22 - OCTOBER 2013 BIRD SIGHTINGS (ANGUS)

[Alex Shepherd]

Date & Time: Wednesday 23rd October 2013 3.00 pm

Species: Water Rail

Details: 1 Water Rail showing on reeds where the River Dean flows out of Forfar Loch, viewed from the bridge. Goosanders, Tufted Ducks, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Little Grebes, 4 Teal and 3 Greylags as well as 95 Mallards following me about at the centre.

Balgavies: 5 male Pochard, 5 Greylag, 6 Goldeneye, c20 Tufted Ducks, 2 Little Grebe showing in front of the hide (5 minute visit)

[Mickey Mellon]

23/10/2013 RM Condor during Thrush count found my first Fieldfare and also had a visiting Jay. Crudies farm 616415
first visiting pinkies approx 400 feeding on corn stuble.

[JulieBardner]

Thurs Oct 24th 11am Julie Bardner

c 25 Whooper swans left Montrose Basin flying east over Barnhead. Wonderful sight and sound on a calm clear morning.

[stevendoig]

Sea Eagle

1100 - Flying down Montrose High street at an altitude of 20 feet!!

Going as slow as you like , pursued by 150 'residents' (feral pigeons, starlings, jackdaws, rooks and herring gulls!)

He took so long I managed to alert two of my shop neighbours to come and have a look!

[Colin Black]

[quote="stevendoig"]Sea Eagle

1100 - Flying down Montrose High street at an altitude of 20 feet!!

Going as slow as you like , pursued by 150 'residents' (feral pigeons, starlings, jackdaws, rooks and herring gulls!)

He took so long I managed to alert two of my shop neighbours to come and have a look![/quote]

For its next trick your Eagle dropped in to Montrose Basin. Craig Shepherd, the Visitor Centre Assistant Manager said “At around 12pm a visitor spotted a White-Tailed Eagle sitting out on the mud. After half an hour sitting on the mud, the eagle flew off into the trees at the Lurgies”. Some time before 4pm from the Visitor Centre we saw people walking along the Lurgies path the Eagle then flew out across the mud causing everything with wings to scatter. It then flew off south-west approximately over the old harbour. Did you get the wing tag lettering Craig thought it had yellow tags unfortunately the lettering on the tag couldn’t be deciphered, so they were unable to identify the individual.

[stevendoig]

The wing tag was very obvious, but I couldn't make it out ( I was a bit excited!)

[Hugh Bell]

17:15 off Scurdyness lighthouse, 3 Pomarine Skuas, (1 Adult 2 juv) + I Dark phase Adult Arctic Skua, chasing Kittiwakes. Also 1 Manx Shearwater, 2 RT Diver and 50+ Gannets north.

[Hugh Bell]

26/10/13 Barred Warbler, showing well this afternoon eating berries on Elder bush/tree (overhanging into walled garden) near large apple tree (inland from Mains of Usan). 16:00hrs

[Alex Shepherd]

Date & Time: Monday 28th October 2013 - 11.30 am - 3.30 pm

Species: Pale-bellied Brent Geese, Water Rail etc

Details: Kingfisher on tree at Miss Erskines Bank, 1 Whooper nearby, 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese in front of SWT Centre and 2 Water Rails put up in front of Bank of Scotland Hide by a rabbit. Water Rails then flitted between reedbeds very quickly. Hardly any Pink-footed Geese, 37 Greylags, 5 Little Grebe at harbour, female Goosanders, Herons, female Goldeneye, Wigeon and 3 Greenshank at the Lurgies. 1 Snipe at scrape above the Slunks on Lurgies side.

[Mickey Mellon]

30/10/2013 My garden 610412 Female Sparrowhawk visiting feeders for any fresh meat but to no prevail. Hung around for a while then moved. Very exciting Thrush count this morning 16 Blackbirds whooppee.

[Alex Shepherd]

Date & Time: Wednesday 30th October 2013 between 11.00 am and 2.30 pm

Species: Long-tailed Skua juvenile

Details: A bird showing all of the detail of a Long-tailed Skua juvenile flushed while walking the dunes north of the river Lunan at Lunan Bay. No photo to discuss I'm afraid this time.

Also, 2 Long-tailed Ducks, 30+ Common Scoter, at least 15 Red-throated Divers, a visiting group led by a chap from the Black Isle said they'd counted 50, they also saw 7 Stock Doves on the road from the A92. 1 Dunlin, Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls on the beach. Dog Otter fishing in the Corner Pool on the Lunan and 2 Reed Bunting on the dunes.

Still 2 Wigeon on Keptie Pond, Arbroath, no sign of the 2 Teal which were also there.

[gus guthrie]

25+ Crossbills at Montreathmont Forest this morning, first ones i've seen this year.
An adult Pomarine skua, 2 Arctic Skuas and a Bonxie at Lunan Bay in the afternoon , also 3 ringed Gulls there too.