Birdfair - Hopetoun House 19th & 20th May 2012

Return of the Birdfair in Scotland (how long ago was Vane Farm?)  so only right we should take a trip. Saturday was a cold one and the temperatures allied to the umpteen football matches being screened probably led to a lowish attendance. Enjoyed a few of the talks (particularly Dean Bricknell's photography talk and workshops. Sunday was much better weather wise and hopefully ensured exhibitors did well so the event can be repeated.
The grounds held a good number of nuthatch - always a good bird to get in Scotland and personally wasn't sure they had made it this far up - but they have apparently been here a few years now.
The mixed woodland held great spotted woodpecker, chiffchaff, blackcap & spotted flycatcher as well as a couple of crossbill overhead but surprisingly no willow warbler heard when they seem to be singing just about everywhere else in Scotland.
Eventually gave up trying to get a decent pic but a couple of spotted flycatcher were reasonably close although right into the light (this image partially rescued).

Spotted Flycatcher

Stopped off at a few spots before returning home although mainly quiet from a wildlife viewpoint although Loch of Lintrathen had a few great crested grebe and 2 common sandpiper.

Great Crested Grebe

Midweek update

Still fairly cold for May & since Sunday we have had snow & hail showers.
Loch of Skene today had a remarkable 7 common scoter present (per Hugh Addlesee & duly seen by yours truly at lunchtime) - a tremendous inland record.
In the area - singing blackcap & willow warbler aplenty.

The waste land (soon to be built on) across from Prospect Rd, Westhill has singing whitethroat...enjoy while we can!

Sunday morning - a bit dull and windy. Not ideal conditions for looking for adder and slowworms but surely worth a go anyway particularly as we were meeting with folk who know what signs to look for - Friends of Angus Herpetofauna arranged a walk to picturesque Loch Lee along Glen Esk & embarrassed to say I've never been there before.

We left in good time and met at the car park at Invermark & the drive there was a pleasant one even allowing for the dark clouds that seemed to follow.

The car park had chaffinch hopping on the car wing mirror demanding to be fed:

Chaffinch on wing mirror - my camera in the mirror

Just outside the car by the river was a cracking male redstart. The bird highlights were male ring ouzel, mistle thrush aplenty, treecreeper, a small party of long tailed tit, a few common sandpiper including two in the field by the car park. Northern wheatear, great spotted woodpecker (including two on a small post by the road en route to Invermark), juvenile song thrush being fed by parents, tons of willow warbler and meadow pipit.

Probably due to the wind chill (well to be honest it was truly bitter and the wind was blowing the spray off the loch regularly) we didn't manage to see any adder or slowworm but will try another day now we have more of an idea what to look out for. There was a single newt (common I think) and a single common toad pictured below.

Common Toad

  Invermark castle is an impressive ruin but with the wind as it was we thought there was a danger of it toppling over:

Invermark Castle

First swift

Well it's a bit late...but...first swifts of the year over Loch of Skene today...other than that the loch is quiet probably because of the harsh wind & incessant rain.

At night, the moth trap is set again although temp at 2200 is 4 degrees, not likely to be a bumper catch.

The most common moth of the year so far is hebrew character

Hebrew Character

Garden Duck Count

The years first ducklings still have 5 teenagers  going strong (from original 10) and getting close to flight however the second brood have all gone alas...we await a third set of duckling...maybe!

Stonehaven Golf course

A Wednesday game - little in the way of quality golf but some new arrivals...whitethroat singing tonight (1st seen Saturday 5th May), a female sparrowhawk flying across the fairway at 12th hole which was usurped by a fantastically close merlin zipping by us at the 14th tee.

Braemar, Glenshee & Thereaboots!

A Saturday wedding at the Craigendarroch meant we were in the right area for some great mountain species.

Sunday morning at Inver had little about but a mile or two on we had tree pipit and mistle thrush. Further on at Glen Lui we had a good number of crossbill, maybe even Scottish crossbill? Couldn't call it but maybe somebody can hazard a guess based on this photo I took below of a smart male?
Plenty of siskin about, goldcrest heard, no raptors though.

On to Glenshee, no chairlift running so scope put to use and we have some mountain hare and ptarmigan near the summit with a few red grouse lower down the slopes.  A slow run back towards Braemar and red deer everywhere and we count approximately 300 in 4 different herds. Prolonged scanning above the mountain tops is needed to finally get some raptors and we enjoy watching a         (presumably male and female) peregrine displaying to each other. Buzzard, kestrel and raven are quickly added and a bit lower down we have a mocking red grouse, challenging us to take his photo.

Glen Callater car park, step out the car and a male ring ouzel is sitting in a tree across the road...never been that easy there before! A 20 minute walk and wander about and we see another RO as well as a whitethroat and a pair of wheatear.

Posing Red Grouse

Male crossbill - Scottish?

Westhill for Thrills

Iceland Gull at lunchtime over Tesco roundabout...follow the kids detritus...can't fail

Garden Update

The 7 teenage mallard have morphed into 5 tonight so we have a rogue fox/cat/gull...although these guys so big a fox is likeliest

Only 1 duckling left from the 2nd brood although perhaps mother responsible for that as she metes out a fair bit of rough treatment to her remaining child!