PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NAOTRAL SCIENCE. ORNITHDIjOGICAL SECTION. Bulletin far January to April 2000. Winter Visitors. On 14/1, 58 Hhooper Swans, along with 17 Mutes were counted in a field next the R.Isla near Aberbothrie, Myth. Twenty Whoopers had been seen here on 11/1, and 90, unspecified swans, were present on 13/2. Sixteen Whoopers were on the Carse by Aberfeldy on 3/1 & 7/1; 65 at Trinity Gask on 11/2; and 17 on Dunalastair Res on 19/3, with still 11 there on 22/4. Other records were of smaller groups, mainly in the Tay valley. About 400 Pink-footed Geese flew into roost on L.Mullion, Little Glen Shee, on 24/1. On 27 & 28/4, skeins flying North were reported over Glenfarg, Perth end Blairgowrie. 1 200 had been at Carsebreck on 27/4. A single Greenland Whitefront was reported, feeding among 250 Greylag at Balhepbum on 22/1. A flock of 170 Greylag feeding at Muirhall, Perth, in February included at least five collared birds marked at L.Eye, Easter Ross. There were over 1 000 at Marlee L. on 15/1 and 700 on 9/3, and 400 at Logierait on 10/3. Extraordinary numbers of Goldeneye were recorded on the Tay in January, with 124 between Perth Bridge and the Almond, plus at least 50 in the Lower Harbour area, on 16th, and 200 in the Harbour area on 27th. Otherwise maxima were 32 on Stormont L. on 3/1, with about the same on 5/3 & 22/4; 12 on Monk Myre on 15/1; 22 on the Tay at Denmarkfield on 20/2; 24 on Rae L. on 9/3; 25 on L.Clunie on 11/3 and 15 on Marlee L. on 8/4. Largest Fieldfareflocks were reported from Logiealmond Lodge on 20/2, Saddlebank, Logiealmond, on 13/3, Glendams, Blairgowrie, on 16/4 and Methven on 21/4, the numbers ranging from 40 to 50. Only one flock of Redwings was reported, four at Bridge of Earn on 15/2. Blackcaps were present in the Viewlands area of Perth - a male used the bird bath and inspected the peanut feeders in one garden on 21/2, and an aggressive female fed at another bird-table for three days from 21/3. Braniblings were recorded at Orchill, Braco, 3 on 11/2; one male in Viewlands Park on 19/2; 6 at Bridge of Earn on 5/3; and three or more in Strathardle on 13/3. Apart from the Viewlands Park individual, they were in mixed finch flocks^ Sumner Visitors. The first Osprey spotted was at L.Tummel on 1/4, followed by one at Drumore L., Blacklunans, on 9/4. Ocmnon Sandpipers were on the Tay at the Almond mouth on 17/4, on the south shore of L.Rannoch on 22/4, widespread thereafter. There was a single Lesser Black-backed Gull at Carsebreck on 7/3, with 13 there on 27/4. The first Cuckoo was heard in lower Glen Lednock, 28/4; "second equals" from farther up Glen Lednock, Trinafour (2), and Mill Dam, Dunkeld (2 or 3) on 29/4. Sand Martins were first seen, over the Tay/Almond confluence, on 24/3, with about a dozen over the Tay/Earn confluence next day. A single was at Kercock on 26/3, Blairgowrie had its first on 6/4, and L.Clunie the next day. Earn mouth produced the earliest Swallows on 9/4, followed by Blairgowrie on 10th Inveralmond 13th, Murrayshall 20th and Leetown 22nd - "first April sighting for fifteen years". House Martins appeared over the Tay at Perth On 21/4, and were seen at Bridge of Cally on 22/4. The only Tree Pipit report came from Trinafour on 22/4, where there was a male Wheatear on 27/3; records then followed from Dalnamein, 2/4, Glen Quaich, 9/4, Glen Lochan, Amulree, (8 - 10), 11/4 and Glen Taitneach, (15, modtly males), 15/4. A male wing Ouzel was singing at Foss on 10/4, two were in Glen Lochan on 11th, a pair at Dalnamein on 16th and one in Little Glen Shee on 26th. The first Sedge Warbler was early, singing at Monk Myre on 27/4. "Summer" Blackcaps appearedIby "thesTay at North Muirton on 21/4, Kirkton of Lethendy on 27th, and Blairgowrie on 29th, with the first Whitethroat here on 30th. No April records of Garden and Wood Warblers. Chiffchaffs were heard in Muirward Wood, Scone, from 24/3, but one at Quarrymill on 8/4 seemed to move on. Records of first Willow Warblers ranged from 18 - 22/4, and came from Blairgowrie, Coupar Angus, L.of Lowes, Scone, Glen Artney, Black Wood of Rannoch and Trinafour. On 22/4 two male Pied Flycatchers were fighting over territory in Glen Artnet; a female arrived on 2/5. Selected/ - 2 - Selected Species Records. Single Red-throated Divers were seen on the Tay at Eammouth on 28/3 & 13/4. Black-throated returned to breeding lochs in April. A Great Northern was seen, far up the Tay for this species, off Port Allen on 30/1. Four Little Grebes were along the Tay between Perth Bridge and the Almond on 16/1 and two at Perth Harbour on 27/1; other records from the usual lochs. L.Clunie had a Great Crested Grebe on 15/1, with six by 7/4; Marlee L. held six on 9/3 and twelve on 8/4;nine were seen off Earn mouth in mid-April. Four Bladc-nected had returned to their breeding loch by 31/4. The L.Clunie Connorant roost peaked at 59 on 15/1 and again on 12/2. The Tay/Eam confluence recorded 41 on 22/3.. Four at Carsebreck on 7/3 were in full breeding plumage. A Grey Heron was stalking along the A9 verge by Inveralmond on 24/1. The White Stork was seen again on 27/4. On 15/1, two adult Mote Swans and a cygnet circled the completely frozen Drumore L. several times before heading off down Glen Shee - they haven't returned 1 Maximum at Rhynd was 89 on 20/2. Pairs nested on L.Clunie, Monk Myre and Drumfork L. Nineteen Canada Geese, accompanied by the Egyptian, were at Kercock on 18/1, but the Egyptian has more recently been frequenting fields near Butterstone L., still with Canadas. Other stray geese seen at Kercock have been three Barnacles together, a Barnacle apparently paired with a Canada, and a Lesser Whitefront paired with a white-and-grey oddity. One Barnacle also appeared, with three Canadas, at Monk Myre. On 29/1, 49 Shelduck were up-Tay as far as the Earn, rising to 58 on 29/2. A maximum of three tfandarin seems to survive on the Tay: a drake was seen on several occasions, twice courting a duck Mallard, around the Almondmouth, whilst a pair was seen in March alongside the Norie Millar Walk. Maxima of Wigeon were 118 on Monk Myre on 15/1, 44 at Kercock on 18/1, 69 in front of Scone Palace on 13/2, 85 at Carsebreck on 7/3 and 42 on Stormont L. on 9/3. For Teal, the figures were 24 on Clunie on 15/1, 50 on Carsebreck on 11/2 and six on Monk Myre on 9/3. Milliard peaked mainly in January, with 360 on L.Clunie and 60 on Monk Myre on 15th, 295 on the Tay between Perth Bridge and the Almond next day, and 110 on Carsebreck on 11/2. Also, there were 11 on L.Turret on 2/1, 26 on L.Ordie on 28/1 and 48 on the Tay north of Isla mouth on 28/1. Two pairs of Shoveler wereseen near Methven on 21/4. Stormont L. held the most Pochard - '22 on 5/3, with 10 there on 2/2. Monk Myre had 10 on 12/2, L.Kinardochy 5 on 9/3 and L.Clunie 3 on 15/1 (no record for Carsebreck),; Hare Myre held three pairs in April, Hopefully staying to breed. Perth Harbour had twelve Tufted Duck among the Goldeneye on 27/1, Monk Myre 98 and L.Clunie 78 on 15/1 and Carsebreck 80 on 27/4 and L.an Mhuillin 8 on 11/4. There were six Merganser on the Tay at Perth on 9/4, a pair on L.Ordie on 21/4, three pairs at Kercock on 25/4. Two pairs of Goosander were at Kercock on 18/1, one pair on Hare Myre on 9/3 and two pairs L.Clunieon 11/3; a drake appeared on Milntuim L. on 20/4. On Hare Myre, Ruddy Duck counts were:- two ducks on 6/4, a pair on 8th, and two pairs on30th. Adjacent Stormont L had a duck on 22/4, and there were five drakes and two ducks near Methven on 21/4. There was a brief sighting of a Red Kite hunting Little Glen Shee on 29/2, and a "ringtail" Hen Harrier the same day. A male Harrier was seen at L.Ordie on 18/4. A Sparrowhawkwas almost hit by a car at Dupplin; others were reported from Viewlands, Bridgend, Scone and Little Glen Shee. Buzzard reports come, as usual, from all over the County, with thirteen in the length of Strathardle on 29/2. Two Golden Eagles were seen from the Amulree to Kenmore road, and one in Glen Quaich on 21/4, Kestrel pairs were recorded for Moncreiffe Hill, Murrayshall, Inveralmond, Rosemount, L.Ordie and Dalnamein.