODCOCK 1 at N.O. 689474 just past Inchock Farm

DECEMBER 21ST 1430HRS. PURPLE SANDPIPERS 17 On breakwater wall in Arbroath Harbour at high tide

DECEMBER 21ST. 9-40AM. KINGFISHER 1 On Island Pond at Monikie Country Park

[Nicola]

Had about seven or eight Fieldfares fly over the garden this morning at about 10am and a solitary one actually in the garden about 11.30am.

[Mickey Mellon]

23 Dec 2009 Condor East 626430. With reports of white Hare on the airfield tried to find them but unsuccessful. So thought I would check the pond area and found pair Mallard, Grey Heron, 2 Buzzards and the best count of all 35 Snipe. All quite visible and once I had left the area they started to come back in again like squadrons of aircraft. This count is a record since records started about 10 years ago

[Roy Adamson]

Water Rail feeding around our bird table this morning.

[Mickey Mellon]

Thurs 24 DEC Crudies Farm 616415 0520 sitting on a fence caught in headlights a Beautiful Barn Owl