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Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (3 Viewers)

Common or Arctic Tern

At Loch of Skene today, can't decide which !

Jim
 

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A trip today to the Ythan/Slains area,produced a single Greenshank,20 Canada,1 Pink foot and 37 Grey lag Geese from Waulkmill Hide and 9 Ruff on a flooded field opposite Cotehill Loch.
 
A post-breeding flock of at least 31 Carrion Crows is at present on rooftops in Annfield Terrace, Aberdeen. I've noticed an increase in the area in the last few years.
 
Currently steady passage of Thrushes over S. Aberdeen. Mostly Redwing, but with occasional Fieldfare. Saw about 200 Redwing pass in about 3 minutes, in flocks of 10-20.
 
More Thrushes arriving in a steady stream, with now more Fieldfare appearing. The main stream is roughly over Holburn Road, Aberdeen going west, but the sky is full of groups of thrushes from many directions, average size 15-25. Real migration!
 
Thrush passage over S. Aberdeen thinning and slowing now but still some groups passing. I must have seen a total of 2-3000 birds go over in the last hour, if not more.
 
Impressive numbers Phil.

Certainly the best here for a few years.

About 10 or more years ago I saw an estimated 20,000 (conservative) Fieldfare passing up the Dee. Much to my chagrin the count (which was done in the usual way of timed-block-counting migrants), although I submitted it, was not accepted. All it produced was a rather sarcastic line in the Bird Report which implicitly downgraded the sighting. So I stopped submitting sightings (if they'd queried it I would have understood and backed it up) and have never done so since. And anyway another observer (with whom I had no connection), claimed 100,000 Fieldfare some distance inland around the same time (I think the same day). I thought that there was every chance that was a good record (though perhaps uncorrected for human error). I have never seen so many birds flying at one time as on that day. About 3000 Redwing also went by that day.

Cheers
 
Much to my chagrin the count (which was done in the usual way of timed-block-counting migrants), although I submitted it, was not accepted. All it produced was a rather sarcastic line in the Bird Report which implicitly downgraded the sighting. So I stopped submitting sightings (if they'd queried it I would have understood and backed it up) and have never done so since.

Hi Phil,

Did you ask why the record was not used and did you get a response? I'm guessing it was 2004, perhaps, but can't see anything that strikes me as sarcastic in the Bird Report for that year. It is unfortunate if this has caused you to withold records for the 13 years since. Nobody is obliged to submit bird records to anyone, of course, but if your reason for not doing so is a feeling of being slighted back then, perhaps it is time to give the local bird recording infrastructure another chance. With 70,000 or so records submitted per year, there are always going to be erroneaous reports and I'm sure we don't always get it right, but I'd suggest that observers ask for reasons if they think they've been unfairly treated. If you spend quite a time watching overhead migrants, also consider using Trektellen to put your counts in a national (or international) context.

Cheers

Nick Littlewood (NE Scotland Bird Recorder)
 
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Hi Phil,

Did you ask why the record was not used and did you get a response? I'm guessing it was 2004, perhaps, but can't see anything that strikes me as sarcastic in the Bird Report for that year. It is unfortunate if this has caused you to withold records for the 13 years since. Nobody is obliged to submit bird records to anyone, of course, but if your reason for not doing so is a feeling of being slighted back then, perhaps it is time to give the local bird recording infrastructure another chance. With 70,000 or so records submitted per year, there are always going to be erroneaous reports and I'm sure we don't always get it right, but I'd suggest that observers ask for reasons if they think they've been unfairly treated. If you spend quite a time watching overhead migrants, also consider using Trektellen to put your counts in a national (or international) context.

Cheers

Nick Littlewood (NE Scotland Bird Recorder)

Hi Nick,

No, I didn't ask.

Well the first few years were for that reason (and because a previous record of 6 Pomarine Skuas N at Girdle Ness one October had also not appeared, again without any query (I actually saw the spoons through my scope at 30X), but unfortunately around 2009 my lifelong asthma started to severely worsen and as a result I found it increasingly difficult to go birdwatching as I had in the past. Since I don't drive I used to have to walk fair distances, like from Balnagask to the Coo, and I found that becoming impossible, especially carrying bins, scope and tripod and supplies. Since then my asthma has blossomed into COPD, and I had to give up my job and I now find even short trips into town exhausting, and walking any distance sometimes difficult especially in cold weather (I used to prefer cold weather).

So the number of meaningful records I am able to submit these days is hardly worth the bother. I mostly watch from the house but to tell the truth the weather conditions at migration times in the last couple of years haven't been ideal for vismig when I've had the chance. But I shall certainly submit anything noteworthy in future.

I am about to become an OAP in February so the prospects of things improving overall are not high.

Cheers
 
I mostly watch from the house but to tell the truth the weather conditions at migration times in the last couple of years haven't been ideal for vismig when I've had the chance. But I shall certainly submit anything noteworthy in future.

Hi Phil,

Many thanks for replying here. If vismigging is a significant part of your birding, then I'd suggest that it is well worthwhile getting involved with Trektellen if you haven't already done so. See: http://www.trektellen.nl/?language=english&. There's lots of UK involvement and it is great for putting in context what you are seeing at your own site - for common as well as less common species. Note that records from Trektellen also get transferred to appear on BirdTrack and, as I download BirdTrack records each year for local use, they will also appear in these. So there would be no need to submit records again seperately to me.

As mentioned in the last post, whether or not to submit bird records to a local recorder or other recording scheme is entirely up to the individual, but if there are specific reasons for not doing so over and above inertia, then I'm always happy to discuss further.

Cheers

Nick
 
It's become clear that there was a massive arrival of thrushes all down the British east coast on the morning of 19th (of which the birds I saw were a mere trickle) Spurn Obs recorded 12,000 Redwing that day and over 1340 Blackbird. I've also received emails from ABZ-Rare Birds about arrivals elsewhere in the NE at the same time.
 
New to Aberdeenshire

Hello!!! I just moved to Dunecht, outside of Aberdeen, and someone directed me to this thread. I'm lucky enough to life out in the country with some great little patches of woods around, having SO much fun watching birds, there's even been a goldcrest zipping around my garden the past couple of days!! Has anyone seen any long tailed tits in the area?? I'm dying to see one of those adorable balls of fluff, even made some homemade fat balls with cheese for them!
 
LTTs should be fairly easy in your area, nip along to the gardens at Castle Fraser and look out for mixed flocks of small birds foraging in the trees during cold weather - LTT should be amongst them.

Another site which used to be fairly reliable (I haven't been there for a few years though) - take the A944 towards Alford, turn left along a minor road signposted Lyne of Lynton, go for about a mile until you reach a crossroads marked Lynton right, Marionburgh left and the woods on the left should be pretty good for all sorts of woodland species. Definitely had LTT in there, also used to be a reliable site for Green Woodpecker.

If you're willing to travel a little further, there is a regular LTT flock to be seen on the banks of the River Don at Dyce, you can park at the Travelodge Hotel just off Riverside Drive and walk along the riverside path - I have had LTTs just below the Travelodge and further south in Stoneywood woods for the past three weeks , once you pick up the sound of the flock they are easy to see.

Good luck!
 
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"Hello!!! I just moved to Dunecht" "snipped"

If you are shopping in Westhill, have a look in Arnhall Moss and Denman Park. There are LTT's the length of Westhill.

Regards

Malky
 
Newburgh - Spotted Redshank ?

Pleasant morning spent at Newburgh today, finally managed to catch up with Elvis, thanks to birding couple who sent me in the right direction, just downstream from green hut but north bank. Seen this on the stream by the Inches, is it a 'Spotted Redshank', would be a lifer for me so here's hoping.

Jim
 

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