Eric & Lesley's Wildlife Blog - Wildscotphotos

A Start to Spring Bird Migration

12/4/2021

We currently have a run of bright, but very cold days with overnight frosts. Perhaps bird migration is slower than normal but there have been a few sightings. As well as the expected Chiffchaff we have seen Blackcap, Wheatear and yesterday our first Common Sandpiper which felt a bit early.
Today we returned to the area we saw it, hoping to see the Osprey we missed the day before but no luck there. However we did see three Sandpipers. Luckily one was on the right side of the river for photography. Before it appeared I was cursing the only cloud in the sky hovering over us, but once I was on the bird I was thankful of the softer light. I was able to lean over the edge to fill the frame. Initially the bird was roosting but it woke up and started moving after a second Sandpiper flew by, calling.

Does Size Matter?

27/2/2021

We are currently waiting on tenterhooks to see whether Spring has arrived. It looks like it has, it feels like it has, but we have here before in other years and its not even March yet.
Birds are singing; new songs to challenge identification. In most case being alerted means that a view is possible to aid Id. This is when size comes into play. Just as we have all identified a large white object as a Swan or a small blue one as a Kingfisher, we can get it wrong with smaller birds. Here we see two finches, both sporting yellow and green plumage and sometimes misidentified. But, the Siskin on the left is much smaller than the Greenfinch on the right. Side by side - easy peasy; in the field less so. Other clues will help - Siskin may be feeding in Larches or Alders whereas Greenfinch might be at the top of a pine tree giving the sneezy call. Happy hunting.

Whiteout

9/2/2021

Well, far from winter abating it is still here with a vengeance. Snow has been building outside since the icy rain has departed. The forecast for the next four days is more of the same. As a result I have not been able to get to my feeding station. Fortunately I have kindly people to assist with the feeding.
We have been walking from home more than usual. Snow is much easier to walk on than ice. Of course the snow will likely turn to ice before it departs.
We found a Mandarin, a rare duck locally on a pond within town but we can see that wildlife is struggling as the snow takes hold. Today we found Blackbirds "enjoying" the conditions.

Brambling Time

26/1/2021

Winter is still firmly ensconced here. The snow is hanging on in many areas and looks like it is going to be supplemented soon. A difficult time for most wildlife.
I can still get to the hide most days; opportunities for wintry birds are always there. New snow has fallen overnight, turning to rain now.
As well as the "usuals" I am still getting Nuthatch. Long-tailed tits and Woodpeckers are regular. Amongst the commoner stuff you hope for something a bit rarer. The seed has attracted Finches, Siskin, Goldfinch and Greenfinch so I wasn't too surprised to get a Brambling. Bramblings migrate to us in winter, sometimes forming big flocks but many hang out in Chaffinch flocks. This is a female; the day before a male visited.

Favourite Season?

27/12/2020

What's your favourite season?
Autumn is a good time. However, for a wildlife photographer, it all happens on the coast (slight exaggeration). If you are a landscape photographer then its the best for the changing colour.
Summer has never been the favourite due to the fact that, in our part of the world, it is likely to be downpours rather than sultry. It is also the insect-rich time good for getting subjects but also getting bitten. Best time for mammal watching.
Spring is probably my favourite because there's a lot happening with new arrivals (migration or emergence). The days are not too long and there always interesting behaviours to observe.
Winter, however is the most photogenic; it is the easiest to take a picture that places itself in a season. That said, climate change is making that more difficult.

Berry Time

11/12/2020

We are moving into winter now and the wintering migrants have arrived. The Woodcock moon has come and gone last weekend. Bad weather in continental Europe could result in an influx of birds but basically that's it for now.
There's a run of mild and fairly damp weather - good for most birds although not for Barn or Short-eared Owls that rely on dry feathers and being able to hear prey but otherwise the mildness will help them survive.
One feature of the local conditions is the lack of berries on trees. I do not think that this is nationwide but there's a shortage in town. Fortunately I collected some form last's year's bumper crop. These have been appreciated by our local Blackbirds as you can see.

More on Migration

29/11/2020

Pink-footed Geese arrive on our shores in tens of thousand during September/October. At that time the Scottish population is perhaps more than half of the world population. They are easily identified by the pink legs and the bill which is only pink at the tip. As we move into winter many will go further south into England and Ireland. Due to hunting pressure they are shy birds, not easy to approach. This individual was resting amongst kelp on a beach. A dog walker flushed the bird which then walked to the sandy edge of the beach before flying thus affording me an opportunity for the picture.

Travellers

12/11/2020

Autumn is a time of migration, especially in relation to birds. Many have left to warmer shores. Of course it's usually not the case that they can't stand the cold but that the changing seasons have taken away their food source. In most cases that means insects that were used to feed adult birds and raise the young.
The other side of the coin is that we are in receipt of new birds - we principally think of wildfowl and Thrushes. They have different diets that are still available.
Another group that join us comprises wading birds that arrive from the Arctic. Birds such as Knot, Purple Sandpiper and Sanderling (pictured). As winter progress they turn whiter to blend in with our winter landscapes. Some Sanderling winter much further south, indeed we have seen them at the Equator on our first Galapagos adventure.

Patch Bird

11/9/2020

Birders talk about having a patch where they visit frequently throughout the seasons. Over time, they get to know it intimately and are aware of how and when to look for something unusual.
My "patch" is where I feed birds. I also provide water which hugely adds to the attractiveness to wildlife although that is largely dependent on the amount of recent rain.
By dint of spending so much time I find more unusual birds. Earlier in the year I had a Crossbill. Two weeks ago I heard a Nuthatch in the area but it wasn't until a couple of days ago that it decided to present itself in front of the camera. (Nuthatch is becoming more often seen but is still uncommon) It was raiding the seed feeder to find the Sunflowers and then taking them away for later storage. I fear that it may have moved on since I no longer hear it but, nevertheless it was a treat.

The Smell of the Crowd

22/7/2020

Lock down from coronavirus has restricted our movement as it has to all our fellow Scots. Now that it has eased we have been able to travel further. Since we do not live at the coast one of the bird groups we were missing was Seabirds. We lost out on our planned trip to the Isle of May. It is a great place to see and experience seabirds, however it is not the only place. Accordingly we headed up the East coast and found a good mainland site.
From the outset the noise and smells assault the senses but a world without that would be a very much poorer place. Being late in the season we saw young birds but this Razorbill caught our attention. It seemed to be checking out the lower "flats", perhaps to check there's no collision when it takes flight.