Trip reports

The Lammerrmuirs

Wednesday, 11 May 2011

This outing usually produces a good list of sightings, and today didn't disappoint. 12 members and 2 guests met at Gifford, and the list got off to a good start with swift, barn swallow, house martin, starling, woodpigeon, robin, dunnock, blackbird, song thrush, blue tit, coal tit, treecreeper, blackcap, house sparrow and, especially pleasing as we had excellent views, a spotted flycatcher.
Negotiating the road closure we moved on to the moors and had a breezy stop, meeting up with the local farmer and his 2 dogs, as we usually do, Here we saw grey heron, skylark, lapwing, curlew, meadow pipit, oystercatcher and black-headed gull. Faseny was the next destination, and in the aftermath of a heavy shower, we were pleased to find the valley warm and sheltered. From the bridge we saw common buzzard, pied wagtail, dipper and wheatear. Setting off up the track in the hope of finding ring ouzel we soon had excellent views of our target bird hopping between fence and heather. A deer was grazing peacefully upwind of our group, and further along we found another ring ouzel in the trees. We added stonechat, willow warbler and red grouse to our list in this area before returning to the bridge for lunch. 2 peregrine falcons flew over us, and we had the chance to compare male and female stonechat and whinchat as all were showing well.
After Longformacus we saw pheasant (including melanistic) and had interesting views of a great spotted woodpecker, which was feeding on something in the middle of the road, before flying on to a fence post and then the trees. The trees also harboured goldfinch and greenfinch, and the fields, lesser black-backed gull, herring gull and jackdaw. Stopping in an area of gorse bushes that were vibrant with birdsong, we eventually spotted chaffinch, chiffchaff, linnet and whitethroat, and, flying above this area, a kestrel and carrion crow.
Our next destination was the picnic area below Whiteadder Dam, noting en route, a mistle thrush. There we got good views of grey wagtail, common sandpiper, red-legged partridge and great tit. From a vantage point overlooking the reservoir we saw greylag geese with goslings, Canada geese, tufted duck and mallard with ducklings.
Our final stop was to see the sandmartin colony, and the birds were out feeding aerobatically, providing a good end to our day. The group total was 55 species.
Val Donaldson