Those who joined us for this morning's dawn Goosewatch were pleased to see some spectacular lifts from Tower Pool hide. No Snow Geese to see today though earlier in the week there were 48 Greylag geese reported and a single Greenland White-fronted Gooses seen a couple of times on the 17th and 20th from Tower Pool Hide again. 57 Barnacle Geese were counted on the back fields from the visitor centre on Thursday.
The little Egret has been seen almost daily from the visitor centre as have 2 Gadwall and up to 11 Pintail Ducks. Whooper Swan's are around in good numbers, I counted 55 from the visitor centre this morning, along with 21 Curlew. Whilst out on Mosstown Marsh on Saturday I stumbled, almost literaly, upon 7 Snipe and 2 Jack Snipe.
Round at the airfield a Stonechat is still regularly seen by the side of the access track. 4 Scaup, 2 at each of Bay and Fen hides, were reported at the start of the week alongside a Red-breasted Merganser.
Tuesday morning saw us carrying out a farmland bird survey of the wild bird cover on the reserve. Final results included 2, Blue Tits, 2 Goldfinch, 50+ Reed Buntings, 123 Linnet, 2 Wren, 7 Yellowhammer, 6 Meadow Pippits, 1 Snipe3 Chafinch, 6 Corn Buntings, 38 Greenfinch and 55 Tree Sparrows.
The star bird of the week for me has to be the Slavonian Grebe (as above) seen in the silt trap by the Savoch burn on Tuesday. Keep a look out from Tower Pool hide and also around the loch as this is the second sighting in a week.
Photograph by Kenny Buchan 2008.
Iain
Was your Slavonian Grebe in the plumage pictured?
John