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Birds fae Torry (16 Viewers)
- Thread starter Andrew Whitehouse
- Start date
Today was my first serious look around the Ness of 2017, although I did get out for a swift circuit on Thursday. That produced little of note except a Totaliser-busting count of Purple Sandpipers:
191
Starting as we mean to go on. In weather news, bit nippy isn't it. A slender layer of snow coated the proceedings today, and a sharp wind, albeit not quite as ferocious as yesterday. It was quite sunny though and the showers seemed to keep away.
Most of the action was in the Nigg Bay area. At least six Snipe had managed to find enough ice free spots to linger on. A Water Rail was seen briefly a couple of times along the burn and a Teal was in the reedy pool. A Woodcock dashed along the railway embankment. Somewhat surprising were a flock of five Bullfinches in the bushes near the school field. Not always an easy bird to get in a year, so I was quite pleased with that. Also four Goldcrests near the waterworks.
I was receiving regular updates of hordes of white-winged gulls passing and was getting slightly frustrated not to be in on the action when I looked up to see an Iceland Gull heading inland. I thought it looked a bit older at first but it seems from photos to be a 1st winter.
Tell you what - the Chiffchaffs around here are well weird at the moment. Before Christmas I was seeing a fairly 'eastern' looking one and more have been seen by others recently, including a calling Siberian. Today I saw three non-calling Chiffchaffs in the small conifers near the water works and frankly they all looked fairly 'eastern'. Not a typical colybita amongst them. I wonder where they're all coming from.
Otherwise things were a bit quiet although there was clearly a bit of a movement of gulls and auks along the coast. Five Sanderling were still finding the Costa del Torry to their liking.
Here are a few masterful record shots to kick the year off.
191
Starting as we mean to go on. In weather news, bit nippy isn't it. A slender layer of snow coated the proceedings today, and a sharp wind, albeit not quite as ferocious as yesterday. It was quite sunny though and the showers seemed to keep away.
Most of the action was in the Nigg Bay area. At least six Snipe had managed to find enough ice free spots to linger on. A Water Rail was seen briefly a couple of times along the burn and a Teal was in the reedy pool. A Woodcock dashed along the railway embankment. Somewhat surprising were a flock of five Bullfinches in the bushes near the school field. Not always an easy bird to get in a year, so I was quite pleased with that. Also four Goldcrests near the waterworks.
I was receiving regular updates of hordes of white-winged gulls passing and was getting slightly frustrated not to be in on the action when I looked up to see an Iceland Gull heading inland. I thought it looked a bit older at first but it seems from photos to be a 1st winter.
Tell you what - the Chiffchaffs around here are well weird at the moment. Before Christmas I was seeing a fairly 'eastern' looking one and more have been seen by others recently, including a calling Siberian. Today I saw three non-calling Chiffchaffs in the small conifers near the water works and frankly they all looked fairly 'eastern'. Not a typical colybita amongst them. I wonder where they're all coming from.
Otherwise things were a bit quiet although there was clearly a bit of a movement of gulls and auks along the coast. Five Sanderling were still finding the Costa del Torry to their liking.
Here are a few masterful record shots to kick the year off.
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Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
I think there are 4 chiffchaffs, there's one that looks decent for a collybita, and three others that look eastern, like you say. At least one makes very good sibe noises and looks the part too. One that looks slightly less good sounds like it's doing a weak version of a standard collybita hweet, but the sonogram looks totally different.
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Interesting stuff with the Chiffchaffs, Mark. I hope they know what they are!
A bit of a foray to the outer reaches of the patch this morning. The main target were Waxwings and these were soon found on Girdleness Road, near the junction with Wellington Road. In the august surroundings of the Screwfix car park at least 230 were gathered to feed on berries (I think some sort of cotoneaster). I think that might be as big a group as I've ever seen in Torry.
From a patch point of view, at least as good was a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the same tree. Other stuff included a Coal Tit and four Goldeneye and Goosander on the river.
A bit of a foray to the outer reaches of the patch this morning. The main target were Waxwings and these were soon found on Girdleness Road, near the junction with Wellington Road. In the august surroundings of the Screwfix car park at least 230 were gathered to feed on berries (I think some sort of cotoneaster). I think that might be as big a group as I've ever seen in Torry.
From a patch point of view, at least as good was a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the same tree. Other stuff included a Coal Tit and four Goldeneye and Goosander on the river.
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Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
We've been trapping chiffchaffs at the sewage works this week - Wednesday morning and today. We've caught 6 different birds and believe there could easily be 2 more unringed birds we're yet to catch. Only one has looked good for collybita. Some have shed feathers so will go off for some 'CSI bird ID', and others have been sound recorded on release. If I was to stick my neck out I'd say that there may be as many as 5 or 6 siberian chiffchaffs at the site. 'Sibe' calls are certainly the dominant call type at the sewage works. There's also a bird that looks decent for siberian that is giving a strange rather high pitched, rising 'weet' call.
All very interesting, if you're into that sort of thing...
If anyone sees any unringed chiffs at Nigg Bay over the weekend please let me know!
All very interesting, if you're into that sort of thing...
If anyone sees any unringed chiffs at Nigg Bay over the weekend please let me know!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
That's an odd looking one - I has a very similar profiled call last year - on a PC that is currently dead so I can't do a side by side
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
We caught a bird that gave similar calls the other morning - see pics and sonograms (the clearer one was recorded in the field later on - so not sure whether it's the same bird).
2 more unringed birds seen today. Regardless of how many birds are tristis, I reckon 8 wintering chiffchaffs in Scotland is pretty remarkable.
2 more unringed birds seen today. Regardless of how many birds are tristis, I reckon 8 wintering chiffchaffs in Scotland is pretty remarkable.
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Two more in Dysart, Fife.
I saw at least five Chiffchaffs this morning, and at least one of those was unringed. They were moving around fairly rapidly so were hard to keep track of, but all that I saw looked 'eastern'. I heard a few calls too, although not when I was looking at the bird making it. Initially I heard one or two calls that actually sounded fairly like a regular colybita 'hweet' but then heard at least one bird making a flat tristis call. Really quite interesting.
Other stuff in the same area included several Long-tailed Tits, at least four (mostly ringed) Goldcrests, six Siskins and a pair of Bullfinches.
Other stuff in the same area included several Long-tailed Tits, at least four (mostly ringed) Goldcrests, six Siskins and a pair of Bullfinches.
I again saw at least five Chiffchaffs with an eastern flavour around the waterworks today. Not much calling except for a couple of brief ambiguous calls. Very little else about, although I did saw one Water Rail and heard another.
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Yes, its a wigeon - I saw it there at lunchtime.
Had a bit of a mooch today, in pleasant, sunny conditions. Probably the best bird was my first Jack Snipe of the year, flushed from the marsh. At least 19 Common Snipe were also in the same area. I briefly saw a Moorhen around the reedy pool and also had my first Rook, Stonechat and Wigeon of the year (a female - I guess the one that was in the harbour a few days ago). Otherwise it was rather quiet. I completely failed to see any Chiffchaffs, although I think others saw some.
Around the rest of the Ness there wasn't a great deal. One Sanderling was again around the breakwater and we had a marginal tip upwards on the Purple Sandpiper Totaliser:
192
Cracking.
Around the rest of the Ness there wasn't a great deal. One Sanderling was again around the breakwater and we had a marginal tip upwards on the Purple Sandpiper Totaliser:
192
Cracking.
Hugh Addlesee
Well-known member
As well as a collybita that I saw with Mark, there was a presumed tristis showing well on the north side of the sewage works - a ringed bird, mostly in the young conifers. I briefly glimpsed a second in the willows behind - I don't whether it was ringed or not. I didn't hear a single call from any of the Chiffs.
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Glad you got one in the end Hugh. I missed the rook....
Hugh Addlesee
Well-known member
Yes, so was I! Thanks for your help in trying to find them. It was certainly much easier around there before all the conifers were planted, and it'll be even more of a challenge once they're big! Hope it stays as good for the birds. Good luck with Rook!
I had a fairly casual wander to the Ness through the middle of the day, not really expecting much in the blustery conditions. It was generally very quiet, aside from lots of activity from several Bottlenose Dolphins. A steady stream of Fulmars were moving south offshore, but there didn't seem to be much else going through. Things picked up, however, when I managed to pull out a bit of a local rarity with a fine Black-throated Diver that was lingering just off the Coo, in amongst the scattered auks. From the scaled upperparts and slight brownish tone I assume it was a first winter. Quite a while since I've seen one of these here. Some cracking record shots are below. Look at the white flank patch on that.
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An interesting stroll today, with good weather to start with but a gradual (and slightly unexpected) deterioration early in the afternoon when regular heavy showers and a brisk onshore wind started to kick in. We even had thunder here this afternoon.
The Nigg Bay area held eight Common Snipe and the female Wigeon. The Wigeon was later seen grazing on Skate's Nose in the harbour. At least two Chiffchaffs were seen and heard. One sounded and looked like a colybita, the other more like a tristis. Also heard were a Moorhen and few Long-tailed Tits. A fairly large flock of at least twenty Siskins were seen nicely. What appeared to be last year's regular Hooded Crow was back on the playing fields.
Not too much was offshore, aside from a few Red-throated Divers. The Bottlenose Dolphins put on a good show of jumping and two Harbour Porpoises were also seen further out to sea. Perhaps the best sighting was of two Otters swimming out of the harbour and coming onto shore at the Banana Pier.
The Nigg Bay area held eight Common Snipe and the female Wigeon. The Wigeon was later seen grazing on Skate's Nose in the harbour. At least two Chiffchaffs were seen and heard. One sounded and looked like a colybita, the other more like a tristis. Also heard were a Moorhen and few Long-tailed Tits. A fairly large flock of at least twenty Siskins were seen nicely. What appeared to be last year's regular Hooded Crow was back on the playing fields.
Not too much was offshore, aside from a few Red-throated Divers. The Bottlenose Dolphins put on a good show of jumping and two Harbour Porpoises were also seen further out to sea. Perhaps the best sighting was of two Otters swimming out of the harbour and coming onto shore at the Banana Pier.
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An Iceland Gull, probably a 1st winter, around the North Pier of the harbour this morning. Only my second ever from home.
Had a fairly uneventful wander around today in blustery, cold conditions. Two Water Rails were seen briefly along the Tullos Burn. Also five Common Snipe in the marsh. Quite a few commoner seabirds were moving through offshore, although it was hard work to pick anything out with the wind coming straight in off the sea.
