2014 - March BTO waterbird count, Linlithgow - Philpstoun

My monthly BTO WeBS count along the Union Canal, Linlithgow to Philpstoun.

 

 

Monday 17th March

 

my walk to Burntisland station, 7.05am

Up at 6.30am

left house at 7

train from Burntisland 7.22

arrived Linlithgow 8.01

brief stop at dad's to breakfast and drop my rucksack

 

 

The count:

Start time 8.20am
turnaround time 10am

End time 10.40am

 

Weather - Windy! Strongly blowing from west to east (the prevailing direction). Some glimpses of sun but mostly dark and threatening rain. Rain didn't arrive until I was nearly home.

The flood field - still quite extensively flooded. Lapwings are back and displaying for spring. They nest here each year. Before we knew anything about them the first time Jennifer and I saw and heard the courtship flight of a lapwing was here. The squeaking and tumbling of the bird in the sky before us made us think it was injured.

huge paddle wings

upside-down!

Waterbirds seen on/around canal:
 
Canal
Mallard 19
Moorhen 5

Flood field
Wigeon 31
Greylag goose 107
Pink-footed goose 110
Lapwing 12
Pied wagtail 1


All birds seen:

Blackbird
Blue Tit
Bullfinch
Buzzard
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Dunnock
Feral Pigeon
Goldcrest
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Greenfinch
Greylag Goose
Herring Gull
House Sparrow
Jackdaw
Lapwing
Long-tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Moorhen
Oystercatcher
Pheasant
Pied Wagtail
Pink-footed Goose
Robin
Rook
Skylark
Song Thrush
Starling
Tree Sparrow
Wigeon
Woodpigeon
Wren
Yellowhammer

35 species 

One of my favourite views on the walk. I've seen dippers and a kingfisher on that stream.