These beauties are showing really well this year. These were on the banks of the River Nairn this afternoon.
Showing posts with label Goosander. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goosander. Show all posts
Thursday, 1 April 2021
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
And then there were eight - or is it nine?!
The Goosanders really are back in larger numbers (relatively, for here anyway). Eight of them have grouped around the Island near the head of the river. I saw a lone one out at sea near the golf course: it was well into its eclipse stage and looked very scraggy. So is this nine I wonder?
Also at sea yesterday was a brilliantly coloured Eider Duck; its yellow throat very prominent. A cormorant fished close to a Great Black Back Gull as a Dolphin sauntered by, to the excitement of a couple standing lose to me, wondering what I was looking at.
As usual, the harbour wall at high tide was full of Redshanks and Turnstones. Up to 150 of the former and about 10 Turnstones. It is odd how big they look when standing around in a group. When I observe them feeding on the waters edge along with other waders they look much smaller. It must be the combination of light and shade, and the proximity of larger waders to tower over them.
By the way, I said that the Martins have been blown away last week: well I saw two more over my house on Sunday (26th September). So they haven’t given up just yet. I also said how quiet the Great Tits have been; the Robins are making up for it though! They are all over town, singing there hearts out with their sad lament. We have one that uses our next door neighbours roof as a singing perch; and what a noise! First thing in the morning through to last thing at night, well into the dark, he sings and sings, and sings, and sings……!
Also at sea yesterday was a brilliantly coloured Eider Duck; its yellow throat very prominent. A cormorant fished close to a Great Black Back Gull as a Dolphin sauntered by, to the excitement of a couple standing lose to me, wondering what I was looking at.
As usual, the harbour wall at high tide was full of Redshanks and Turnstones. Up to 150 of the former and about 10 Turnstones. It is odd how big they look when standing around in a group. When I observe them feeding on the waters edge along with other waders they look much smaller. It must be the combination of light and shade, and the proximity of larger waders to tower over them.
By the way, I said that the Martins have been blown away last week: well I saw two more over my house on Sunday (26th September). So they haven’t given up just yet. I also said how quiet the Great Tits have been; the Robins are making up for it though! They are all over town, singing there hearts out with their sad lament. We have one that uses our next door neighbours roof as a singing perch; and what a noise! First thing in the morning through to last thing at night, well into the dark, he sings and sings, and sings, and sings……!
Monday, 13 September 2010
Nairn to The Solway Firth
Goosanders are back. We had up to eight Goosanders winter in and around the mouth of The River Nairn last winter, but all went further afield for the summer. I seem to recall that a couple stayed in the summer of 2009, but I have not seen any this summer. So, to see a female feeding under the footbridge in town was great news for me. I find it difficult to get out to the remoter areas around Nairn, including off shore, so it’s great when the birds come in to see me!
A friend was telling me how, when he was out in his boat last week, he watched a Skua being harassed by Terns off the Old Bar. This reminded me of a really exciting sighting last year from the car park down at the harbour. I was having a great time watching large flocks of Terns and Gannets diving for food just to the west of the harbour wall, when an Arctic Skua appeared out of the sun to the west and darted aggressively among them. It gave a fantastic display of its flying abilities as it chased the Terns and Gannets, forcing them to drop their catch so it could grab it and fly away to feed. These are very strong and ruthless birds, and they make a great spectacle to watch.
So much goes on just off our shores that is the envy of birders from all over the country. But then, everywhere in Scotland has its special places. We were down a few miles south of Dumfries at the weekend on the mouth of the Nith, on The Solway Firth. What a fantastic spot this is for waders and ducks! We observed hundreds of Redshanks and Lapwings moving up river as the tide was coming in. There were Shelducks sitting on the water and Curlew and Godwits feeding in the mudflats. In the distance (too far away to accurately identify), hundreds of smaller waders; likely to be Sandpipers and / or Dunlins (with I suspect even more exciting rarities among them), were standing on the shoreline, whilst small flocks of dabbling ducks were flying around in circles (as ever at this time of year they were very hard to identify!). They were all feeding on what they could, in the knowledge that the numbers would soon run into thousands as the tide turns and leaves behind its bounty for them all to feast on.
This is a spot I will probably go back to in the a few months as it is famous for the multiple thousands of Barnacle Geese that winter in and around the Merse, at the mouth of The Nith. The weekend gave me a real buzz for visiting all the usual spots around The Moray Firth Coast line to catch sight of our own wintering birds finding solace from the hard winters further north. Here’s to many more happy days of frustratingly trying to identify what I am spotting!
A friend was telling me how, when he was out in his boat last week, he watched a Skua being harassed by Terns off the Old Bar. This reminded me of a really exciting sighting last year from the car park down at the harbour. I was having a great time watching large flocks of Terns and Gannets diving for food just to the west of the harbour wall, when an Arctic Skua appeared out of the sun to the west and darted aggressively among them. It gave a fantastic display of its flying abilities as it chased the Terns and Gannets, forcing them to drop their catch so it could grab it and fly away to feed. These are very strong and ruthless birds, and they make a great spectacle to watch.
So much goes on just off our shores that is the envy of birders from all over the country. But then, everywhere in Scotland has its special places. We were down a few miles south of Dumfries at the weekend on the mouth of the Nith, on The Solway Firth. What a fantastic spot this is for waders and ducks! We observed hundreds of Redshanks and Lapwings moving up river as the tide was coming in. There were Shelducks sitting on the water and Curlew and Godwits feeding in the mudflats. In the distance (too far away to accurately identify), hundreds of smaller waders; likely to be Sandpipers and / or Dunlins (with I suspect even more exciting rarities among them), were standing on the shoreline, whilst small flocks of dabbling ducks were flying around in circles (as ever at this time of year they were very hard to identify!). They were all feeding on what they could, in the knowledge that the numbers would soon run into thousands as the tide turns and leaves behind its bounty for them all to feast on.
This is a spot I will probably go back to in the a few months as it is famous for the multiple thousands of Barnacle Geese that winter in and around the Merse, at the mouth of The Nith. The weekend gave me a real buzz for visiting all the usual spots around The Moray Firth Coast line to catch sight of our own wintering birds finding solace from the hard winters further north. Here’s to many more happy days of frustratingly trying to identify what I am spotting!
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
And now there are five (well, six actually!). And an Osprey?
There used to be one Goosander on the River Nairn over the past few years. This winter I have regularly seen four, but yesterday I spotted five. Four females fighting over the one male, up river beyond the A96 road bridge. Last week I saw two females and two males together, so that makes at least six Goosander gracing the river. I hope they plan to stay.
Good to here the news that the first Osprey has arrived at Loch Garten. So keep your eyes out for our regulars around our lochs and coastline. Fantastic to watch these birds in action, so please let me know when you spot one.
Séamus
Good to here the news that the first Osprey has arrived at Loch Garten. So keep your eyes out for our regulars around our lochs and coastline. Fantastic to watch these birds in action, so please let me know when you spot one.
Séamus
Monday, 1 March 2010
Redpoll and Goosanders
Well, the weather is with us and we went for a lovely walk down to Kingsteps and behind the sand dunes to the Park Dean Holiday Park and down to the east harbour wall.
The excitement started with a view of a Lesser Redpoll in the wooded area on the north side of Old Bar Road. He was sitting high on a garden feeder as 10’s of finches hurried around it getting their fill. (It’s great to see so many garden feeders these days – I just hope the people living in the gardens are OK with me and my binoculars!). On from there to the Ministers Pool where loads of Black Headed Gulls – some with fully coloured heads already – were wading. On the beech were the usual Redshanks and Turnstones and they were accompanied by a small number of Bar Tailed Godwits.
Not a great number of sightings really, but on the way up the River Nairn path toward the A96, four Goosanders were diving. We usually only see two here – so it looks like another couple have discovered what a good site it is!
A lovely day – and signs of spring in the air at last!
The excitement started with a view of a Lesser Redpoll in the wooded area on the north side of Old Bar Road. He was sitting high on a garden feeder as 10’s of finches hurried around it getting their fill. (It’s great to see so many garden feeders these days – I just hope the people living in the gardens are OK with me and my binoculars!). On from there to the Ministers Pool where loads of Black Headed Gulls – some with fully coloured heads already – were wading. On the beech were the usual Redshanks and Turnstones and they were accompanied by a small number of Bar Tailed Godwits.
Not a great number of sightings really, but on the way up the River Nairn path toward the A96, four Goosanders were diving. We usually only see two here – so it looks like another couple have discovered what a good site it is!
A lovely day – and signs of spring in the air at last!
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Goosander
The weather has subsided and we ventured out for quick walk down river from the A96 road bridge to the Firth. Four Goosander were very evident in the river and as ever, close attention to the stone covered shoreline will uncover a few Turnstones - you've got it, turning the stones! What a great little bird this is, its presence given away by the gentle noise of stones knocking against each other. A number of Redshanks were huddled behind the rescue vehicle parked in the central harbour wall. This is a favoured spot for Redshanks.
We also spotted a solitary Moorhen on the river - I don't recall seeing many here. By the way, just in case you’re interested, the Nairn Cygnets have fledged at last! They left the parents last week, nine months to the day after they were hatched, and we spotted the two parents enjoying a well deserved snooze near the footbridge over the Nairn!
Over the past few weeks we have noticed a lot of Buzzard activity overhead and on the fence posts around Nairn - no doubt getting preparing for a busy spring. Here's hoping.....
We also spotted a solitary Moorhen on the river - I don't recall seeing many here. By the way, just in case you’re interested, the Nairn Cygnets have fledged at last! They left the parents last week, nine months to the day after they were hatched, and we spotted the two parents enjoying a well deserved snooze near the footbridge over the Nairn!
Over the past few weeks we have noticed a lot of Buzzard activity overhead and on the fence posts around Nairn - no doubt getting preparing for a busy spring. Here's hoping.....
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