Trip reports

Local outing to Lochore Meadows Country Park

Sunday, 23 November 2008

We went to Lochore Meadows Country Park on a cold and snowy but sunny morning. The bird watching began in the car park with Greenfinches, Blackbirds and Robins twittering around the rosehip bushes and the trees. We followed the path to the right of the loch with the sun shining directly in our eyes. Before going into the woodland we managed to see a Kestrel flying from a tree right next to us to another one not far from our line of vision. We left the side of the loch for the remainder of the walk to the hide and spent a lot of time debating what this bird of prey sitting on a log in the distance was and showing it to some interested passing children through the telescope. It was white in front and had a brown head; most of us were convinced it was a Peregrine. When it finally flew off, however, it was confirmed to be a whiter than average Buzzard. The rest of that stretch was through woodland and red-berried trees, we saw a Song Thrush, large flock of Redwings fairly close by as well as a solitary Fieldfare. A Starling, Treecreepers, Chaffinches, Dunnocks, Blue and Long-Tailed Tits were also to be seen in the woodland. The sound of a Bullfinch was definitely evident, although none of us saw it.
The hide itself looked more like an old wooden fence; you had to be either a midget or a giant to see through the holes. However, we still managed to see Mallards, Teals and Widgeons in large numbers, some people even saw Gadwall.
Lunch consisted of our packed lunch boxes standing by the lake. It was not disappointing, however, as a family of two adult and three young Whooper Swans flew into the water not far from where we were standing. Through the telescopes, we could also see a male Goosander, several Cormorants, Golden Eyes, Tufted Ducks, a Little Grebe and a Great Black-Backed Gull. We were even treated to three Snipe flying over the lake and into the trees beyond.
The walk back to the car park was no longer sunny and rather cold. However, we still managed to see a Grey Heron fly into the water and a Brambling among a mixed flock of birds in the trees. Eppie and her group managed to see four Ravens, but sadly the stragglers looking at the Brambling managed to miss that sight.