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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (1 Viewer)

St Fergus

a couple of birds hanging around St Fergus, Rock Thrush and Red Backed Shrike. both found by Margaret Cowie.
 

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No flycatcher but did get these today, surprised me completely, never even heard them around here. A bit dull and under the canopy, just had time too fire off a few frames, here's a couple.

Jim
 

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Had a trip up the Aberdeenshire coast today and was well rewarded.

First stop was Scotstown Head at 7am for the Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush,which after a little searching,appeared and gave some great views,before disappearing Into some sand dunes.Thanks to the "Coventry Lads" who helped with finding the bird. (Hope you got a nice breakfast lads..!)

Then nearbye,for the Red backed Shrike at 9am,which allowed more great views.We then went to Strathbeg,where 2 summer plumaged Black tailed Godwits a Ruff and an Osprey were on show from the Visitor Centre.At the Fen Hide,two Bearded Tits flew past briefly.

We headed back for the Shrike but It had not been seen and didn't show,while we were around and thoughts of going back for the Thrush,were cancelled,when we heard that two visiting birders had forced the bird half a mile away from the original site,In their quest for photographs of It. :C

The Ythan was the next port of call and although nothing major was seen,there seems to be a fantastic number of Terns (4 species) In the Ternery and surrounding area,which was good to see but no Roseate..!

Our last stop was at Blackdog for the Scoters but they were well out to sea,so we didn't stay too long.A super day,with the Rock Thrush being a lifer.
 
Den of Maidencraig :
Had a wander round here yesterday, hadn't been here for sometime and a great little spot. A Buzzard family with the juvenile constantly calling, must have been hungry, both adults hunting, a Moorhen family of 2 adults and 1 chick were showing well on the small pool and a small flock of House Martins came in to drink on the wing, list here
Buzzard/Magpie/Carrion Crow/Robin/Blackbird/Reed Bunting/Skylark/Herring Gull/Grey Wagtail/Blackcap/Willow Warbler/Yellowhammer/Goldfinch/Sedge Warbler/House Sparrow/Woodpigeon/Moorhen/House Martin/Swallow/Oystercatcher

Jim.
 

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No sign of the Bridled Tern during our visit up to Aberdeenshire yesterday, did get Litle Tern, Ruff and a Peregrine at the Ythan estuary though.
A visit to Strathbeg produced another Ruff, Peregrine, female Marsh Harrier, Grasshopper Warblers and a juvenille Black Tern from the Fen Hide.
Also saw large flocks of Curlew on the track to Rattray Head with several Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwits among them.
 
I managed to miss the recent good birds (Greenish Warbler; Wryneck) on my Findon patch. The best I could manage yesterday was Great Skua out to sea, a couple of Wheatear on the coast, and Golden Plover and Snipe at Rigifa Field (no longer a pool).
 
I went up to the Ythan today. Plenty of commoner waders were about, with over 100 Sanderling and several hundred Dunlin. It was a bit harder to find more unusual species though. Eventually I had distant views of one Curlew Sandpiper north of the bridge. A Spotted Redshank showed a bit better in the same area. Other waders included one Black-tailed Godwit, four Bar-tailed Godwit, eleven Knot and 179 Golden Plover. Two Ospreys were ambling about upstream of the bridge and a Peregrine stirred things up near the estuary mouth. A juvenile White Wagtail was also seen.
 
There was a huge Swallow roost in a biofuel willow plantation near Banchory this evening, just west of Kilduthie, Hirn (NJ726008). Incredible watching them erupt off telegraph wires and bales, and swirling around. Most went to roost about 7.50pm. Virtually impossible to estimate, but probably in the order of 20,000. Attached photo shows just a small part of the flock. No idea whether a complete one-off or not, despite passing by every day...
 

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c. 60 Pink-footed Geese south over Hazlewood School yesterday were my first of the autumn.

On Saturday watched a juv Gannet come in over the city centre from the west and head out into the harbour...I wonder where it had been?
 
c. 60 Pink-footed Geese south over Hazlewood School yesterday were my first of the autumn.

On Saturday watched a juv Gannet come in over the city centre from the west and head out into the harbour...I wonder where it had been?

I do hope your Gannet hadn't been sitting on Loch of Skene waiting to be found! Still, gives me hopes of finding one there someday. A Gadwall and an extremely pale Sand Martin (my second leucistic bird in three days) were the highlights there this morning.

I saw c60 Pink-feet in the north of the region on Saturday, and then a few 100 in total around Rattray/ Strathbeg yesterday. It seemed wrong to be seeing them coming south over Rattray on a warm sunny day in early September (but I remember thinking that of my first ones last year too).
 
Had a look around the Ythan today, but it was fairly quiet. I eventually found one Curlew Sandpiper from Inches Road. Other stuff included ten Canada Geese, a Ruff and three Greenshank. A single Barnacle Goose was in amongst the thousands of Pink-feet at Meikle Loch.
 
Went to Strathbeg this morning. There were plenty of Pink-feet on the low ground, with three Barnacle Geese amongst them. Otherwise things were rather quiet (it seems to have been a quiet autumn there so far, in fact). Three Ruff and a Greenshank were the only notable waders. A juvenile Peregrine was tearing about and at least 17 Whooper Swans were on the loch.

I also had a look at Cairnbulg, where there were two each of White Wagtail, Wheatear and Bar-tailed Godwit. A quick visit to Rosehearty was pretty quiet.
 

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