Popped along the coast a few day's last week, watching long tail ducks at leven,buckhaven and pathhead.
To-day at pathhead there were 5 long tail ducks along with eider, popped along to methil, 3 red breasted merganser, 2 long tailed duck,1 little grebe and loads of eider. popped along to leven still loads of goldeneye running the river mouth.
baraband.

Hi all,
The siskins are back on the feeders with a vengence 23 yesterday with 27 to-day so far. Also had quick visit from a cock bullfinch. I also have the usual goldfinches, greenfinches,chaffinches as well as pr blue tits, pr great tits checking nest boxes. looks like spring is on the horizon.
baraband

Wondered where our Siskins went to! We've had up to 25 in our garden since the beginning of December but they have now departed. Cost me a small fortune in nyger seed!

-Mark

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hi did see a few siskins in birnie this after noon, was out at guardbridge with an incoming tide and managed to spot black throated diver, long tailed duck and red thraoted merganser. and much of the norm , shelldeuck, dunlin, bar tailed godwits, snipe, redshanks ,teal, golden eye

also had a quick look in birnie gadden  then onto angle park and rossie bog on way home , 20 plus whoopers in area east of roosie bog gate way , also at sharp bend at farm wearing on for 1000 geese mainly greylag with a few pinkfeet  among them

a good days birding mainly due to good weather

the eagle

Hi all,
was at vane farm this am , 2 white tailed eagles soaring above car park mid-day.
baraband.

Now that's my kind of life! Sitting in the car watching birds, with a flask of coffee and my sandwiches!!!

-Mark

____________
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Remember to take the lens cap off!!!

Hi all,
popped down to otterston loch to-day. The herons are  building in the trees on the island and in the trees to the right of the island. good photo opportunities as no leaves in way.
popped down to pettycur, cold wind but long tailed ducks were present.
baraband.

hi all  did the wooded area to north of spingfield today looking for goshawk i have spotted there ion the past , alas no luck, went on to the wilderness , nothing unusual, a large flock of curlews, a few teal, mallard, tufted duck and golden eyes.

i then went on to lady bank wood looking for greenwoodpeckers  again no luck. decided to have alook in at angle park again nothing out of the ordinary, tufted duck, pochard, coot, mute swan, common gulls herring guls pink footed geese and greylag geese, and oyster catchers.

then tried birnie looking for kingfisher , reed bunting and tree creeper, managed to get tree creeper , noticed the black headed gulls are beginning to take up residence on the gadden islands. there are a few goosanders on both birnie and gadden, golden eye , mute swans , tufted duck,

decided to try rossie bog and was quite lucvky got a sea eagle , bird Z sitting about 40 yards from the gateway, there were upwards of 30 whooper swans and about 20 pintail spread throughout the bog area, a lot of wigeon, tufted duck mallard and 2 pairs of shoveller, also a few curlew

weather was good and  tried to make the north shore of loch leven on way home but beaten by the clock

the eagle

Hi all,
popped up to kinnordy on tues. passed 500+ fieldfare at lintrathen, watched 3 ospreys fishing at kinnordy,4 pr shovelers feeding in front of hide, pr ospreys treading on pylon at meigle.
popped down to leven to-day, watching 1 mink, 4 dippers in river,  and a pr of peregrine flying about chimney at methil powerstation.
baraband.

Hi Baraband,

Sounds like you had a good day, the mink you seen i have pictures of on here, i got them at the mouth of the Leven next to the power station.

Peregrine, fingers crossed, may be nesting around that building as i also have seen them several times now down there.

Can i ask where you seen the dippers as i need to update my stock photo's of these lovely birds.

regards

____________


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Give the birds a little extra on Xmas day !!

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RSPB, SWT

Hi all,
I also have photo's of the mink with eels and crabs.
If you park in swimming pool car park and walk west towards methil there is a path with a hole in the fence leading on to the old railway track. T urn left on to the old railway bridge and look upstream towards the Bawbee bridge. When tide is out the dippers are flying about hunting in shallows. It is like they are nesting under bridge.
I have not seen kingfishers yet this yearbut they were regulars last year.
There are also mink in  the concrete blocks to the left,and grey wagtails seem to nest in area.
Hope this helps and may bump into you there.
baraband.

I look forward to it, meeting you that is.

Regards

____________


Aiming to Bring The Scottish Birdwatching Community together !!

Remember - Its the Members who make a good website, not the developer !!

Give the birds a little extra on Xmas day !!

Member of the following:-
RSPB, SWT

Hi all,
Was up at kinnordy on tuesday, missed the cranes but a nice flock of black-tailed godwit were in front of gullery hide. One female had rings on legs, sent info to bto and received reply from portugal to-day saying that it had been rung nov. 06. It had been in portugal until feb 10.Also osprey's fishing
Back up to-day but only 1 still there. On way home spotted red squirrel and pr of red legged partridge.
baraband.

Hi folks   was put on to an excellent site near Gleneagles not sure if this should be in Perth shire or fife

Lochs Carsebreck & Rhynd   Scottish National Heritage site
Directions from the A9 take the A823 northwards, pass Gleneagles hotel and at the first small roundabout turn eastward (left) sign posted Braco. Travel for about 3 miles or until you see a fish farm on the north (right) side of the road, at the bottom of the hill on the north side there is a grey stone house. Just past the house on the north side of the road there is limited parking.  Cross the road and at the gate way marked Carsebreck, public footpath, cross the stile and travel south on the well beaten track for about 500 yards.  You will see Carsebreck loch on your right, go through the gate (remember the country code). Continue on until you come to a junction in the path.
The left hand fork will take you along the south side of the loch; note it is advisable to retrace your steps as the area to the north of the loch becomes impassable, or results in a long detour. I believe there are hides in this area but time did not permit me to confirm such.

If you retrace your steps to the junction cross the stile  and travel south towards loch Rhynd, time did not permit me to fully recce this loch will return at a later date to do so.

I spoke to a local who advised me that the area has a large population of over wintering ducks and geese, there are also lightly wooded areas, albeit flooded/ marshland with many other birds

Birds spotted during visit

Red kite,    mute swan,   buzzard,   jackdaw,   cormorant,  mallard,  lapwing,  little grebe,  Canada geese,  oyster catcher,  starling,   wheatear,  reed bunting,  shell duck,   pink footed geese ( 1000 plus) common gull,  lesser black backed gull,  black headed gull,  wagtail,  meadow pipit, sedge warbler, pheasant, swallow chaffinch ,  wren

The eagle

Hi all,
Popped up to Balgavies yesterday to see the Osprey's after the Greylag's were evicted from the nest, as reported in the courier.
Male Osprey carrying nesting material and treading throughout the day.
Late afternoon he brought a fish for the female then went for one for himself.
In front of the hide Sedge Warblers and Blackcaps were present most of the day with visits from Great Spotted Woodpecker to the feeders
Bit of a perv, but some good shots of Osprey's treading.
baraband.

baraband how about directions to balgavies

the eagle

Hi Eagle,
Balgavies is situated 4 miles east of Forfar on the A932 Forfar- Arbroath road, just past Rescobie.
You will also pass Murton reserve, about 2 miles from Forfar. The gates are closed but 200yds past there is a sign for ( eggs for sale) turn left and you can park at cottage. Access to park through gate. They have an artificial sand face which the sand martins are busy in just now. I am heading up to-morrow with my grandson then on to Kinnordy, Kinloch and Loch of the Lowes.
Hope this helps and not to lng winded.
baraband.

baraband many thanks for info on balfavies

will try to get up next week

the eagle

Hi just to let you know i am of for 2 or 3 weeks , south staring of in Oxfordshire, then into dorset, back to hampshire and new forest , up to Kent  and then northwards

should hopefully be back about the 4/5 june( needed for babysitting)


the eagle

Hi all,
Was up at Kinnordy to-day, Osprey on post then went fishing, back to post with his lunch.
Marsh harrier floating about all day, Water Rail walked back and forth in frot of gullery hide.
Open day at Birnie to-morrow.
baraband.