Today?
September 6th 2024
Possibly the great finale? Sorry it's been a lot of images and waffle but, I had a fab day and I do like to share that experience, the White-tailed Eagles experience was just something else.
So. Where was I?
That second Eagle had just flown over my head....
I was almost over on my butt trying to photograph this bird as it flew right over me
Speechless? I've seen three eagles up here before over two and a half years or, the same Eagle three times but always at distance!
And so, the excitement over, I started trudging homeward. I was now walking in circles, head swivelling through 360 degrees...well, almost.
Back through the gates, back at the fallen tree by the burn ......
A Stonechat. I'd seen a family here recently so I hung around watching and waiting for a while.
As I headed on, I saw another bird join this one further off, typical.
A quick chat with a couple I meet from Forfar that I meet from time to time up here and I was off down the track, I tend to walk fast on the return, getting the exercise part of it.
I spotted a Cormorant fishing near the shore, I usually see a few here.
Onwards, the Rosebay willowherb had gone over and was now seeding heavily in the breeze, floofs everywhere.
A small group of Canada Geese flew up the water at low level.
I'd seen a few butterflies on my walk, Peacocks, some whites, a Small Tortoiseshell stopped long enough for a photo.
I charged on, made it to the car park finally, had a last look around, you never know but the final sighting was a very obliging Pied Wagtail in the car park, barely moving away as I approached.
I'd seen young birds over on the dam earlier.
So, that was it! Finally. 11:35, back in the car. I'd set off at 08:14. I great walk, great photo opportunities and the sun shone the entire time. What more could I have asked??
Thank you for all the comments and putting up with the sea of images, I cut out a few for this one
Who knows what might appear next?
Thank you William Parsons Your time will come it hadn't even entered my head when we moved back here!
Such an enjoyable account of your exciting outing with loads of wonderful pics, I now look like this ...
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
It was a fabulously special day for me WendyBartter don't get many of those in the year, I have no doubt you have birds n beasties that I don't get to see
Scozmos said:Thanks Mike B I was up there again this morning, not an Eagle in sight!!! What's that all about???
You know what they say about working with animals, it's the Kit Kat momentssssss
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
October 9th and off for a walk at the reservoir, it's a beautiful morning, great light, maybe a bit chilly? when I got there I found out just how strongly the wind was gusting and it would cut you in half! Warm fleece and jacket, gloves and hat at the ready, I'm off, if it gets too cold, I'll turn back.
I got to the all-you-can-eat-buffet tree and stopped for a check.
Nothing. Too windy? Too cold and windy?
Onwards. Turned into a good walk for a change, I'm usually constantly stopping to look, listen, take photos but it was very quiet, not a lot moving at all, no surprise really.
I'd actually walked over a mile before I saw any birds, apart from a small flock of Canada geese on the water, they're everywhere at the moment.
OK, so you can't see the wind but you can see the white-caps on the water.
I was past the picnic bench before I got a photo opportunity and that was brief, a Buzzard hanging in the wind almost overhead. If you look at the wing shape, it looks about to dive but I'm guessing it was the high winds causing it, because it was just ahnging there, for a few moments.
And that was it, six shots and it disappeared, never to be seen again!
I carried on to and through the first gate, stopping by the fallen tree to check .............. nothing!
I did start to see Meadow Pipits but it was so windy, I didn't even try to get a photo, doubt if I'd have held the lens steady enough.
I made it to the second gate, which is roughly 2 miles but as I keep saying, way too windy now, out in the open and pretty cold so, I turned back.
Back at the picnic bench, I stopped for a snack and to sit in the relative shelter and watch the Coal Tits drop onto the bin lid for a few seeds someone had left earlier
No photos please!
Last Winter, I got them, along with a Robin and a few Chaffinch, eating from my hand.
The Chaffinch often land on the picnic bench if you're eating, which is nice (ish)
So I headed back down towards the car park. Now, there's a pretty long straight part of the track and as I started along it, I noticed a bird on the ground way ahead.
All I could see was a smallish bird, running alongside the grasses, the sun was in my face so, I took several shots, to ID later and kept walking. And it kept running!
And running ...
I reckon the poor little beggar ran half a mile before realising it could dive into the grasses each side of the road! Poor wee soul, a Red-legged Partridge as the photos told me.
SO, that was it really, I mad it back to the buffet tree, a Rowan fully decked in berries so, I stopped again and snuck up on it.
I spotted a Blackbird eating its fill, a couple of Song Thrushes flew off as I approached and movement caught my eye on one side.
A young Bullfinch, female I think, again eating its fill. I got quite a few decent shots of it before I realised there were two of them .... at least!
You might be able to tell that the branches were waving all over the place so getting any shots made me a happy chappy.
The dappled light made for a few nice shots, I have to go back more often, while the berries last.
Sorry folks, Bullfinch overload but I loved the red berries, the shadows and the young bird ignoring me.
And in this next one, you can see another bird in the background .... just.
And somehow, I managed to grab a couple of shots. Modern cameras, got to love them.
And that was it. I'd lost my bearings by now (Young Ones cold joke) so back to the car to warm up and head home.
As with any walk, I sometimes see very little at all but this place is so tranquil, quiet and peaceful, I'm happy with just the walk anyway.
That tree is loaded in berries Scozmos, should be good for more photo's over the next couple of months. I don't often see bullfinch, nice to see a young one.
Scozmos said:Sorry folks, Bullfinch overload but I loved the red berries, the shadows and the young bird ignoring me.
No apology required, I'm enjoying colourful the photos, and as SnappyMac says, with such an abundance of berries, there's going to be other species overloads, and we'll be watching and waiting.
What a beautiful tree.... rowan = hawfinch doesn't it? Or waxwing? Either way daily updates please scozmos lol (you'll certainly get them before we will down here!)
Very nice 4th set and photos Scozmos with fantastic sightings; thanks for sharing.
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Regards, Hazel
All the Rowans up here are heavy with berries Mac but this one is just overloaded. There were a few Song Thrush in there but I'll have to go up and settle in somewhere for a good while and see what else drops in