Lochwinnoch
Posted 14-03-11 at 07:02 PM by Maggie28
March 14th 2011:
Set off in the hope of seeing a Smew and the sun coming out.
The Smew was there with a juvenile Smew so knocked it off seeing two.
Pity my camera lens can't take good pics when they are at the centre of the loch or the other side of it for that matter.
I set off on one trail only for the Drake Smew to be on the other side. This was after treking through mud and freezing cold water and falling down 3 times. They really need to do something with that trail. It's dangerous. LOL
I sat on my rain proof jacket and then covered myself with a waterproof cycling thingy.
So easy to carry around.
I sat for as long as I could in the freezing cold but the Smew just wasn't for coming over to my side.
Packed up and set off to the other side of the loch/meadow and just as I was approaching the Wilson hide, I could see the Drake Smew so close to the hide but going away from it.
I took a shortcut through the gap in the trees and got myself positioned to take a reasonable photo of it when a Goldeneye near me, which I had not seen, got spooked and took off.
The Smew followed suit and ended back over the other side of the loch where I was origionally.
Made my way back to the centre as covered with mud up to my knees and cold from the water that was finally seeping through my walking boots I decided to heck with it.
Looked through the digi scopes in the centre and the Smew was pretty near the edges of the other trail so I thought to have one more try.
Got to the spot where I seen it and it had gone! No sign of it anywhere on the loch.
I assumed it had gone off into the reeds for an afternoon nap?
I was thinking of heading out tomorrow again but it looks like the weather will be worse so hope they stick around for a few more days till the weather gets better. If it does that is.
But like last year, he was bullying the Golden Eye as usual and chasing them over the loch, pity it was always in the other direction.
One of the young workers at the reserve thought he saw a house martin or a swallow in the far end of the loch amongst the birch trees. But I didn't hang around to see if it was confirmed or not.
I went into the hide to snap some of the Redpolls again as I don't think they will be around much longer.
It was nice to see a rainbow over Semple loch and thought what a nice background it would be if a bird sat on the twig/branch near the feeders.
A Redpoll duly obliged
The wind was blowing in the hide windows and rain was still dripping into the hide so I was pretty darned cold and wet by then. The sun came out in spatters as the day went on but not enough to even warm you up a bit.
A Brambling popped in for a few seconds but didn't see it again.
There was a report of a White Tailed Eagle in the vicinity on Friday, probably a juvenile or reintroduced bird but not been seen since. Pity.
The Sparrowhawk made an appearance but failed to catch anything.
It was nice to see the Drake Smew again and probably the same one that visited last year. Even better with another one in tow.
It was also nice to be out and about again for more than an hour, and now I am stiff as a board.
Popped into a local tyre repair shop near the Clyde where I go and asked the guy there, (the one who helped retrieve my mobile phone) I asked him to let me know if he sees the Sand Martins which rest at the cable lines accross from his wrok unit. He said what do they look like? I told him the birds I asked him about last if tehey came to those overhead cables all the time which you said they do.
He said I don't remeber what they look like. I said they look sort of like Swallows without the long tails.
What's a Swallow look like................
Just told him that if he sees birds coming back all the time to the cables, then that will be them. Ones you haven't before
He took my mobile number and said he would let me know.
I'll be popping down as usual but they will probably turn up (hopefully) when I don't go down.
Nothing much else to report from the Loch. Saw Lapwings fly over Aird Loch, Two Oystercatchers, some teal, Tufties, Goldeneye and the usual small birds at the feeders. Finches, Siskins, Redpolls, Tits. No Bullfinches today.
Great Cested Grebes were over in Barr Loch and some Teal.
And the Sparrowhawk, Jackdaws stealing feed from the bird table.
A mole os digging up the ground near the central feeders but don't reckon I'll ever see it
Set off in the hope of seeing a Smew and the sun coming out.
The Smew was there with a juvenile Smew so knocked it off seeing two.
Pity my camera lens can't take good pics when they are at the centre of the loch or the other side of it for that matter.
I set off on one trail only for the Drake Smew to be on the other side. This was after treking through mud and freezing cold water and falling down 3 times. They really need to do something with that trail. It's dangerous. LOL
I sat on my rain proof jacket and then covered myself with a waterproof cycling thingy.
So easy to carry around.
I sat for as long as I could in the freezing cold but the Smew just wasn't for coming over to my side.
Packed up and set off to the other side of the loch/meadow and just as I was approaching the Wilson hide, I could see the Drake Smew so close to the hide but going away from it.
I took a shortcut through the gap in the trees and got myself positioned to take a reasonable photo of it when a Goldeneye near me, which I had not seen, got spooked and took off.
The Smew followed suit and ended back over the other side of the loch where I was origionally.
Made my way back to the centre as covered with mud up to my knees and cold from the water that was finally seeping through my walking boots I decided to heck with it.
Looked through the digi scopes in the centre and the Smew was pretty near the edges of the other trail so I thought to have one more try.
Got to the spot where I seen it and it had gone! No sign of it anywhere on the loch.
I assumed it had gone off into the reeds for an afternoon nap?
I was thinking of heading out tomorrow again but it looks like the weather will be worse so hope they stick around for a few more days till the weather gets better. If it does that is.
But like last year, he was bullying the Golden Eye as usual and chasing them over the loch, pity it was always in the other direction.
One of the young workers at the reserve thought he saw a house martin or a swallow in the far end of the loch amongst the birch trees. But I didn't hang around to see if it was confirmed or not.
I went into the hide to snap some of the Redpolls again as I don't think they will be around much longer.
It was nice to see a rainbow over Semple loch and thought what a nice background it would be if a bird sat on the twig/branch near the feeders.
A Redpoll duly obliged
The wind was blowing in the hide windows and rain was still dripping into the hide so I was pretty darned cold and wet by then. The sun came out in spatters as the day went on but not enough to even warm you up a bit.
A Brambling popped in for a few seconds but didn't see it again.
There was a report of a White Tailed Eagle in the vicinity on Friday, probably a juvenile or reintroduced bird but not been seen since. Pity.
The Sparrowhawk made an appearance but failed to catch anything.
It was nice to see the Drake Smew again and probably the same one that visited last year. Even better with another one in tow.
It was also nice to be out and about again for more than an hour, and now I am stiff as a board.
Popped into a local tyre repair shop near the Clyde where I go and asked the guy there, (the one who helped retrieve my mobile phone) I asked him to let me know if he sees the Sand Martins which rest at the cable lines accross from his wrok unit. He said what do they look like? I told him the birds I asked him about last if tehey came to those overhead cables all the time which you said they do.
He said I don't remeber what they look like. I said they look sort of like Swallows without the long tails.
What's a Swallow look like................
Just told him that if he sees birds coming back all the time to the cables, then that will be them. Ones you haven't before
He took my mobile number and said he would let me know.
I'll be popping down as usual but they will probably turn up (hopefully) when I don't go down.
Nothing much else to report from the Loch. Saw Lapwings fly over Aird Loch, Two Oystercatchers, some teal, Tufties, Goldeneye and the usual small birds at the feeders. Finches, Siskins, Redpolls, Tits. No Bullfinches today.
Great Cested Grebes were over in Barr Loch and some Teal.
And the Sparrowhawk, Jackdaws stealing feed from the bird table.
A mole os digging up the ground near the central feeders but don't reckon I'll ever see it
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