RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2012

What a great way to spend an hour of the weekend!

Using the car as a hide Lynda and I undertook our first ever Big Garden Birdwatch, nice to spend time looking at common stuff usually past over.

Tally for day:

Blue Tit
House Sparrow
Great Tit
Dunnock
Robin
Siskin
Chaffinch
Woodpigeon
Pheasant
Coal Tit
Blackbird
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

Big Garden Birdwatch Venue for 2012



The Tufty Club

Cracking relaxed drive around Speyside today with Robert from Nethybridge.

Started off with Red Squirrels in his garden, they are looking stunning at this time of year.  Next onto Goose watch.

Near to Broomhill station a gaggle in the fields contained Greylag, Pink Footed and at least twenty White Fronted Geese, unfortunately no sign of the recently reported Bean Geese.

White Fronted Geese



All quiet!

It has been a fairly quiet start to 2012, hopefully it will get more "birdy" soon!

Sorting through my recent pics came across this little selection from the trip to Loch Fleet on the 01 January 2012.

Heading for Black Grouse and Crossbills on Monday.



Brambling

Redpoll

Common Seal (yawning!)



Common Seal (smiling)

Happy New Year and return to Greater Yellowlegs

Well the lure of the Greater Yellowlegs proved too much and we headed back North to Loch Fleet (it is so good having a girlfriend that is a birder as well!) to add this wee beauty to the 2012 list.

A lovely drive North through some stunning scenery, once we had cleared the rain at Inverness.  Arriving at the same location as yesterday we were pleased to see the bird had not moved, plus as an added bonus it was joined by a Greenshank.

The Yellowlegs was feeding extremely well and in a ten minute period scoffed at least five worms so hopefully it's winter vacation may not spell it's demise.

Nearby was a huge finck flock containing Greenfinch, Chaffinch, at least 5 Brambling, Linnets, Redpoll and Twite.

Greenshank (left) Greater Yellowlegs (Right)

Greenshank

Greater Yellowlegs

Greenshank

This was my perfect way to spend 01 January and by far the best birding start to any year, a total day list of 52, lovely weather and the company of Lynda, lets hope this is the start of a fantastic 2012.