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Forth Naturalist and Historian, volume 22 15
FORTH AREA BIRD REPORT 1998
C. J. Henty
Fifty-four contributors appear this year, some sent notes direct to the Editor,
others via the RSPB local group. The extensive use of record cards has greatly
helped the compilation of notes by species. In addition, others have assisted in
the wildfowl counts and the breeding birds survey. Red Kites are now seen
regularly in the area but the special news is that two pairs nested successfully
this year; Ospreys continue to do fairly well. Some massive flocks of
Chaffinches were noted in the New Year whilst scarce migrants include a
spring Red-Backed Shrike and in autumn a Marsh Harrier, Wryneck and two
Great Grey Shrikes, but passage of the scarcer waders was no more than
modest. A singing male Rosefinch reappeared this summer, presumably the
same bird as last year and equally mateless.
The most remarkable single record was of a Pied-billed Grebe which was
found on Airthrey Loch in June, this American vagrant stayed for several days
but was not reported immediately, thus the three older birdwatchers on the
campus were humiliated by having commuted repeatedly within maybe 100
metres of the bird without ever seeing it.
This report is compiled from a larger archive of records submitted to the
local recorder under the national scheme organised by the Scottish
Ornithologists Club. The area covered by the report comprises the council
areas of Falkirk and Clackmannan together with Stirling, excluding Loch
Lomondside and other parts of the Clyde drainage basin. Please note that we
do not include the Endrick water, i.e. Fintry and Balfron. Records from Carron
Valley Reservoir are published here but it is proposed that Clyde should cover
all the forest south of the reservoir. Observations are not spread evenly being
concentrated on the estuary and the Carse of Stirling, although the inland part
of Falkirk and the extensive and often inaccessable hill area in the north of our
area has had more attention than in past years
1998 was overall a cloudy, mild, and rather wet year. Early and mid January
was wet and windy until a bright but frosty spell. February was almost
continually mild, overcast and wet though at the very end an Arctic airflow
caused snowfall, these last conditions continued in early March and then
alternated with wind and rain. April maintained this pattern and hence was
colder than usual. The middle of May was warm and sunny but led to
unsettled weather through June with only brief dry and sunny spells. Early
July was warm and sunny but there was soon domination by cool, wet
weather. August showed an alternation of fine with unsettled conditions and
this largely continued through September with a long fine spell midway. Early
October was dry but dull, then became markedly wet and windy and this
continued through November with only brief bright and frosty episodes. There
were brief frosty and snowy spells in December but in mid-month it was