Birds fae Torry (3 Viewers)

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Back to the patch!

I was a bit full of cold (or something like that - it was a bit nasty whatever it was) over New Year, but I'm much perkier now. And I've been around the Ness a couple of times. It's not been what you'd call rammed with quality rares. Or even commons. There aren't too many birds about at all, something that can surely only be attributed to hordes of reckless photographers harrassing the unassuming birds of the Grampian coast. I've not seen anyone doing this yet, but if they do then rest assured they will be 'named and shamed'. This seems to be the only way they'll listen and the only way I'll start seeing some birds again.

Anyway, what have I seen? Well, Bottlenose Dolphins have been very much 'on the go'. I think I've seen them every day so far this year - usually about 3 or 4 including a mother and calf. There's been the usual throng of Purple Sandpipers - up to around 150. Several Ringed Plovers on Greyhope Bay too. Ermm, up to 3 Red-breasted Mergansers. A pair of Goosanders by Victoria Bridge yesterday. Errmm, struggling a bit now. Not many gulls, although a good roost of Common Gulls still in Nigg Bay. It's not that good is it. And now the 'West Country' seems to be getting all the good northern birds that we should be getting. What's their game?

Some 'habitat' pictures:
1. There seems to have been a landslide on the north bank. Behold the terrifying power of the Earth's crust.
2. It's around this time of the year that car parks and ditches the length of this great land of ours become strewn with discarded clothes and toys. I often wonder what the cause of all this is. Is it (a) kids had great Christmas presents and so they're throwing out all their old stuff? Is it (b) kids don't like their new presents so they get chucked? Or is it (c) the product of a terrifying family breakdown over the festive season.
3. It's been a bit cold lately so there's ice on the river. Well, more particularly it's been cold further up Deeside, as you may have seen mentioned on our nation's august news services. It actually got a bit colder there last winter but this didn't get reported because it wasn't cold in England at the time. I've yet to see any Ivory Gulls floating on the ice. Or Polar Bears or Walrusses for that matter.

 

[turkish van]

I'm always surprised at how you can write so much about very little and still make it funny!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Balancing and elephant on a pinhead

I'm always surprised at how you can write so much about very little and still make it funny!

Well, if there's one thing my anthropological training has taught me it's to spin a yarn from the merest fragment of interesting data.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I did see a pair of Velvet Scoters going north on Saturday, which was sort of vaguely interesting.

 

[Ken Hall]

Went to The Ness today in an attempt to boost my 2009 list. I saw one (1) Rock Pipit. Where have they all gone? The Freak was on the beach at the Bay of Nigg (albino Oystercatcher), 2 Red-throated Divers among the Eiders off the foghorn, a Shag flew past, and the Purple Sandpipers were stacked up on the old breakwater. I thought you might like to see a photo of them, so here it is. There are about 195 on the photo, and there were about another 20 out of shot. And I can reassure everyone that not a single purp was harassed or stressed in any way in the obtaining of this photographic record by your caring and sensitive cameraman. Then a big wave came along and flushed them. But they came right back, so that's OK then.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I think I should probably take pictures like that to do the Purple Sandpiper Totaliser in future. Then we can all see the great work that's being done!

Not actually very near Torry or Girdle Ness, but I was slightly surprised to see a female Scaup on the River Don in Seaton Park this afternoon. I think if it was the birdline or something they'd say "At Girdle Ness today 215 Purple Sandpipers and the Freak. Nearby at Seaton Park a female Scaup on the River Don. Please view from a sensible distance to avoid flushing the bird." That's what they'd say, I reckon.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Well, if there's one thing my anthropological training has taught me it's to spin a yarn from the merest fragment of interesting data.

But piles of discarded clothes don't even make the 'merest fragment' qualification if relating to interesting data

I do like this thread though. Bit disappointed at the lack of Wrens recently though.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

But piles of discarded clothes don't even make the 'merest fragment' qualification if relating to interesting data

I do like this thread though. Bit disappointed at the lack of Wrens recently though.

Glad you're enjoying it. Wrens are common now, so I don't bother mentioning them .

 

[Ian Bell]

3 Piers For Torry...hip,hip hooray !

The Piers around the "Ness" all have local,well known Torry names.The one beside the "Sycamore" is the Banana Pier.The one just along from the Banana,is called the "Skates Nose" and the last but largest one is known locally,as the "Breakwater Pier".

Not that anyone will give a monkeys but I thought I would mention this.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The Piers around the "Ness" all have local,well known Torry names.The one beside the "Sycamore" is the Banana Pier.The one just along from the Banana,is called the "Skates Nose" and the last but largest one is known locally,as the "Breakwater Pier".

Not that anyone will give a monkeys but I thought I would mention this.

I quite like the Skates Nose and can see why that might have got its name. The Breakwater Pier makes sense because I can never decide whether to call it a pier or a breakwater. I'm interested in the origins of the Banana Pier though. It doesn't really look like a banana, unless you're particularly imaginative.

 

[Ian Bell]

There is a slight curve on the Banana Pier and I Imagine,that is where the Banana connection comes from.These names have been used by locals for many,many years and it would be great,if they were used by us BirdForum members.The "Torry Coo" (a Lighthouse on the Ness,for those who dont know) is also a great name.

 

[Moraybirdlover]

Perhaps it was where all the banana boats that had already been down the clyde were berthed?!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

After a crisp week, today marked a real change in the weather with gloomy skies and some 'hard to stand up in' wind. A real howling southerly was roaring up the coast, making birding rather complicated. The Eiders were sheltering in the harbour or in Greyhope Bay but I couldn't, as they say, 'do anything with them'. At least 100 Purple Sandpipers were roosting on the shore of Greyhope and a couple of Bottlenose Dolphins surfaced through the waves.

Up at the Coo there was at least some shelter and I thought I'd try a bit of seawatching. I was fairly quickly joined by Mark and there was actually a reasonable amount moving for the time of year, with almost everything heading south. There was a steady stream of Kittiwakes and a lot of Fulmars. It was amongst these that the 'bird of the day' appeared - a lovely smoky grey Blue Fulmar. This isn't a bird I see very often and they always look 'rare' somehow - maybe a bit reminiscent of a Pterodroma petrel. A lot of Guillemots were on the sea and two Red-throated Divers and a Gannet flew south, the latter my first of the year.

 

[Jos Stratford]

At least 100 Purple Sandpipers were roosting ...

Slacker, what's with 'at least', we've come to expect exact totals, none of this lazy stuff. You'll be off twitching next!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Slacker, what's with 'at least', we've come to expect exact totals, none of this lazy stuff. You'll be off twitching next!

Well, I was just being accurate about my inaccuracy . Anyway, I knew it wasn't a Totaliser count, so it wasn't so urgent.

Anyway, I didn't go twitching today and in fact only managed a short wander along the north side just before it got dark. I was hoping to hit some quality gull action but... nada, rhien, niet, as they say in an assortment of other countries. But I was rewarded with a close but fleeting view of a Short-eared Owl drifting along the north bank. I think it's well over a year since I last saw one at Girdle Ness.

Lots of Bottlenose Dolphin activity again today, with several about. Many were well into the harbour, up around the Banana Pier as we must now call it. Also in the harbour were two Red-breasted Mergansers and a similar number of Red-throated Divers.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Bugger...that owl would have been nice! All I could muster up yesterday was another blue fulmar. Good passage of RTD's though, about 11 south in an hour.

 

[Jos Stratford]

I was just being accurate...


Also in the harbour were two Red-breasted Mergansers and a similar number of Red-throated Divers.

Whilst on the roll about lack of accurate totals I have to say your count of Red-throated Divers certainly brings a smile ...the number of birds was similar to two! So what's that, there was only one? Or there were three? :-O

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Whilst on the roll about lack of accurate totals I have to say your count of Red-throated Divers certainly brings a smile ...the number of birds was similar to two! So what's that, there was only one? Or there were three? :-O

It was similar to two in the way that a brace or a pair are similar to two. In no respect was it dissimilar to two. Does that help ?

Glad you managed a Blue Fulmar Mark - I see it's even provoked you into updating your blog !

 

[Mark Lew1s]

yeah it's about time I got my finger out! In the process of getting the computer fixed up so expect some hard core blogging in february. Just have to find something to write about now.....

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

It was a nice day here today. In fact I met a lady whilst out walking round the Ness who told me it was a nice day about three times in as many seconds. Which was maybe overstating things a bit. It was a bit cloudy. I'd give it a 7 out of 10.

I had a look for birds, as I often do. It still isn't happening on the gull front. There were at least some Purple Sandpipers to keep me happy, dodging the waves on the 'Skate's Nose'. I know some readers of this thread like some precision as far as numbers are concerned. Well I can say, with meticulous precision, that there were 240 roosting. Or thereabouts.

On the sea: 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and a dissimilar number of Red-throated Divers. 5 in fact.

I had a scan over the rough grassland on Tullos Hill and soon found a Short-eared Owl quartering. Eventually it seemed to drift over towards Girdle Ness but was lost from view. Maybe the same one I saw the other day. There were also a couple of Kestrels around.

 

[Jos Stratford]

I know some readers of this thread like some precision as far as numbers are concerned. Well I can say, with meticulous precision, that there were 240 roosting. Or thereabouts.

On the sea: 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and a dissimilar number of Red-throated Divers. 5 in fact.

:-O