Back from the Perthshire glens.

Walking the top of Sma Glen, Perth & Kinross 30 July 2010.

Osprey nest, Perth & Kinross 29 July 2010.

Adult Osprey (bottom right of image) surveys its surrounding with the Braco moors in the background, Perth & Kinross 29 July 2010.

Back home in Lancs now after 3 months in Scotland. I'd never really considered Perthshire as a hot birding county and always just thought of speeding through on up into the Highlands and beyond. But it certainly has a lot to offer for birding and I've never been able to pop home for a cup of tea after work and then drive out again for half an hour and see Red Kites, Osprey, Short-eared Owls and Hen Harriers!

Another Osprey nest with juvenile, Perth & Kinross 29 July 2010.

But working there wasn't always about actually seeing the birds. Often I'd be searching for clues of their presence (droppings, feathers, pellets, nests, etc). I did see the Tawny Owl at its daytime roost the other day (you can just see the protruding perch it was using), but a quick check below gave a lot more away.

Tawny Owl pellets, Perth & Kinross 29 July 2010.

Tawny Owl "splats" below the roosting perch.

Tawny Owl pellets.

Working in the glens above Gilmerton, Perth & Kinross 29 July 2010. The plains of Strathearn can be seen in the distance where thousands of Pink-footed Geese spend the winter near the A9. The higher ground to the south is the Ochil Hills.

White-tailed Eagle.

White-tailed Eagle (left) with Buzzard, Perthshire glens 23 July 2010 (Photo: Angie Bushell).

Well, nearly done here in Perth and back to Lancs at the weekend. July has been a bit of a wash-out after a super couple of months for weather in Scotland generally. Of course we need the rain, especially in the north-west of England where I'll find myself by Saturday evening. Nevertheless Hen Harriers, Short-eared Owls, Red Kites, Ring Ouzels and the like have kept me amused while working in the glens and at weekends too for that matter.

Loch Rannoch, Perth & Kinross 24 July 2010.

Mrs B came to visit last weekend and I picked her up from Perth station after a brief (and unsuccessful) search for Hawfinches in the Scone Palace grounds on the edge of the city. After a quick visit to Auchterarder for lunch we headed out to the glens to stretch our legs. I wasn't really expecting too much on a sunny Friday afternoon so the Red Kites, Ravens, Dipper, Wheatears and Grey Wags were well received. There are odd sightings of Golden Eagles in the Perthshire glens every now and then so we had a gaze fixed to the craggy horizons at times, but we did not expect the "flying barn door" that appeared at the edge of a nearby hill being mobbed by corvids! We watched this wing-tagged immature (2nd calendar year I think) White-tailed Eagle for the best part of half and hour before it drifted off north. Mrs B managed to capture the moment on film too!

River Guaer at Rannoch Moor, Perth & Kinross 24 July 2010.

Perth & Kinross maybe a little neglected by birders visiting Scotland; most heading direct to the highlands where many of the "Scottish Specialities" are more readily available in relatively reliable sites. One site that I wish I'd visited earlier in my stay here is Rannoch Moor. We made our way there on Saturday afternoon; a long way from anywhere (although it does have a railway station) at the end of an enormous loch west of Tummel.

Rannoch Moor NNR, Perth & Kinross 24 July 2010.

We didn't have sufficient time out here and I'm sure a visit earlier in the spring would be very rewarding indeed. Maybe next year?

Birding at Glenshee on the Aberdeenshire / Perth & Kinross border 25 July 2010.

On Sunday Mrs B and I walked out to Glenshee. Quite a climb and no sign of any Ptarmigan on the side we checked. Monday was better though with at least one Honey Buzzard in one of the Tayside forests.

A "tipple" from the "Famous Grouse Experience" near Crieff (the nearest I've got to a Ptarmigan!) and the latest and long-awaited addition to my library - Donald Watson's "The Hen Harrier".

With Angie in the Cairngorms last Sunday.

Lesvos Report April 2010.

Masked Shrike, Lesvos April 2010.

In April 2010 I led a tour for Ornitholidays to Lesvos (click on link to see more of their worldwide birding tours). Here's a brief tour report. The official tour report can be found on the Ornitholidays website.

LESVOS ITINERARY 22 - 29 April 2010.

22 April: Early morning flight from Manchester to Lesvos via Gatwick to pick up rest of the birders! Arrival in Mytilene, pick up bus and drive to Skala Kallonis in the central part of the island of Lesvos. Check-in at our hotel (Hotel Pasiphae) and the straight out birding around the nearby Skala Kallonis Pool and Cristou River.

23 April: Pre-breakfast trip to Metochi Lake with rest of morning at Kallonis Saltpans. Afternoon in Lower Tsiknias Valley and Madros.

24 April: Cristou River and saltmarsh before breakfast. Achladeri Forest until lunchtime calling at Mesa and Skala Kallonis Saltpans. Afternoon in the Napi Valley.

25 April: Kallonis Mini Football Pitch (can't call it "soccer"), AKA "Scops Copse" and Potamia Valley early morning. Drive out to Ipsilou Monastery and then into Sigri for lunch. Afternoon in the Sigri Fields and Faneromeni Beach area, birding the ford before heading back to Skala Kallonis. A quick stop at the football pitch for another look at the Scops Owls before heading back to the hotel.

26 April: Early visit to Kallonis Saltpans and Sheepfields. Post-breakfast drive to Kavaki Cliffs near Molivos, returning to Skala Kallonis via Mandamos and the Napi Valley. Afternoon at the Kalonis Saltpans and Sheepfields.27 April: Metochi Lake before breakfast then a drive to Skala Eressos and Ipsilou Monastery. Afternoon birding Sigri Fields and Faneromeni Ford after lunch in Sigri.

28 April: Pre-breakfast walk in the Potamia Valley for Olive-tree Warbler. Joined other birders by the water pumping station at Kallonis Saltpans for the Rufous Bush Robin before heading out to the Napi Valley. Afternoon at Kalami Marsh, Mesa and Skala Vasilikon.

29 April: Drove to Mytelene Airport via Kallonis Saltpans and Kalami Marsh. Afternoon flight back to Manchester via Gatwick.

Little Bittern, Sigri Fields, Lesvos April 2010.

WEATHER.

Unfortunately we experienced northerly winds virtually everyday of the trip, that must've had adverse effects on our chances of a decent fall of migrants that Lesvos is famed for during migration months. However, generally the weather was fine with temperatures from 22 - 25 degrees Celsius most days. One day of strong NNW winds brought some rain and made birding difficult at times but did coincide with our most spectacular afternoon's birding in the Sigri Fields where shrikes appeared on most fences, Bee-eaters appeared and one field was literally packed with flava wagtails!

SPECIES.

Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Garganey Anas querqudula
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
Chukar Alectoris chukar
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Cory's (Scopoli's) Shearwater Calonectris diomedea diomedea
Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan
European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
Black-crowned Night- Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Great Egret Egretta alba
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Black Stork Ciconia nigra

White Stork Ciconia ciconia

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus
Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygarus
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes
Common Kestrel Falco tinnuculus
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni

Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus
Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana

Little Crake Porzana parva
Baillon's Crake Porzana pusilla
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrius
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
Little Stint Calidris minuta

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucus
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Great Snipe Gallinago media
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
Ruff Philomachus pugnax
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus
Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans

Audouin's Gull Larus auodouinii
Little Tern Sterna albifrons
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon niloctica
White-winged Tern Childonias leucopterus

Whiskered Tern Childonias hybridus
Rock Dove (Feral Dove) Colomba livia
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius
Little Owl Athene noctua

Eurasian Scops-Owl Otus scops
Common Swift Apus apus
Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
Alpine Swift Apus melba
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
European Roller Coracias garrulus
Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus medius

Crested Lark Galerida cristataWoodlark Lullula arborea
Greater Short-toed Lark Clandrella brachydactyla
Sand Martin Riparia riparia
Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
Common House Martin Delichon urbica
Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris
Tree Pipit Anthus trivialisRed-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus

White Wagtail Motacilla alba
Yellow (Blue-headed) Wagtail Motacilla flava flava
Black-headed Wagtail Motacilla (flava) feldegg
Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola
Rufous Bush Robin Cercotrichas galactotes
Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchus
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina
Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata
Common Blackbird Turdus merula
Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis
Ruppell's Warbler Sylvia rueppelli
Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans
Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
European Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus
(Eastern) Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida
Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum
Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Spotted Flycatcher Muscipapa striata
Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca
Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis
Great Tit Parus major
Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
Sombre Tit Poecile lugubris
(Eurasian) Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus
Kruper's Nuthatch Sitta krueperi
Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer
Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla
Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor
Red-backed Shrike Lanius cullurio
Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator
Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus
Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
Western Jackdaw Corvus monedula
Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
Common Raven Corvus corax
Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis
Common Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia
Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Common Linnet Carduelis cannabina
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
European Serin Serinus serinus
Cretzschmar's Bunting Emberiza caesia
Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus
Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea
Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala
Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra

"Wind 'n' Pish!".

Ring-necked Duck (eclipse drake) at Angle Park GP's, Fife 15 July 2010.

Loch Leven from the Burleigh Sands shore, Perth & Kinross, 15 July 2010.

"Wind 'n' Pish!" That's how Angie's Nan, Jean (missed by us all) would've described the weather in Central Scotland over the last few days. So bad in fact, that work in the glens was postponed today and relieved of my duties I found myself with an unexpected day off.


This morning's weather was predictably poor (well, the British Open has started after all), but after a morning in the flat, a visit to the local supermarket and sausage and bacon sandwiches the urge to venture out during a break in the rain won and I made the trip into Fife and Rossie Bog (above). The water levels had increased since the weekend and there was no sign of last weekend's Pec' Sand' or any of the waders present then other than a single Black-tailed Godwit and 30+ Lapwings. A passing Sparrowhawk spooked all the Teal and several Wigeon but no sign of any Garganey.

A short drive to "Angie Park" (renamed after Mrs B's weekend visit) produced the Ring-necked Duck once again, fresh from its recent visit to nearby Loch Gelly. A few Tufted Duck broods were on show again and this site seems to have a healthy population of Little Grebes with many young out on the water this afternoon.

The huge flock of Mute Swans at Loch Leven this afternoon at Loch Leven, 15 July 2010.

Driving back to Dunning I just had to stop off on the north shore of Loch Leven near Burleigh Sands. This is a superb loch for wildfowl but the size of this immense body of water means that many are often too far from the shore for scrutiny. Today there was a nice small raft of Tufted Ducks not too far off the Burleigh car park and the flock contained a drake Aytha hybrid. Larger than the Tufteds, and rather bulky on the water it was immediately identifiable as such by virtue of its dark grey back (although this did contain a few "dusky" eclipse feathers) and noticeable inverted black triangle on the nail of the bill, covering most of the tip. Conveniently it also sat up, flapped its wings and revealed a total white wing bar (rather than the two-tone bar of a Lesser Scaup for example).
Leven holds internationally important numbers of wildfowl in the winter months, but is certainly impressive in the summer as well. Beyond these close birds I could see several hundred Tufted Ducks in long linear rafts, a few Greater Scaups, Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebes and a sizable flock of Mute Swans. An Osprey nearly slipped by behind me if it hadn't been from a call from the warden as he sped off on his pushbike. A wonderful place and I hope to return in the winter months sometime, but with "wind 'n' pish" seemingly imminent I made for the car.


See ..... Nan Jean was right - "wind 'n' pish!".

Pectoral Sandpiper and Ring-necked Duck, Fife 10 July 2010.

Eclipse drake Ring-necked Duck, Angle Park Gravel Pits, Fife 10 July 2010.

Watching the Ring-necked Duck at Angle Park, 10 July 2010.

Angie 'scoping Pectoral Sandpiper, Greenshank, Green Sandpipers, Ringed Plovers, Snipe and Black-tailed Godwits at Rossie Bog in Fife, 10 July 2010.

Despite some wretched weekend weather I managed to persuade Angie that it would be a rather nice idea to venture into west Fife and see a Pectoral Sandpiper at Rossie Bog. Present for a couple of days, this Nearctic wanderer had turned up at a site with a pretty good recent record for interesting migrants (Garganey, Curlew Sand', etc) and I was as intrigued with the location as the bird to be honest.

The Pectoral Sandpiper showed well at the front of the bog alongside Lapwings and Snipe (and in close proximity to a Fox as well!) and allowed reasonable views in the damp conditions.

Pectoral Sandpiper at Rossie Bog, Fife 10 July 2010.

Drake Ring-necked Duck at Angle Park GP's. Fife 10 July 2010.

Although there hadn't been any news regarding the Ring-necked Duck at Angle Park over the last few days we popped in as it is only a couple of miles from Rossie Bog. This paid dividends as the eclipse drake was showing well in the company of a few Tufted Ducks. A very pleasant few hours in Fife indeed.

Escape Spot-billed Duck with Mallards at Angle Park GP's, Fife 10 July 2010.

A brief visit to Vane Farm and a few vantage points on Loch Leven in deteriorating weather conditions produced little apart from a few Greater Scaup and 75+ Pochard.

Can we have June's weather back please?

Looking back.

Birding / working in the Scottish Highlands, July 2010.

This post is being written a few weeks after the photos were uploaded, giving me something to do on a very wet Wednesday afternoon. Those summer days of June seemed a distant memory over the last few days now that we're in July. The weather has turned on its head but after nearly ten weeks working here in Central Scotland I can hardly complain about a few wet days and the prospect of weekend work due to tomorrow being "rained off". The weekend's Ptarmigan quest is on hold then and with only one other weekend left before my southbound autumn migration (back to Lancs in August), the likelihood of another chance is slim. It's all gone a bit quiet in the glens and on the moors really too. Still a few Short-eared Owls around, the odd Merlin and yesterday (13 July) I watched in awe as a pair of Ring Ouzels defended their craggy home territory against a pesky pair of Kestrels. Top marks to the immature Golden Eagle over the uplands in the photo above as I watched Golden Plovers though.

Skylark at Hesketh Out Marsh, Lancashire 4 July 2010.

Talking of all this rain - let's hope they're getting loads back in Lancs. The Ribble "wetlands" (see photo of Marshside above) really need it after the driest first six months of the year since 1929. News of flocks of Golden Plovers and Dunlins on the South Ribble Marshes in the last week has me looking forward to beating the home patch next month.

But for now ....... can we have a bit more of this please?

Southern Upland Way, Scottish Borders, July 2010.