Trip reports

Gore Glen and Arniston House Estate

Wednesday, 27 April 2011

A good turnout of 25 members and visitors, including 2 from the USA, met at Gore Glen car park on one of those glorious early summer days that lift the spirits. After the dry and warm weather of the previous 2 weeks the leaves had appeared in greater profusion than expected for the end of April, which made the task of spotting woodland birds more tricky. It was a good day to know bird songs and calls. Fortunately we had a number of people in the group who are very experienced in that aspect, and after clear views of chiffchaff and willow warbler, Mike and Eppie picked up the songs of garden warbler and blackcap, but although close, they were well-hidden. Then Morag saw a flash of blue on a disappearing corvid - a jay perhaps?
For a while, blue tits, great tits and chaffinches dominated the woodland, and then we had super views of a pair of extremely smart bullfinches in full sunshine. Walking down the glen beside Gore Water we saw dipper, mallard, robin, woodpigeon, treecreeper and song thrush. The woodland provided a wide variety of wild flowers, which gave another dimension to our walk, and introduced us to the Goldilocks buttercup, among many others.
Just before we crossed the bridge at Waters Meet to loop through the woods beside the South Esk, Mike located a goldcrest. It's always good to find another that has survived the harsh winter. We had several views of a grey wagtail before heading out of the glen.
Moving on to Arniston House estate for the afternoon we spent time watching the nuthatches and a rather fine greenfinch. Arniston House, designed by William Adam with additions by John Adam, was looking stunning against the clear blue sky. We saw starling, collared dove and goldfinch, and then, down in the sunken garden, added wren, blackbird and jackdaw. Walking along the path by the stream we saw grey heron, common buzzard (being mobbed by a carrion crow), a glimpse of a sparrowhawk out hunting, and magpie, then climbing back up towards the House, barn swallows feasting on insects, pheasant, black-headed gull and pied wagtail.
The concensus was that it had been "a good day out" and we certainly had gained rosy cheeks, from sun for a change, rather than wind.
Val Donaldson