It's quite some time since I was last up here and thought it was high time I paid a visit. It was a beautiful, freezing morning, prefect for a wee wander around the area at Westerton.
Buzzard on a branch
I'd seen a good few little brown jobs flitting around as I drove up but spotted this Buzzard perched near the logging car park just before the bridge over the Burn of Dairy. Usually they fly off as soon as you stop anywhere near but, this one watched me a while, let me grab a few shots then shot away.
I drove on to the junction and parked up with no real plan but, headed into the trees over the wee bridge.
I spotted a few little brown jobs flitting in trees above me so stopped to have look and saw three Redpoll.
Nice to see them and firsts for the year for me.
Three Redpoll
It was only when I was editing the photos that I spotted three of them, I'd only noticed two. I also have no idea whether they might be Common, Lesser or Mealy
Three Redpoll
Through branches and into a dark area, I didn't get many good shots before they took off and I headed on up the hill. I only took a couple of steps when I heard the unmistakeable call of a Buzzard so I stopped and went back to the gate to get a clear view of the hillside.
There were quite a lot of birds hovering and soaring around the hilltop so I started grabbing shots and it turned out, the first was of a Raven.
Raven near Balintore castle
I could hear the "gronks" among the Buzzard calls and there seemed to be a LOT of Buzzards up there...
Hovering Buzzard
I've walked around the Balintore castle area before and know there are a lot of rabbits around, probably enough to keep all these birds occupied and fed for some time.
Buzzards and Raven
Pair of Ravens
I don't think I've ever seen so many Ravens before, usually one over the hill at the reservoir but there were quite a few here along with Buzzards and Red Kites
Hovering Buzzard
Buzzard banking over the hillside
There were a lot of birds around the hill and I stood for quite a while watching and grabbing shots, before heading up the road. It was only as I started walking up the hill that I saw how many birds there were up there. I also saw a flock of Chaffinch and a Tree Creeper as I made may way up the road, all flitting around too quickly for photos.
Red Kite soaring
I got my first chances for shots of the Kites almost half way up the hill.
Red Kite on the hunt
There was a real mix of birds up there and I kept walking up and getting shots as the opportunities arose. The Buzzards seemed a little more relaxed with me down below, the Kites keeping a distance.
Soaring Buzzard
Soaring Buzzard
Red Kite and ....
You can see the mix of birds in the shot above, they were flying all around each other, I guess there's enough prey to go around.
I was about half way up the hill now, standing in the sunshine watching everything around me when I spotted the Tree Creeper again.
Tree Creeper in sunlight
A Raven soared by, "gronking" I love their sounds.
Another flock of Chaffinch and a few Blue Tits were moving around the trees and shrubs up near the castle road, again too fast for me but, the Buzzards stole the show today so ......
The light was fabulous and if I'd been earlier and the wind wasn't so cold, I'd have wandered on up to the top of the hill, another time, definitely.
Checking me out
Sadly, I'd used up my time, I'm not on any limit or anything but, I tend to try to head back for lunch time, that's my job, making the lunch :) So, I headed back down to the car and back towards home, one more pair of Buzzards caught my eye, one flying off before I could grab the camera.
There were two of them when I first pulled over to grab a shot, next time.
I'd had a fabulous late morning up here, first this year but, I'll definitely be back and head up towards Cat Law looking for Snow Bunting ;)
