JAN to DEC 2010 NON ANGUS BIRD SIGHTINGS

[HarryB]

Congratulations to Alex!!

[gus guthrie]

ALEX AND I WENT NORTH TODAY AND MANAGED TO GET THE 4 SPOONBILLS FEEDING AT THE WAULKMILL HIDE ON THE YTHAN RIVER AFTER SEVERAL PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS !
TIDE WAS WELL IN SO NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF WADERS AROUND.
WE THEN HEADED UP TO STRATHBEG WHERE WE FOUND RUDDY SHELDUCK (7), GREENSHANK (12), AN OSPREY AND SEVERAL BLACK-TAILED GODWIT.

[HarryB]

Hi Alex and Gus,
Congratulations on the birds you are both finding. It's always a pleasure to read how well you are doing.

[burnie]

Saturday evening on the Tummel river by the "shingle" area,whilst fishing I was treated to two obviously inexperienced Merllins chasing Sand Martins.The Sand Martins were still visiting their nests in the river bank.So I guess it was experienced Sand Martins against young Merlins and the Merlins went hungry.Clever little fliers,both of them.

[gus guthrie]

Went camping with my daughter for the weekend to Newton Stewart in Dumfries & Galloway.Highlights of our trip were;
Nuthatch, Willow Tit, Red Kite, Whimbrel, Black Guillemot, Peregrine, Ruff and hundreds of Manx Shearwater really close inshore at Corsewall point ( fantastic sea watching spot opposite Ailsa Craig )
Wonderful place to visit and will certainly go back.

[gus guthrie]

Went across to Angle Park gravel pit in Fife tonight.
Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked duck, Garganey ( couldn;t work out what it was ! )
also 20+ little grebe ! and over 50 coot. brilliant place, well worth a visit.Very near Rossie bog & Birnie and Gaddon Lochs.

[gus guthrie]

2 ospreys fishing on the Isla river between Coupar Angus and Blairgowrie this morning. Also present were a flock of about 100 Canada geese.
approx 20 long-tailed tits working the trees along the river too. Seen lots of these birds recently in fairly large flocks, biggest group was on Egnomoss 2 days ago when I counted 26 in a group.

[HarryB]

Hi All,
We visited the office at St Cyrus NNR (National Nature Reserve) yesterday and Jo (the temporary manager) told us there is also a group of them there, accompanied by a single Greylag.
Presumably all of these birds are returning from their moulting area in the Beauly Firth, where they have been reported as gathering every year for a long time now.