Well, it was perishing cold at The Ness today, but at least the visibility was good. Nothing in the Walker Park apart from a kite surfer and a man and a dog. Still a few Eiders and Common Scoters off the Coo, and an Iceland Gull in Greyhope Bay. I took a walk around The Battery, but there were only a few Linnets and Mipits and a Blackbird. So I scarpered off to The Ythan and found the American Wigeon which was nice.
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Birds fae Torry (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Andrew Whitehouse
- Start date
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Some interesting stuff at the ness today.
An 'eider with sails' displaying in the harbour.
Caught up with the iceland gull that you've all been seeing today. What a brute!...easily dwarfing the herring gulls around it. Couldn't see the wing length or tertial step cos it was surrounded by other gulls, but head and bill structure were Iceland. Easily the biggest I've ever seen. Also a probable sinensis cormorant on the big breakwater with the gull.
I bumped into a nice bunch who were out for a family walk/birdwatch, and showed them the gull. They'd had a black redstart on the south bank so I went off to have a look for that, but no joy.
Loads of auks streaming north but by far and away the best thing from the foghorn was a pair of shelducks that went north. Not a common bird at the ness so I was reet chuffed with that.
1 willow warbler singing along the railway embankment. No other migrants though apart from a couple of sarnie terns and a couple of wheatears.
An 'eider with sails' displaying in the harbour.
Caught up with the iceland gull that you've all been seeing today. What a brute!...easily dwarfing the herring gulls around it. Couldn't see the wing length or tertial step cos it was surrounded by other gulls, but head and bill structure were Iceland. Easily the biggest I've ever seen. Also a probable sinensis cormorant on the big breakwater with the gull.
I bumped into a nice bunch who were out for a family walk/birdwatch, and showed them the gull. They'd had a black redstart on the south bank so I went off to have a look for that, but no joy.
Loads of auks streaming north but by far and away the best thing from the foghorn was a pair of shelducks that went north. Not a common bird at the ness so I was reet chuffed with that.
1 willow warbler singing along the railway embankment. No other migrants though apart from a couple of sarnie terns and a couple of wheatears.
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Stonking male common redstart on the south bank this morning.
Hmm, quite a bit of action while I was away I see. I had a stroll round this evening. There was a good deal of general Bottlenose Dolphin goings on, particularly off the Coo. At least half a dozen were involved, including a small one that was doing some serious leaping. There were still around 15 Common Scoters offshore, and large numbers of gulls and auks. A Red-breasted Merganser was in Nigg Bay and a Buzzard soared over the hill behind the water treatment works. And there was a bloke with a metal detector in Walker Park, which was a first for me at Girdle Ness. Maybe he was looking for clues - it's a while since I've found any.
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Quiet this early am around the ness. Most interesting thing was an 'acredula' willow warbler at the south bank.
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
lively this morning down the ness....2 separate pairs of shelduck went south, 3 whimbrel south into nigg bay, and then north again, common sand on the north bank, northern type willow warbler still on the south bank, and good numbers of wheatears in (eg 6 in nigg bay alone).
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
a quick scoot around the ness this morning....it felt rare out there, but the best I could manage was a chiffchaff and a lesser whitethroat at the battery. Lesser whitethroat at Donmouth as well so theres obviously a few things in overnight.
There were still a few bits and pieces around for the late shift this evening. Mark's Chiffchaff was still at the Battery, three Swallows were along the north shore and I heard a Common Sandpiper calling in Greyhope Bay. Five Wheatears were in Walker Park and a Black Guillemot was with the Eiders off the Coo. I also saw the Freak flying around the harbour mouth, the first time I've seen him/her for a few months.
During the week there's been quite a bit of dolphin activity but I didn't see any today. Just outside our region there were loads of Willow Warblers at Inchgarth this morning, along with Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and a Whitethroat. Also a few Common Sandpipers there too.
It feels a little bit more 'rare' at the moment.
During the week there's been quite a bit of dolphin activity but I didn't see any today. Just outside our region there were loads of Willow Warblers at Inchgarth this morning, along with Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and a Whitethroat. Also a few Common Sandpipers there too.
It feels a little bit more 'rare' at the moment.
I was on the slightly earlier shift this morning, but it was a little bit 'as you were'. The Chiffchaff was still at the Battery and there were plenty of Swallows around, perhaps including some of the local breeding birds. Two Sand Martins were again in Greyhope Bay. A male Wheatear was by the Battery and another was in Walker Park. Six Long-tailed Ducks were inshore of the breakwater pier, with one even giving a few 'bagpiping' calls. Around 25 Purple Sandpipers flew into Greyhope Bay. 137 Common Scoters were counted off the Coo, and a rather lost looking Pink-footed Goose circled around.
There was some enjoyable mimicry going on, with Starlings giving their own particular take on Buzzard and Oystercatcher and Skylarks wowing the audience with Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper.
Quite a bit of dolphin business again today.
Pictures:
1. I've noticed the tendency amongst photographers to refer to rather good photos as 'record shots'. This is a bit annoying I think, so, with no false modesty, here's a really excellent picture of a pair of Long-tailed Ducks.
2. I think the first clue in a while. This was by the entrance to the Battery and was of a size suggesting this once belonged to a small child. But how are they involved, and how much do they know?
There was some enjoyable mimicry going on, with Starlings giving their own particular take on Buzzard and Oystercatcher and Skylarks wowing the audience with Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper.
Quite a bit of dolphin business again today.
Pictures:
1. I've noticed the tendency amongst photographers to refer to rather good photos as 'record shots'. This is a bit annoying I think, so, with no false modesty, here's a really excellent picture of a pair of Long-tailed Ducks.
2. I think the first clue in a while. This was by the entrance to the Battery and was of a size suggesting this once belonged to a small child. But how are they involved, and how much do they know?
Attachments
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Also 2 bar tailed godwits north today and a great northern diver south. And that coat thing. I thought it was a dead child when I first saw it!
Possibly a family outing to the Battery,where the Parents must have seen a few of the Swallows Andrew mentioned.On seeing theyre first Swallow of the year,an excited Parent shouted;"A Swallow.Summers here,discard your winter clothes".......Just a thought.... OK,I shall get my coat :-C
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Hi Torryphiles....
I'm thinking of doing a big sit at the battery at some point in May. (ie sitting at the same spot all day/for as long as possible and recording all birds seen or heard from that spot) Would anyone be interested in joining in?? I haven't set a date yet. It needn't necessarily be all day, if you want to pop down for an hour or two thats just dandy. I reckon we could count on 50+ species and on a good day maybe get more than 60.
If you have any ideas/thoughts let me know, and I'll keep you posted on here with dates etc.
Mark
I'm thinking of doing a big sit at the battery at some point in May. (ie sitting at the same spot all day/for as long as possible and recording all birds seen or heard from that spot) Would anyone be interested in joining in?? I haven't set a date yet. It needn't necessarily be all day, if you want to pop down for an hour or two thats just dandy. I reckon we could count on 50+ species and on a good day maybe get more than 60.
If you have any ideas/thoughts let me know, and I'll keep you posted on here with dates etc.
Mark
Hmm, sounds good Mark. I should be able to pop along for at least some of the time.
Well it's still quiet round the Ness. On the basis that nil counts are of some interest, today there were no Swallows round the Battery, but two on the south bank. There were also no Whitethroats of either persuasion, or Bluethroats for that matter. Unless I just overlooked them of course but I don't think so.
What there were however, were one male Wheatear in Walker Park, at least 400 Common Scoter off The Coo (I counted them twice), Linnets, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits everywhere. Round the STW I counted 7 singing Willow Warblers (saw some of them too) more Linnets and Mipits, a Magpie, Blackbirds, Dunnocks and Wrens. On the flat roof of the STW building there were about 100 gulls, 12 of them on nests. And The Freak flew along the Bay of Nigg shoreline.
Oh, and it was jolly cold too.
What there were however, were one male Wheatear in Walker Park, at least 400 Common Scoter off The Coo (I counted them twice), Linnets, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits everywhere. Round the STW I counted 7 singing Willow Warblers (saw some of them too) more Linnets and Mipits, a Magpie, Blackbirds, Dunnocks and Wrens. On the flat roof of the STW building there were about 100 gulls, 12 of them on nests. And The Freak flew along the Bay of Nigg shoreline.
Oh, and it was jolly cold too.
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
cold this morning too! as Ken sez.....pretty quiet. Imm peregrine being terrorised in Nigg bay being the best of it.
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Another gloomy one this morning. The local fox obviously thought it was still dark as it was out and about when I arrived down the ness. 1st Whitethroat of the year singing in the allotments, right on cue. Chiffchaff in battery willows.
Seawatching produced the usual flock of scoter, 3 whimbrel north, and a pair of shoveler north too, which is a very tarty patch tick for me!
Seawatching produced the usual flock of scoter, 3 whimbrel north, and a pair of shoveler north too, which is a very tarty patch tick for me!
An interesting day today, with a bit of a brisk northwesterly. Not sure if that's what made it interesting, although there were a few scraps of movement out to sea. The first hint of this produced the first house tick for ages: a Whimbrel going north. I headed off for a morning stroll and was soon surprised to see a rather mangy looking Fox snuffling around the waste ground on Abbey Road. A stomp round the Battery produced nothing at all except distant views of a Fat Paul Scholes. Meeting up soon after, we headed along towards the Coo. On the way we saw another two Whimbrel going north and two Common Terns were amongst the numerous Sandwich Terns in Greyhope Bay.
There wasn't actually a lot moving off the Coo to be honest. Well, I did say 'scraps' earlier. Two Red-throated Divers went north and then, almost excitingly, a distant Bonxie did the same. And that was about it. Three more Red-throated Divers and a Long-tailed Duck were in Greyhope Bay. A couple of Wheatears were about the only migrants, aside from the comfortably proportioned Russian lady who was very keen to talk to Mark and me. Well, particularly Mark who I think she took a real shine to.
In the afternoon I managed another Red-throated Diver, two more Whimbrels and a Long-tailed Duck north from the flat. Lots of dolphin goings on as well, as there has been all week.
There wasn't actually a lot moving off the Coo to be honest. Well, I did say 'scraps' earlier. Two Red-throated Divers went north and then, almost excitingly, a distant Bonxie did the same. And that was about it. Three more Red-throated Divers and a Long-tailed Duck were in Greyhope Bay. A couple of Wheatears were about the only migrants, aside from the comfortably proportioned Russian lady who was very keen to talk to Mark and me. Well, particularly Mark who I think she took a real shine to.
In the afternoon I managed another Red-throated Diver, two more Whimbrels and a Long-tailed Duck north from the flat. Lots of dolphin goings on as well, as there has been all week.
A pale phase Arctic Skua was loitering off the harbour mouth a few minutes ago.
choughed2bits
kev thomson
Yesterday afternoon saw a pair of adult Great Skua doing their thing and terrorising the seabirds off Fowlsheugh yesterday afternoon.
Apologies for late posting.
Kev T
Apologies for late posting.
Kev T
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Greater scaup in the harbour this morning.
