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Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (2 Viewers)

Yesterday, with Sue and the boys away in the Lake District for a few days, I made the pilgrimage up to the NE to see the greater yellowlegs (it would have been rude not to!).
Arriving at Strathbeg I found that the bird was showing nicely from the visitor centre feeding busily. Often in rather sticky mud, its legs looked less than yellow at times! Other highlights included 3 whooper swans and a rather unexpected hooded crow. Just as I was about to leave, TWM of this parish arrived with news of a Ross's goose that he had found at Rattray. After admiring all the tree sparrows outside the visitor centre I headed off to Rattray and successfully located the goose, feeding amongst a flock of pinkfeet. As I was taking some dodgy record shots it took off with a small party of pinkfeet and flew towards the lighthouse. As I had already turned the car I headed on towards Peterhead.
As I approached the town I saw a large group of gulls on the Ugie estuary so I stopped to take a look. I immediately picked up a glaucous gull (a very white 2nd winter) and two Iceland gulls (probably 2nd and 3rd winter). As I had lunch watching them I was approached by another birder on a whistlestop tour of the northeast who pointed out an interesting 1st winter gull in the river. At first glance it looked a candidate for dark Kumlien's/Thayer's and I took a few reocrd shots. Subsequent perusal through the scope rather suggested a very pallid herring gull due to large size and hefty beak. I moved on to the harbour where I saw another three Iceland gulls plus some kittiwakes and 3 bull grey seals.
My final port of call was the Ythan where I had spectacular views of the drake king eider down to less than 20m. The whole eider flock was remarkably confiding except for when dogs were present (often, as plenty of people were there to see the large gathering of common seals). Two sandwich terns completed what had been an outstanding day out.

Rob
 
Yesterday, with Sue and the boys away in the Lake District for a few days, I made the pilgrimage up to the NE to see the greater yellowlegs (it would have been rude not to!).
Arriving at Strathbeg I found that the bird was showing nicely from the visitor centre feeding busily. Often in rather sticky mud, its legs looked less than yellow at times! Other highlights included 3 whooper swans and a rather unexpected hooded crow. Just as I was about to leave, TWM of this parish arrived with news of a Ross's goose that he had found at Rattray. After admiring all the tree sparrows outside the visitor centre I headed off to Rattray and successfully located the goose, feeding amongst a flock of pinkfeet. As I was taking some dodgy record shots it took off with a small party of pinkfeet and flew towards the lighthouse. As I had already turned the car I headed on towards Peterhead.
As I approached the town I saw a large group of gulls on the Ugie estuary so I stopped to take a look. I immediately picked up a glaucous gull (a very white 2nd winter) and two Iceland gulls (probably 2nd and 3rd winter). As I had lunch watching them I was approached by another birder on a whistlestop tour of the northeast who pointed out an interesting 1st winter gull in the river. At first glance it looked a candidate for dark Kumlien's/Thayer's and I took a few reocrd shots. Subsequent perusal through the scope rather suggested a very pallid herring gull due to large size and hefty beak. I moved on to the harbour where I saw another three Iceland gulls plus some kittiwakes and 3 bull grey seals.
My final port of call was the Ythan where I had spectacular views of the drake king eider down to less than 20m. The whole eider flock was remarkably confiding except for when dogs were present (often, as plenty of people were there to see the large gathering of common seals). Two sandwich terns completed what had been an outstanding day out.

Rob

So where are the pictures? They're surely not of Dr W's standard ;)
 
I haven't seen any mention of the Ythan King Eider on here for a while so is it safe to assume that it has moved on or worse? I ask because I've just looked at thousands of Common Eiders in Iceland with no luck at all on KEs, despite there being quite a lot about there and we're returning to Aberdeenshire later this month.
 
Ythan Estuary

Hi folks,

I'm planning a birding trip up to the north east this week, and plan to visit the Ythan estuary. Having never been there before, can anyone advise me on the best places to go/watch, particularly for the king eider that's been around?

Thanks in advance,

Gavin
 
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Hi Gavin

Have a look at the Opus article, then when the guys come in to advise you it might make a bit more sense. You'll find a main map at the bottom and other map links for the various areas of the Estuary too.

It's a great area, I'm sure you will enjoy yourself.

D
 
The King Eider seems to have been mostly at the mouth of the estuary - best accessed from the car park at the golf course. Go down beach road at the south end of Newburgh village and from the car park (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=400450&Y=825430&A=Y&Z=120&ax=400330&ay=824625) you can follow various paths through the scrub and dunes to the river mouth. It has also been seen upstream as far as the road bridge. A good viewing point higher up the estuary is Inches point (marked as Inches on the OS map), which is accessed from a road in the middle of the village which passes through a builders yard (don't be discouraged from driving through the builders yard by the no parking signs - there is a public parking area round the corner beyond).
 
Ythan Estuary

Thanks Delia and capercaillie71. Delia, that Opus article is really informative - I'd forgotten about Opus on this site (not really a regular user) and the information was just what I was looking for. Capercaillie71, thanks for the details in your post, not knowing the area the building site and no parking signs would definitely throw me using the opus information alone! And your advice should help me home in on some good spots.

Here's hoping the snow doesn't come to too much and the king eider's still around by Friday (hoping the greater yellowlegs is still around at Strathbeg on Thursday too!)

Gavin
 
Good flock of Sand Martin over Loch of Skene yesterday, 30+.

c150 looking incongruous skimming about as the snow fell yesterday evening. Pair of Scaup present again this morning, and the drake Smew is apparently still hanging about somewhere - seen briefly on Policy Loch in the Dunecht Estate yesterday - but seems to be generally avoiding Skene unfortunately.
 
Spent an hour or so after work yesterday, all the usual suspects, also good view of a Goldcrest and a couple of other small things I dont know, haven't seen the Scaup yet, (should I say, haven't id'd the Scaup yet) looked at plenty of Tufted Duck and Coot though. Just after leaving past a field with some crows, pigeons feeding and seen a black pheasant, turned round but by the time I got back he was over the far side of the field, got a look in binoculars and he appears that shiny greeny/blue colour, red face, just before he jumped over the wall and headed towards the trees. Is this a common pheasant with dodgy pigments or something ?

Jim.
 
The King Eider was at the mouth of the Ythan again this morning, roosting on the sand opposite the boathouse. It then wandered about a bit before flying off with a group of common eiders, round the corner of the dunes to the north of the river mouth and out of sight.

Nice to see it being a bit more active than when I saw it last year (when it mostly slept).
 
Spent an hour or so after work yesterday, all the usual suspects, also good view of a Goldcrest and a couple of other small things I dont know, haven't seen the Scaup yet, (should I say, haven't id'd the Scaup yet) looked at plenty of Tufted Duck and Coot though. Just after leaving past a field with some crows, pigeons feeding and seen a black pheasant, turned round but by the time I got back he was over the far side of the field, got a look in binoculars and he appears that shiny greeny/blue colour, red face, just before he jumped over the wall and headed towards the trees. Is this a common pheasant with dodgy pigments or something ?

Jim.

The Scaup were still present this morning, and still amongst the Tufteds west of the Towers. The drake's in full breeding plumage now, so does stand out... I also flushed a Woodcock by the track at the east end - unfortunately, it clattered into the low fence a couple of times before making good its escape, but seemed OK.

I think they must have just released a batch of black Pheasants somewhere near Skene. They're the same species, but presumably bred to be melanistic. I don't know why they're sometimes favoured for releases.

Elsewhere, there was a first-summer Iceland Gull in the pre-roost at Donmouth yesterday evening (and three colour-ringed Sanderlings).
 
NE Coast

Had a nice trip up the Aberdeenshire coast today and the highlights were;

King Eider at the mouth of the Ythan,followed by a 2d Winter Glaucous Gull at Peterhead Harbour.The Bullers of Buchan produced Guilliemot's,Razorbill's and Shag's on the cliff's,along with a single Puffin on the water and fly past Gannet's.

No sign of the Yellowlegs or Ross's Goose at Strathbeg but displaying Great crested Grebe's, Pintail 4 Barnacle Geese and Osprey softened the blow..! Finally at Rattray,our patience was rewarded with a White tailed Eagle.

Also pleasing,was the amount of Yellowhammer seen.They seemed to be everywhere,as did Pink footed Geese and also 10 Whooper Swans at Strathbeg.
 
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There was a female Smew on Loch of Skene this morning, the third there this year - assuming that it's different from the redhead back in February. Also two female Scaup that (at least partly) replaced the pair that had been present last week, though they haven't been there all the time. However, it wasn't these that were the highlight of my pre-work visit, but a patch tick no less - my 146th species for Skene. And what was it? - a BB rarity, a local rarity, a scarce migrant....? No, just a humble House Spuggie singing from one of the Towers. The joys of patch-birding, and the trials of sticking with a boundary that only you have set and care about! One day I'll get a fly-over Collared Dove! Anyway, still no hint of a Willow Warbler there yet this year, but there were a House Martin and a couple of Swallows in amongst a crowd of Sand Martins on Tuesday.
 
I sae my first swallow of the year in stonehaven on saturday as I walked through mineralwell park. Also a lovely grey wagtail beside the allotments.
 

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