Observing our feathered friends while helping to protect their environment

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) is a countrysiderelated organisation which adopts a scientific approach to promote game and wildlife management as an essential part of nature conservation.

Their principal aims are to promote a thriving countryside rich in game and other wildlife.

I’ve just taken part in the trust’s Big Farmland Bird Count and the results of my count were most instructive. They were a snapshot of which birds were on the ground, on the water and in the air over a half-hour period on one morning. A different time, different conditions, a different place and it could have been a different story.

I chose Waterside of Kinnaber Farm, lying close to the mouth of the River North Esk which, from previous walks, I reckoned would provide an interesting mix of waterfowl and farmland birds.

It was overcast with a gusty, chill wind and I counted 16 species. A single grey partridge, our native partridge and, for me, one of our most attractive wild species rose in front of me from the stubbles and flew off low on beating wings. Their numbers have been in decline for years and while it was encouraging to see just the one I was disappointed not to see a second. They stay together over winter in family groups, or coveys, and start pairing off at this time of year, to lay 12-18 pale olive eggs in late April-may.

As I walked on, a greylag goose rose and flew off with honks of disapproval. Unlike the pink-footed geese which are generally restricted to the east coast and Border areas, the greylags are another native species found throughout Scotland. They pair for life, so where I wondered was its mate? With Montrose Basin scarcely a dozen miles away perhaps it had fallen victim to a wildfowler.

Out on the river, three mallard paddled about in slack water by the bank. They were joined by a pair of little grebes, or dabchicks, to use our Scottish name – their wee, dumpy shape easily recognisable. A flock of white headed gulls flew in from the seashore a mile down river. Except, of course, they were black-headed gulls but they lose the coloured plumage on their heads in wintertime. To confuse matters further the head plumage is actually dark brown – but that’s ornithology for you.

A heron stood motionless, like a grey sentinel, in the shallows waiting for small fish such as minnows or perhaps even an eel to swim close enough for it to strike at with its long pickaxe bill. It seemed an awkward bird as it took flight, long legs

trailing out behind, but its slow, lazy wingbeats are deceiving as it was soon out of sight.

A merganser, another highly efficient fisher, swept past on the current diving for small fish. In winter they prefer to be close to salt water but frequently fly inland in spring to breed. They are beautifully coloured birds with a dark green head with a double crest, chestnut breast and a prominent white bar on their wings. Along with goosanders they are known as sawbilled ducks as they have serrated sawtoothed beaks so that a wriggling fish cannot escape.

It’s exposed down there by the river and the small songbirds prefer more cover, but a single blackbird exploded out of a patch of whins. There were hedge sparrows too, and wood pigeon and rooks and, although I couldn’t see them, I heard the melancholy cries of curlews – coor-li, coor-li. It’s not

too early for them to be thinking of breeding. They overwinter at the coast and most will fly inland again to nest in the glens.

Being next door to the St Cyrus National Nature Reserve there was a chance of seeing a buzzard or a short-eared owl which I’d spotted on previous visits. If I’d been lucky I might have seen peregrine falcons and ravens both of which have nested in the high cliffs that form a backdrop to the reserve. I’m told there are barn owls there too, but I wouldn’t expect to see them hunting in daylight hours.

My bird count brought home to me how often, when I’m out walking, I’m on the lookout for sightings of unusual birds or animals and not paying enough attention to the familiar species which are every bit as much part of nature’s story.

The Big Farmland Bird Count is not just an intellectual exercise. Seeing the birds

and hearing them are sources of great pleasure but farmland birds can be the farmers’ best friend providing pest control, pollination and other ecosystem functions.

Sitting near the top of the food chain they are indicators of the general quality of the farmed environment. Recording the many different species – some of them endangered – helps us understand how we can best protect them for the future.

A greylag goose rose and flew off with honks of disapproval

ON THE HUNT: A lone curlew. Angus heard the birds’ melancholy cries but did not see them on his Big Farmland Bird Count.