Birds fae Torry (26 Viewers)

[Jimmycq]

Hi Andrew, bumped in to you on Friday lunchtime while out of the office for some fresh air, thanks for your knowledge and ID of some of the seabirds, especially the Sooty Shearwater, at least now have in idea of some of the species to keep an eye out for down Torry way. Cheers for now
Jim.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Andrew, bumped in to you on Friday lunchtime while out of the office for some fresh air, thanks for your knowledge and ID of some of the seabirds, especially the Sooty Shearwater, at least now have in idea of some of the species to keep an eye out for down Torry way. Cheers for now
Jim.

Hi Jimmy - good to meet you the other day and hope to see you down the Ness again soon.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Phew - bit blowy out there today. Hence it was also rather hard work to find anything. The only migrants were a couple of Fieldfares and a Wheatear, although I wonder if more was lurking out there. The sea was a bit more productive. There were hundreds of Guillemots close inshore, although I didn't see any other auks. Sheltering by the Coo enabled some good close views of a juvenile Pomarine Skua. It was first seen sat on the sea, when it looked very uniformly dark. It then flew around for a bit, half-heartedly pursuing the gulls, before drifting off north. Had quite a splendid 'beer gut' on it. By way of comparison a juvenile Arctic Skua also loitered about close in for a while. A Manx Shearwater drifted south. I briefly saw a Bottlenose Dolphin breaching around the harbour mouth earlier in the morning.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

My migrant total was exactly as yours Andrew. Didn't manage any poms but there were good numbers of arctic and great skuas offshore, and singles of little gull and sooty shearwater.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

One or two more migrants around today, lots of blackbirds around, and at the sewage works, a few goldcrests and blackcaps. A great spotted woodpecker was a big surprise here, only my third on patch. Elsewhere it was quiet, but I nearly stood on a jack snipe at the battery.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Didn't have much time to look around today. From the flat, three Red-breasted Mergansers went south. Bottlenose Dolphins were also regularly about off Footdee. Two Grey Wagtails were along the north shore. Skuas were again in evidence in the late afternoon gloom but most were rather distant. One juvenile Pomarine Skua passed through close in, and there were also three Arctic Skuas and one Bonxie. Also going through were a Red-throated Diver and a Common Scoter.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

A lot of thrushes in this morning. I didn't have time for a good look around but still had brambling and woodcock around the allotments. Could be good out there tomorrow...

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Loads of thrushes around again this morning. Conditions made things very difficult but there's got to be more out there among the oodles of redwings, fieldfares and blackbirds. Just about the only other bird I saw was a black redstart at the battery.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Just had an hour-and-a-half looking around. Absolutely loads of Blackbirds and Redwings. Also quite a few Song Thrushes, Chaffinches etc. Best birds were a smart male Black Redstart in Torry (on a rooftop off N. Balnagask Road), a female Common Redstart at Provost Hogg and a Short-eared Owl flying west off the golf course. Also seven Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs, a Redpoll, ten Siskin, a Woodcock and a Teal. Must be more out there. Hopefully I'll be out later.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

I had a similar haul to you Andrew. Female type black redstart at the battery, redstart at the mound, short eared owl off the south bank, loads of thrushes, good numbers of woodcock, blackcap and goldcrest.

 

[Jimmycq]

Had a wee wander round at lunch time also, didn't see as much as you guys but probably due to my inexperience, bit rough out there today, did see small flock of these on the breakwater by the allotments, think they are Turnstones, can any of you confirm ? thanks.

 

[Caledonian]

yep, they are!

 

[Jimmycq]

Thanks Rik

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I did manage to get out again late afternoon and spent a bit more time on the south side and around Nigg Bay. I didn't really add too much, although I did see the Common Redstart again at Provost Hogg. Some updated migrant totals for the day: Blackcap 10, Chiffchaff 4, Woodcock 4, Goldcrest 5. Seven Snipe and a Kestrel were in Nigg Bay. I didn't see anymore Black Redstarts but it sounds as if at least three were around today.

Bit annoying that Rattray did better today .

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

An interesting day in Torry, although not one that produced anything outstandingly rare. I was off for a look around the Ness this morning when I got a text from Mark (who was away) saying that he'd heard there'd been an unstreaked acrocephalus warbler near Campbells pub. When I got the text I was about a hundred yards from Campbells, so made a swift detour. The bird wasn't showing when I arrived and I spent perhaps almost an hour or so with Roddy and Schof searching for it. Eventually Roddy, who'd originally seen the bird, refound it in the wasteground on Abbey Road. It soon flew into a garden where Richard and I had some reasonable and prolonged views and I was able to get some pictures. The thinking in the field was very much towards it being a Reed Warbler, but we were quite struck by how small, active and phyllosc-like it seemed. It didn't really seem to look right for anything else though, and the pictures only seemed to confirm the ID. For a bit more info, see here:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=214792

That was the morning taken up anyway. I had some time to look around in the afternoon. Most of the migrants from the other day have now left, with only a light scattering of thrushes remaining. A few warblers were still about with four Blackcaps, four Chiffchaffs and a Goldcrest in various places. A female Black Redstart was on the north shore near the Skate's Nose. Quite a few Bottlenose Dolphins were around, with some quite a long way into the harbour.

Here's perhaps the best shot of the Reed Warbler.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Another reasonably interesting day here on Torry. A mistle thrush was in among the thrushfest on Victoria road. On girdle ness, still a few blackcaps,and a chiffchaff in the battery willows, as well as good numbers of thrushes remaining.

There were 4 snow buntings in the walled garden, and for the first time I actually got a good look at a redpoll, instead of it just flying over. Perhaps surprisingly it was a nailed on lesser redpoll...after the arrivals of the last few days I'd have been half expecting a common.

Pride of place however went to a stonechat (thoroughly checked!) in the scrub between the sewage works and the Nigg marsh. My first here since 2009 I think.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I got out late afternoon today. Quite a few thrushes coming in, with flocks of Blackbirds and Redwings in off the sea. A few Fieldfares were on the golf course. Not too many either migrants, although I didn't look all that hard. One Chiffchaff was on the north bank and the female Black Redstart was again near Skate's Nose. Off the Coo were seven Red-throated Divers and three Common Scoter. Lots of dolphin tomfoolery again. Big news was an update to the Purple Sandpiper Totaliser:

128

Good work folks.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Some nice birds around the Ness this morning, although again nothing extraordinary. It was rather a fine day too, which seemed to bring out a few late Red Admirals and rather a lot of people, many of them participating in some sort of bizarre Halloween-themed fun run.

There was a sprinkling of thrushes but most of yesterday's influx seemed to have moved on. Three Blackcaps were on Abbey Road and the Chiffchaff was again in the bushes below the Battery. Out to sea I noticed a group of eight Whooper Swans sat on the water a mile or two north of the river mouth. Eventually they flew, rather majestically, past the lighthouse. The female Black Redstart was again in the 'regular' spot by Skate's Nose. Pride of place went to the four Snow Buntings, which were showing very well in Walker Park - seemingly unperturbed by the numerous dogs they were sharing the space with.

Off the Coo an Arctic Skua was Kittiwake-bothering and a Harbour Porpoise surfaced a few times. There were again a few Bottlenose Dolphins around and six Red-throated Divers were seen in various places. Six Common Snipe were in the marsh in Nigg Bay.

Here are a couple of Snozza pics.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

So another 'interesting' day in Torry. I didn't actually get out till after 2pm, when the weather brightened up a bit after the morning's mist, rain and drizzle. The recent southeasterlies held some promise but I didn't really find too much in the bushes around Abbey Road, the allmotments and the Battery. There was a scattering of thrushes, with several Song Thrushes and Redwings, but little else.

I headed on towards Greyhope Bay and was a little surprised to see a Northern Wheatear hopping about on the rocks. A bit of a late bird, but I found myself thinking it was a shame it wasn't something rarer. I didn't have long to wait for that though! I continued a little further along the path and noticed another small passerine flitting about on the rocks below. Crivens, I thought (or words to that effect) - it's a male Desert Wheatear! And so it was. It disappeared fairly quickly while I fumbled about for my camera and I had a nervous wait of a couple of minutes before it reappeared. After firing off a few shots I headed down the bank to the top of the beach and was able to watch it zipping about the rocks at fairly close range for quite some time.

It really was a smart bird - quite a small and compact Wheatear, with a longish tail and rather horizontal carriage. The rump was peachy buff with darker central feathers. As was the case with the only other Desert Wheatear I've seen, this was rather a tame bird that seemed fairly oblivious to me. It also fed quite actively, zipping from rock to rock and sometimes going on really acrobatic sallies and showing its black underwing coverts off. Once it went on a particularly sweeping flight up to the top of the ridge and came back with a chunky looking moth in its bill. Five others managed to get there before it got too dark, and all had good views of it flitting about the rocks till dusk.

Also flitting about the rocks was a rather dark looking Chiffchaff, which I wouldn't have minded having a closer look at. Quite odd seeing it hopping about next to a Desert Wheatear.

Here are a few pictures, but there are more on the rare bird thread:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=2282810#post2282810
Hope it stays for the weekend.

 

[MKinHK]

A top on-patch find - congratulations!

Cheers
Mike