3 - MARCH 2010 BIRD SIGHTINGS (ANGUS)

[Mark Caunt]

Angus Bird Sightings for MARCH 2010

[Mark Caunt]

Apologies but some March Sightings slipped onto the February thread now in Archive News Section.
Was a little late in getting this months thread on! Sorry!
Anyway check "Archive News" for the first few days of March 2010.

[Anne Tee]

Tuesday March 2nd,
12.30pm At Auchmithy beach, the rotting seaweed on the strand-line was buzzing with thousands of flies, probably newly emerged into the first warm day for months. At least 40 rock pipits were feeding on them.
2.30pm a raft of 138 guillemots with 17 razorbills below Gaylet Pot. They were bobbing gently up and down in the sunshine, growling conversationally. 4 shags with crests and several cormorants with white thigh patches were nearby.

One month ago (8thFeb) on the cliffs between Auchmithie and Arbroath there were 60 pairs of fulmar sitting in apparent nest sites. Today they were gone. There was one pair on a cliff and a few airborne.

[Mickey Mellon]

05/03/2010 RM Condor west grid 616439 1st SongThrush sitting on fence post singing, large flock of Linnets along with Juv Goldfinches in trees, Oystercatchers now gathering near their nesting areas 9 so far

[davew]

Fri 5th March 2010, 10am
Davew - Scone Palace.

Hawfinch (5), GS woodpecker, siskins, treecreeper, mistle thrushes (3), song thrush.

[Allan Hall]

Forfar Loch this morning; Kingfisher showing well at the southeast corner. Lesser Black-backed gull and Great Crested Grebe back. Interestingly there was an unusually large flock of 49 Goosanders at the west end with some very tired looking Greylags - clearly migration is well under way.

[Mickey Mellon]

Arbirlot 609408 06/03/2010 took a stroll down the nature trail today - Rooks very busy building/repairing 3 rookeries, noisy Jackdaws close by, Collard Doves, Hedge Sparrow, Bluetits, Chaffinches, Robins, Woodpigeons, Great Tits, Mistles Thrushes, Buzzard, Bullfinch(F), Skylark, Goldfinches, Godcrest, Longtailed Tit, Wren, Greenfinch, Dippers (4), and 1 Phesant

[Grant Balfour]

At the hide - Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Great Spotted Woodpecker (3), Green Woodpecker (2), Jay (1), Carrion Crow (1).

Near the (very muddy) path about 1/2 mile to the north of the hide - Crossbill (7).

[Bob McCurley]

March 6th. 11-30am. RED THROATED DIVERES 18 -- LONG TAILED DUCK 15 COMMON SCOTER 40

RINGED PLOVER 13 SANDERLINGS 11 STOCK DOVE 2 LESSER BLACK BACK GULL 1
ALL SEEN FROM REDCASTLE HIDE LUNAN BAY

March 6th. 3-30pm. TAWNy OWL Seen on Barry Buddon T.A.

[Nicola]

Has there been any sightings of Goshawks in the Carnoustie/Barry Buddon area recently? I'm sure I saw one fly above the house yesterday afternoon. It looked exactly like a Sparrowhawk but it was more the size of a Buzzard. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Buzzard as it had a longer tail and shorter, rounder wings. We have Sparrowhawks fly over the garden regularly and this was a giant! It didn't circle as it flew which Buzzards normally do but would do a flap-flap-glide and was headed in a south-westerly direction towards the Buddon.

[burnie]

Birds of prey do migrate and even the residents will displace birds now it's breeding season time,I have found Gos in the strangest of places,including inside the factory where I work in Montrose.

[Mickey Mellon]

07/03/2009 RM Condor east grid 626430 3 Songthrushes turned up this morning, hope they stay, Peregrine came swooping over the pond area frightening all and sundry before moving west

[burnie]

Spent half an hour in the redcastle hide 14.00 ish on sunday.Lots of people including kite flyers,so little on the shore.Lots of longtailed duck displaying and chasing each other about,estimate over a dozen,but they keep moving about.Fulmars on the castle ruins,yellowhammer singing close by.Quite foggy,scoters further out ? x2 shags displaying , spring about to be sprung?

[Bob McCurley]

March 7th 10-15a.m. BLACK COCK GROUSE 4 In Glen Isla area - Exact site withheld -

March 7th 13oohrs,. BITTERN 1 Seen from Gullery Hide R.S.P.B. Loch of Kinnordy Reserve Kirriemuir

Above seen by RSPB Members on their March Field Outing .

[Mickey Mellon]

After finding a strange looking bird at back of gayfield had no idea what it was so went home and got the scope then went back to find which took a while . Eventually found it at West Links grid 641 402 and it turned out to be a Gooseander which its the first time i have seen one at sea. Spoke to Bob and he says that is very strange. Tried to get photo but s...s law camera up low battery, oh well...

[DK]

Mickey, over the last three years I have on a number of occasions (20-30) seen a solitary male Gooseander swimming in the narrow gulches at the Arbroath cliffs between Doo Cave and The Rut.

I have only seen it/this there on calm sea days between the end of October and early May, always during late morning, always swimming towards Arbroath and prefering to dive for small fish in areas where steep cliffs enter the sea. The last times I noticed this were on the 8th and 9th of December 09.

I have also twice in the last couple of years also seen a solitary male Gooseander fly along the edge of the dunes at Elliot from the direction Arbroath and set down the the first area of intertidal rock opposite Course Hill at approx NO612373.

[Mickey Mellon]

To DK many thanks now I won't be surprised next time

[Bob McCurley]

March 10th 1600 hrs. ICELAND GULL 1st Winter at Stannergate Dundee Grid. Ref NO. 434 308

At the bottom of Strips of Craigie Road , you come to a round about , go straight on which takes you down to the shorline , the bird is on show at the official small car park right at shoreline . the Birds is on show real close , giving excellent photo opportunities . Good luck

[jcooper]

Has there been any sightings of Goshawks in the Carnoustie/Barry Buddon area recently? I'm sure I saw one fly above the house yesterday afternoon. It looked exactly like a Sparrowhawk but it was more the size of a Buzzard. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Buzzard as it had a longer tail and shorter, rounder wings. We have Sparrowhawks fly over the garden regularly and this was a giant! It didn't circle as it flew which Buzzards normally do but would do a flap-flap-glide and was headed in a south-westerly direction towards the Buddon.

Nicola- I posted the same question in Feb. I'm sure I saw a goshawk at Barry Buddon. It wasn't a buzzard and I'm sure it wasn't a female sparrowhawk. I'm glad someone else has seen it.

[Mickey Mellon]

11 Mar 2010 RM Condor East grid 626430 How nice to see 18 Skylarks up and singing in the sunshine over the nesting areas

[barry shaw]

young tawny owls
11/3/10
Had a wander today not far from the dighty burn and couldnt believe my eyes 3 young tawny owls sitting huddled on a branch,they looked about 2-3 weeks old but still had alot of down on them,this is the first time i have seen young owls so early in the year,has anyone else encounterd young owls this early in the year.

[cr]

the iceland gull is still at the stannergate

[Mickey Mellon]

12/03/2010 Crudies farm area grid 616415, took dog for quick walk and nice to see spring is here had 2 Blackbirds carrying nesting material into local bushy area

[cliff.davies]

Barry, have you entered this record into the BTO atlas survey as a roving record? If not, you should.

[quote="barry shaw"]young tawny owls
11/3/10
Had a wander today not far from the dighty burn and couldnt believe my eyes 3 young tawny owls sitting huddled on a branch,they looked about 2-3 weeks old but still had alot of down on them,this is the first time i have seen young owls so early in the year,has anyone else encounterd young owls this early in the year.[/quote]

[burnie]

Red Castle hide at high tide at midday sunday,quiet:-odd black headed gull,x2 lesser blackbacks,dozen sanderlings and a few gannets well out.Still a few long tailed ducks and a dozen mergansers.