My (mostly) bird observations from my short visit last week. Probably not much of interest to local birders, perhaps of value to someone who doesn't spend much time at the coast, and birds were of secondary importance to cetaceans for most of my trip (see cetaceans thread).
Sunday 28th included perhaps the worst weather I've ever seen in August in the UK, so we missed a few opportunities.
24/08/11 12:55 Torry Battery - 100s of Eider, Kittewakes and Sandwich Terns
13:20 Torry Battery - 3 Wigeon (m)
14:30 Torry Battery - 1 Bonxie, poss distant Shearwater sp
14:45 Several flocks of Goldfinches and Linnets (20s and 30s); 2 Turnstones
16:20 From Stonehaven Harbour - 100s of Gannets offshore
17:20 From Stonehaven Harbour - 2 post-breeding Black Guillemots, 3 Knots and 1 Purple Sandpiper past, 1 Bonxie
19:45 From Royal Hotel, Stonehaven - 3 Shearwaters in distance - prob. Manx
20:10 From Royal Hotel, Stonehaven - 1 Bonxie
20:15 From Royal Hotel, Stonehaven - 1 Arctic Skua
25/08/11 09:00 Torry Battery - 5-6 Turnstones
12:05 Cransdale Watch Point, Collieston - 1 skua sp, weather worsening
12:10 Cransdale Watch Point, Collieston - 1 Northern Wheatear. Weather too unpleasant to encorage further delay.
13:00 Waulkmill Hide, Forvie NNR - 1 Greenshank, 2 Turnstone, 1 Dunlin
13:25 Waulkmill Hide, Forvie NNR - 2 Ospreys, 1 fishing successfully in the river
13:25 Waulkmill Hide, Forvie NNR - several hundred Golden Plovers in various plumages flushed by Ospreys
13:45 met Ian Hay at the Waulkmill Hide, Forvie NNR - weather improving
14:20 Waulkmill Hide - 2 more Ospreys
16:10 Final approach Road to Tod Head - Northern Wheatear - conditions vastly improved
17:15 Tod Head lighthouse - 6+ House Martins (first of the trip)
17:30 Road between Tod Head and Caterline - Peregrine flew in front of the car for 1/4 mile
26/08/11 07:55 Torry Battery - Arctic Skua harrying Sandwich terns
11:15 Newburgh - House Martins visiting nest
12:30 Cransdale Watch Point, Collieston - 1 Red-throated Diver - otherwise very quiet with little bird movement
12:00 Torry Battery - Common and Arctic Terns in amongst Sandwich Terns, 1 Arctic Skua.
15:05 Torry Battery - Pomarine Skua just outside last breakwater
15:40 Torry Battery - 6 Red-breasted Mergansers flew in off the sea
15:50 Torry Battery - 1 Arctic Skua
16:15 Torry Battery - 1 Pomarine Skua inside breakwater (not the same bird as at 15:05)
16:30 Torry Battery - At least 6 skuas (none of them Bonxies) north of the harbour
16:50 Torry Battery - Still lots of skuas
27/08/11 11:15ish Cransdale Watch Point, Collieston - spoke to JosephN briefly in mediocre conditions
12:00 Waulkmill Hide, Forvie NNR - 1 Peregrine, plenty of Knot, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover
12:30 Waulkmill Hide, Forvie NNR - 1 Bar-tailed Godwit
17:30 Torry Battery - 3 Skuas (2 Arctic and one prob Arctic)
17:45 Torry Battery - 5 skuas in scope at same time - 5 Bonxies, 2 Arctics
28/08/11 06:55 From Royal Hotel, Stonehaven - 1 Arctic Skua on sea
07:15 From Royal Hotel, Stonehaven - 2 Bonxies
07:25 From Royal Hotel, Stonehaven - 2 Arctic Skuas close to shore
07:30 From Royal Hotel, Stonehaven - skua sp - further out
07:40 From Royal Hotel, Stonehaven - 2 skuas (sp unknown) further out
07:50 From Royal Hotel, Stonehaven - diver sp flying north distantly
08:00 From Royal Hotel, Stonehaven - 1 Bonxie - weather conditions up to now pleasant and calm
11:30 Cransdale Watch Point, Collieston - 1 Red-throated Diver, 3 close Arctic Skuas, lots of Guillemots during a 15 minute seawatch from the car in appalling and worsening conditions.
15:00 (approx) - Loch of Strathbeg - reserve almost invisible from the visitor centre because of rain. We passed at least three fallen trees.
Hundreds of swallows and martins in just about any area with trees, swooping low over the debris on the road, presumably collecting bugs dislodged by the gales.