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

Young Birder (3 Viewers)

192 - WHITE-WINGED SCOTER ( first summer drake deglandi showing down to 200 yards from 6-8pm on the evening of Sunday 12th, first for Britain if accepted)

After a few days of waiting to find out what the general consensus is on the White-winged Scoter that was found on Saturday evening and which I saw relatively well on Sunday evening (along with 3 drake Surf Scoters) it seems that everyone is agreed that it is indeed one and that it will likely be accepted. Consequently, I have now ticked it both for life and for the year for now. I'm pretty confident that I will not have to remove it or go through the pain of having to let go of having seen a first for Britain. Despite having added it for now, I will keep an eye out for the developments on the record. Can't tell you how wonderfully exhilirating it is to have seen this bird, very likely to be a first for Britain - a similar level of exhiliration I am sure was felt when a few of BF's young birders saw the Eastern Crowned Warbler in Durham! Will anyone have the guts to twitch this bird amongst us! Pretty tempting for those that saw the Black Scoter in Northumberland, you could get all 5 scoter species in a year!!

I will be getting out this weekend, but will not be going back for the White-winged Scoter. I will be going down to the nearby county of Angus on Sunday to have a look for a few birds that are tricky to see up this way - Short-eared Owl, Whinchat and breeding Pied Fly in particular.

Good birding,

Joseph
 
Joseph N said:
192 - WHITE-WINGED SCOTER ( first summer drake deglandi showing down to 200 yards from 6-8pm on the evening of Sunday 12th, first for Britain if accepted)

After a few days of waiting to find out what the general consensus is on the White-winged Scoter that was found on Saturday evening and which I saw relatively well on Sunday evening (along with 3 drake Surf Scoters) it seems that everyone is agreed that it is indeed one and that it will likely be accepted. Consequently, I have now ticked it both for life and for the year for now. I'm pretty confident that I will not have to remove it or go through the pain of having to let go of having seen a first for Britain. Despite having added it for now, I will keep an eye out for the developments on the record. Can't tell you how wonderfully exhilirating it is to have seen this bird, very likely to be a first for Britain - a similar level of exhiliration I am sure was felt when a few of BF's young birders saw the Eastern Crowned Warbler in Durham! Will anyone have the guts to twitch this bird amongst us! Pretty tempting for those that saw the Black Scoter in Northumberland, you could get all 5 scoter species in a year!!

I will be getting out this weekend, but will not be going back for the White-winged Scoter. I will be going down to the nearby county of Angus on Sunday to have a look for a few birds that are tricky to see up this way - Short-eared Owl, Whinchat and breeding Pied Fly in particular.

Good birding,

Joseph
Click to expand...

Congratulations Joseph:t:
 
Joseph N said:
192 - WHITE-WINGED SCOTER ( first summer drake deglandi showing down to 200 yards from 6-8pm on the evening of Sunday 12th, first for Britain if accepted)

Can't tell you how wonderfully exhilirating it is to have seen this bird, very likely to be a first for Britain - a similar level of exhiliration I am sure was felt when a few of BF's young birders saw the Eastern Crowned Warbler in Durham! Will anyone have the guts to twitch this bird amongst us! Pretty tempting for those that saw the Black Scoter in Northumberland, you could get all 5 scoter species in a year!!


Good birding,

Joseph
Click to expand...

Please don't tempt me Joseph, I can't get up there :D
Congrats on a brill bird!

I'm hopefully out on Saturday and definatelyon Sunday when I'm heading down to bempton. I'll be doing some seawatcging also down there with the hope of getting a passing seabirds before hours at the coast in the summer/ autumn.

Both my nyjer feeders have been damaged so I'm hoping to get out to saltholme and replace them, hopefully fitting in some birding in the area.
 
birding maniac said:
Please don't tempt me Joseph, I can't get up there :D
Congrats on a brill bird!

I'm hopefully out on Saturday and definatelyon Sunday when I'm heading down to bempton. I'll be doing some seawatcging also down there with the hope of getting a passing seabirds before hours at the coast in the summer/ autumn.

Both my nyjer feeders have been damaged so I'm hoping to get out to saltholme and replace them, hopefully fitting in some birding in the area.
Click to expand...

Thanks Michael and Nicolas, it is indeed a brill bird! I don't mean to tempt you Michael ;) - but I do believe our very own Andrew Kinghorn is going for the bird :t: . The bird has been very tricky to see recently as the scoter flock has been very far out offshore, something which is normally the case with the scoter flock off there, so going up all that way for that would be frustrating. I feel I got very lucky to have managed to have seen it relatively well and for the flock to be relatively close offshore. There is now another mega in Scotland in the form of an adult summer plumage Greater Sand Plover at Dornoch in the Highlands. Although it's a stunning bird this isn't driving me too crazy as I saw the juvenile Greater Sand Plover locally at the Ythan Estuary in 2008. o:)

On top of that, there is a European Roller on Mull. Pity it didn't turn up in a few weeks time, as I'll be going to Mull then! When in Mull I hope to see WTE and GE well, as well as try and stay overnight on the nearby Treshnish Isles to have a look for breeding Storm Petrels :t: . The latter species I am still yet to see in the UK annoyingly, and seeing them breeding would be a treat!

Joseph
 
Not much birding done recently however had a fab day insect wise today. I've only just started with butterflies, dragonflies and moths so my lists are still pitifully low :-O Large Skipper, Broad Bodied Chaser, Blue Tail Damselfly and a beautiful Banded Damoiselle were all new for me along with several moths that I've not identified yet
 
Jonny721 said:
Not much birding done recently however had a fab day insect wise today. I've only just started with butterflies, dragonflies and moths so my lists are still pitifully low :-O Large Skipper, Broad Bodied Chaser, Blue Tail Damselfly and a beautiful Banded Damoiselle were all new for me along with several moths that I've not identified yet
Click to expand...

Interesting to hear your getting into moths, butterflies, dragonflies and damsel flies! Got into moths 4 years ago and the rest last year. There all amazing, though my Id skills are, well, not vet good!! :-O

Off to Bempton tomorrow, little chance of anything new but should be a great day anyway!
Michael
 
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Amazing day at bempton- saw all target species which was nice. Also added little gull at saltholme, so +1 for me, back to 221.

Brilliant views of gannets, fulmars, kittiwakes, all auks and tree sparrow showed well and corn bunting gave good views.

Highlight of the day was at saltholme watching sedge warblers feeding chicks, while swifts flew past within touching distance.
 
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193 - Black Grouse (1 male flushed up Glen Prosen, Angus)

A mostly frustrating day was spent in the counties of Angus and Perthshire today with a local birder. Only three locations were visited, Loch of Kinnordy RSPB in Angus, Killiecrankie in Perthshire and Glen Prosen back in Angus. Arriving at around 10:00am, we found Loch of Kinnordy to be very quiet, so moved on up to Killiecrankie in Perthshire where we aimed to see breeding Pied Flycatcher. It was about 12 when we arrived here, and on arrival at an area where they apparently used nestboxes just a week earlier we found that none were in the area at all despite searching for over an hour. This proves how much difference a week can make in terms of birds entering and departing during the breeding season. Spotted Flycatcher and Common Sandpiper were the only birds of note here. This was deeply frustrating as we had traveled a long way for relatively little, so we headed to Glen Prosen. The main targets at Glen Prosen were Whinchat, Short-eared Owl and Black Grouse. The latter we were told was most unlikely. We walked and waited in a very reliable site in the glen for both Short-eared Owl and Whinchat, but failed to see either. However, we accidentally flushed a Snipe, shortly followed by a Red Grouse and then unexpectedly a stunning male Black Grouse. We watched it in flight until it disappeared from view. They are stunningly beautiful birds and incredibly useful to have seen for the year, so this was delightful and made the day somewhat worthwhile.

Joseph
 
231 - Guillemot - Murcar Links Golf Course, Aberdeenshire
232 - White-winged Scoter - Murcar Links Golf Course, Aberdeenshire

I didn't go for the King Eider, but wasn't to bothered as I got the White-winged Scoter. Not the most attractive or exciting bird I have ever seen but I like ID challenges and this bird was. Once picked out from the crowd and you got your eye in it was fairly obvious. Also at least 2 Surf Scoters seen within the large block. Brilliant day!
 
first ever trip to bempton cliffs :D
83 gannet
84 guillemot
85 kittiwake
86 razorbill
87 tree sparrow
88 PUFFIN :)



missed out on corn bunting because I was too busy yapping haha , but was a fantastic day, and might I add, all the above are lifers :)
some photos on my flickr http://tinyurl.com/6kja7u8 best ones are of the gannets and guillemots but I did get one very blurry photo of a puffin haha
 
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Nature__lover said:
first ever trip to bempton cliffs :D
83 gannet
84 guillemot
85 kittiwake
86 razorbill
87 tree sparrow
88 PUFFIN :)



missed out on corn bunting because I was too busy yapping haha , but was a fantastic day, and might I add, all the above are lifers :)
some photos on my flickr http://tinyurl.com/6kja7u8 best ones are of the gannets and guillemots but I did get one very blurry photo of a puffin haha
Click to expand...

Shame you missed the corn bunting, but in all hOnesty it wAs distant scope views and a calling male that identified it.
 
FoghornKinghorn said:
231 - Guillemot - Murcar Links Golf Course, Aberdeenshire
232 - White-winged Scoter - Murcar Links Golf Course, Aberdeenshire

I didn't go for the King Eider, but wasn't to bothered as I got the White-winged Scoter. Not the most attractive or exciting bird I have ever seen but I like ID challenges and this bird was. Once picked out from the crowd and you got your eye in it was fairly obvious. Also at least 2 Surf Scoters seen within the large block. Brilliant day!
Click to expand...

Congratulations on managing to see the White-winged Scoter, that's the fourth young birder that has seen it as far as I am aware, and I'm glad your twitch was successful :t: . It can indeed an easy bird to pick out from the crowd once you have seen it a few times - I certainly found that a couple of Sunday's ago, although that was aided by the fact that views weren't that distant. How far out was it when you saw it?

There is currently a stunning sumplum Grey Phalarope at the Ythan Estuary. I am unable to get out until the weekend, when I will be birding with another birding relative of mine. If it is still around I will certainly go for it, the same applying to the White-winged Scoter which I'm sure will hang around - will be nice to have another go for it and to maybe see it again.

Joseph
 
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I've finished my a-levels so now have plenty of spare time to go birdwatching. It is unfortunately late June so options are limited. I am going to Lakenheath on Wednesday with the Barnet and Potters Bar RSPB and will make other trips by public transport in the next few weeks.
 
FoghornKinghorn said:
231 - Guillemot - Murcar Links Golf Course, Aberdeenshire
232 - White-winged Scoter - Murcar Links Golf Course, Aberdeenshire

I didn't go for the King Eider, but wasn't to bothered as I got the White-winged Scoter. Not the most attractive or exciting bird I have ever seen but I like ID challenges and this bird was. Once picked out from the crowd and you got your eye in it was fairly obvious. Also at least 2 Surf Scoters seen within the large block. Brilliant day!
Click to expand...

Welldone to everyone on there new birds recently.
Ive just realised I've only need to see one last British breeding bird to complate the list as far as I'm aware- cirl bunting!
Just waiting for the chance!
 
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