Birds fae Torry (3 Viewers)

[Andrew Whitehouse]

On a lighter note, is this courtship? Three ringed plovers running onto the GreyHope "beach" while I could hear others further west on the rocks.
View attachment 1511592

Something along those lines. I wonder if it's the local birds or maybe some migrants passing through on their way further north.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

And this is one-up-manship? Is it almost like lekking? They gained a large audience.
View attachment LightHouse 23,5,12 gull tug of war cut comp .mov

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Something along those lines. I wonder if it's the local birds or maybe some migrants passing through on their way further north.

Definitely "behaviour". Holding up their wings like that must mean something.
Not last year's babies coming back to breed?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Definitely "behaviour". Holding up their wings like that must mean something.
Not last year's babies coming back to breed?

It could be that the ones breeding in Walker Park are ones that were hatched here in the past, I suppose. At this time of year, we get an odd mixture of local breeders and migrating birds (probably tundrae subspecies) that will breed much further north.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

It could be that the ones breeding in Walker Park are ones that were hatched here in the past, I suppose. At this time of year, we get an odd mixture of local breeders and migrating birds (probably tundrae subspecies) that will breed much further north.

The ones that fledged on the GreyHope rubbly beach aren't old enough to breed yet?

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Noticed there was the first fledgling being fed by our feeders just now. When I looked, it was a greenfinch chick!
Hardly ever had them in our garden and now they must be nesting nearby.

 

[delia todd]

Nice one - it's great to know that you've got some breeding beside you and how lovely to get a sighting of one being fed too!!

I heard some signing around the area of my flat in the Spring, so hopefully they've been nesting. It's a very long time since they came to my feeders.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The ones that fledged on the GreyHope rubbly beach aren't old enough to breed yet?

Would be surprised if ones from last year are ready to breed yet, but further back and they could be.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A fairly warm, sunny day here in Torry. Things were generally quiet around the headland but the Knot was still in Greyhope Bay, along with a Dunlin. A Whimbrel was on the golf course. The two Ringed Plover chicks were still in Walker Park. I suspect a pair may also be trying to breed somewhere in Greyhope Bay, although I've not seen any chicks yet. That might explain the territorial behaviour people have been seeing. An Orange Tip along the north bank was good to see - I think the first I've seen around the headland.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Nice one - it's great to know that you've got some breeding beside you and how lovely to get a sighting of one being fed too!!

I heard some signing around the area of my flat in the Spring, so hopefully they've been nesting. It's a very long time since they came to my feeders.

What do you put in your feeders?
We still put out fat balls and peanuts. Niger seeds were a battle because the slitty feeders fell apart/blocked so quickly and my own versions were never really successful.
Sunflower seeds have changed the demographics of the feeders. We get SO MANY gold finches now but fewer starlings. The chaffinches and greenfinches are new this year.
We have 4 feeders sunflower seeds. One is more private and that empties first. But there are 3 hanging side by side off the same stand. The middle feeder is always the last to empty. Don't know why.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

An Orange Tip along the north bank was good to see - I think the first I've seen around the headland.

Saw an orange tip moments after talking to you on your BIG DAY. It was the first I'd seen in St F's. It wouldn't sit still long enough to be papped.

 

[delia todd]

What do you put in your feeders?
We still put out fat balls and peanuts. Niger seeds were a battle because the slitty feeders fell apart/blocked so quickly and my own versions were never really successful.
Sunflower seeds have changed the demographics of the feeders. We get SO MANY gold finches now but fewer starlings. The chaffinches and greenfinches are new this year.
We have 4 feeders sunflower seeds. One is more private and that empties first. But there are 3 hanging side by side off the same stand. The middle feeder is always the last to empty. Don't know why.

I have a pole feeder with mixed seeds, fat balls and peanuts. Also a coconut and hanging seed feeder in a hedge just behind it. That seed feeder gets emptied first. The birds sometimes ignore the fat balls and coconut for weeks then can't get enough of them!!

The seed feeders I add dried mealworms, sunflower hearts, black sunflower seeds and those little suet pellets. I tried a nijer feeder, but it was completely ignore and went rotten, so haven't repeated that one.

The seed feeder in the hedge is eaten first, then they decide to eat from the one on the pole. Exactly the same feed. The trays on the pole (I discarded the water one as it just wasn't used and got really messy). So there's no two seed feeders there. That has a ground and table mix, to which I add mealworms and the little suet pellets. They also get some chopped up apple and grapes and occasionally wholemeal bread.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

It was another fine evening and I had a good walk around the headland. A Whimbrel was again strolling about on the golf course and there were 15 Purple Sandpipers and ten Turnstones in Greyhope Bay. Offshore 36 Common Scoters and a Puffin went north. 16 Swifts were over Torry at dusk.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Pretty comprehensive smorgasbord!
We use calciworms (soldier fly larvae) in with the sunflower seeds - better calcium than mealworms. (Anna in Fat Cat got me a 5kg bag.) Good for hedgehogs too. The birds (esp starlings) love the coconut halves filled with fat. The fat balls often go unnoticed and go mouldy. But the last few days, the magpie scramble through our densely-twigged bird cherry to get to them.
We have two ponds so don't bother putting out water for the birds. But the hedgehogs appreciate a bowl in the middle of summer.
Turns out foxes love pears. One went as soon as I put it out last night.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

A Whimbrel

In much better light than a few weeks ago. Think in other countries it's called something like "sun shine".

Swifts

Being one since I was 3 months old, I watched "Ten Pound Poms". But I was put off by one of the early scenes when they got to the docks to board the boat for Oz. There were piles of snow everywhere but you could hear the swifts flying over.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

The Torry Bar has a new customer.
View attachment HARBOUR 23,5,26 oystercatcher chick on Torry Bar roof 4.mov

 

[Cucurrucucu]

This pretty little thing is a common gull?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

This pretty little thing is a common gull?View attachment 1512166

Yes, quite a lot immatures around at the moment.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I went around the headland this evening with fairly low expectations, which it certainly exceeded. The Whimbrel was again about, initially in Greyhope Bay before heading back to the golf course. Later it was back on the shore. Also around there were two Purple Sandpipers. The Ringed Plovers seem to have taken at least one of their chicks down to the eastern end of the bay.

I started seawatching but it was fairly ordinary so I decided to head back home. I made a quick check on Nigg Bay before having a final scan out to sea. As I did so, I picked out a small skua heading north. I suspected it was an Arctic but it was a bit windy where I was standing and I couldn't see it clearly. Despite my expectations, it did feel a bit interesting. I briskly went back down to the shelter of the foghorn and soon got back on it. Once I'd zoomed in, it was clear it was a lovely adult Long-tailed Skua. It continued steadily on northwards, perhaps a kilometre out. I managed to get some top quality shots before it disappeared, which you can enjoy below.

Encouraged, I continued for another hour. About ten minutes later, and almost equally good adult Pomarine Skua went through, showing a bit more interest in the local birds than the Long-tailed had. The only other skua was a Bonxie. Other birds going through included three Manx Shearwaters, two Puffins and a Common Scoter.

 

[tjbw]

On Thursday I had a walk around St Fittick's. Sightings included 3 Rook, 3 Bullfinch, Willow Warbler. There was a bird calling from trees by railway at triangle field, audio file below.
Two Black Guillemot were in Nigg Bay.
At Greyhope Bay there were 11 Sandwich Tern on the rocks, also Red Knot, 11 Purple Sandpiper, 10 Turnstone, 3 Common Ringed Plover.There was also a Common Ringed Plover at Walker Park.

On Friday I returned hoping to find the Whimbrel, and there it was on the rocks.

Hope I managed to get photo ids correct this time.

Barry