my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[ian mcdonald]

In an old gravel quarry, plants of Grey Hair Grass, Corynephorus canescens can be seen.



I called in at a farm site where a parking area is created for bird watchers. The hide, overlooking a Loch, is closed due to the virus. Bird feeders are next to the parking area. Many small birds were there including coal tit, blue tit, great tit, chaffinch and siskin. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen on pine trees. On the loch were a number of Mute Swans and Grey Lag Geese. Flying over were Pink Foot Geese. Also seen were Wigeon and Tufted Duck.

[Maggi Young]

I'm going to  be  keeping  an  eye  out  for  Rock Pipits, Ian - do you know  how  widespread they are?

[ian mcdonald]

Maggi, if you search for Where to see Rock Pipits in Aberdeen you should find a RSPB Local Group site listing the area between Fraserburgh and Aberdeen and the birds seen there. Any rocky shore should be good for Rock Pipits. They are usually hopping about the rocks and stones looking for insects.

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Ian- that's  very  useful advice! 

[ian mcdonald]

Another local walk past the golf course and into the pine woods yesterday brought many sightings in spite of the dull weather. As I approached the golf club house I noticed a Heron stood by the side of the road peering into a small ditch.



Further along the track I noticed Stags-horn Clubmoss, growing on the ditch side.



Several species of Cladonia lichen were growing on the ground beside the track.

[ian mcdonald]

In the middle of the track and among stones was a small group of brown fungi.





Orange Peel fungus was in an area of quarried stone.

On the track was a scat which I thought might be a territorial mark of a Pine Marten?



Many small tufts of red Sphagnum were in wet ditches. They may be S. capillifolium.



Hard fern, Blechnum spicant was common in wet areas. This image shows the sterile fronds.

[cohan]

Beautiful lichens

[Hoy]

Ian,

Nice picture of the grey heron! his bird is depicted in my local municipal coat of arms.




The lichens, fungi and plants you show are very homely to me!

[ian mcdonald]

Yesterday I went to one of the small harbours where seals come ashore and rest at low tide. Although the tide table said low tide was at 12.30pm the tide was nearly fully in. There were a small number of seals on low rocks. Both Grey and Common seals. THey soon went back into the water as the sea covered the rocks.



Grey seal on left and Common seals on right.

On the Harbour wall a group of adult and juvenile? Shags were resting. When I looked at my photos. of them I noticed two of the birds had leg rings. I sent the better photo. to the BTO (British Trust for Ornthology) and they managed to identify one ring from a bird that was rung in the nest on the Firth of Forth in 2018.



In the Harbour a number of waders were probing the wet sand. THere were Redshank and Dunlin.





On the Harbour wall was a plaque commemorating work done by the Gurkhas in repairing the harbour wall.

[ian mcdonald]

The weather has been mixed lately, with drizzly days then clear skies and frost. The local pine woods are very quiet, apart from an area where someone keeps bird feeders well stocked. I saw two Bullfinchs, one seemed to be eating the shoots of heather. Also seen were two Roe Deer. Perhaps the wildlife prefer to be active during dusk. On a visit to a nearby coastal spot hardly any wildlife was seen except a few gulls. Sea Buckthorn has plenty of berries. On a wander near the village I found several plants of fumitory still in flower. In a quiet dell in the local wood are some small houses which seem to be for the little people.

[ian mcdonald]

Fumitory.



Sea Buckthorn.



A view of the local river.



When gorse is out of flower, kissing is out of season.



Long Tailed Tits on one of the feeders.

[Yann]

Ian nice photos of this wonderful little world.

[ian mcdonald]

The weather has been dull and wet for the last couple of weeks. During a dry day I went for a walk to the local pine wood. Wildlife was scarce apart from birds at the feeders.



Several Siskin were jostling for position with a variety of other small birds.



A wet squirrel was keeping watch.

A brown fungi was seen on a large willow which may be Stereum rugosum.



At another location along the small valley I went to look at a light coloured exposure which I was told is Sand. Part of the exposure was very light coloured and looked like Lime. I could not get close enough to identify it but will try again another time. At the top of the exposure I noticed a bush bearing pink flowers. This turned out to be Viburnum x bodnantense. There was some household rubbish and I concluded that the plant was someones garden throw-out.



I went for another walk, this time along a disused railway embankment. I found that bridges over a small stream had been removed.

[ian mcdonald]

The railway is a quiet place in a valley next to the main road. It will, hopefully, be worth other visits when the better weather comes next spring and summer.





There is a lot of greater wood-rush along the embankment.







An old platelayers cabin is situated along the railway.

[johnw]

Ian - How is the eradication of the American grey squirrel going in the UK?

We saw one running the phone wires this past summer here in NS, the resident crows dispatched it in short order..

john