Billy Jean King Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 We had a tiny little Goldcrest here for a few days earlier in the winter but the local bully boys (sparrows and robins) appeared to chase him off. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pittsburgh phil Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Always gives me a wee cheery feeling seeing goldcrests 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 3 hours ago, jamamafegan said: Did you actually? Man they are pretty rare, and hard to see. Only ever seen them once when I was with people who knew where and how to spot them. They appear now and again in our local park in winter apparently. but I've yet to see one there. Best place to see them in the whole country are the grounds of Scone Palace - they're really elusive, so even then you're not guaranteed to actually see one, although chances are you'll hear them. In other finch-related news, recently had siskins in the garden for the first time 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackislekillie Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Do you have feeders or are they foraging? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 We've got feeders, but once filled they normally don't survive contact with the local magpie population for long. They were flitting about some bushes just outside the kitchen window one of the frosty mornings last week - our garden backs onto woodland, so I assume they've been hanging about there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackislekillie Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 We get them at the nyger seed feeders normally fully occupied by goldfinches. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamamafegan Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 They appear now and again in our local park in winter apparently. but I've yet to see one there. Best place to see them in the whole country are the grounds of Scone Palace - they're really elusive, so even then you're not guaranteed to actually see one, although chances are you'll hear them. In other finch-related news, recently had siskins in the garden for the first time Yes Scone Palace was where I saw them. They were in the canopy of the trees, very high up. Apparently winter time is the best time to see them because there are no leaves. I remember watching them through a telescope. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 3 hours ago, Billy Jean King said: We had a tiny little Goldcrest here for a few days earlier in the winter but the local bully boys (sparrows and robins) appeared to chase him off. Saw a Goldcrest out by Mid Calder on Hogmanay. Took our total for the year to 90 species. Could have been a lot more, but we're bad at gulls and only count a species if we're sure. I'd garrotte a Goldeneye to see a Hawfinch. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 43 minutes ago, sugna said: Saw a Goldcrest out by Mid Calder on Hogmanay. Took our total for the year to 90 species. Could have been a lot more, but we're bad at gulls and only count a species if we're sure. I'd garrotte a Goldeneye to see a Hawfinch. I always think the person who was worst at gulls was whoever gave some of them their British names - off the top of my head, the black-headed gull doesn't have a black head, the lesser black-backed gull doesn't have a black back, the common gull isn't particularly common and the herring gull doesn't have any preference for fish. And guess where the Iceland gull doesn't breed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Bit like the Common and Arctic Terns: chances are, the one you see won't be the Common one. Agree about BHGs (which we did put on the list). Either near-white with a dirty patch, or broon. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRob72 Posted February 16, 2017 Author Share Posted February 16, 2017 Anyone seen anything exciting of late? I've been hoping for the Waxwings to return to Perth but I haven't seen/heard anything about them. Very sad.Is there any British species that anyone's really keen to tick off their list? I still haven't seen a Golden Eagle and a Capercaillie. Going to have to make a trip north at some point to see those ones. Loch Erne's only about 30 miles from Perth, Golden Eagle and Osprey![emoji6] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The DA Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 On 2/14/2017 at 10:30, jamamafegan said: Anyone seen anything exciting of late? I've been hoping for the Waxwings to return to Perth but I haven't seen/heard anything about them. Very sad. Is there any British species that anyone's really keen to tick off their list? I still haven't seen a Golden Eagle and a Capercaillie. Going to have to make a trip north at some point to see those ones. I saw a golden eagle just as we were leaving the Trossachs to head back via Callendar after walking the dog. There's a wee car park at the foot of the logging track at Bochastle (just past the Lade Inn - Google Street View) and were just about to pull out when I spotted a bird quartering backwards and forwards across the slope in front of us (the north end of the Glen Finglas trail). It was only about six feet off the ground so at at first I thought it was a female hen harrier but I got the trusty monocular out and the thing was huge. Then the sun caught it and there was no doubt - my first, up-close eagle. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mantis Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 On 16/02/2017 at 21:12, The DA said: I saw a golden eagle just as we were leaving the Trossachs to head back via Callendar after walking the dog. There's a wee car park at the foot of the logging track at Bochastle (just past the Lade Inn - Google Street View) and were just about to pull out when I spotted a bird quartering backwards and forwards across the slope in front of us (the north end of the Glen Finglas trail). It was only about six feet off the ground so at at first I thought it was a female hen harrier but I got the trusty monocular out and the thing was huge. Then the sun caught it and there was no doubt - my first, up-close eagle. The village I stay in when I go to Lewis. Sometimes you can go there for a week and see nowt, not even buzzards. Other times it's wall to wall eagles. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The DA Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 (edited) 20 minutes ago, The Mantis said: The village I stay in when I go to Lewis. Sometimes you can go there for a week and see nowt, not even buzzards. Other times it's wall to wall eagles. That's a bird with attitude. Obviously, Scotland's national bird - it's lifting a fucking caber for god's sake I was walking back along the Doune trail with the dog and there were three red kites and two buzzards circling above me. One of the kites whooshed past me no more than 20 metres away. What a country we live in. Edited February 18, 2017 by The DA 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The DA Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 On a related note, last time I holidayed on Mull, there used to be a White-tailed eagle that sat on a pole between Tobermory and Salen (A84). Every time we drove south, it would be sitting there, surveying its domain. Does anyone know if it's still there? Apparently, they live up to 25 years so mebbees... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kincardine Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 (edited) 39 minutes ago, The DA said: I was walking back along the Doune trail with the dog and there were three red kites and two buzzards circling above me. One of the kites whooshed past me no more than 20 metres away. What a country we live in. It's something I miss since moving from Deeside. 'Here' you may see some dead foxes, badgers or muntjacs on the back roads as opposed to 'there' where it was always a thrill to see some living wildlife when you took the weans for a walk. We do, though, have an abundance of red kites and they look magnificent soaring overhead. They do seem to be the lazy b*****ds of the raptor world...certainly where we are...and it's common to see them raking through bins or eating roadkill. I never saw a when I lived 'up there' but they seem hard wee b*****ds: Edited February 18, 2017 by The_Kincardine 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The DA Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 1 minute ago, The_Kincardine said: It's something I miss since moving from Deeside. 'Here' you may see some dead foxes, badgers or deer or muntjacs on the back roads as opposed to 'there' where it was always a thrill to see some living wildlife when you took the weans for a walk. We do, though, have an abundance of red kites and they look magnificent soaring overhead. They do seem to be the lazy b*****ds of the raptor world...certainly where we are...and it's common to see them raking through bins or eating roadkill. I never saw a when I lived 'up there' but they seem hard wee b*****ds: Wuss. Why didn't he kick it in the pie? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kincardine Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 1 minute ago, The DA said: Wuss. Why didn't he kick it in the pie? For the same reason you wouldn't have 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The DA Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 8 minutes ago, The_Kincardine said: For the same reason you wouldn't have I am a man of many layers. Some of those layers might well kick a bird in the pie. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kincardine Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Just now, The DA said: I am a man of many layers. Some of those layers might well kick a bird in the pie. Aye but not the ornithological type, shirley? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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