Hi folks.

 have not managed to get out birding due to inclement weather, but have been walking around Duloch and Calais burn woods area (Dunfermline near tesco's ), over the past 2 weeks have spotted a few birds in Calais burn wood, pair of chaffinches, great tits, and blackbirds, a buzzard on a kill being mobbed by a crowd of crows, the buzzard refused to give up the kill, so I can only assume it was hungry and the kill could well have been the last for some time, spotted a solitary redwing, sparrow hawk and a kestrel.  There were quite a few black headed gulls, common gulls in the area south of the Hyundai building.

Around the Duloch area (estate) has spotted quite a lot of redwings, fieldfares, and reed buntings, did go looking for waxwings but no luck. I can only assume any red berries about have been got at by the redwings and fieldfares. There is an ever over head presence of gulls, black headed, common, herring and the occasional lesser black backed gull searching for food. I have noticed in my wandering that all the water areas in and around Duloch am frozen over and have been for sometime and any birds which normally inhabit such areas must be feeling the pinch with regards to food and are moving further afield to finds food. There is a stream to the North West edge of the football/rugby pitches which has not frozen over. I spent some time looking for birds in this area but no such luck. I have noticed more and more fieldfares,  redwings reed buntings and meadow pipits  are in and around the gardens in the estate, and can only assume said birds are finding it more and more difficult too find food their normal habitat.  Open to suggestions/advice.


 In my garden over the past 10 days, I have been watching a fieldfare eat all the berries on one of my garden shrubs, an area which the fieldfare defended against redwings and other fieldfares.  The berries have all gone now and I have been putting out seed and fruit (apples pears), again the resident field fare has been defending this against any birds that are  fruit eaters , i.e. redwing, fieldfare, blackbird, reed bunting and robins but ignoring starlings, sparrows, woodpigeons. I have also had a moorhen in feeding of the seed I put out; the bird stayed feeding for about 20 minutes and then took of in a northerly direction. I have not spotted any blue, great, or coal tits since before Christmas, a few house sparrows have been visiting as have a few meadow pipits. I can only assume cold, freezing weather has caused birds to seek food in gardens

Well hopefully will be able to get out in the near future , again all depending on the weather


 The eagle

Interesting topic Golden Eagle.  I have managed out a couple times (Morton and Birnie Lochs) - both sites were frozen over, but both sites had Blue and Great tits, - Morton also had a small family of Long Tail tits.  At Birnie the Robins were so hungry that were taking seed from my hand.

I was at Guardbridge yesterday, and their feeders were swarming with with Tits, Finches, Dunnock, Robin and Blackbird.  similarly in my garden the feeders are mobbed with Tits Finches, Sparrows, Robin, Dunnock, plus a few Starling, Woodpigeon, etc. I have noticed a scarcity of Coal tits however?  I've seen a Song Thrush in the area over the last few days, but I don't seem able to tempt it to my feeders.

I've been making up a small ramekin dish each morning with chopped dried fruits and nuts, cake, shortbread, breakfast cereal (organic naturally ) grated cheese, crusts of pastry from steak pie etc, and putting this out in addition to the usual seeds and peanuts.  I don't put out too much in case it's detrimental but it's all eaten each day.
best regards, Bobmcc

Bobmcc many thanks for info, i am not allowed to go to far in case i get stuck(she who must be obeyed rules) i normally travel to your part of the country on a monday

my sister in rosyth puts out feeders but none of the tits and finches are using the feeders , my son in dunfermline reports much the same. i have moved their  the feeders to different locations around their gardens no no avail

was out taxiing today and spotted a goshawk making and then feeding on a kill on the b981 about 500m north of where the road crosses the railway line. managed to stop and watch the bird feeding for about 10 minutes or so

i still have my resident fieldfare , he was looking for food at first light this morning 0815 ish, its bloody cold going out to feed birds at that time of the morning


 the eagle

Hi All,
I stay in Rosyth and my feeders are well used by goldfinches,greenfinches and chaffinches but only 1 pr of siskins this year so far.
I only have 1 pr of blue tits which are visiting a nest box, I usually have great, coal and long tailed tits but none this year so far.
I have sparring fieldfares, blackbirds, robins and dunnocks, song thrush, wrens and a regular visiting sparrowhawk.
I visited my mate's in B/island to-day as he had a male Blackcap back again this year.

hi again it would appar that all the bird life seems to bein rosyth, had a walk through calais mair wood and then onto fordell estate not a lot about

did manage to gt afemale sparrow hawk, also a buzzard hunting , a couple of chaffinches, blackbird and a robin, all theses small birds were in the area of houses, soassume feeders were the big attraction

i still have my resident fieldfare , also managed to spot a couple of tree sparrows this morning

will have to tyry and move feeders  about yet again, i take the feeders in at night as the seed has been freezing up as has the suet fat balls i put out and consequntly evey bird in the garden is ground feeding. i normally put out 3 apples 2 pears and about 500 grams of seed in variious locations around the garden.

will just have to persevere

the eagle

Hi All,
I missed out woodpigeons, collared doves and starlings from my list.
I actually posted a day early as I had 2 pr's siskins, 1 pr coal tits, filling my hanging baskets with sunflower seeds and 1 pr great tits.
They say to put out water but I have noticed most of the birds eating snow.

Hi all,
Yesteday I popped down to Kinghorn Loch, loads of tufted ducks, closest ever, (smashing photo opportunity, will post someday when overcome my problem.). Popped into hide, loads of dabchick, goldeneye and pochard.
To-day popped down to Limekilns, wigeon, turnstone, ringed plover, dunlin,redshank and one great crested grebe

baraband you seem toi have had a good day, i did loch leven north side from burleigh sands eastwards. much of the loch is still frozen over but a   a lot about in what clear water there is . white tailed eagle  on st serfs island, wigeon, tufted duck mallard, goosander , golden eye , teal  canada goose , greylag geese, pink feet , pintail, raven and many more  goldfinch, greenfinch, yellow hammer, reed bunting, chaffinch, brambling

i often visit  kinghorn loch and normally try and visit otterson loch, cullaloe reservoir, pettycur bay and  the bay at burntisland and if i have time i try and visit the black sands area in aberdour

 thanks for info

the eagle

Hi all,
I tried to pop into cullaloe on sunday mid-day but the gate to car park was locked.
I often go and sit and watch the great spotted woodpeckers and various tits but the last time I visited the feeders were empty.
Maybe the weather put the warden off, but I'm disabled and managed along.
Rant over,going to kinghorn if allowed out.

did someone say Hide at kinghorn Loch ?

Unlocked or locked ?

Directions ?

regards

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Hi all,
Re hide at Kinghorn loch.
Park at ecology centre and there is a sign for loch viewing 300m, and hide 360m it is unlocked but door is tight in top right hand corner.
Nice place for pochard, tufties and dabchicks.

Hi baraband thanks for info on cullaloe, will contact SWT who look after area and try and find out why gate is  locked. i did hear that there was going to be an upgrading of the entrance way,

i normally park beside the dam at kinghorn loch and walk along the bank  and get as gfood a view from there as  you would from the hide. the path is not for the fainthearted and with you disability i am sure you would find a lot of difficulty


 there are hides on the north side of loch leven which are easy accesable , i would suggest you park at the loch end   , if you know kinross   opposite  town hall pick up signs (brown) for loch leven castle and go right  end of loch small chaple at end . plenty parking and you can easily walk to first hide about 15 minutes and then there is a hide a t burleigh sands which will take another 20 minutes or so.  i would advise parking at burleigh sands as quite a few cars have been broken into.damaged




hope this helps   and if i can be of any more help give me a shout



 yours aye


 The Eagle

Hi golden eagle,
The pochard and dabchicks seem to gather at the west end in front of the hide.
I was talking to two blokes from kinghorn ( dave and kevin ) who said that were water rail up hide end.
The path is a bit soft but i manage with my zimmer.

baraband thanks for info,  did not realize you use a zimmer, the first hide from loch leven end  i would geuss is managable for you, you might like to try birnie.gadden loch, angle park and rossie bog  all site which require very little walking, allbeit birnie / gadden has a well worn path and takes about 30 minutes max to walk round and there are 2 hides, keys can be gor from fife ranger services.

there is also a hide a guardbridge (council run) which is open from 0900  untill 1700 there is about a 100 meteres walk from car park on a well beaten path.

if you want to visit any of these places  and need help/directions drop me an e mail at  
and  

the eagle

hi baraband info on cullaloe  from SWT

Many thanks for your email regarding access to Cullaloe Wildlife Reserve.  During the recent cold weather, wildfowl have been using the open water by the car park as a refuge due to the loch being frozen.  We restricted access to this area to reduce disturbance at this critical time.  There was a sign on the gate explaining the situation and making it clear that the reserve was still open, with alternative parking arrangements. It sounds as if this has gone missing – please accept my apologies for this.
 
I have asked our volunteer warden to reopen the gate now that the weather has improved somewhat.  
 
I hope you have the chance to visit Cullaloe again soon.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further help,
 

 did the north side of loch leven today  still a lot of ice about albeit there is a fairly big patch of clear water behind todd and duncan mill on the north west corner of the loch

there is no clear water at the SNH hide  near  Kinross

there is a fairly big patch of clear water at the SNH hide at burleigh sands BEWARE the burleigh sands hide was locked today at 1130. there is a sign in the car park

there was also a patch of clear water to the east of burleigh sands

there were golden eye, goosanders, little grebe, mallard, pintail, tufted duck, moorhen,mute swan whooper swans, red breasted merganser, cormorant, black headed gull, lesser black backed gull , great black backed gull , lapwing, spread along the north shore of the loch

Managed to spot kesterl, buzzard, yellowhammer, coal tit great tit, blue tit, greenfinch, starling, goldfinch,chaffinch, reed bunting, meadow pipit, in the area along the walk ay at leven mouth/findante
  at vane farm much the same as the north shore  other than a canada goose, wigeon
the walk way round the loch is iced over for much of the way and walking can be a bit treacherous

hope all this helps

 The Eagle

Somebody had a good day. I sit with my mother mon,wed and friday so don't get out much during week, but going for lunch to Upper Largo to-morrow so will visit B/haven, Methil and Levenmouth weather permitting.
baraband

Hi all,
On thursday popped in to Otterston, to the left of feeding area in small body of open water were, tufted , mallard, coot and mute swan. feding area had coot, moorhen, mallard and muteswan. to the right under the trees in front of cottage,, wigeon, teal, coot.
B/haven had eider,cormorant, oystercatcher, turnstone and rock pipits.
Methil had female red breasted merganser, dabchick and eider.
Levenmouth had pr red breasted mergansers,redshanks,turnstones and loads of goldeneye going through mating ritual.
That's all for now.
baraband.

Hi all,
Popped in to birnie to-day, white cheeked pintail feeding with mute swans at car park.
Popped along to rossie bog , whooper & mute swans, teal, wigeon and a pr of pintail, greylag & pink footed geese grazing in field on opposite side of road.
Letham pools drying out but greylag & pinkfeet in attendance. one of the greylag had a red tag on front.
baraband.

Hi all,
Popped up to loch of the lowes to-day as grandson off school. Bramblings feeding with the chaffinches. Redpolls have also been visiting.
Popped along to kinnordy, pink footed geese, whooper swans,wigeon and teal aplenty.
baraband.

Hi all,
On thursday popped down to b/haven, purple sandpiper feeding on tide line, common scoter and eider aplenty with red breasted mergansers inshore of them.
On friday pm popped down to limekilns, bar tailed godwit sitting with curlew,redshank,dunlin ringed plover and wigeon.
baraband.