Trip reports

Outdoor Meeting :STONEHAVEN AREA

Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Friday, 13 February 2009

A group of just four noble persons gathered in the car park at Stony. Lots of snow and ice underfoot but glorious weather that got better and better as the day advanced. Coats were soon discarded.
Obviously with the hard weather, trailing about the country roads looking for Crossbills was out of the question, so we decided to look for birds locally. The slope across from the car park drew our first attention with a group of six Curlews. By dint of looking hard we picked out twelve species just on this slope. A good start and we had not even moved. Fieldfares in abundance, as they were to prove throughout the day. A flock of Goldfinches was nice.

Down then to the shore where we picked up the normal gulls and as we walked towards Cowie harbour we started to get the larger waders, Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Lapwing. Although small waders were scarce we did see Turnstone later. Cowie brought in the small birds at the feeders there, all the usuals plus Tree Sparrow, not common in Stonehaven, at least in the parts that I visit. Lots of Rock Pipits.

A move then to Dunnottar Woods, very scenic under their covering of snow. Great Spotted Woodpecker soon appeared and a variety of tits, while it took longer to locate a Treecreeper. The woods were fairly quiet so we sat in the sun and enjoyed our lunch, for once in the very pleasant warmth.

Down the road then to Inverbervie and a seawatch. Four Red-throated Divers worked the edge of a tide slick. Fulmars glided past and Goldeneye Ducks looked to be in the mating mood. Shags were on the rocks but Cormorant avoided us. We moved across to the Ugie estuary where we were amazed at the sheer number of Fieldfares, one every square metre it seemed. A group of four Song Thrushes together was unusual [no, they were not Redwings!]. Buzzards hunted for worms in the muddy gullies. Mute Swans and Moorhens dabbled amongst the gulls and Mallard.

As we were about to leave, a magnificent dog fox appeared on the opposite crag like the monarch of the glen! In the low sun his coat blazed like a beacon. His mate appeared for a second, and then they were gone. As indeed were we!
A total of 51 species was seen.

Rodney Payne