The ice has melted so it is now possible to get in and out of the visitor centre without ice-skates! Unfortunately, it has been replaced by some rather breezy weather that has transported our water butt, reserve sign and some bird feeders across the yard, into ditches and other unusual places.
It has been an exciting couple of days for staff on the reserve, who have been busy interviewing candidates for next years Grampian Reserves Intern. We received a high number of very strong applications for the role, making the task of short-listing very tough indeed. Interviewees came from far and wide, battling against the elements to attend the interviews in Aberdeen yesterday. All were very impressive, making the final decision even tougher!
The weather hasn’t deterred the birds, as there are still plenty of goldfinches, greenfinches, tree sparrows, blue tits, great tits and coal tits to be seen clinging tightly to the bird feeders; robins, blackbirds and dunnocks hopping around the flower beds in the wildlife garden, and lots of pink-footed geese and whooper swans seen leaving the loch and low ground this morning.
Reserve staff and volunteers have a busy weekend ahead, with the last Wetland Bird Survey of the year taking place on Sunday. We are hoping to get some good numbers of ducks and geese, and will be keeping our fingers crossed that it is not snowed-off like last Sunday’s goose count!
Hi Suzanne,
Totals from a great day's birding at Strathbeg today (Saturday 10th): 158+ Bean Geese in fields opposite Tower Pool Hide from 12:30 onwards, also 25 European White Fronts and 3 Greenland White Fronts. Also male Merlin and good numbers of passerines; 70 Yellowhammer and 30 Reed Bunting in fields by path to Tower Pool and a Great-spotted Woodpecker on the car park feeders. Furthermore, 20+ Pintail and a Little Grebe on the pools with Wigeon and Teal in front of Starnafin.
All the Best,
Joseph