Week 46
12 - 18 November 2025
During my big year, I will update my blog most weeks. This is the forty-sixth week's recap. The number next to the day indicates my Scottish year list at the end of that day. Birds written in italics indicate year ticks.
November 16 - Day 320: 206
Today, we joined the RSPB Local Group at Forfar Loch, at 10am, for a morning outing. In the early morning, we failed to see a Ross's Goose at Loch of Skene, arriving only a few minutes after it flew off. When we arrived we put on all our warm clothes, including my electrical-heated socks, which worked incredibly against the chilly breeze that morning. We started by scanning the wildfowl out on the loch, spotting Pintail, Wigeon, Coot, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Mallard, Goldeneye, and a Little Grebe, tucked away into the reeds. We then walked through the wooded area, spotting a few Chaffinches, a couple Tree Sparrows, and the odd continental Blackbirds, migrating from the even colder areas of Europe. They must've been laughing at our winter gear! We then, spotted a very confiding Red Squirrel, which made its way through the trees, allowing everyone in the group to see it. We had another quick look over the lake, finding the same pair of Pintail, and a couple Teal. As we moved further, we saw a few Song Thrushes, a flock of Long-tailed Tits, and some Rabbits in a field. We saw a Goosander, Buzzard and some Grey Herons, before turning back. As well as a Greenfinch, we saw a Sparrowhawk fly over, ending our trip with a quite decent 37 species.
That afternoon, Ian Broadbent saw the Ross's Goose fly in to roost with the pink-feet at Skene.
November 18 - Day 322: 207
Today, Tuesday, my dad and I woke up at 6:30 to try and find the Ross's Goose that had been visiting the Skene area and could be seen around dawn at the Pink-footed Goose roost. When we arrived at the Temple lay-by, it took me way too much time to put on my wellies, with Rob Leslie and Ruth Howie arriving during that time. We went off to the temple, where we started scanning through the thousands of Pink-footed Geese, looking for a needle in a haystack, a small white dot in the thousand brown ones.
Before long, my dad, soon spotted a white dot, that was not a swan, right at the north end of the lake. I soon got my scope on it and got some (quite terrible) photos of the Ross's Goose. Right when Bob Conder arrived, about 5 minutes later, I lost the bird, and we were not able to relocate it. Eventually, I had to leave for school, but I am glad to say that Rob, Ruth and Bob were all able to watch the bird until it flew off about 8:40, but by that time, I was already well into my first lesson of the day, physics.
A very nice story of the birding session before school!
ReplyDelete