• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (6 Viewers)

Spent most of the day at the Ythan yesterday. Whilst I wasn't able to get up as far as the Snub due to birding the area by foot, it was fair to say that the estuary was very quiet. Wader numbers were at a minimum and seem to have been for the past few days. A number of Curlews, about 10 Ringed Plovers and 6 Dunlin were the only waders present from the mouth to the Waterside Bridge. There was a similar dearth of ducks, and it became apparent later in the evening that the King Eider had made an excursion to Blackdog.

20 Little Terns were in amongst the hundreds of terns at the ternery, which were all spooked by a Peregrine early on, whilst 13 Common Scoters headed north offshore. With very little else on the estuary, I decided to head up on to Forvie Moor. The highlight was getting treated to cracking views of a singing Cuckoo (pictured below) for about 15 minutes on the bushes at the northwestern end of the moor, the first one I've seen on the coast for a long while and probably the best and most prolonged views I've ever had of one. A pair of Stonechats were lovely to see here as well.

Joseph
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1172.JPG
    IMG_1172.JPG
    76.3 KB · Views: 77
Last edited:
I popped into Murcar today early afternoon. The drake King Eider was on the beach with a small eider flock, thankfully it wasn't in the much bigger congregation of eiders I could see further north towards Blackdog.

Offshore there were several hundred Common Scoters, about ten Velvets, one Long-tailed duck and about ten Red-throated Divers.

Bird of the day was a spanking sum plum Black-throated Diver which pitched down close offshore briefly before powering off north into the distance. I think I've only seen one locally before and never in such fine plumage!
 
There was an unseasonal single Whooper Swan at the Mill of Strachan trout pond near Banchory this evening, along with a pair of Tufted Ducks which are unusual for the site.
 
Grasshopper Warbler

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on where's a good lcoation in NE Scotland to see (hear!) Grasshopper Warblers?

Cheers

Danny
 
King Eider

I saw the drake King Eider at Blackdog yesterday evening - was asleep on the beach with hundreds (thousands!?) of other eiders so not the easiest to spot! I went on the low tide
 
danny_heptinstall said:
I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on where's a good lcoation in NE Scotland to see (hear!) Grasshopper Warblers?
Click to expand...


Hi Danny, hopefully someone will drop in with some good gen. In the meantime...I've been listening for Grasshopper Warblers around the periphery of the city in the evening lately without finding any. I've tried Inchgarth, which I believe is a regular location and various other sites that look suitable. The only one I heard in the broader area this year was earlier in May at Glen Dye on the edge of the moor.
 
danny_heptinstall said:
Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on where's a good lcoation in NE Scotland to see (hear!) Grasshopper Warblers?

Cheers

Danny
Click to expand...

Hi Danny,

There has been one singing regularly in recent weeks (including on Saturday) at Red Moss of Netherley (Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve). One or two sing in the same area each year and are fairly straightforward to hear but I've never really tried to see them here. To access, take B979 south from Peterculter in direction of Stonehaven.Turn right at sign for Ambleside B&B and park sensibly after 100 m or so on area in fromt of the barn at the first corner in the road (NO850935). Walk back to B979, cross over, and cross the stile to right of bus shelter onto a footpath that leads towards the moss. Walk down this path as far as the block of larches at NO855939. Best area is the rushes and long grasses looking and listening to the left from this point. Please stick to the edge of the trees and don't attempt to enter the area where the bird(s) are singing.

Hope this helps,

Cheers
Nick
 
Last edited:
Netherley is a good call, heard one from the road there last year as I cycled through in late April. Had to stop to figure out if it was an echo of my freewheel whirring!
 
Can someone let me know what the current published NESBR is ? The most recent one I have is 2009, but I thought I had received 2010 and have been hunting round my study looking for it ! I know I have written my species accounts for 2010 but I have really lost the plot with all this ! Have the 2011 accounts been sent out yet Nick as I have received nothing through as of yet ?

Cheers,

LC
 
bombycilla said:
Can someone let me know what the current published NESBR is ? The most recent one I have is 2009, but I thought I had received 2010 and have been hunting round my study looking for it ! I know I have written my species accounts for 2010 but I have really lost the plot with all this ! Have the 2011 accounts been sent out yet Nick as I have received nothing through as of yet ?

Cheers,

LC
Click to expand...

Hi Lindsay,

Yes 2009 is the most recent published so far. I really hope that 2010 wont be long now. I will email a fuller update to yourself and the other contributors in the next day or two.

Cheers

Nick
 
Last edited:
Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone knows how the Wood Warblers at Cragendarroch have been doing this year (i.e. how many have been singing) ? I am also keen to know the best ways to access Loch Davan/Kinord as I am not familiar with that particular area. Heading up that way over the weekend, any information would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Joseph
 
At least 3 trails run through the reserve from the burn o vat car park. I did the parkins moss trail at the weekend which was mainly to look for northern damselfly, had a red kite over, as well as plenty of tree pipits, a redstart, garden warbler etc. I'm not sure what sort of views the other trails give over the water. You can get a decent view over loch Davan from the road that runs to the north of it - the other day, I had cuckoo here, as well as loads of swifts, swallows and martins over the loch. It's a fantastic looking reserve. Osprey should be there and I've had green woodpecker there in the past. Others have had 'large billed crossbills' in the area, esp to the north of loch Davan (although I didnt see or hear any at the weekend).

Cant help with the wood warblers I'm afraid, apart from to say that I didn't hear any around burn o vat!
 
Hi Joseph

As well as the burn o'vat carpark that Mark has mentioned there are two carparks at the eastern side of the lochs. One by the crossroads in Dinnet village (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=345327&Y=799044&A=Y&Z=115&ax=345927&ay=798767) gives access to the Dinnet lochs via the attractive Clarack Loch where there is a viewing platform and some wildfowl are often visible. There are usually loads of Tree pipits in this area (as there are througout the reserve) as well as the occasional Redstart. I've also seen Garden Warbler by the car park in the scrub behind the childrens' play area.

The other carpark is at New Kinord (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=344970&Y=800015&A=Y&Z=115). The access track to this one is easily missed when driving north from Dinnet village, but this is the most central access point for the lochs with a circular walk through the ruined settlement of Old Kinord between the lochs. I have seen Green Woodpeckers in this area. All of the carparks are linked by marked footpaths and there are maps of the path network at all of them.

Burn o'Vat itself is well worth a visit, scrambling up the narrow gap into the large open topped cavern.

I haven't looked for wood warblers this year so don't know about Craigendarroch. Dinnet Oakwood might be worth a look as this used to be a reliable site (also for redstart and tree pipit). Access is from the south deeside road opposite the south end of the Dinnet bridge (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=346177&Y=798154&A=Y&Z=115) with a small parking area just to the east of the entrance.

I don't suppose you'll be staying after dark, but I heard a juvenile Long-eared owl at Ordie Moss to the north of Dinnet a week or so ago.
 

Attachments

  • Clarack Loch.jpg
    Clarack Loch.jpg
    136 KB · Views: 65
  • Burn o Vat.jpg
    Burn o Vat.jpg
    164.2 KB · Views: 56
Thanks folks for your help. I had already planned to visit Dinnet Oakwood for Redstarts - lovely to have at least 4 singing there last May - but thank you very much for the directions anyway Paul, I don't see to have them at hand any longer so your help will come in handy.

No worries about the Cragendarroch query, will give it a shot for Wood Warbler there anyway. The information from both of you on Loch Davan/Kinord is very helpful, will definitely give them both a look. Have always wanted to visit Burn O' Vat itself too; it looks spectacular.

Many thanks,

Joseph
 
Last edited:
Weekend Birding

The last few days were spent with a friend of mine up from Durham, with whom I enjoyed a productive long weekend's worth of birding.

Saturday saw us spending a day on the coast. An early morning look for the King Eider and Surf Scoter proved unsuccessful in nasty conditions, but a Grasshopper Warbler reeling distantly from the gorse on the golf course was a nice consolation, roughly around the Blackdog Rock area - another visit yesterday revealed that it was still reeling from there (perhaps of interest to Danny). The highlight of the day was the Marsh Warbler at Collieston, an extremely recalcitrant bird which tantalized us with its superb song but refused to show itself on our first attempt; returning in the evening saw us finally gaining some reasonably decent views. A female Redstart was also here. A Lesser Whitethroat and a Spotted Flycatcher were also nice in the gully near Whinnyfold. Success with Puffin at Bullers O' Buchan was followed by a Cuckoo and a first-summer Little Gull at an otherwise quiet Strathbeg.

Sunday was spent in Deeside. 3 Wood Warblers sang at Cragendarroch and showed well. Loch Davan and Kinord, Muir of Dinnet NNR, Dinnet Oakwoodlands and Forest of Birse were also checked. Overall 17 Tree Pipits were noted, as were 5 Redstarts (seen at every site apart from Cragendarroch), a few Cuckoos and Spotted Flycatchers amongst other nice things. One of the highlights of the day was a Green Woodpecker at Dinnet Oakwoodlands, only the second I've ever had in the region. Yesterday saw us walking from Blackdog to Donmouth and failing miserably again to connect with King Eider and Surfie. The highlight was a Peregrine over Brig O' Balgownie, the first I've seen in the city for a good while.

Overall a very successful and enjoyable few days with the exception of yesterday. See my blog in the next few days for more details.

Joseph
 
Last edited:
I popped into Murcar this evening. The light was excellent and the Scoter and Eider flocks very close. A drake Surf Scoter was giving great views, as were about 20 Velvets. I couldn't find the King Eider, although I was concentrating on the Scoter.

Other interesting birds; 5 Red-throated Divers, 3 Arctic Skua, 2 Manx Shearwater coming unusually close over the duck flocks, 1 Whimbrel north and a Short-eared Owl in the dunes.
 
Joseph N said:
The last few days were spent with a friend of mine up from Durham, with whom I enjoyed a productive long weekend's worth of birding.

Saturday saw us spending a day on the coast. An early morning look for the King Eider and Surf Scoter proved unsuccessful in nasty conditions, but a Grasshopper Warbler reeling distantly from the gorse on the golf course was a nice consolation, roughly around the Blackdog Rock area - another visit yesterday revealed that it was still reeling from there (perhaps of interest to Danny).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip Joseph - went along there last night and had one singing close in a clump of willows in the dune slack directly behind the beach near the blackdog rock.
 
danny_heptinstall said:
Thanks for the tip Joseph - went along there last night and had one singing close in a clump of willows in the dune slack directly behind the beach near the blackdog rock.
Click to expand...

No problem Danny, glad to hear that it was still reeling from there - by the dune slack is exactly where I heard it reeling last time. Another quite reliable place for them is Logie Buchan Bridge at the top of the Ythan Estuary, several (at least used to) sing there quite regularly on calm and bright spring evenings. I haven't heard any there for a while now but I am sure others have.

Joseph
 

Similar threads

Andrew Whitehouse
Northeast Aberdeen and Donmouth
2 3 4
Replies
76
Views
31K
RecoveringScot
R
Andrew Rowlands
Amusing stories thread anyone? (recovered)
Replies
3
Views
8K
Surreybirder
Surreybirder

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 7 (members: 2, guests: 5)
Back
Top