Midweek Outing – Overtoun Estaste Sept 2022

Thirteen of us met up at the car park at Overtoun Estate on a bright morning for our first outing of the season. We started by listing the birds seen up until that start of our walk which were Wood Pigeon, Robin, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Chiffchaff.  As we started off four Mistle Thrushes flew overhead and one landed at the top of a tree but it was a distant sighting.

We headed up the path that led to Lang Crags and added Coal Tit, Wren, Dunnock Blackbird and Bullfinch to the list.  We had closer views of the Mistle Thrushes and the Bullfinches were quite accommodating as they fed on seeds near the ground. The path came to a gate at the end of the woods and the path then headed upward through more open ground. We had good views of at least four Buzzards soaring at various times and places and had a Sparrowhawk hovering in the wind near the path and several Redpoll in twos and threes flying from tree to tree. We stopped where the path turned back downwards and had great views of the Clyde to Greenock and beyond. The only other birds seen as we walked the circular path towards the gate to down to the stream were Goldfinches and a hovering Kestrel. We had lunch near where the Kestrel had been seen it didn’t make a reappearance. We did get serenaded (if you can call it that) by two Chiffchaffs. On the way to the stream, we at last spotted a Raven which we had heard earlier, flying along the top of the crags. The walk along the stream, although picturesque, was devoid of birds apart from a Nuthatch and a Great Tit calling briefly. We walked a short way down the main path towards Dumbarton to fields but no new birds were seen. It was a similar situation walking down and round Overtoun House and garden, although we did see several Chaffinches at feeders. As some members remarked – not even a Magpie or a Gull was seen.

Although the bird count was pretty small at 21 and there was a distinct lack of bird song or movement, it was a very enjoyable walk on a nice day with some spectacular scenery.

Agnes Gunn