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

Birds fae Torry (1 Viewer)

Actually the cupboard on the landing has a window too. Remember to bring a sleeping bag!

I do hope you won't find it too cramped in there whilst I stretch out in the front room ...but a mighty generous offer, I see you're not a true Scot yet ;)

(you are now safe from an unexpected gueat, following that last comment, it is probably none too wise for me to venture anywhere near!)
 
Also a couple of Swallows (which seem to have largely cleared off with these raging northerlies) going through.

When I was at the foghorn on the 17th, a Swallow was making periodic trips (every half-minute or so) inside the main built part of the foghorn, over the top of the padlocked green door, which I took to be feeding trips to the young.

Cheers,
 
Ah Andrew, maybe you'll just need to chum the local waters with rowies to get these well fed NE birds in....
 
I maybe should have been chumming - still very few seabirds. Maybe tomorrow. I have the feeling the wind has been a little too far round to the west here, which I reckon pushes birds too far out. Further down the coast a northwester or northerly is either onshore or parallel to the coast so is perhaps more productive.

Anyway, I did have a bit of a go from the bedroom observatory this morning and, by way of consolation, there were lots of ducks on the move: a whopping 318 Wigeon north, 61 Teal and 4 Mallard. Also 2 Red-throated Divers, Common Scoters (18N, 1S) and my first Velvet Scoters for the house list (1N, 11S). 3 Bottle-nosed Dolphins briefly surfaced to the north of the harbour but no pics yet. So you'll just have to take my word for it.

Seemed to be a few passerines moving, although most were too distant to ID. I did manage a couple of Swallows and the first Song Thrush for the house list.

It'll be tomorrow. Or maybe the weekend. But definitely someday soon.
 
It'll be tomorrow. Or maybe the weekend. But definitely someday soon.

Not tomorrow please. I'll be at work. Saturday morning will be fine. There was definitely an easterly tinge to the weather today. Frustration is rising at the moment, but there's only Friday to get through. The winds seem fine in strength, and the sky was (mostly) a perfect seawatching grey today. Let's hope it strengthens a bit for the weekend, and something must turn up. So far it's been a rather dull autumn. There were still Sooties and Greats moving up further down south today and persistent easterlies could push them in toward the coast.

Otherwise more Geese going by south today in larger groups (60-70 at a time)

Cheers,
 
Actually it looks like it was yesterday rather than today Phil. At least for one well known BF poster:
http://proregulus.blogspot.com/2007/09/donkeys-wanger-of-seawatch.html
Yesterday afternoon the winds went round a little to the east, and things apparently got much better. Having said that, I met a well known local birder at Girdle Ness today who was there yesterday evening and didn't have much except a good passage of Sooty's. So in the spirit of the 'well known BF poster' himself, I think all his rares were just immature Gannets and Kittiwakes.

So today the place to be was clearly the North Sea coast - loads of eastern migrants coming in, megas in Shetland. What a great day to have a look round the Aberdeen's premier migration spot. Err...

Well, as it transpired I had an okay day, although it seems pretty bad in comparison to what's been getting seen elsewhere. Early doors, from the flat 49 Wigeon and 1 Common Scoter north and 3 Red-throated Divers south. I hit the road pretty swiftly and had a good tramp round the allotments and the Battery. Sibe warblers were fairly flying out of every bush. In my fevered imagination. In reality, there were a few more Robins than usual but that's about your lot.

The wind again moved round a little to the east of north and seawatching suddenly seemed a worthwhile activity. Lo and behold - shearwaters. From 9:25 to 11:00 23 Manx Shearwaters and 15 Sooty Shearwaters north. Also 'happening' were 4 Red-throated Divers (2S, 2 on the sea), 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 11 Arctic Terns, 15 Common Scoters, 2 Velvet Scoters, 32 Wigeon, 35 Pink-footed Geese (S), 2 Fulmars (which are 'elusive' at the moment), 18 Teal, 2 Mallard, 1 Puffin and my first Long-tailed Duck of the autumn (a female south). On the way back, I gave the south side of the Ness a good thrashing but came up with only a female Stonechat. Someone needs to teach those bushes some discipline.

After having to go into work for a bit (sigh), I got back to the Ness for another go from 16:05- 17:50. Not so much moving, except for loads of auks and Gannets. Not many shears though, just 5 Manxies and 3 Sootys. I did witness my first skuas of the week, 2 Bonxies and 1 Arctic Skua. Where have they been? Probably the same places where everything else was. Plus, 4 Teal, 5 Red-throated Divers (S), 1 Wigeon, 4 Puffins, 1 Fulmar and a Harbour Porpoise. I'm left with the conlusion that the highlight were 2 Pintail heading north - a glorious Girdle Ness tick! 9 species of duck whilst seawatching today - at least they seem to like me.

There seem to have been folks seawatching from Girdle Ness most of the day, from what I can gather. Other stuff seen by other slightly more fortunate people included Great-northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe and Little Auk. All of which I can probably live with.
 
Actually it looks like it was yesterday rather than today Phil.


My best ever seawatch day from the Ness was the 7th October 2002 " (151 Sooties, 'Large' Shearwater), So it's not too late yet. Up early tomorrow, though I've had a skinful tonight, so my head may be some distance behind my body in the morning.

Shetland has had an amazing day today. Surely something must rub off down here.

Edit: * If I discount 15th August 2003. On that day I saw (sober) two Little Shearwaters going south (when everything else was going north). I saw them for approx two minutes, and had one pass a Fuilmar, going north, on its way, which was right next to it, and appeared fully twice as big. I didn't submit the record as I was made aware that it would be unlikely to get accepted (to put it mildly), but in my heart I know that's what they were. I even noted the 'Common Sandpiper' -type flight of one. The main thing that discouraged me from sending them in was that I failed to 'get' the face-pattern. Everything else, however, was right. C'est la vie.

Cheers,

Phil
 
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Nothing really exciting but a Torry bird,all the same.I had a Common Buzzard flying over the locally called "Hen Houses" on Farquar Road at 8am.It was being chased by Magpies.5 years ago,both these species would never have been seen in the Torry area.How things are changing..!
 
What time were you there Phil? I'm surprised I missed you!

Today's rare bird map makes for 'interesting' viewing for those of us in northeast Scotland: the land that rarities forgot. I have the feeling it's all a bit too pleasant here - blue skies and light winds most of the day. But I reckon there's still something 'out there'. Not that I found it today mind you.

Here's stuff I did see. I set out fairly early for Girdle Ness, as a few flocks of Pink-feet, a Skylark 'moving' and a Grey Wagtail headed over. The allotments, 'the tree' and the Battery were given a good seeing to, to rather little effect. Lots of Robins and rather a lot of Dunnocks too but nowt else. A Goldcrest was calling and a Song Thrush was flushed at the Battery but that was the princely sum of my endeavours. I met some folks who'd seen a Lesser Whitethroat in the burnt gorse but even that eluded. I was almost jealous.

Well, hopefully it would all be happening on the sea. And to be fair it was okay at first but did tail off to some extent. I positioned myself on 'the chair' today, from 10:50 to 12:35. Lots of stuff was going through but once again it seemed that commoner seabirds and a few ducks were the order of the day. The haul (north unless otherwise stated): 6 Bonxies, 13 Manx Shearwaters (1S), 4 Sooty Shearwaters (3 together), 10 Arctic Terns, 9 Fulmars, 1 Arctic Skua (although see below!), 1 Goldeneye, 18 Teal, 15 Mallard, 3 Velvet Scoters (1S), 9 Wigeon, 2 Common Scoters, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Puffins, 4 Dunlin, 6 Red-throated Divers (1S and 1 on the sea) and a Harbour Porpoise. So varied at the very least.

The frustrating birds were four juvenile skuas going north, both in pairs. Now, I'm not that good at juvenile skuas, particularly at a bit of a distance. But I'm very used to seeing Arctic Skuas. Immediately I saw all of these birds they looked different. They 'felt' small and seemed slender and had rather steady tern-like flight. It was hard to make out anything in the plumage, and very hard to see any white in the wings. I sometimes got a bit of a gingery brown hint, which worried me a bit. Anyway, they did seem a bit like juvenile Long-tailed Skuas. But I'm not putting them down as that. I've never (and I'm admitting this for the first time) seen a juvenile Long-tailed that I'm happy with, so I'm a bit reluctant to ID them on jizz. I think I need to see a few well before I start doing that. But I reckon they might well have been Long-tails. Hmm...

I then went 'Southside' as we say at Girdle Ness, and had a good look through gorse bushes whilst dodging flying golf balls. There were probably hordes of Barred Warblers and tricky Acros lurking but the bushes were resolutely unyielding. A Wheatear on the golf course put in an underwhelming bid for the accolade of 'Migrant of the Day'. Butterflies were out in the sun: 1 Painted Lady, a Green-veined White and 2 Peacocks.

Some late afternoon watching from the flat was better than I thought it would be, with half a dozen very obvious Arctic Skuas going north including a pale phase adult. As usual they were cruising about, looking like they own the place, and inconveniencing the passing Kittiwakes. There's more: 49 Wigeon, a pair of 'new for the house list' Goldeneye, at least 8 Arctic Terns, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Common Scoter, 5 Mallards and a Red-throated Diver (S). 23 Turnstones were counted on the small southern breakwater. They wouldn't have been sitting on the large breakwater (see below).
 

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Nothing really exciting but a Torry bird,all the same.I had a Common Buzzard flying over the locally called "Hen Houses" on Farquar Road at 8am.It was being chased by Magpies.5 years ago,both these species would never have been seen in the Torry area.How things are changing..!

I've still not seen a Buzzard over Torry, although I sometimes see them on the hill south of Nigg Bay, which isn't far away. I'll be scanning the skies for one 'in off' during the autumn.
 
What time were you there Phil? I'm surprised I missed you!

I was at the breakwater steps till about 14:00 then at the foghorn (later with Ken Hall and Rob King) till about 17:20. I found the light very awkward today, and because the only tripod I've got is a bit flimsy, I had a lot of trouble with scope-shake. I did see one or two odd things go by that I couldn't get on to properly. Didn't do as well as you, though, for skuas, though had most of the ducks and divers you mention off and on.

Oh, we did see some Bottle-nosed Dolphins about 16:45 going towards the harbour surrounded by gulls.

Cheers,

Phil
 
I had my first winter Thrushes this morning.6 (vocal) Fieldfare flying in off the coast towards Tullos Football Pitch at 8.15am.
 
Stayed at home today. Beautiful day.

From the windows (front and back) so far today:

F. Sparrowhawk (pr playing tag), Buzzard 1 SW and 1 soaring low over Cromwell Road Recreation Ground (1) accompanied by a halo of twelve Swallows then went high and again SW, Peregrine W, several Blackibird looking flighty, hundreds of Geese north.

B. tens of Geese north, Sparrowhawk, 1 House Martin, 6 Carrion Crow, several small finchy things, prob. Godlfinch,and Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Jackdaw and Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove.

No Redwings so far today though had 5-6 yesterday.

(1) The best place so far for raptors over Aberdeen, I've found.

Cheers,
 
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I didn't see too much from the flat today except for a soaring Sparrowhawk and *drum roll* my first Great Tit from the house. About time too. It certainly wasn't happening on the sea, although I did see a couple of Bottle-nosed Dolphins briefly.

Late afternoon I had an exploratory wander around Tullos Hill, which is the rather scruffy looking mound to the south of Nigg Bay. I did find a bit that I reckon is worthy of more exploration, at the eastern end of Tullos Wood, south of the railway line. Only a few hundred metres from the sea but nicely sheltered with a good mix of trees and weedy bits and even a mucky looking pond. It had a nice air of illegality to it as well, as if the only people that know about it are probably kids skiving off school or the local criminal fraternity. Didn't see much there today though, but wait for a strong southeaster and bit of mist and drizzle and it'll all be down there.
 
We actually had a sprinkling of rain last night, so I thought I'd have a quick amble round the allotments and the battery early this morning. And this revealed that a real migration unhappening had come to pass. Not very much at all. Except lots of Robins and Dunnocks still. Did we get loads of those whilst everyone else got Yellow-browed Warblers instead? A bit like they got Sabine's Gulls and Grey Phalaropes and we got loads of Gannets. I baggsy the Yellow-broweds and Sabs next time. Still, there was a good morning flight of Pink-footed Geese heading northwards and a Siskin flew over. The sea was very quiet again in the all too nice weather. It's officially Indian summer. Although I did see the usual crowd of Bottle-nosed Dolphins. And got some pictures, specially for Laura. I think these really capture the majesterial grace of cetaceans.
 

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If it's any consolation Andrew, I never saw either Grey Phalarope or Sabine's Gull at Girdleness in thirteen years of looking. Lots of Yellow-Broweds though.
 
If it's any consolation Andrew, I never saw either Grey Phalarope or Sabine's Gull at Girdleness in thirteen years of looking. Lots of Yellow-Broweds though.

It's nice to know someone else has struggled a bit with Sabine's. I've still not seen a Yellow-browed at Girdle Ness, although I've seen (and found) a few elsewhere in the city.
 

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