No luck with the King Eider yesterday, though we searched for a couple of hours. Several Long-tailed Ducks from Inches Point likely to be of more interest to visitors from the south than locals and One Arctic Tern near the river mouth.
15 Barnacle Geese from the Waulkmills Hide. Numerous Swallows in several locations including a flock of 50+ at about 19:50 on the road between Banchory and Kirkton of Durris. 9 Black Grouse in Glen Muick early.
At Collieston a few divers. The ones we identified were Red-throated. More interesting Julie put me on to a Skua heading north and quite close in. My first thought was 'Black Tern' because it was such a dark bird but it was clearly a skua on more prolonged assessment. I couldn't see any plumage features at all and we only saw it after it had passed us. It had a very buoyant rhythmic flight with deep downward sweeps of the wings. I would rule out Pomarine and it wasn't a Bonxie.
An assumed Woodcock on the drive to Kirkton of Durris too - I was driving and it was flying away but don't think it can have been anything else. I imagine they're reasonably widespread in the area.
An assumed Woodcock on the drive to Kirkton of Durris too - I was driving and it was flying away but don't think it can have been anything else. I imagine they're reasonably widespread in the area.
Hi Joseph, I think we met briefly at Collieston on a grim Sunday last August. Dark phase Arctic Skua seems most likely. We got a couple of unconvincing photos. I'll stick them on here to see if asnyone can make more of them than us in a couple of days.
Glaucous Gull, at a guess 2CY, seen from a moving car on the A90 somewhere near Bridge of Don, north Aberdeen, carrying what appeared to be a rat. We saw the Yellowlegs at Strathbeg.
Hi Joseph, I think we met briefly at Collieston on a grim Sunday last August. Dark phase Arctic Skua seems most likely. We got a couple of unconvincing photos. I'll stick them on here to see if anyone can make more of them than us in a couple of days.