Trip reports

Local bird watching outing

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

We had a bright, sunny, very cold and frosty day. 15 of us met at Cottyburn car park, having negotiated the ice on the road. Great, blue and coal tits, chaffinches, greenfinches, robin, dunnock and blackbirds were see on or around the feeders. Our walk didn`t produce much to start with, corvids, common gulls and wood pigeons. Then a brown hare was spotted crouching low in a ploughed field so beautifully camouflaged. Then to our surprise, as we were in woodland, a grey wagtail performed for us by a trickle of water at the side of the path. Next were a lovely group of bullfinches in the low trees and bushes. Back at the feeders we made our way along the icy road and were rewarded with brilliant views of vivid yellowhammers and tree sparrows.

In the afternoon at Gosford Estate, the ponds were frozen over but we found a pair of little grebe on a small area of clear water and moorhens skating on the ice. There was very little to see, with 2 mistle thrushes in a tree, a miserable looking hunched up heron and a tiny goldcrest low in a conifer in front of us. However on the way back, a part of woodland came alive, at least 3 nuthatches, the same number of tree creepers, song thrushes and tits. Once back at the cars Liz mentioned that there were sometimes grey partridge in the field by the Farm shop, and there they were 6 of them.

A great day out, with really good close views of a number of less seen species.