Saturday, June 17, 2023

With my Saturday suddenly becoming free the day before, I decided to attend the SOC outing to Coulter Glen. The first notable birds of the day were at least three pairs of House Martins nesting in the eaves of a house at Culter Allers Farm. Also present were single Stock Dove, Oystercatcher and Spotted Flycatcher. In the glen proper, up to three (presumed Common) Crossbills were in a conifer belt (although they showed best when they flew into a Lime tree) and the first of up to four Common Sandpipers. The day was really all about chats and thrushes though, and three Wheatears were a sign of things to come. Heading a little further up the glen, the first of three singing male Whinchats was heard. Other notable birds included Sand Martin, Grey and Pied Wagtail and Dipper. Then the area just before the damhead produced more Whinchats, nesting Swallows and up to three singing male Ring Ouzels (picked out on fencelines on the hillside) as well as a more confiding male on a pasture field. The dam itself held a few additional species (Reed Bunting, Curlew, Lesser Redpoll and Common Gull - although the small breeding colony of the last species had completely failed). The walk back down the glen was notable for a calling Stonechat, four Ravens and a Merlin (which got into an aerial duel with one of the latter species). All in all an excellent day with good birds, good company and lots of interesting chats (in both senses of the word).