Trip reports

Outdoor Meeting: NTS LEITH HALL

Alan Findlay (rspb-images.com)

Sunday, 31 May 2009

Nine members met in the car park at Leith Hall on a glorious warm and sunny Sunday morning. During the usual preliminary discussions before we set off we noted Starlings, Jackdaws, Swallows, a Carrion Crow, a Dunnock and a Wren, in addition a Jay was heard but not seen.
Led by Trevor Donaldson we moved off along a path towards the ponds, adding Robin, Goldfinch, Siskin, Great Tit, House Martin, Common Gull, Buzzard Oystercatcher and Blue Tit to our list. There were also a number of young and recently fledged birds about and this proved to be a theme of the outing.

Reaching the first pond we saw some Mallards with ducklings and also heard a Blackcap. Swallows and Wrens were nesting in the old boathouse and we saw Woodpigeon and Rooks in the adjacent fields as we moved on to the hide beside the next pond.

All nine of us managed to squeeze into the hide and we saw a Grey Heron and Moorhen around the pond and then were entertained by a Great Spotted Woodpecker which arrived in a nearby tree and spent some time moving around providing some good views for us. The very sharp eyed Jimmy Dickie pointed out something sitting against a tree trunk across the pond and to our delight it proved to be a Tawny Owl, our best bird of the outing. Some time was spent watching the owl and at one stage a Treecreeper was seen on a nearby tree trunk.

Eventually, we moved on, retracing our steps to the woods where we first heard and then saw Great Spotted Woodpeckers obviously feeding young, which also could be clearly heard calling to the parent birds. We continued along the path crossing the railway line and added Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Kestrel, Willow Warbler and Goldcrest to the tally. We also heard a Cuckoo during our walk back to where we had started and also saw a Grey Wagtail near a small stream.

Lunch was taken in the gardens before we set off towards the hill overlooking the Distillery at Kenethmont. Climbing through the gorse and broom we added Linnet, Redpoll and Greenfinch to our list. Retracing our steps towards Leith Hall we stopped in an area of large Beech trees to watch a family of Treecreepers being feed by the parent birds, continuing our theme of the day.

Leith Hall was closed so no tearoom was available but fortunately there was a sculpture display in the gardens with an associated refreshment tent where we completed the day in the usual manner with tea and cakes.

Thanks to our leader Trevor Donaldson and to Jimmy Dickie for spotting the Tawny Owl.
Eric Melrose