1 - JANUARY 2010 BIRD SIGHTINGS (ANGUS)

[Bob McCurley]

January 17th. 11am. CROSSBILLS 5, SISKINS 30, GREEN WOODPECKER 2, GREAT SPOTTED W/PECKER 4: ALL SEEN AT MONTREATHMONT FOREST NEAR CAR PARK AND HIDE AREAS.

January 17th . 11-45pm. BRENT GEESE 5 Seen from Lurgies , Montrose Basin plus SCAUP 58. PINTAIL 57

January 17th 14-15hrs. CORN BUNTINGS 70 At Boghead Farm N.O. 682 463

JANUARY 17TH 14-35 PM. JACK SNIPE 1 COMMON SNIPE 15 AT ELLIOT REED BED ARBROATH

January 17th. 12-30pm RED THROATED DIVERS 20, COMMON SCOTER 350, RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS 4, FULMARS 55 ( 4 ON RED CASTLE RUINS ),
SANDERLING 14, and LONG-TAILED DUCK 50: All from ADBC Redcastle Hide during WeBS count.

[Bob McCurley]

January 17th. 11-30am. WHOOPER SWANS 48 at Montrose Basin. This count of Whoopers will be

reported to the WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) International Bewicks and Whooper Swan Census 2010.

If you have seen any Bewicks or, more likely, Whooper Swans over this weekend, please let me know.

[HarryB]

Stuart R Green had a Smew (red head) at Forfar Loch today (Sunday 17/01/0) towards dusk at 15.50.
The bird was 'Just to west of sailing club'.

[Mark Caunt]

Message to Angus Bird Club Grapevine Text Members
Apologies for slight lateness of the Smew Text message today. Was in bed not well and never heard the phone going off.
Was seen at 3:50pm so maybe too dark for anyone to see anyways. Hopefully will stick around tomorrow so no harm done.
Apologies again for delay.
Mark

[Dave Adam]

Easy views of Great Crested Grebe in Arbroath harbour. Paddling and diving around the yachts on Sunday 17/1/10.

[gus guthrie]

FORFAR LOCH TODAY. NO SIGN OF SMEW, PLENTY POCHARD, GOLDENEYE,TUFTED DUCK,COOT AND MOORHEN. A PAIR OF GADWALL, SEVERAL WIGEON,GOOSANDER, SOME TEAL AND LONG-TAILED TITS ALSO SEEN AT LUNCH-TIME. LOCH IS GRADUALLY THAWING OUT , EAST SIDE FREE AND A LARGE AREA WEST OF THE YACHT CLUB ALSO UNFROZEN.

[joncook]

Female Smew still present mid morning at North west end in small patch of open water close to shore NO435504. Was also visible from Yacht Club, but distant.
Jon

[srgreen]

.......was still present this evening at dusk, on the large area of open water to the west of the sailing club. SRG

[gus guthrie]

Female Smew present on west end of Forfar Loch on a small patch of water on the south side of the loch. Completely missed it yesterday, currently swimming with goosanders,coots and goldeneye. at noon.

[HarryB]

Hi All,
Since this includes bird recording, as well as other wildlife recording,it may be of interest.
http://www.brisc.org.uk/index.php
The conference is taking place. in Montrose, on Saturday 27th March at The George Hotel.
The website shown here, should provide a link to the booking form and other information.

[stevendoig]

Found Smew at forfar this morning 1000. From Inch into the wee bay.

30+ Whoopers and 12 Mutes in Field across from Kinnordy Car Park 1100.

[cliff.davies]

Couldn't find the Smew yesterday late afternoon, but there was a pair of Scaup in with the Tufted Ducks close to the sailing club hut.

[joncook]

Black-throated Diver in inlet beside the Yacht Club, found by Barry Farquharson, still present at 13:00. Quite approachable, a good photo opportunity if the rain stops.
Jon

[Barry Farquharson]

In addition to the Black Throated Diver, found a Scaup in with the Tufted Ducks, and a single Shoveler at Forfar Loch, west of the Yacht Club. Also singles of Bullfinch and Redwing.
Ice melting at Kinnordy, not much around. Mallard, Tufted Duck, Teal, Moorhen and Lapwing on the loch/ice. Siskin in the trees.

[HarryB]

Report from Bob McCurley this am:
Black-throated Diver and red-head Smew are still a Forfar Loch today (Sunday 24 January at 09.00).

[burnie]

Visit to Montrose centre on a very grey day,hard to identify stuff on the far side of the river.
14 pale bellied brent geese amongst the high lights,lone long tailed tit visited feeders, 4 bar tailed godwits and lots of dunlin and other usual suspects.left at 14.30

[Mark Caunt]

Date & Time: Sunday 24th January 2010
Species: Kingfisher
Details: A Kingfisher in the Arbroath Harbour this morning at 9:00am. Then flew up the Brothock burn inland.

[gus guthrie]

Forfar Loch 24.1.10
Black-Throated Diver & Smew already mentioned.Worth noting that there are currently 11 species of duck on the loch just now.
smew, mallard, wigeon, scaup. goosander, tufted duck,gadwall teal, goldeneye,pochard and a single shoveller.
A large amount of Coot are present, other birds today were Kingfisher, Kestrel, Magpie, Goldcrest and moorhen.
25+ whooper swans opposite carpark at kinnordy Loch in stubble field.

[Bob McCurley]

JAN. 25TH. 1350HRS, PM. CORN BUNTINGS 98 AT BOGHEAD FARM N.O. 682467

This is the highest Wintering count ever made here - Also in area a MERLIN a male.

[Charles Rough]

just over 100 fieldfare in the field west of kinnordy today 25/01/10.the birds were jumping from the trees to the field,approx 50 whoopers in the field s/e of kinnordy, kinnordy is still mostly frozen,i visited forfar loch looking for the smew/black throated diver/scaup,but had no luck,the west end of the loch is now ice free, plenty of other interest though, many tufted ducks, good numbers of goldeneye, some pochards,goosander,mallards,teal,gadwall.wigeon,shovelar, cormorant,coot,yellowhammer,goldfinch,reedbuntings,robin,dunnock,blackbird,blue/great tit, carrion crow,flyovers included whoopers/pinkfoots plus 2 magpies

[stevendoig]

Smew and Black Throated Diver still showing well at Forfar.

62 Whooper Swans in field beside Kinnordy Car Park

Flock of at least 25 Bullfinch on road round Backwater which I thought was notable!!

[cliff.davies]

Does anybody ever go through the geese on Forfar Loch? John Anderson from Fife did just that today, and found a Tundra Bean Goose, a juvenile European White-fronted Goose and two Pink-feet in amongst the Grey Lags! I saw them too, along with the Smew, but the diver wasn't showing in the aternoon.

[Hannah Morton]

Barn owl sighted today near swamp hide, possible sighting of it yesterday also.

Wildfowl numbers beginning to increase at Kinnordy now, despite 3+ inches of ice still covering most of loch. approx 450 teal, 100+ mallard, 5 shoveler, few wigeon and 66 whooper swans feeding in fields nearby, roosting on ice. One of the whoopers has an orange darvic, so worth a look through for those interested.

[Bob McCurley]

January 30th. 9-45a.m. CROSSBILLS 5 SISKINS 100 REDPOLLS 20 In one large flock .

At Montreathmont Forest - In Larch Trees on Left hand side of track going down to hide , only 40 yards down track after leaving car park .

[islemartin]

BT Diver, Greater Scaup and Redhead Smew still present today on Forfar Loch. No sign of either geese or any white-winged gulls.

Montrose Basin yielded 52 Greater Scaup and 4 Tree Sparrows from the centre, 3 Barnacle Geese were at the Lurgies, 67 Pintail and 5 Shoveler from the Wigeon Hide, 80 Whoopers and c 400 Twite near the Shelduck Hide.

Lovely day out in good weather!

[gus guthrie]

some other birds on Forfar Loch today were;
goosander, teal, kingfisher {2}, bean goose, bullfinches, long-tailed tits, siskins, reed bunting, goldcrest.
85 whooper swans in a field on Balbrydie Farm next to Kinnordy Loch. The field had potatoes last year so plenty pickings for swans, geese & ducks.
Large mixed flock of redwing & fieldfare flew over Kinnordy Loch this afternoon, approx 200 birds heading north over loch.

[Mickey Mellon]

01/02/2010 Elliot 618388 across railway line from golf club house. 1 Little Grebe, 1 Woodcock, 1 Jack Snipe and 16 Snipe