Page 5 - Out Birding August 2022

promptly splashed down into the water for an unsuccessful hunting attempt. Watching it dive, with a snowy Ben Lomond as a backdrop, was pretty special. We later saw three Osprey in the air together. A Red Kite also flew over. On the loch, waterbirds included Great crested Grebe and Goldeneye. A Brambling and a Nuthatch were picked out amongst the wee birds in the treetops of the adjacent woodland.
With nowhere to walk here we moved on to Loch Ard, where we climbed up through the forest to get a nice view across the loch and mountains. A Green Woodpecker was the highlight, this being a rather local species in Scotland. Other species included Jay, Siskin and Goldcrest.
Then driving up over the Duke’s Pass we got more lovely views, but not many new birds. A stop for a walk in the oak woods by Loch Venachar was very pleasant but there was a definite feeling of being a few weeks too early. Looking over the loch we spotted a small flock of Sand Martin moving through. Goosander and Teal were on the loch and Oystercatcher and Grey Wagtail by its edge.
The next stop was less scenic, but worth a quick scan: an old gravel pit near Callander. By now the wind had died down and we actually had a heat haze! This made viewing tricky but we managed to pick out our target of Little Ringed Plover.
On the way back to Stirling we passed Blair Drummond where a Ring-necked Duck was lingering. Rik was keen to pop in and see it so this became our final stop of the day. The improved weather had livened up the birds and we passed numerous singing Chiffchaff. Other woodland birds included Stock Dove and Great Spotted Wood- pecker. At the main pit the male Ring-necked Duck was quickly picked out from the accompanying Tufted Duck. We decided to follow the river back, which flows passed Doune Castle. Two Kingfishers zipped by so we were glad we had come back that way. That was until we found that the footpath marked on the map was no longer in existence. So we had a bit of an adventure as we climbed through fences and fought through brambles to get back to the car. A ‘fun’ end to an enjoyable day.
Graeme
Ripon City Wetlands and Nosterfield 09/04/2022
Five of us assembled at the main car park at Ripon City wetlands, which shares a drive with Ripon racecourse. Fortunately, there was no race meet (the day clashed with the Grand National we discovered), and it was a bright though cold day, even by Yorkshire standards, for April. Suitably mittened and be-hatted, we walked into the reserve, past the lake in the centre of the racecourse itself, and on to the lagoons formed after the end of quarrying. We immediately heard our first Blackcap of the year.
Two large lakes form the reserve, bounded by Ripon canal on one side, and the River Ure on the other. This is therefore a very watery landscape, and otters are often present – not today though. On my recce the week before, I’d seen a pair of Garganey, not a common bird up here, so I was obviously hoping they would still be around, but sadly they were not. We did though see some lovely Pintail, Teal, Goldeneye, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, a lot of Black-headed Gull, a few Lesser Black-backed Gull, with beautifully yellow legs, and the ever-present Greylag Geese. From the viewpoint shelter, we saw our first Sand Martin, House Martin and Swallow of the year. Small numbers, but a definite sign of spring.
We decided to walk clockwise around the reserve, following the river to where the
5