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Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (8 Viewers)

TheSeagull said:
How do you get to the Ythan Estuary? I'm going there after Strathbeg and don't know directions...
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There are various places to look from mostly around Newburgh. The beach car park has good access to the mouth (lots of birds there) and Inches Road is a good viewpoint too. Around the bridge is easy to view and there are some lay-bys further along the road. Waulkmill hide is near the head of the estuary and is reached from Collieston crossroads. Try to avoid high tide as most birds will be harder to see then.
 
Andrew Whitehouse said:
There were a few Dunlin on that bit of freshwater when I was there the other day, but Greenshank and Common Sand is good. I think with hindsight you should have stayed out to look for the scoters rather than watching the Scotland game!
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Your right, Andrew, that would have been a good idea to stay for the scoters. However, how I was supposed to know Scotland would lose so badly? Anyway, my Dad and I will have a proper look in a couple of days time, from a point where we can actually see them. :t:
 
Went to the Loch of Strathbeg and what I think was the Ythan Estuary. I seen the Little Egret, Grey Heron, Tree Sparrow, Blue Tit, Pectoral Sandpiper, Moorhen, Swallow, Greenshank, Sandpiper, Kestrel and Curlew. Just viewed from the visitor centre where I talked to an RSPB volunteer and a couple from Cumbria who were at Ythan yesterday and are going somewhere in the highlands tomorrow. I doubt I was in the right place for the Ythan, I went beside the golf course but there were a beach full of seals, Cormorants, gulls, terns and an unidentified duck. Going to Loch Garten on the weekend though!
 
TheSeagull said:
Went to the Loch of Strathbeg and what I think was the Ythan Estuary. I seen the Little Egret, Grey Heron, Tree Sparrow, Blue Tit, Pectoral Sandpiper, Moorhen, Swallow, Greenshank, Sandpiper, Kestrel and Curlew. Just viewed from the visitor centre where I talked to an RSPB volunteer and a couple from Cumbria who were at Ythan yesterday and are going somewhere in the highlands tomorrow. I doubt I was in the right place for the Ythan, I went beside the golf course but there were a beach full of seals, Cormorants, gulls, terns and an unidentified duck. Going to Loch Garten on the weekend though!
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Sounds like you got to the mouth of the Ythan, which is normally a good place. It's better when the tide's out though. A good day otherwise.
 
I'm glad you finally made it to Strathbeg. Sounds like you had a good day and saw some nice birds. You found the Ythan OK if you saw the seals on the beach. Weren't there hundreds of Eiders there as well? It's probably a bit better further upstream for waders. Still, I'm sure you'll be back now that you've found it. The numbers of birds will continue to grow over the next couple of months as the waders and geese return from up north. Eventually there will be tens of thousands of birds on the estuary.

Have a good day at Loch Garten as well. There's lots of info here on BF about the area but if you want any help just ask.
 
Ken Hall said:
I'm glad you finally made it to Strathbeg. Sounds like you had a good day and saw some nice birds. You found the Ythan OK if you saw the seals on the beach. Weren't there hundreds of Eiders there as well? It's probably a bit better further upstream for waders. Still, I'm sure you'll be back now that you've found it. The numbers of birds will continue to grow over the next couple of months as the waders and geese return from up north. Eventually there will be tens of thousands of birds on the estuary.

Have a good day at Loch Garten as well. There's lots of info here on BF about the area but if you want any help just ask.
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There was a flock of a few hundred birds flying about, not sure what they were though. I'll analyse my photos later. Thought I'd ask though, what is the chances of managing to see a Capercaillie at this time of year? I know that your best observing them in spring during the lek but they can't be impossible to see B :)
 
Finally got to hear a Quail calling at the Tarland hide tonight. Otherwise very little to report. The grass is now so long it's become very hard to see and count all the birds.
 
2 Peregrines "playing" with a Sarrowhawk early this morning,over the Kirk of St Nicholas on Schoolhill and Union Street.
 
This evening, my Dad and I once again went to look for the Surf Scoters, walking from Donmouth to see if we could find the duck flock. They had moved north from where we had last seen them, up towards the golf course at Murcar, and this time the flock was scattered, and very flightly (we saw several scoter in flight). There were probably around 4 flocks in all, each varying in size. In one flock there was 70 Velvet Scoter, quite an extraordinary number in my opinion, considering Velvet Scoters aren't that common. In the other flocks there were mostly Common Scoter, but as far as we could see, despite the perfect conditions, there were no Surf Scoters. I don't think we are going to have a look for a Surf Scoter there for quite some time now.
 
A little away from Aberdeen but does anyone know if you can access Abernethy Forest from the Osprey Centre? Or if you can't where's the entrance?
 
TheSeagull said:
A little away from Aberdeen but does anyone know if you can access Abernethy Forest from the Osprey Centre? Or if you can't where's the entrance?
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I'm probably too late if you are going there today, but anyway:

Abernethy forest covers many square kilometres, and there are several public roads going through it, with plenty places to park a car. There is no entrance as such. Anyone is free to access the forest on foot, bearing in mind the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, and the need to avoid disturbing the wildlife. There are a number of waymarked paths as well for anyone who can't read a map ;), or has a poor sense of direction. Just go and explore, and enjoy the experience.
 
Spent the day at the Ythan and managed one more species of wader than I saw two weeks ago. The extra species was an adult Little Stint on the lower part of the estuary. Numbers of other species include: Black-tailed Godwit (6), Bar-tailed Godwit (2), Golden Plover (40) and singles of Greenshank, Whimbrel and Ruff. Also at least one Osprey.
 
Back from Abernethy! After going 13 miles off track and ending up in Tarland that is. Got there after 4 hours! Highlights were Osprey, Red Squirrel, Mountain Hare, possible Ptarmigan and possible Golden Eagle!
 
TheSeagull said:
Back from Abernethy! After going 13 miles off track and ending up in Tarland that is. Got there after 4 hours! Highlights were Osprey, Red Squirrel, Mountain Hare, possible Ptarmigan and possible Golden Eagle!
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Well done, sounds like a great day. Any more details on the Ptarmigan and Golden Eagle?
 

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