Monday, January 23, 2012

Ken Dee, Caerlaverock & Mersehead–A great way to end 2011

We don’t get over to the east of Dumfries & Galloway very often due to work so decided on a couple of nights away to end the year after the Christmas rush.

1-red-kite

Red Kite

We stopped off on the way to Dumfries at RSPB Ken Dee Marshes. We had visited before many years ago when we were staying at Livingstone Cottage not far down the road and had cycled here. The weather, I remember had been very hot, but today it was bitterly cold and very wet.As we approached the car park there were several Red Kites above, I managed to snap this one as we got out of the car.

Our next sighting was a beautiful Jack Snipe, our first, unfortunately far too fast for me to get a photo!

2-bluetit

Bluetit

We walked briskly to the first hide where lots of small birds were on the feeders

3-chaffinch

Male Chaffinch

4-greattit

Great tit

5-ken-dee

The view from the hide and a break in the weather

6-nuthatch

Nuthatch

7-nuthatch

Plenty of Nuthatches here, we don’t get them at home in the far west of the county.

8-nuthatch

 

9-nuthatch

 

10-bracket-fungi

Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus)

10-willow-tit

Willow Tit

11-willow-titCan be distinguished from the Marsh Tit by the paler flash down the wing, the matt black head and not so neat bib.

12-willow-tit

We don’t get these at home either!

13-willow-tit

 

14-coaltit

Coal Tit

15-red-squirrel

Red Squirrel

16-shooting

RSPB sign asking visitors to “respect the activities of shooting parties” !!!

17-geese

Next morning we were up early and headed for WWT Caerlaverock. We stopped at the Castle Wood car park first for a walk and spotted these geese overhead. Plenty of birds in the woods including Jay and Bullfinch.

18-barnies

We then headed for the main WWT Centre, where there were hundreds of Barnies on the approach Road.

19-barnies

Barnacle Geese

20-roe-deer

Roe Deer

21-green-winged-teal

Green-winged Teal (right)

22-teal

Teal

23-whooper

Whooper Swan…

24-whooper…dabbling

25-swans

Nearly feeding time for the Mutes and Whoopers waiting patiently!

26-tree-sparrow

Tree Sparrow

27-mallard

Very pretty Mallard female

27-mallards

With her mate.

28-leucistic-chaffinch

The WWT staff keep getting reports of a Snow Bunting…

 

29-leucistic-chaffinch…but its just a leucistic Chaffinch!

30-waiting-to-feed

Still waiting!

31-flying-whoopers

Another family flying in

32-splash

Splash!

33-feeding-time

At last-feeding time!

34-feeding-frenzy

35-canadas

Canada Geese tucking in…

36-wigeon

…and a Wigeon

37-longhorns

Longhorn Cattle grazing

38-roe-deer

Roe Deer

39-yellowhammer

We managed to spend a good 5 hours at Caerlaverock, we stayed until the light was fading and saw a flock of Yellowhammers in the hedgerow

40-barnies

Next morning, ignoring yet another miserable wet day, we set off early for RSPB Mersehead. We were keen to visit as we had heard so much about it as Kirsty (our sons girlfriend) works there. As soon as we arrived we saw Barnies coming into land right by the car park.

41-yellowhammer

We headed for the first hide, out of the rain and saw several Yellowhammers…

42-reed-bunting-male

…and Reed Buntings by the path

43-reed-bunting-female

Female Reed Bunting

44-reed-bunting

Male Reed Bunting

We spent some time in both of the hides watching the ducks including Shoveller, Pintail and Goldeneye.

45-barnies

We then decided to brave the weather and do the circular walk to the beach. Lots more Barnies along the way.

46-mersehead-beach

The beach was great although bitterly cold..

…so we walked briskly back to the Visitor Centre for a hot coffee, a chat with RSBPB staff member Hannah and watched the birds through the window.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

End of 2011 Winter Garden Wildlife

A selection of garden visitors at the end of 2011…

blackcap-1

Male Blackcap..

blackcap-2

…working out how to use the feeder…

blackcap-3

…got the hang of it now!

blackcap-4

 

Brambling-1

Brambling

brambling-2

Only seen briefly this year-we had a lot more last winter during the icy weather

house-sparrow

House Sparrow caught during a ringing session

jay-on-feeder

The Jay has become a regular visitor this year

long-tailed-tit

Long-tailed Tit

long-tailed-tit-2

Hanging on the gate

pheasant

Male Pheasant..

pheasant-on-gate

…and afemale on our front gate

sparrowhawk male

Male Sparrowhawk

sparrowhawk-on-barrel

On the water barrel

sparrowhawk-on-garage

On the garage

sparrowhawk-on-picnic-table

On the picnic table

yellowhammer

A brief visit from a Yellowhammer on the lawn

 

Rock-pipit

Not in our garden, but Kirsty took these during a Rock Pipit ringing session near the Mull of Galloway

Rock-Pipit and Mike

Son Mike with Pipit

Rock-pipits

Pair of Pipits

squirrel

One of the beautiful Red Squirrels that visit our garden

squirrel-burying

Burying nuts in the lawn, sadly this one with the dark tail was run over and killed on our road at the end of November, we  watched in horror from the window.

squirrel-in-feeder

This one gets right inside the feeder

squirrel-on-feeder

So cute!

red-squirrel

 

dead-rat

Dead rat on the lawn!

stoat

Blur of a Stoat!

winter-moth

Winter Moth

sunset

Sunrise from the house