Been on here now for a few months with occassional id request so thought I'd put up my sightings for the past weekend as I've found them quite interesting, suppose I should put them up the day after or so but here goes anyway.
Started Saturday, (17th) Loch of Skene (Tower side) for a couple of hours, couple of Grey Wagtails as soon as I went through the gates, some Tufted Duck close in by the boathouse, large numbers of Common, Black-headed gulls and Mute Swans on the loch, as well as Goldeneye, Coot, & Mallard. In the woods, Blue, Coal, Great and Long-tailed Tit in various numbers, Treecreeper (2) Chaffinch, Bullfinch and possible Song/Mistle Thrush, couldn't get it long enoough for a proper id, usual Robin, Blackbird, Starling, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Wood Pigeon. 2 Buzzard wheeling overhead, a skein of Pink-footed Geese overhead (c50).
Sunday, started east side of loch, as soon as I got out of car,2 Buzzard on east side of road, heard and glimpsed for about 10 seconds, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit and Blue Tit. On loch finally got a Whooper Swan, known they have been there but never been able to id one positively. Mute Swan, Oystercatcher and Cormorant on the small island, Tufted Duck, and Mallard again. Garlogie Dam next for Dunnock, Robin, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Goldeneye on dam, Buzzard, Pheasant, Rook, Yellowhammer and single Red Kite cruising the tree line. Woodpecker heard but unable to get a bead on it. Cullerlie pond next, more Oysetrcatcher, Wigeon, 2 Common Gull roosting on fence post and another Red Kite overhead being mobbed by Crow. Woods by Banchory next and much of the same, Tits etc. 3 x Buzzard overhead which then came through the woods in line astern with much noise and speed, again could hear Woddpecker drumming but no sighting.
Home via some of the smaller roads and come over a hill into 4 Buzzards and 2 Red Kite wheeling about 50 feet above road and field, after almost hitting the wall trying to get stopped, one of the Kites seemd to be fending off the Buzzards, and doing quite a good job of it, the other Kite had a stick and flew over the tree line, was back within about a minute and swooped on field for another stick, disappeared again, repeated this three times so will have to check out this area again. Buzzards seemed to give up but could be heard on the distance. One of the Kites had wing tags but was moving too fast for an id.
So all in all, a quite pleasant weekend, especially with the weather, and also to cap it all, what started my birdwatching interests (on webcams) about a year ago returned, EJ back on her nest at Loch Garten. A couple of not so good snaps to finish it off, seems like I'm rambling now.