Tuesday 18 March 2014

Weekend Birding 15th of March 2014

Saturday the 15th of March 2014

So I headed down to Lerwick as I usually do and in no time I was at Dad's, nobody was meant to be in for the next hour so since I had some time I headed to Clickimin.
It was a bit drizzly when I got out of the house and it turned to a "down" pour, for me it came straight down and nearly soaked me if I hadn't sheltered under a tree!
I was able to turn my attention to the Loch after the rain had finally stopped and I had a look at some of the birds on the shoreline.
Well there was a few of the usuals Herring and Great Black-backed Gull and a few Redshanks plus a few.. well none usuals five Common Gulls and a Black-headed Gull.
I walked along the side of the Loch and I spotted the Coot, it is quite close to the side of the Loch when I see it and doesn't seem that scared of humans so I can usually walk to the side of the Loch and get pictures, and that's what I did today.

A good photo but I keep forgetting to bring my camera stand so it's a bit fuzzy in places!

I got a few pics from the Coot before it swam off and I continued birding, I came across the Tufted Duck flock and I had a count of them before getting a few shots

I liked this one because the water was so calm

A handsome male Tufted Duck

For the first time in ages I decided to walk the whole of the Loch and it wasn't that bad as I saw my first frogspawn of the year.

Tons of Frogspawn in a ditch next to the Loch path

On the north side of the Loch, I was walking across a grassy path when I managed to flush a Snipe and then two Twite! good job that I came here.

Resting Shalders

I continued round the western side of the Loch until I was nearing the main road roundabout, I was having a look on the Loch when I spotted a large bird! it was a diver! I got my "bins" on it and it was a Red-throated!! my first one of the year and possibly a patch tick! it started to swim around, diving every now and then so I took my opportunity and started taking some photos.

Winter plumage Red-throated Diver

I left the Red-throat about to do it's business and I wandered over to Seafield, on arrival I spotted two large birds in the sea, I got my "bins" on them and they were two more Red-throated Divers!
I scanned the rest of the sea but I came up with nothing so I headed home, on the way I went back to check Helendale and I found a Woodpigeon.

Not really the best photo but it's something

Later on Dad and I headed to Maywick in the South End, Dad had a job so I went down to help him.
We got the job done in no time so we had a look at some of the birds, there was a Great-northern Diver in the sea at the beach and a flock of ten Twite.
I was having a scan through the Twite flock when I picked up one with a red-colour ring! I tried to spot anymore rings but the bird would only show one leg! the flock then started to fly about and land in hard to spot places! then I couldn't find the colour-ringed bird! so the flock flew off and we had to go.
We went through Cunnigsburgh and I spotted a smaller Black-back, a Lesser Black-back! my first of the year!
We headed back to Lerwick and I stayed in, ending my day.

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