[Andrew Whitehouse]

Originally Posted by Fat Paul Scholes

18! Nice one! And I thought I was doing well with 7 back in September.

Cheers! Makes me wonder how many I'd have seen if I'd have been looking all morning.

[Fat Paul Scholes]

there are some photos of an interesting chiffchaff seen at the battery today, on my blog....(link below)

I think it's a tristis, but there are a few things that don't quite sit right. The call was certainly right, and many plumage features fit, but I think it's always wise to be cautious with such things!

Good numbers of thrushes and finches coming in this morning..including quite a few brambling. Also good numbers of goldcrests came in. There's probably something half decent out there....

[Ken Hall]

I didn't get to the Ness until three o'clock this afternoon. I haven't seen so many Goldcrests for a few years, and there were nearly as many Chiffchaffs. Good numbers of Pied Wagtails and thrushes, and a stonking male Grey Wagtail on the rocks along the north bank. As Mark says, there just has to be something decent there. The mist and drizzle was returning as I left at 5.30pm.

[Fat Paul Scholes]

Oodles of birds at the ness this morning, getting a bit quieter by lunchtime but there are still birds out there to be found!!!!!

Things I saw a lot of:
Redwing, song thrush, Blackbird, brambling, siskin, blackcap, chiffchaff, goldcrest

Things I saw one of:
willow warb, redstart, black redstart, whinchat, pied fly, reed warbler, ring ouzel

Things I saw ten of:
Long tailed tits, at the sewage works

[Fat Paul Scholes]

You spend all morning trudging round girdle ness looking for migrants and then a yellow browed warbler pops up in your garden!

PM me if you're interested in where this bird is...

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Sadly I didn't connect with Mark's Yellow-browed, despite having a good look this afternoon. Thanks for the updates Mark, although judging by where the Birdguides birdmap put it, it seems like it was a bit further away than you suggested .

Some raw numbers on the day's proceedings: Blackcap (9), Chiffchaff (22), Fieldfare (1), Song Thrush (25), Redwing (22), Chaffinch (60+), Siskin (9), Goldcrest (50+), Redstart (3), Swallow (6), Reed Bunting (1), Wheatear (7), Pied Flycatcher (2 - one at the Battery, one at Provost Hogg), Brambling (5), Garden Warbler (1), Grey Wagtail (4). I think the counts for Chiffchaff and Chaffinch are certainly the highest I've ever had at Girdle Ness. Also a female Stonechat on the north side of the golf course, I think the first I've seen here this year. Wildfowl included three Teal, eight Red-breasted Mergansers, 120 Pink-footed Geese and the female Velvet Scoter, which was again off the Coo. Three or four Bottlenose Dolphins were around the river mouth and the Grey Plover was still on Greyhope Bay. That was also, rather unexpectedly, where my bird of the day was. Scanning across the rocks I noticed a small wader scuttling about, which then froze still. Hmm, looks like a Snipe; that's a bit weird, I thought. In fact it was a bit better than that: a cracking Jack Snipe that sat motionless on the rocks for several minutes. Probably the best 'on the deck' views I've ever had of this species.

[Jane Turner]

I know someone who lives near Scarborough who had a Jack Snipe crash in through an open skylight and then freeze on his desk, like a paperweight.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Still a few migrants around today, although fewer than yesterday. Scores on doors: Chiffchaff (14), Goldcrest (43), Song Thrush (17), Redwing (28), Swallow (1), Redstart (2), Siskin (6), Grey Wagtail (5), Wheatear (7), Blackcap (6), Garden Warbler (1), Chaffinch (17), Brambling (2). The bulk of the action was again probably in Torry rather than around Girdle Ness. The trees at Provost Hogg Court (opposite the bowling green on Victoria Road) were again very busy. This spot seems to be particularly good for Brambling.

A couple of flocks of Barnacle Geese flew south, one of 42 and another of 12. Also two Pink-feet north. Other stuff included both Grey Plover and Velvet Scoter again, one Purple Sandpiper, six Red-throated Divers, nine Red-breasted Mergansers and two Bottlenose Dolphins. Something big must have been out there but it seemed to elude me and everyone else this weekend.

[Fat Paul Scholes]

Some good stuff at the ness this afternoon.

YBW on the north bank, favouring the area around the big pile of stones. It was showing well and calling occaisionally. I also flushed what had to be a water rail here...just didn't get enough on it.

At the battery, whinchat, redstart, and flushed a definite water rail! Made up for missing the earlier one, which I was a bit sore about!

A few other redstarts here and there and a very secretive acro on the south bank that unfortunately turned out to be a reed warbler. Not the first bit of warbler related disappointment of the day.....

[Fat Paul Scholes]

Very quiet for migs at the ness today...a couple of redstart in the allotments (and a Black redstart....but I didn't see that). Just a few chiffs and goldcrests dotted about. 4 redpoll went over, and by far and away the best of it, 2 tree sparrow with linnets and other finches at the torry end of the south bank (where the house used to be).

Also a black guillemot in greyhope bay. (north east scotlands premier black guillemot site).

Still decent numbers of migrants lingering in Torry. At the mound on baxter street, 3 or 4 chiffchaffs and a few goldcrest, and garden warbler and blackcap from the north facing branch of the Torry bird observatory.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Originally Posted by Fat Paul Scholes

Still decent numbers of migrants lingering in Torry. At the mound on baxter street, 3 or 4 chiffchaffs and a few goldcrest, and garden warbler and blackcap from the north facing branch of the Torry bird observatory.

Although I tend to think of my branch as being north facing because that's the side I look out on normally (at least where all the action is anyway) even if it's the back of the house.

[Fat Paul Scholes]

Originally Posted by Andrew Whitehouse

Although I tend to think of my branch as being north facing because that's the side I look out on normally (at least where all the action is anyway) even if it's the back of the house.

And quite correctly, too. I suffered a momentary lapse of the brain there....and meant south facing. We do get plenty of action from the north side but it's not the sort of thing I'd be reporting here!

[Fat Paul Scholes]

Snow bunting has been the best of it from the ness over the last few days...one flushed up from the south bank yesterday.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Had a bit of a look around this afternoon. Before that happened I did manage a house tick, which is too embarrassing to mention. Oh all right then, it was a Goldcrest. Funny that I've never seen one from the flat before and equally interesting that it was the only one I saw today. Also three Red-throated Divers from the house this morning.

The walk round the Ness was pretty quiet by recent standards. More like a normal walk with the occasional bird thrown in rather than the battle through waves of tired migrants that it's been over recent weeks. I only saw one migrant in fact, but it was quite a good one: a Ring Ouzel that spurned the supple and welcoming limbs of the tree and flew off along the north bank. Otherwise it was a bit duff. What we can now refer to as the 'long-staying Grey Plover' was still on Greyhope Bay, where there was also a Knot. Five Purple Sandpipers were scattered around and a few Bottlenose Dolphins were frolicking at the river mouth. Single Common Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser were off the Coo and I had a quick glimpse of the Girdle Ness Fox on the south side of the golf course.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Bit breezier today. There seemed to be a light scattering of Song Thrushes about, with a few Chaffinches and a Goldcrest along Abbey Road. Not much else on the migrant front though. Lots of dolphin stuff today, with several about the river mouth most of the time.

What we must now call the 'long-staying Grey Plover' was still on Greyhope Bay. I took some pictures of it (see below). Also a Black Guillemot there. The breeze and the occasional Gannet and auk drifting through encouraged some seawatching. There wasn't actually a lot moving but a pair of Long-tailed Ducks, two Red-throated Divers and a Common Scoter went north. Then a juvenile skua headed in the same direction. I'm not a big fan of juvenile skuas. Or, to rephrase that, I'm not a big fan if IDing them. It's quite tricky. But, I'm pretty happy that this bird was a juvenile Pomarine Skua. It was deep-chested, broad-winged and with a distinctly languid flight compared to an Arctic. It also, rather amusingly, got chased off by a few Common Gulls, which I've never seen happen to an Arctic. I perhaps should have done a bit more seawatching, but it was really a bit slow most of the time and some local youths were also staging a touching recreation of Eighties holiday staple 'Junior Kick Start' on the bank by the Coo. And it was a bit chilly.

Pictures:
1. What we must now refer to as the 'long-staying Grey Plover'.

[Fat Paul Scholes]

Some pretty wintery stuff at the ness today....

A snow bunting over greyhope bay, and the 'long staying' grey plover on the rocks there.

Offshore, two velvet scoter with the eiders off the foghorn, an unidentified aythya (either tufty or scaup) went north as did two little auks.

[Fat Paul Scholes]

A pom lingering off the foghorn this morning, on an otherwise very quiet and largely unpleasant seawatch!

[Ken Hall]

The winter plumaged Black Guillemot was still loitering around in Greyhope Bay, and the Red-throated Diver count was into double figures. The Eiders all look like proper Eiders again, the drakes busy tossing their heads back. Couldn't see any with sails. A couple of dolphins had a brief cavort. It was cold, grey, rainy, but at least the sea was flat calm.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

So I had a look around the Ness this morning, although will admit that I was mostly trying out my new camera gear rather than looking for rare gubbins. See here for some discussion of this earth-shattering matter. I know that on 'Birds fae Torry' we uphold a fine tradition of low-quality photography and I like to think that many of the pictures I took today upheld that tradition, although I will admit that there is some prospect of a slight improvement in the future. But maybe not much of one.

I did see a few birds along the way. A Little Auk zipped out of Greyhope Bay - my first of the year. I didn't see any others from the Coo, where not much was moving. Well, no birds anyway. Top sighting of the day was a Minke Whale which surfaced a couple of times as it travelled north, perhaps 500-600 metres out. I think that's the first I've seen from the Ness. A couple of Velvet Scoters were in amongst the Eiders and three Red-throated Divers were also about. That's about it.

Here's a few of the slightly better shots I got today. And one of a Velvet Scoter.
1. Common Gull
2. Herring Gull
3. Turnstones and Oystercatchers
4. Rock Pipit
5. A black and white thing

[delia todd]

Ooops! you should have broken us in gently Andrew... that's just too much of a shock

Though I'm pleased to see the Common Gull is at your normal standard Flight shots obviously needing a lot more practise.

What camera have you got now?

D

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Originally Posted by delia todd

Ooops! you should have broken us in gently Andrew... that's just too much of a shock

Though I'm pleased to see the Common Gull is at your normal standard Flight shots obviously needing a lot more practise.

What camera have you got now?

D

I think the Common Gull's all right really. Given the circumstances.

Do you not know how to follow links ?

[delia todd]

Originally Posted by Andrew Whitehouse

I think the Common Gull's all right really. Given the circumstances.

Not bad I suppose

Do you not know how to follow links ?

Half an hour later I find it... (poorly eyes is my excuse)

D

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I was showing people round Girdle Ness this afternoon so wasn't able to have a really thorough look. This was a shame because there seemed to be a lot of birds about, particularly the great swirls of gulls that were drifting about offshore. But I did see a good gull, while I was waiting in Greyhope Bay car park in fact: an adult Iceland Gull that drifted across the bay from the east and towards the breakwater. With the powerful photographic resources now at my disposal I was even able to get several pictures (see below). I think these can safely still be described as 'record shots' though.

Not too much else. A female Velvet Scoter was with the Eiders off the Coo again and two Red-throated Divers were in Nigg Bay. A couple of Bottlenose Dolphins kept the punters entertained. It was a good afternoon for rainbows too.

[Fat Paul Scholes]

Not a lot going on at girdle ness today. A bit more interest in Torry itself...a flock of long tailed tits moving through the gardens inland from Nigg bay, and a bullfinch from the south facing branch of the TBO. It looked big (ish) which made me think it might be a 'northern' bird but then it called in a rather local dialect.....

[Mark Etheridge]

Originally Posted by Fat Paul Scholes

a bullfinch from the south facing branch of the TBO. It looked big (ish) which made me think it might be a 'northern' bird but then it called in a rather local dialect.....

Can't have been a Bullfinch; anything calling in the local Aberdeen dialect has to be a Great Tit (as I was once told by an Aberdeen birder sadly no longer with us).

Fit like, fit like, fit like.....