Bird Group Field Trip to Tay Reed Beds and RSPB Loch Leven, 17 May 2014

On Saturday 17 May the Bird Group travelled through to the east coast for a look at the Tay Reed Beds and RSPB Loch Leven Rserve near Kinross.

The Tay Reed Beds are situated on the north bank of the Firth of Tay between Perth and Dundee. They are the best place in Scotland to see Marsh Harrier and Bearded Tit, two scarce species not found in the west of Scotland.

Tay-Reed-Beds

Bird Group at Tay Reed Beds

We arrived at our first stop at 11.00 and immediately found 2 Ospreys, one with a fish, flying over the river. The reed beds and surrounding area were full of warblers including Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat all in full song, but neither of our target species were to be found.

We travelled further along the north bank and again gained access to the reed beds near to Errol where we were rewarded with distant but reasonable views of a pair of Marsh Harriers quartering the reed beds, with a bonus of good views of a nearby Shoveler.

Shoveler (male)

Shoveler (male)

Our third stop, at a viewpoint overlooking the eastern end in the reed beds, gave us views of up to half a dozen Bearded Tits flying, with food, to and from nest sites in the reed beds. Bonus birds at this site were Tree Sparrow and Yellowhammer at the road where the vehicles were parked.

With both target species on the list we set off for the RSPB reserve at Loch Leven to see their breeding Little Ringed Plover. Little Ringed Plover have successfully bred at this site during the last couple of years and they conveniently nest on gravel islands in front of one of the bird hides. We also had some information that a long-staying Glossy Ibis was in the area and there had been recent sightings of a male Gargany.

After a quick lunch at the reserve we had a look around the various bird hides and were rewarded with great views of a pair of Little Ringed Plover doing a change over at a nest on an island near the Carden hide. We also had Gadwall, Shoveler, Pink-footed Goose, Goldeneye and Great-crested Grebe, but no sign of the Garganey or the Ibis.

Little Ringed Plover changing over at nest

Little Ringed Plover changing over at nest

Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

One last stop at a view point to the west of the reserve gave us both Glossy Isis, feeding in a flooded field at some distance but viewable through a scope and the Gargany, in the pools back towards the birds hides.

This was an exceptional field trip with with a total of 71 species including 3 new species (Little Ringed Plover, Glossy Ibis and Gargany)  added to the Bird Groups ever increasing field trip bird list. The weather was kind to us and all who attended had a very enjoyable day.