In the Garden Mostly.

Good Evening, having been up early this morning I thought I would take the chance to feed the birds a bit earlier than I usually do. They seemed to be ready for it because as I stood waiting on my porridge being ready. This morning we had a lovely little Coal Tit who was making the most of there not being any starlings about. The Robin was sitting on the hanging basket which is hanging on the corner of the bird table still catching what fell in waste not want not. The collared doves take ages trying to get from the roof of the table on to the surface where the seed are they don't seem to remember from day to day. The big Wood Pigeon comes in every day for a drink in the bird bath and he also tries to get onto the bird table that is so funny as he is so big. I have tried to catch him on camera but he always escapes my efforts. The Pink Footed Geese numbers are increasing daily and we now have many thousands.

While we were out this morning we saw two Swallows it being the 11th October this is very late for where we live and is the latest we have ever had a Swallow in all the years we have bird watched which is coming up to 40 years now. Finally tonight progress report on Nethy our Osprey.

Well the satellite's been over again to give us the latest data, up to 9am this morning. Nethy has moved.....
23km (that's 14 miles) since Wednesday evening. She's still heading SSW, towards Mali. Looking tight-in on the map, she is clearly crossing some very barren, inhospitable, desert terrain, sand, sand and more sand. She paused at one point for a rest, on what looks like a rocky outcrop, but come 9am she was back on the move. We know it's frustrating that the data isn't live, but she's had all day to progress further - we'll keep you updated over the weekend (assuming the satellite passes over to capture her whereabouts).
Meanwhile back at the ranch, it's Friday, so we're off for doughnuts (brought in by the boss)....

I have pasted this info from the RSPB site to let you know the kind of thing I have been reading for the last few weeks. This is a very difficult part of the journey for her over the sand of the Sahara Desert hope she makes it. Till next time Love

Joan.

Sea Eagles on The Isle of Skye.

It is many months since I updated my Bird Watching Blog, now I have transferred it over to blog spot I thought I should remedy this. We have not been doing an awful lot of birding lately but we always have our eyes peeled when we are out and about.

The last of the summer visitors have left for warmer climes, clever them. Our wintering birds have started to arrive we have a good few thousand Grey Lag and Pink Footed Geese on the loch now, the large flocks of Starlings have arrived and the Robins are back with us from their summer in the countryside or farther afield. Hopefully we will have a influx of Waxwings later in the year.

Looking back over the summer we had our usual spring/summer holiday in May to Brancaster Staithe in Norfolk and managed to have the best two weeks of the summer weather wise, we did not have a spot of rain and it was warm and sunny all the time we were away. We did well bird wise too and managed a very rare bird for England we saw a Sacred Ibis at a place called Holkham . That was a surprise and I even managed to get a picture of it.

That's him right in the centre the big white bird not the best looking but that's the way he is.

We have just had a great week on Skye and while there we were lucky enough to Sea Eagles a very large majestic bird. There has been an introduction program on the Western Isles for the many years now and the birds are spreading from Mull and Rhum where they were released originally in the 1970's. They are absolutely enormous with a wings pane of over 8 feet. We were so lucky we saw them on three different occasions during the week.

For the next few months now is thermals on and local runs to see the geese and whatever else the wind blows in. Till next Love Joan.

Sorry I forgot a further update of Nethy our Osprey, she is now on a three way border between

Algeria, Mali and Mauritania. So she still has the Sahara Dessert to cross before we can say she is there. fingers crossed.

Update.

    Titchwell, Norfolk with two Egyptian Geese.              

Hi, feeling very guilty that it is so long since I did an entry into my Birdwatching Diary its not that I have not been doing any birding I do watch all the time. Last week we had a lovely day out to Fife Ness that's the most easterly point in Scotland. It was a east coast day complete with the haar off the North Sea but we were with an old friend and we had a great day even with my having left the picnic at home.
This week we were at the coast again on Monday and after our look around the shops in St Andrews we paid a visit to Kingsbarns a little village with a lovely beech. Took some lovely pictures but still have not fathomed out how to get more than one picture in at a time. Will get there eventually no doubt.
While on holiday in Norfolk earlier this Spring we had a great fortnight birding with some great birds with close views. We spent many of our days at Titchwell and also paid a visit to a new reserve at Lakenheath where the RSPB are trying to replace the fenland as it once was. In the new visitors centre they have laid a tiled floor, now this area is a good size maybe 60ft long x 25ft deep  it has been tiled  cream with the exception of one tile that represents the amount of fenland left now in comparison with what there was in day gone by the rest has been drained for farming it was alarming to see this.
The reserve just opened this spring and as you may have seen on the news a pair of Cranes have been discovered to be breeding there already great news. No we were not lucky enough to see them as it we heavy rain the day we visited and we did not stand about too long in the wet.
Well I think that's about it just now but as they say I'll  be back.  Love
                                  Joan.

1st January 2007

                                           

Here we are the start of a new year for my bird watching journal.  I started last year on the 1st of January and took you right through the year with us. I really enjoy writing this journal and it is very handy for me personally if I want to check something out.
As we always do on the 1st day of a New Year if it is at all possible we take a trip out. Yesterday was no exception. We were up and away by 10am for a trip to Birnie Loch. This as you know is a favourite of ours in any season. When we arrived yesterday it was very busy and we thought we had little chance of seeing very much but we were in dire need of some exercise and fresh air so we set of for the walk around the two lochs.  Gaddon is first usual common ducks on the water, free from ice most unusual at this time of year. The wind that had caused havoc on Hogmanay had abated to  a very cold westerly. At the high point on this loch it was freezing and I had to cover my head something I hate to do (ruins my hair). After Gaddon Loch you drop down to Birnie Loch a much more shelter loch surrounded by trees. Kind walkers supply nuts and suet balls at certain points along the footpath and the little birds just love this. We noticed yesterday that Long Tailed Tits have managed to get the hang of these feeding stations along with the Blue Great and Coal Tits. Again on this loch were the usual ducks Tufted Goldeneye Mallard Gooseander. When we were just about back to the car we saw a flock of about 50-60 Siskins feeding on the beechmast by the side of the path it was a great sight. Just as we started off again about 10 yards along we stopped to look at a Redpoll and somemore Siskins. Suddenly there was great excitement Stuart spotted a Water Rail feeding just in front of us about 10 yards away we stood and watched it for about 10 minutes. This is a very timid bird and usually stays hidden in the waterside weed and rushes.  During this time an elderly gentleman joined us but he had not seen this bird until Stu pointed it out to him.  He was absolutely over the moon he said he had no seen one since he was a boy and today had been the perfect start to his year as it was ours. A great start has been made and I hope it can continue. Total for this year or today 40 not bad at all.
                                        Regards
                       Joan.

A roundup of 2006

                                               

Being the end of the year I would like to round up our year of birdwatching. We have not done as much as we would have liked this year with one thing and another. Holiday wise we did well on all of them getting most things we wanted to see with the exception of the Purple Heron at Titchwell in May which stayed all of the two weeks were there and did not put in an appearance for us at all.  In September we managed to catch up with a Lesser Yellow Legs at last which was something new for us to see. Later in November we had the opportunity to see a beautiful Barrow's Goldeneye which we have decided to make our bird of the year and will be on the cover of our yearly report. So tomorrow we start all over again from zero its a long way back and takes a lot of time and effort but well worth it we think. Until we meet again which will be soon as we always start the year early I will close.    Best wishes for the New Year.

                                      Joan.

Goldeneye but not James Bond.

            

On Monday night we had word that there was a very rare duck near us, well I say near us it was about 40 miles away at a place called Callander.  The weather on Monday night was dreadful heavy rain and wind so we did not really think we would be going on Tuesday.  When we got up on Tuesday morning it was a lovely sunny morning so we decided to make the trip.  We made good time the roads were quiet, and the sun was still shining when we arrived which gave us very good light.  There were a few other birders about when we arrived but the duck had moved  . The place where the duck had settled was a river that had flooded fields.  We had a walk down the road a bit in the direction the bird had flown and set up our equiptment to see if we could find him.  I say him because we had been told it was a  drake. After a few minutes I picked the bird up in my binoculars just a short way off .  The picture I have put at the top is of one male Barrow's Goldeneye and one Goldeneye.  Goldeneye winter with us every year but a Barrow's is very rare and much saught after. The Barrows is the one with the larger white patches on his face. Also in the picture are three females.  The Barrows Goldeneye was very much fancied by the ladies and always had one or two with him all the time we were there. This sighting was great for us as we have been looking for one of these ducks for many years. Every time we see Goldeneye we always check them all out to see if there is a Barrow's with them.  He is a bit off course just now he should be in Canada for the winter.  After lunch we had lovely run home round Loch Earn on the quietest roads I have ever seen in that area.  All in all a super day out.
Bye for now.                    


                                     Joan.

Look out below.

Good Afternoon, I missed a big event in our garden this morning as it was a cold and wet morning I walked round for the daily paper as I like walking in the rain.  While I was out a Sparrowhawk came and landed on our fence at the bottom of the garden.  Stuart was in the kitchen taking his medication and saw all this happening.  He said it came up from behind the fence sat for about a minute had a good look round and was off at the blink of an eye and I missed it. Teach me to be nice and  go for a paper. We had a Tawny Owl last year and we both missed that just got report from next door.  I think our little birds on the table had better watch out with a Sparrowhawk about.  We have a very big nasty Robin this year too that will not let any of the birds feed they have to wait till he goes elsewhere before they can feed.
Was reading the last report from Loch Garten this morning and the  Ospreys have been very good this year they raised 3 chicks which is excellent well above the norm.  They left for there winter holidays on 4th September so they will now hopefully be sunning themselves in Africa.  It will be 3 years before these chicks will return to breed so we wish them well. That's it for just now all is very quiet up here just now but we did see a lovely Kingfisher the other week just to keep us interested.
Total for the year is now 181.

                                                     Bye for now,

                              Joan.