Friday, January 02, 2009

Farmland birds

This morning there were 30 Waxwings in James Johnston Place in Kilmarnock. There appeared to be several paired birds in the flock with berries being passed between birds and short, quiet buzz calls being uttered.

A cycle into some slightly more productive farmland today in the Crossroads to Sandyford area produced Tree Sparrow (4) at Coldcothill; Chaffinch (300) at Mossbog, Wood Pigeon (1400) and Chaffinch (180) at Barmuir plantation; Greylag (107) over Boghead; Pink-footed Goose (15) in stubble near Adamhill; just two Tree Sparrows at Fail Mill; Whooper Swan (19) in wet pasture at Mid Foulton; Golden Plover (87), Lapwing (63) and House Sparrow (140) at Sandyford.

The best area was four large barley stubble fields between Mossbog Cottage and Cofthead Cottage on the north side of the B744 with Skylark (450), Reed Bunting (18), Starling (300) though just two Yellowhammers. Winter thrushes were widespread in low numbers with the best counts being 85 Fieldfares at Dallars and 68 at Mossbog Cottage.

Heading home via Shewalton produced the Gadwall along with Goldeneye (6) and Little Grebe (8). The falcons did better today with a final raptor score of Buzzard 22 – Kestrel 6. One Buzzard was feeding on a dead fox at the Barassie exit on the A78.

2 comments:

Warren Baker said...

22 Buzzards ! great to hear of so many after all their persecution in the past.

Fraser Simpson said...

Just 20 years ago they were still a scarce bird in Ayrshire.