Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (6 Viewers)

[Ian Bell]

Peregrines

Both male and female Peregrine on the Triple Kirks this morning,where the male presented an unfortunate Pigeon to the female.Looks like they are settling down nicely.

 

[Joseph N]

Of course you can use the photo Joseph. Can you copy it off here or do I need to e-mail it to you?

I'm really pleased you liked the area so much. You can see why it takes quite a lot to get me to the coast lol.

Fiona

Thank you so much Fiona. I can take your first photo off of here without too much problem, but is it possible I can also have your photo (I know it is slightly blurred) of the Shrike at the closest it got to us too? If so, thank you so much again. You can attach that on a thumbnail in this thread if you wish, and I can save it again.

Thanks,

Joseph

 

[Ian Bell]

I promised Joseph a couple of pics of what the area where the Shrike is looked like in the snow.

The first photo is the forest we walked in and the second is the road we drove along looking for other birds.

They were taken on the 22nd Feb and a couple of days later we had another big dump of snow and the roads were closed again.

Fiona

Great pictures Fiona.They really capture the winter that we have had.How deep was the snow in the area ?

 

[Ken Hall]

I am very pleased too Ken, as I doubt I'll be bumping into either species for a while now. Although, I will probably return to the area in search of the Grouser again. Fiona, thank you very much for those photos, I'll make sure that I keep them in a place where I can admire them. Very nicely taken too. The Clasindarroch and the moorland around Rhynie look fabulous.

Now for a wee plea. :-O I would like to ask of you both (Ken and Fiona) if I could use your photos for my blog, as I am currently writing about my experiences of seeing the Shrike and the Black Grouse. Fiona, of your photos is it ok if I use your one of the Great Grey Shrike? If you agree, thank you very much! And Ken, is it possible I can use both of yours? The reason I would like to use your photos is to enhance the evocativness of my blog entry, so the reader can really imagine what I am experiencing and can see for themselves the pictures of the birds that I'm seeing. I'll make sure that I credit you both in my blog entry if you agree. Countless thanks if you do. Once I have completed the entry, you can read it if you wish.

All the best,

Joseph

you are very welcome Joseph, I just wish they were better quality.

Ken

 

[Joseph N]

you are very welcome Joseph, I just wish they were better quality.

Ken

Thanks Ken. Your Black Grouse picture is fantastic, there's no doubt about that.

 

[Stonefaction]

Followed in Gus's footsteps and headed northwards today. Travelled up through Glenshee and had a rather smart Ptarmigan fly across the road right in front of the car and land near the side of the road on the downhill stretch after the ski centre.
Onwards towards Rhynie, and managed to find 4 Black Grouse in a field literally round the corner from the Shrike place. A lifer for me.
Then round to the car park to look for the Shrike. Scanned the willows from left to right and got him sitting in the top of the 4th one. Gestured for my girlfriend to come over for a look through the scope. I raised my camera to get a photo and it flew off up the hill (snapped a couple anyway - not very sharp....but will do as a record shot). Another lifer.

(Headed into Moray after that and added King Eider at Burghead (yet another lifer!) followed by a rather smart male Hen Harrier over the fields near Mains of Dalvey on the A95).
What a day!

 

[delia todd]

What a day indeed, Stonefaction. All those Lifers - it'll be a day you won't forget in a hurry!:-O

I went the other way to Ninewells:-C Though I'm pretty sure I saw a Raven from the bus!

D

 

[Stonefaction]

Certainly won't forget today in a hurry, Delia.

(Co-incidentally, I work in Ninewells....we get nesting Oystercatchers and Herring Gulls, plus Goldcrests, Dunnocks, Chaffinches and Blue Tits around the car parks area, and there is a Peregrine which patrols the area from the tall chimney at the east end of the grounds. Also had Bullfinch and Waxwing from work this Winter).

 

[delia todd]

Certainly won't forget today in a hurry, Delia.

(Co-incidentally, I work in Ninewells....we get nesting Oystercatchers and Herring Gulls, plus Goldcrests, Dunnocks, Chaffinches and Blue Tits around the car parks area, and there is a Peregrine which patrols the area from the tall chimney at the east end of the grounds. Also had Bullfinch and Waxwing from work this Winter).

Gosh... that's a pretty good Patch then isn't it!

A small world... I worked there for 6 weeks not long after it opened in ummm... 1973 I think - what a difference now, it's like arriving at an airport!

D

 

[Tree Sparrow]

Thank you so much Fiona. I can take your first photo off of here without too much problem, but is it possible I can also have your photo (I know it is slightly blurred) of the Shrike at the closest it got to us too? If so, thank you so much again. You can attach that on a thumbnail in this thread if you wish, and I can save it again.

Thanks,

Joseph

You're in luck. I'd deleted the photos I took that day as even though the Shrike was closer, it was facing more front on and I prefered the earlier photo as it showed the markings better. However I hadn't emptied my trash can so I was able to retrieve it.

Here it is.

 

[Tree Sparrow]

Great pictures Fiona.They really capture the winter that we have had.How deep was the snow in the area ?

I really don't know, only that it was far too much. :-O

 

[Ken Hall]

If anyone's in the Collieston area, keep a look out for a Bewick's Swan. There was one reported there a few days ago, and today I saw one in a field between the Collieston crossroads and Waulkmill. It was with a Whooper Swan, just the two of them side by side, with the size difference and different bill pattern very obvious. Also still four Long-tailed Ducks on the Ythan estuary.

 

[Joseph N]

Ah that's good to see Ken. With a bit of luck I'll head down there to have another look for it (I tried on Sunday) on Friday afternoon. Will be busy during the weekend so it is the only time I can make. Bewick's Swan is probably my worst 'bogey' as such, so it would be good to catch up with it. Which field did you see it in? Was it in the big field which you can see from the estuary, or was it in one of the smaller fields you can see to your left as your travelling up from Waulkmill?

By the way I have finished my blog entry on the Great Grey Shrike, so if any of you want to read it or give feedback on it that would be much appreciated. Fiona, I've put your close up of the Great Grey Shrike to good use. Thank you for letting me use that. Also thanks Ken for your Black Grouse photo and the photo of the willows the Shrike was on.

 

[Ken Hall]

Ah that's good to see Ken. With a bit of luck I'll head down there to have another look for it (I tried on Sunday) on Friday afternoon. Will be busy during the weekend so it is the only time I can make. Bewick's Swan is probably my worst 'bogey' as such, so it would be good to catch up with it. Which field did you see it in? Was it in the big field which you can see from the estuary, or was it in one of the smaller fields you can see to your left as your travelling up from Waulkmill?

By the way I have finished my blog entry on the Great Grey Shrike, so if any of you want to read it or give feedback on it that would be much appreciated. Fiona, I've put your close up of the Great Grey Shrike to good use. Thank you for letting me use that. Also thanks Ken for your Black Grouse photo and the photo of the willows the Shrike was on.

The Whooper and Bewick's were in a field to your right as you drive towards Waulkmill from the crossroads - BUT - they both flew off together as we left, and I didn't see which way they went. We were on our way to Haddo House to do some photograhy for the NTS so we couldn't stop longer. Most of the fields have now been ploughed, few green ones left, so better check the whole area. Best of luck.

 

[Joseph N]

Thank you for the information Ken. If the weather is ok tomorrow I will maybe head up to look for it. If not, I may head there on Monday morning.

 

[Tree Sparrow]

Once I have completed the entry, you can read it if you wish.

All the best,

Joseph

I really enjoyed reading your blog Joseph. In fact I shall have to read some of the earlier accounts!

I had to go to Banchory today, via Elgin on the way to drop a car off, but came back via the Shrike. Bit of a waste of time as I could only just see the nearest willow bush that it perched on, the rest were all lost in the gloom of the fog/mist/cloud. A real shame, as if it was still there I thought my OH might show a glimmer of interest :-O. Thank goodness it wasn't like that at the weekend!

Fiona

 

[Tree Sparrow]

Hi Fiona, the Hooded Crows were in a grass field next to the road, I spotted one in a small tree and stopped so Alex could see it, then we saw 2 more further over the field on the ground with ordinary crows.

I had to go to Elgin this morning and I was keeping an eye out and yet again I saw a Hooded Crow in the same place.

Did you stop where there is a small farm on the left hand side? That is where I always spot them, between the farm on the left and a farm a bit further on on the right. Stupidly I never stop as I always seem to be in a rush when I go to Elgin but I think I might make a bit of an effort to check them out as I've always wondered if they are true Hooded Crows or crossed with Carrion Crow.

 

[Joseph N]

I really enjoyed reading your blog Joseph. In fact I shall have to read some of the earlier accounts!

I had to go to Banchory today, via Elgin on the way to drop a car off, but came back via the Shrike. Bit of a waste of time as I could only just see the nearest willow bush that it perched on, the rest were all lost in the gloom of the fog/mist/cloud. A real shame, as if it was still there I thought my OH might show a glimmer of interest :-O. Thank goodness it wasn't like that at the weekend!

Fiona

Thanks very much for the complimenting my blog Fiona. It's good to hear the Shrike is still there.

 

[Tree Sparrow]

Thanks very much for the complimenting my blog Fiona. It's good to hear the Shrike is still there.

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough, I've no idea if the Shrike is still there or not! It was so foggy I could barely see a thing.

 

[Joseph N]

Oh. Blame me for my misunderstanding. :-O Anyway, looks like I 'm going out tomorrow afternoon after school briefly, so I'll report back if the Bewick's is still there + anything else.