Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (3 Viewers)

Hugh Addlesee · Aug 7, 2012

Jimmycq said:
Thanks again Hugh, I did notice one was a bit larger but thought maybe it was an adult, just shows when you have something on your mind you tend not to think laterally. Now you've got me going again for Shovelers, another new one for me, will have to try and get down this week before jetting off to Malta in a week for holiday. Dont get to do much bird watching there, not one of the wife's holiday past times I'm afraid, having said that, I'm trying to arrange access to the reserves, they're usually closed between Jun-Oct, so we'll see.
cheers again
Jim

I really wouldn't rush to see the Shovelers at Skene - they're currently 2 brown ducks amongst c250 flighty Mallards, also currently brown! Really not a patch on breeding-plumage males showing well. While a few do drop in at Skene (and other nearby inland sites) outwith autumn, I'd definitely recommend seeing them at somewhere like Strathbeg in the winter/ spring. I'll post on here though if something else good does turn up before you go away. You might get a bit of early autumn passage there - so long as things evade the guns:C

Hugh Addlesee · Aug 8, 2012

3 Green Sands new in at Skene today - ranging along the south shore with the 2 Greenshanks. Shovelers still present too.

Joseph N · Aug 9, 2012

Spent the day at the Ythan yesterday. It was as you were for the range of waders, but numbers of these species varied from previous visits. The most noticeable arrival was of 250+ Golden Plovers favouring the area by the Waterside Bridge car park; a flock that will no doubt build significantly in the coming weeks. The other predominant waders were 130+ of Redshank and Lapwing. Dunlin numbers were at a meagre 10, whilst 2 each of Common Sandpiper and Greenshank were by Waterside and 3 Whimbrel were at the estuary mouth. Most of the terns (particularly Common and Arctic) have cleared out from the estuary now, though the Sandwich Terns were still about, with a flock of at least 100 milling around by Inches Point.

Joseph

Caledonian · Aug 10, 2012

Hi everyone,

Sunday we depart for a week to the Shetland islands.
On our way we head up to Aberdeen.
I know it should be too late, but any chance of seeing scoters along the coast? Especially interested in seeing any Surf Scoter. If there are still group of Scoters left in Aberdeenshire where should be the best spot to watch 'Surf' Scoters.

Thanks in advance,
Rik

Andrew Whitehouse · Aug 10, 2012

Caledonian said:
Hi everyone,

Sunday we depart for a week to the Shetland islands.
On our way we head up to Aberdeen.
I know it should be too late, but any chance of seeing scoters along the coast? Especially interested in seeing any Surf Scoter. If there are still group of Scoters left in Aberdeenshire where should be the best spot to watch 'Surf' Scoters.

Thanks in advance,
Rik

Hi Rik - you should go to Blackdog just north of Aberdeen. It's easy to reach on the road to Peterhead between Aberdeen and Balmedie. There should still be lots of scoter there and will probably be a few Surf Scoters. They sometimes take a bit of finding, so be patient and allow a couple of hours at least.

Capercaillie71 · Aug 10, 2012

I visited Strathbeg today. 500+ Lapwings were the most obvious feature but there were also 9 Greenshanks, 2 Ruff, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and 4 Snipe between the Starnafin pools and the low ground. Also a Redpoll on the wire just outside the visitor centre.

Caledonian · Aug 11, 2012

Hi Andrew,

THanks for your comment.
I think we should have a look down there!
My girlfriend is not realy into birding so I won't think we should watch for many hours there, but one or two hours watching should be I think.

Many thanks again.
Cheers,
Rik

Andrew Whitehouse said:
Hi Rik - you should go to Blackdog just north of Aberdeen. It's easy to reach on the road to Peterhead between Aberdeen and Balmedie. There should still be lots of scoter there and will probably be a few Surf Scoters. They sometimes take a bit of finding, so be patient and allow a couple of hours at least.

Joseph N · Aug 11, 2012

Capercaillie71 said:
I visited Strathbeg today. 500+ Lapwings were the most obvious feature but there were also 9 Greenshanks, 2 Ruff, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and 4 Snipe between the Starnafin pools and the low ground. Also a Redpoll on the wire just outside the visitor centre.

Can add to this a juvenile Wood Sandpiper with the Lapwings from Starnafin today. Also 9 Ruff, 9 Snipe, 5 Greenshanks, 4 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Golden Plovers were scattered across the Low Ground.

Hi Rik, if there aren't many scoters at Blackdog you can always drive down to the nearby Murcar Golf Course a little bit to the south of Blackdog, as the flock is mobile between these two sites and it can save the effort of walking if the scoters are stationed well to the south of Blackdog. Murcar is the turn off to your left at the first roundabout when heading south along the dual carriageway from Blackdog (it is signed). The road takes you to the golf club, and if you navigate yourself across the course you can get to the dunes and view the scoters quite easily.

Joseph

nicklittlewood · Aug 11, 2012

Caledonian said:
Hi everyone,

Sunday we depart for a week to the Shetland islands.
On our way we head up to Aberdeen.
I know it should be too late, but any chance of seeing scoters along the coast? Especially interested in seeing any Surf Scoter. If there are still group of Scoters left in Aberdeenshire where should be the best spot to watch 'Surf' Scoters.

Thanks in advance,
Rik

Hi Rik,

Still a couple of thousand scoter - mainly off Blackdog at the moment. At least one adult drake Surf still this evening and a female earlier in the week. Handful of Velvets too. Look out also for Daffy - the presumed Common x Surf hybrid as per the poor pic attached - certainly the most interesting bird here of the last few weeks.

Nick

Stephen Dunstan · Aug 11, 2012

nicklittlewood said:
Hi Rik,

Still a couple of thousand scoter - mainly off Blackdog at the moment. At least one adult drake Surf still this evening and a female earlier in the week. Handful of Velvets too. Look out also for Daffy - the presumed Common x Surf hybrid as per the poor pic attached - certainly the most interesting bird here of the last few weeks.

Nick

Hi Nick,

Hope all is well with you. I wish our scoter (currently at least 6k) showed close enough to get even pics like that!

Stephen

nicklittlewood · Aug 11, 2012

Stephen Dunstan said:
Hi Nick,

Hope all is well with you. I wish our scoter (currently at least 6k) showed close enough to get even pics like that!

Stephen

Hi Stephen,

Yes things good here - how can they not be with scoters close enough to scan? Must be frustrating with all those birds well offshore and lord only knows haw many rarities among them. I was in email contact last week with a guy who has been out on a boat looking at them but I wonder how viable it is to have a proper scan - our birds tend to get spooked prett easily by boats. Maybe a radio-controlled scoter with camera attached is the solution...

All the best

Nick

Andrew Whitehouse · Aug 11, 2012

Joseph N said:
Can add to this a juvenile Wood Sandpiper with the Lapwings from Starnafin today. Also 9 Ruff, 9 Snipe, 5 Greenshanks, 4 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Golden Plovers were scattered across the Low Ground.

Joseph

I also saw the Wood Sandpiper at Strathbeg this evening. Other waders were similar with 9 Greenshank, 4 Ruff, a Knot and a Black-tailed Godwit.

Earlier I had rather a long walk from Fraserburgh to St Combs and then round the seaward side of Strathbeg. Rather a nice day, but I didn't actually see all that much. At least six Puffins offshore, but not too much else moving. A few groups of Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Sanderling. Some flocks of Golden Plover around Strathbeg. A single Wheatear. That was about it. Quite a few Corn Buntings singing though and lots of butterflies, particularly Graylings and Dark Green Fritillaries.

Joseph N · Aug 19, 2012

Things are hotting up wader wise now it seems. The Ythan was noticeably lively early on in the day. At least 2 Spotted Redshanks were viewable from the Snub, whilst scattered across the estuary were at least 250 Golden Plover, 120 Knot, 10 Dunlin, 7 Bar-tailed Godwits, 6 Ruff, 5 Snipe, 5 Greenshank and a few Whimbrel.

I didn't quite manage the same haul of birds that were reported at Strathbeg today (including Pectoral Sandpiper), but things were very lively there yesterday afternoon. The highlight was at least 6 Little Stints on the Low Ground from Tower Pool Hide; apparently there had been up to 10 throughout the reserve on Thursday. I had 9 on the lagoon in early September last year, so it seems Strathbeg really attracts Little Stints in numbers at this time of year. The stints were amongst at least 15 Ruff, 10 Dunlin, 6 Greenshank, 12 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Knots.

At Annachie Lagoon there were some signs of movement, with 4 Knot, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank and a Barwit all around. At least 130 Golden Plover and 2 Whimbrel were in the fields at Rattray, whilst a juvenile Merlin flew through and two distinctinly pale Willow Warblers were in the garden, probably of the northern acredula race. Other passerines of interest included a male Redstart in the roadside willows at Collieston early afternoon.

Joseph

Caledonian · Aug 20, 2012

Thanks every one for all the comments about the surf scoter!
I went to Black dog sunday the 12th of august and after a little while (50) minutes I found the/1 Surf scoter between the several hunderds of common Scoters. (aprox between 600) mostly 200 meters south of entrance beach.
What a beautifull place down there!!!
As I already told: hunderds of common scoters, but also hunderds of eider ducks, Guillimots, and thousands of Herring gulls! also big groups of Sanderlings, ringed plovers and Kittwakes.
Unfortunately I didn't had much time that afternoon (aprox 1 hour) for watching.

On the ferry back van Shetland to Aberdeen, 1 Bonxies flew south just north of Aberdeen, hunderds of Kittiwakes and thousands of Guillimots with only a few % of Razorbills!

I'm very jealous that you have that many birds around Aberdeen, far more birds then the south/west of Scotland. I was never been before in Aberdeen but looking forwards to go there again in the future.

Shetland was great btw (was also my first time there) but a list of birdrecords will be post in another topic.

Cheers,
Rik

Ian Bell · Aug 26, 2012

Had a quick trip round the north east coast today.

Loch of Strathbeg had amongst others,Greenshank and 5 Pink Feet In the field opposite Rattray Kirk.Rattray Head had a feeding frenzy,close Inshore of Gannets.100+ diving repeatedly Into the water.

Battery Park In Peterhead had 8 Sanderling,that allowed a very close approach.

The Ythan had Osprey,Greenshank x 3,Whimbrel x 5 and also large numbers of Golden Plover.

Also pleasing was,the large number of Kestrels seen on the way there and back.

Ian Bell · Sep 4, 2012

Autumn Is Here

Report on the local bird site today states 30 Pink Feet back at Strathbeg.

Joseph N · Sep 8, 2012

A productive afternoon's birding on what was a beautiful day today. Things kicked off nicely with these two Pectoral Sandpipers pictured below, present for their second day on one of the numerous Slain's Pools. The location of the pool that these birds was very obscure, but with help from others we were able to find it. It was surprising that they were still there considesring the miniscule size of the pool, but they both fed perfectly happily around its periphery. They seemed pretty fearless and unfazed by human presence. I managed to get within 10ft of the pool, which resulted in the following pics. Fab birds, certainly the best views I've had of Pec Sand.

The Ythan was also lively today, with Calidrid numbers much higher than in previous visits and lots of waders around in general. Best of the bunch was at least two juvenile Curlew Sandpipers from Waulkmill, amongst at least 100 Dunlin. Other waders included 17+ Black-tailed Godwits, 20+ Sanderling, 70+ Knot, 50 Ringed Plover, 400+ Redshank, 300+ Lapwing, 100 Golden Plover, 6 Greenshank and 5 Barwits. A Peregrine spooked everything at one point, whilst 100+ Pinkfeets were in the wider area. A very enjoyable afternoon's birding.

Joseph

Capercaillie71 · Sep 8, 2012

Apologies for a non-bird posting but today I had this much-anticipated new addition to the fauna of my garden

gus guthrie · Sep 8, 2012

Capercaillie71 said:
Apologies for a non-bird posting but today I had this much-anticipated new addition to the fauna of my garden

well done, great to find in your garden ! lucky you !

Capercaillie71 · Sep 10, 2012

Does anyone know what has happened to the Wildlifeweb forum? It doesn't seem to be working at the moment, but I was wondering if this is temporary or permanent?

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