The joy of losing the internet.

Anyone else living/working on the banks of the Clyde Sea read this? If so, wasn't it peaceful yesterday! If not, I must explain, we had some unexplained loss of internet over the area for most of yesterday morning AND it wasn't raining (much). I ducked out and went birding round the island.

On the walk home to pick up the car, the usual mix of finches and tits were in Farland scrub, but they we joined by 3 goldcrest, a party of 18 LTT's and the female GSW that I saw yesterday. The area seems hoching with wrens as the foliage is disappearing, and the robins are squabbling like mad.

Dodging round to my WEBs sight at Clashfarland for high tide, I was hoping for waders; however it was a big tide and most of the flat was covered. However, there were a few wigeon and eider about, and a grey heron flapped its way north as I left the car. Onshore there were quite a few song thrush feeding on the rowans and rosehips; and the fields were host to carrion crow, wood pigeon and the odd oyk, and a few pippits were heard overhead. In addition to the usual stuff a buzzard was sat on a fencepost on the hill, glum in the drizzle.

Mixed woodland on Ferry road

As I nipped further round this island larger rafts of eider and around 20 wigeon were seen at Fintry; then I headed uphill to the wood at the top of Ferry road, on the way up a further two buzzard were seen in the field with a group of seven rooks. Pulling off the road, a trio of goldcrests flitted into the beech hedge, and a 15 minute wander revealed a full assortment of the regular tits (including a party of eight LTTs), six siskin, a lesser redpoll, a few dunnock, around 12 chaffinch, four black bird, innumerable robins and another goldcrest.

Heading back to the house for lunch, I found an LTT at the suet, and the female GSW on the nut feeder again; who knows, maybe she will stick around.

Lunchtime Callers

Finally, something new at the feeders. I've known there were a few greater spotted on the island for a while - frequently hearing them in the woods at the far end of the road - but have never seen them.

Happily, when I arrived home this lunch time, I caught a glimpse of a bright red bum disappearing over the wall.  I went out and topped up the supplies, rubbed a spare suet cake over the trunk of the adjacent trees, and settled down to watch. Not 5 minutes later a female woodpecker had appeared on the nut/suet feeder. Then she was gone. She returned after a further 10 minutes only to be flushed by a passing van.

A brief view, but very welcome given the slow nature of the past few weeks here. I'll stop complaining about the recent lack of birds now! I'll just have to keep the feeders well stocked and hope they see fit to move along the road from their current territory. Although I'm sure how they'd manage with the resident sparrowhawks, perhaps a second feeder around the back of the house is in order.

Shame the weather/light was bleeding awful!

2nd Showing