Piili'lISHIisJ SOCIETY" OF NATURAL SCIkiKCE. ORNITHOLOGICAL SECTION. BULLETIN FOR DECEMBER 1979, JANUARY, FEBRUARY 1980. PERSONALITIES. Snow G-oose. A single whidse phase bird was very obvious in a large flock of Pinkfeet feeding near the A93 end of the Rait road on 20 Jan (EDC, MCC, JK). Also in this flock were a Barnacle and two leucistic Pinkfeet,( ? same two as seen near Tibbermore in Nov). On 23 Jan the flowk was again present, with three Barnacles and the two leucis¬ tic s, but no Snow (RLM). Smew,, Two "redheads" were seen on Dr^mmond Pond, Crieff, on 19 Dec, and one on 17 Feb (WEB,SS). Yifaxwing. Three at Inchture on 8 Jan (KB). A very poor winter for this species. SELECTED SPECIES RECORDS. Great Crested G-rebes were back on their breeding lochs by mid-Feb, though, in some cases, there was still considerable ice cover. There were twelve Herons at Drummond Pond on 1 7 Feb, and at least two pairs v^ere nesting, in the Dunning area, by 24 Feb (SS,CA,DD). Lute Swans at Drummond Pond fluctuated in number - 48 in Nov, in Dec, 54 in Jan, & 39 in Feb. Nfel other water produces such numbers, but nine adults & two juveniles at Forteviot on 27 Jan are noteworthy (nRB,SS,IMM). The big Whooper flock at Carsehead, Madderty, must have o.ispersed towards the em of the 7 year. Unfortunately, three of the birds we re killed, flying into power lines on a foggy night, possibly having been disturbed by something. The Bridge of Earn flock increased from 14 on 15 Dec to 29 on 19 Dec, but was down to 14 again by 14 Jan; there were 9 at Dalreoch on 2 Dec; only 7 a"t Carsehead on 15 Feb (MCC, SAL, TMS, JHW). Four White-fronted Geese appeared among Canadas at Kercock on 24 Dec. The latter species reached a max of 126 there on 26 Decj away from this favoured site were two on Methven Moss on 10 Feb & two at Carsehead on 15 Feb (MCC,DD,SAL,IMM,TMS). The largest flocks of Wigeon were 500+ at Kercock on 24 Dec; 165 on the Isla at West Banchory, Coupar Angus, on 16 Feb; & 154 in the Kercock area on the same day. rT" ^ leucistic bird of Oct was still present, with 66 Of its ordinary fellows, at Coupar Angus on 13 Jan. Smaller flocks were- £>0 on 10 Feb, rising to 72 on 24th, at Dalre och, and 50 at Drummond Pond on 19 Dec (WEB, MCC, SAL, IMM) . Drummond Pond also held over 1,000 Mallard on this date (WEB). Pochard never seem to occur in any great number on any one loch, but good counts were c50 on Drummond & 30 on L. Freuchie irn Dec., & 26 on Stormont in Feb (WRB,MCC, SSH). Goldeneye were reported from the usual lochs & the Tay, with 14 at Kercock on 8 Dec & 16 on the North Inch stretch on New Year's Day, 15 were on the flooding river Teith on 11 Dec; more unusual was a female on the Town Lade in Perth on 22 Dec (wEB,hCC,SRH). Goosander reached a max of c50 on Drummond on 19 Dec, with 32 on 17 Feb; the Isla held 9 at ¥. Banchory on 16 Dec, & the Tay 10 at the North Inch on 26 Feb (mEB, SS, SAL, Ilvilvl). There wasa Hen Harrier hunting Methven Moss on 20 Jan- though the -^inkfeet were not disturbed by it (JK). a Sparrowhawk also appeared here, & one in Anderson Drive , Perth, where it seems to be a "regular1.1 A pair of Buzzards were at their lowland breeding site on 25 Feb; singles were seen at Almondbank on 10 & 1 8 Feb; no less than ten were visible at one time from the hide at Loch of the Lowes on 23 Feb (JHW,DD,JK,SL,SS). a Merlin killed a Blackbird in SL's garden on 10 Dec. Hard weather concentrations of Coot included 130 at Clunie and 180 at West Banchory on 13 Jan (SEH, SAL, IMM). Oyster catchers 'were back in Perth by 12 Feb, & about about 200 wre roosting on the Scone Palace shimglebed on 16th. Only Golden Plover records were 13 at Dalreoch on 2 Dec & 2 36 at Balgowan on 24 Feb. Four Redshank had moved up the Tay as far as Kercock by 16 Feb (EDC,MCC,SAL,IMM,PM,EMM). Great & Lesser Black-backed Gulls continued to frequent the Tay & the Earn, with 20 of the former roosting on Drummond Pond on 18 Dec (SfEB). At least one Short-eared Owl wintered on Dalreichmoor, Scone/Balbeggie, being seen in each month (EDC,<JK) .A Kingfisher at Fingask Loch on 2 Dec was a "first" for there (SRH). Single Grey Wagtails at Almondbank on 3 Dec & Scone on 2 Feb. were the only winter records (SL,EDC). Mention of the Fieldfare wintering in a Burghmuir garden has brought to light a similar case in Scone, & one of a Redwing claiming a garden in Kinnoull for its fourth winter (JHff,GLAitchison). A winter Blackcap, a male, was spotted at Blairgowrie on 9 Dec (SRH). Good flocks of Long-tailed Tits have been seen, including one of 25 in Scone Woods on 27 Jan, Tree Sparrow flocks of twenty or more were noted at Inveralmond on 23 Dec & Balgowan on 27 Dec (mCC,IlViivi).Only small flocks of Bramblings were reported, apart from c150 at Scone on 23 Jan & 30 feeding at an Inchture birdtable m the snow of 2 Feb (RLM,KB).Ten Goldfxnches were'ina raspberry field at Almondbank on 16 Jan, & smaller parties in other areas (SL). Siskins wre still about in large numbers - c150 on the Woody Islands on 23 Decj at Almondbamc, 50 on 4 Jan built up to over 100 by 8 Jan, fell away, but reached the century again on 11 Feb; 140 were counted in the alders at Kercock on 26 Jan; and over 100 at the Turret/Earn confluence, Crieff, on 27 Jan (MCC,SL,SS). Three Twite were unusually high on the hill in mid-Dec at about 1,500 feet up on Ben Ledi ("WRB). The only Redpoll flock of note was of 30 at Crieff on 22 Dec (IMM). Good flocks of Bullfinches were 20 at Crieff on 27 Jan, with another 16 in two flocks, in the same airt, & 14 at Kercock on 24 Dec (SS,MCC). 24 Snow Buntings wre at the Cairnwell car park on 12 Feb, and 50 Yellowhammers at Rumbling Bridge, Dunkeld, on 26 Dec (JK,MCC). SUBSCRIPTIONS & BULLETINS It has been the custom in the past to continue to suppljr Bulletins to those Members who are one or two years in arrears with their Subscriptions, with ever increasing costs of paper and postage, the Committee feels that this cannot continue, so, please, you forgetful -Members, pay up to date, i/i'e would also point out that Subscriptions are due in October, and with the A.G.M. traditionally held in March, it would help the Hon. Treasurer if all Subscriptions were paid before March, at the latest. Thank you. All Records for March, April & May to E.D.Cameron, 14 Union Road, Scone, Perth, as soon as possible after 31 May, please, Contributers to this Bulletin, acknowledged by their initials were;- Mrs C.Andrews, W.R.Brackenridge, K.Brockie, E.D.Cameron, i'i.C.Chesney, D.Doig, Miss S.R.Hacker, J.Kirk, Mrs S.Laing, Miss S.A.Laing, Mrs I.M.McKinnie, P.McLaughlan, R.L.McMillan, Mrs E.M.Marshall, Mr & Mrs S.Shimeld, T.M.Smith & J.H.Wallace, J PERTHSHIKE SOCIiiTY OF NATOBAL SCLc^CJi. OKJMITHOLOGIGAL SECTION. BULLETIN FOE MARCH, APRIL, iiAY 19SO. PERS ONALITIES. Red-throated Diver. Three were seen on Loch Rinnardochy on 2k May, two on the next two days, one on 31st, but none later. It seems that anglers on the loch blamed the Divers for spoiling their sport, saying that the fish did not rise while the birds were p present (SAL5IMM,RDM). Slavonian Gkrebe. One pair was back on the usual breeding loch in May. A single bird was seen at the second site on 10 Apr, but not in May. Gadwall. There have been many more reports than usual of this duck, and they were Seen on two of the Section Outings. A pair was at Dalreoch on 10 & 13 Aprj two near Methven , on 13 -Apr & 17 May; two pairs at Kinkell on 21 , and one pair on 23 Apr; a diake at Abercairney on 28 May; and a pair on Methven M®ss on 3 June (toCC,DJ),SAL,Pw). Common Scoter. The usual breeding loch held two males and three females in May, while another loch had one pair. YflNTER VISITORS There to have betn very few \vhooper Swans seen in this peiioa - seven on L Dochart on 3^0. and eleven on 9 Mai; tv/o on L Ericht on the latter date; and eight at Port Allen on 23 Mar (i^CC,SS). There was considerable northward movemeixt of geese in the last week of Apiil. The latest Pinkfect were 60 over Glenalmond on 4 May. A single tfhitefront was on Methven Moss on 16 Mai, ana eight in a large flocK of Pinkfett at Balgowan on 1 Apr. "^atest Greylag were 26 at Kercock on 26 Apr, then 11 at L Clunie on 11 May. Barnacles in the Tibbermore area were' singles on 16 Mar & 12 Apr, and two on 21 Apr (EDO,MCC,DD,JHW,pw,J Edelsten).