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More pictures taken on this excellent field trip are available on the January 2010 Photo Gallery page.
Saturday 30 January promised to be a sunny but cold day. 17 enthusiasts met at Ormsary community centre car park from where we headed slowly up the hill behind the community centre. Some of the species seen while hiking up the hill were Common Crossbills in the pine trees behind the centre, Reed Bunting in the trees surrounding a little lochan further up to Fieldfares on a fence and in the meadow close to a burn up the hill. The highlight of the day came when we were at the burn … two Golden Eagles were soaring in the sky and we watched them in awe for approximately 15 minutes before they disappeared out of view. Still not believing our luck, we headed back to the community centre to have our picnic lunch. Still well up the hill, we saw some Common Buzzards as well as a Cormorant heading toward Loch Caolisport, our destination for that afternoon.
Taken care of the inner self and nicely warmed, we headed back into the cold to Loch Caolisport. While scanning the loch for divers, some Blue Tits, House Sparrows, Common Chaffinches and Dunnock were trying to pull our attention away from the loch to its banks. Closer to the fish farm we discovered a lone Eurasian Curlew and some Ringed Plover between the hundreds of Gulls and Oystercatchers. A flock of Redshank flew in and joined them. Further up the loch was a raft of Eider and Goldeneye while on its bank were two Mallards which were joined by 14 Turnstones. Around 15.30, we reluctantly headed back towards the cars and discovered 2 Common Buzzards in the trees just of the road … nothing exciting when compared to the sight of the 2 Golden Eagles soaring over our heads!
Species (53 species in total) : Greylag Goose, Mallard, Common Eider, Common Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Common Pheasant, Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Great Cormorant, Shag, Common Buzzard, Golden Eagle, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Northern Lapwing, Woodcock, Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Treecreeper, Hybrid Crow, Hooded Crow, Common Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Common Crossbill, Reed Bunting
More pictures taken on this excellent field trip are available on the February 2010 Photo Gallery page.
Despite the rain, sleet, snow and gales of the previous days, 15 people, ready to conquer whatever the weather threw at them, turned up at the Islandadd bridge near Bellanoch. With the cold north-easterly breeze in our back, we first scouted the estuary from the bridge, as the footpath along the Crinan Canal leading to the birdhide was closed off due to the ongoing repair works. Eurasian Teal and Wigeon, Common Shelduck and Goldeneye were only but a few species present.
Sharing 4 of the cars, we drove to Crinan Wood. Skirting Crinan Wood, we walked along the canal to Crinan, spotting species such as Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Northern Diver and several Red-throated Divers amongst the Eider Ducks and Gulls. With a clear blue sky and out of the cold north-easterly wind, we decided not to go for coffee in the hotel but to have our lunch in the cars at the Islandadd Bridge and continued our walk around the wood. Past the boatyard, Mark Williamson spotted an Otter bubbling up and down the surface. After admiring a Scarlet Macaw perched in a garden, the sharp eyed Mark spotted a slightly less brightly coloured but handsome male Bullfinch fly across the road. Before getting back to the cars, we made a brief visit to the garden area of Mike and Daphne Murray. Mike told us we just missed a Woodcock by a minute but we did see a Eurasian Treecreeper and Coal Tit while Mike told us how a Pine Martin predated the eggs in a Tawny Owl nest box.
Having enjoyed our lunch in the shelter of our cars, we drove towards the Barsloisnoch Farm and stopped to admire a ring-tail Hen Harrier that quartered the fields just in front of us putting up several Curlew in the process. Our next walk from Barsloisnoch Farm took us round the fields of Poltalloch estate heading into the bracing wind but gave us the chance to add amongst others Greenland White-fronted Goose, Lapwing, Mistle Thrush, Grey Wagtail and Reed Bunting. We then headed into the shelter of Poltalloch Woods and caught up with Siskin, Woodpigeon and a deer. Heading back to the cars, Tom Callan found an emaciated immature male Kestrel at the side of the road though fortunately there was still a live bird seen nearby as well as a fleeting glimpse of a Sparrowhawk. Finally, before the end of the trip, we managed to locate a Redwing and a Fieldfare.
Thanks to the expert leadership of Jim Dickson and the sharp eyesight of all those present, we managed to see 57 species!
Bird Species: Mute Swan, Greenland White-fronted Goose, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Common Eider, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Pheasant, Red-throated Diver, Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Shag, Grey Heron, Hen Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Oystercatcher, Northern Lapwing, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Rock pipit, Grey Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Eurasian Treecreeper, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Common Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Siskin, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting. (57 species)
Other: Otter, Scarlet Macaw, Deer, Scarlet Elf Cup
After the poor weather last year we were relieved to have an almost totally dry day this year for Argyll Bird Club field trip to the Sound of Gigha. At least 18 members and friends turned up at the car park at Ronachan.
Although dry there was am brisk WNW wind coming off the sea which made viewing conditions on the sea difficult.
Nevertheless the usual obliging Great Northern Diver (in winter plumage) was present close enough to the shore for us all to get reasonable views of it.
Otherwise Rock Pipits were on the shore and Common, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls and the odd Shag and Red-breasted Merganser were around the offshore rocks. The only waders noted were pairs of Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers. In view of the weather we decided to move on early to our next stop. The most unexpected sighting was a Muscovy Duck just to the north. A first for the Sound of Gigha! A Wren was singing as we left – one of the survivors of the hard winter.
Goldfinch was seen as we arrived at ‘West Coast Salmon’ but, perhaps because of the brisk inshore wind, there were fewer birds than usual close inshore. Two distant Long-tailed Ducks and three Common Shelducks flew past as we arrived and two more Long-tailed Ducks were seen later. However we had good numbers of Common Scoters (20 or more in total, including a few females)out in the Sound and after a while one or two came in quite close providing excellent views, especially through the club telescope. One seen tantalisingly briefly, bobbing up and down in the waves, appeared to have a while flash near the eye and could well have been a Velvet Scoter. Distant Red-throated Divers and Great Northern Divers were recorded as well as a couple of Common Guillemots. It was difficult to get good views of the few Slavonian Grebes that were bobbing about in the waves although we did see two together one of which was still in winter plumage and one in almost complete breeding plumage. Common Goldeneye, Common Eider, Red-breasted Merganser and Ringed Plover were also noted before we left to catch the ferry. Not to mention a farmer walking a pack of dogs who seemed to think we were cluttering up the beach!
Hundreds of Greenland White-fronted Geese were feeding in the fields to the west of the road as we drove down to Tayinloan. It’s not really safe to stop here with a large convoy of cars but in the bright sunshine the white blazes on the foreheads could be seen even at quite a distance.
As we arrived in good time for the 12:00 ferry to Gigha a small group of Curlews flew over and as we waited a Sky Lark singing overhead reminded us how numerous they used to be in past times. Several Pied Wagtails were also about the car park and one at least looked as though it could have been a White Wagtail.
As we walked up the ferry pier Tom Callan spotted a male Northern Wheatear – a first migrant of the year for pretty well all of us. A female was seen with it soon afterwards.
The sea was quite choppy during the crossing and it was difficult to keep the binoculars steady. Nonetheless we picked up at least 3 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 or more Common Scoters, 2 or 3 Great Northern Divers, 4 Razorbills and one or two Black Guillemots as well as Common Eiders and Red-breasted Mergansers.
Although the island provided shelter from the wind as we reached Gigha we only added a few species to out list as we walked up to the hotel; including Wood Pigeon, Greenfinch and Common Starling.
As always the Gigha Hotel did us proud at lunch time and we all enjoyed the good conversation. As we left the shelter from the wind provided by the island was very noticeable and we decided to stay on Gigha until the 15:30 ferry back to the mainland.
We walked up towards the woods around Achamore House in the hopes of finding some sheltering passerines and possibly an early migrant. Small flocks of Common Starlings were on the roof tops and a very noisy gathering of House Sparrows reminded those of us who do not have then regularly in their gardens what handsome birds the males are in breeding plumage. However apart from the usual tits (including Long-tailed Tit) and Common Chaffinches there was a very striking lack of birds of any kind(!) as we walked on up to the ruined church. So much so that a pair of Greater Canada Geese flying over provided a moment of excitement! We did manage to get close views of a couple of Goldcrests and a group of 4 Goldfinches on the way back to the ferry as well as adding Dunnock and Meadow Pipit to the island list. The only birds seen from the shore as we waited for the ferry were a pair of Mute Swans and a Curlew.
On the return ferry crossing we had close views of three or four Great Northern Divers, one or two Black Guillemots and a single Great Cormorant flew past.
A couple of Rooks added to the species list as we walked back down the jetty. As it was later than usual some people left for home at this point while the rest of us repaired to Katie’s house for the traditional ‘cuppa’. Katie had found a Merlin while we were on Gigha and from her conservatory we were rewarded by good views of a pair of Common Stonechats and a large flock of Greenland White-fronted Geese that flew over calling loudly. Terry Robilliard counted a total of 335 birds in the flock.
Despite what was in some ways a slightly disappointing list of species, the weather stayed mainly dry, the company was good and we all enjoyed chattering away nineteen to the dozen! At least 55 species in all were seen – see list below. As always, many thanks to Katie for kindly providing the refreshments.
Paul Daw
Species List: Mute Swan, Greenland White-fronted Goose, Greater Canada Goose, Common Shelduck, Muscovy Duck, Mallard, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Common Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Pheasant, Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Shag , Common Buzzard, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Eurasian Curlew , Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull , Common Guillemot, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Feral Pigeon/Rock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Sky Lark, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Common Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Blackbird, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Rook, Hybrid Crow , Hooded Crow, Common Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Common Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch
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