2 - FEBRUARY 2010 BIRD SIGHTINGS (ANGUS)

[Mark Caunt]

Angus Bird Sightings for FEBRUARY 2010

[Mickey Mellon]

01/02/2010 Elliot 618388 across railway line from golf club 1 Little Grebe, 1 Woodcock,
1 Jack Snipe and 16 Common Snipe. With the thaw wellies are advisable in walking in the reed beds, some areas still flooded

[John Paul Allon]

Mark you may wish to move this, a Pale-bellied Brent Goose has taken up residence at Inverbervie Caravan Park and is offering superb close up views. It arrived yesterday morning and is happily feeding alongside our local Mallard gang on the touring site grass. If cars, dogs or duck feeders appear then it takes to the river until the coast is clear. Goosander, Goldeneye and Red-throated Diver are also present. A large flock of Brambling was also at Benholm Mill yesterday at 11am.
John Paul

[Hannah Morton]

Around 80 - 90 Whoopers are now using the reserve as well as the surrounding farmland, and a small greylag roost has also returned in the last few days, with a couple of hundred present this morning.
Barn owl and Short eared owl both been sighted nearby in the last week also

[gus guthrie]

Kinnordy Loch. 2pm
Bittern feeding out in open at swamp hide, caught an eel and continued fishing for approx 20mins.
Loch still has a lot of ice, swamp end where most of the birds are at present.
Other birds were ;
8 fieldfare,83 whooper swans, approx 140 greylag geese, siskins, wigeon,teal, goosander, GS woodpecker.

[Mickey Mellon]

07/02/2010 Pargrove Cremetorium tetrad 64E. Doing the 2nd winter count had n ormal stuff including 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers that were on top of two treed about 10 yards apart and chinking at each other. One was a male the other could only see front. Not heard this before has anyone else ?? Went back to the basin observatory and on a log in the distance was a Juv Sea Eagle. Tetrad total was only 18 but weather did not help

[Bob McCurley]

Feb. 7th . 12 Noon WHITE TAILED SEA EAGLE Viewed from Montrose Basin Wildlife Visitors Centre

This Bird was first reported from the nearby South Esk Estate and is bearing a Greenish / Blue Tag on each wing with the number " 0 " on each tag. Any further sightings please post to this Website . This todays sighting on the Basin , first discovered by Volunteer Andy Love , will be reported to Claire Smith of the RSPB / SNH / Forrestry Commission Release Scheme

[DMKS]

White-tailed sea eagle present on Sandbank to the right of visitor centre this morning at 10:00. Being mobbed by Gulls and Crows before flying off in the direction of The Lurgies.

[HarryB]

Hi All,
I've been asked, by Caroline, the manager at SWT Montrose, to let everyone know; there's a digiscoping course taking place there on March 24, from 10.30 until 17.00. Costs are £4.00 per adult; £3.50 per child and Family group £7.50. Free to SWT members.
'An ideal opportunity to get expert advice on how to operate digiscoping equipment from the Viking Optical Representative.'
'A wide range of equipment on sale and the opportunity to test before you buy'.
This looks like an opportunity to learn how to produce the type of pictures which we know and enjoy, from more experienced photographers within our club.

[HarryB]

Hi All,
Just had it confirmed from Caroline: the digiscoping course is ALSO free to ADBC members!

[Bob McCurley]

Feb. 8th. 1600hrs. WHITE TAILED SEA EAGLE IMM. Seen on Lurgies Montrose Basin by Bob amd Jon

It sat in Tree on Lurgies long enough to get a pic. of it , then it flew towards Slunks area and we completely lost it

[K Hall]

Flock of about 15 Oystercatchers today at Forfar Loch. Nice to see them back inland again.

[Mickey Mellon]

11 feb 2010 Elliot grid 618388 Snipe 8, Reed Bunting 1, Crows 3, Blue Tit 1, Stonechat 1 male, Mallard pair,Little Grebe 1, coast side, Cormorants 3, Ringed Plover 4, Sanderling 5, Red B. Merganser 1 male, Oyster Cat. 1, GreySeals were busy at sea accompanied by numerous Herring Gulls, Black Headed Gulls and Eiders

[Mickey Mellon]

12/02/2010 Condor West grid 616439 Blackbird 3, Woodpigeon 9, Chaffinch 10, Blue Tit 10,Great Tit 2, Crows 9, Greenfinch 11, Linnet 12, Robin 3, Twite 17 (first ever record of this species on Condor), Fieldfare 11, Herring Gull 7, Kestrel 1, Sky Lark 2. Also Red Squirrels quite active. On Condor West on the airfield 17 Roe deer

[stonefaction]

Forfar Loch 13/2/10
Kingfisher, Scaup (2 drakes and a duck) and Great Crested Grebe. Lots of Pochard around too.

Loch of Kinnordy
Goldcrest, Siskin, Long Tailed Tit and Shoveler and the usual suspects.

[stevendoig]

Single Waxwing in my garden this morning. (Whitehills Forfar)

Hanging about in big trees in park next to me at the moment (The park with the strange mounds if anyones local and wants a look!)

[Mickey Mellon]

14 Feb 2010, Elliot to Boulzie Hill WeBcount stretch got date mixed up so did the walk anyway.
Elliot 18 Sanderling, 18 Knot, 8 Snipe, Gayfield 18 Curlew, Red-breasted Merganser 1, Cormorants 8, Eider 4, Red Throated Diver 1, Pied wag 2, Harbour high tide now, on wall 35 Sanderling, 24 Purple Sandpipers, 26 Turnstone, 25 Redshank, 3 Cygnets and the residential Grey Lag Goose, Then on to Boulzie Hill at Victoria Park nothing but Herring, Blackheaded, Great Black Back and Lesser Black Back gulls

[Dave Adam]

Red Kite x 1, Raven x 6 ~ 14/2/10


PS. (Goshawk over Brechin ~ 10/2/10)

[gus guthrie]

Bittern showing well in front of an audience at Kinnordy Loch this afternoon, repeatedly coming out into the open in front of the Gullery hide.
Large amount of Whooper swans roosting at the loch ( 80+)
Single Tree Sparrow spotted today as well as GS woodpecker, teal, shoveller, long-tailed tits,siskins & bullfinches.
Garden birds today included; goldfinch,greenfinch,siskin,coal tit,yellowhammer,song thrush.
large mixed flock of winter thrushes, redpoll, yellowhammers,linnets & finches at Leckaway outside Forfar this afternoon.
Other birds were; 2 kestrel at Powmyre, Grey Wagtail at Monikie, Dipper at Kingoldrum.

[stonefaction]

After Monikie/Crombie ADBC outing (Stock Dove and Grey Wagtail added to my year list), headed down to Craigmill Den. Not a huge amount around. A couple of Dippers (one with an injured leg), a couple of Buzzards and a mixed flock of finches and buntings (Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer) in the field to the north of the road at the top end.

A few photos from today on my flickr page...
www.flickr.com/stonefaction

[barry shaw]

stonefaction just had a look at some of your pictures have to say i think there stunning,like the one of the kestrel hovering,thanks for sharing

[Mickey Mellon]

18/02/2010 Condor West grid 616 439 0630 Tawny Owl calling from trees

[Mark Caunt]

Date & Time: Wednesday 17th February 2010 - 10:30am
Species: Waxwing, Bullfinch
Details: A single Waxwing down Lilybank Crescent, Forfar, Wednesday morning at 10:30.
On the aerial of number 70.
Also noticing good numbers of Bullfinches at the moment. I saw a notable (?) count of 16 birds (males and females) in the garden of Jubilee Court Residential Home, Letham last week.
Another 5 in Hillside road, Forfar and 2 on Lochside road, Forfar this week also.

[stonefaction]

Wee walk in the sunshine today from Kirkton of Auchterhouse up and round Auchterhouse Hill produced a wee flock of Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Goldfinch and Chaffinch in the trees at the start of the path, then a couple of Ravens flew off the hill westward. Spotted a couple of Red Grouse further up, and a small flock of Bullfinches in the trees at the top of the hill.

[jcooper]

Has anyone ever seen a goshawk over Barry Buddon? I'm sure I saw one today - first looked a bit buzzard-like, but not quite right in the wing beats, then I wondered if it was a sparrowhawk, but again, not quite right and larger than fem. I have looked at the book and the Bird Guide DVD and the flying goshawk does look right. I have watched buzzards and sparrowhawks many times, and I'm sure it wasn't either. I didn't know whether to report or not as I'm not positive, but thought is was important enough to say.