Scoter - Firth of Forth (1 Viewer)

[Gander]

I've been seeing what I believe is a flock of Scoter out on the Forth. When I have entered this into Birdtrack, it has flagged up that this is an unusual spot for this time of year.

I have attached photos for confirmation (or otherwise). First photo seems to clearly show the orangey yellow on the bills. Second photo taken a few days later, seems to show the same flock, but with a few Velvets bringing up the rear.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Gender,

first picture shows Common Scoter as you said

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

BirdTrack can be a bit weird with notifications. Scoters (both Common and Velvet) are quite normal on the eastern Scottish coast throughout the year. Around Aberdeen, for example, they are most numerous in summer.

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

BirdTrack can be a bit weird with notifications. Scoters (both Common and Velvet) are quite normal on the eastern Scottish coast throughout the year. Around Aberdeen, for example, they are most numerous in summer.

It's not just Birdtrack, ebird queries all the scoter I see off Blackpool in summer even though they are regular. No matter how many times I say they aren't unusual it never gets changed.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

It's not just Birdtrack, ebird queries all the scoter I see off Blackpool in summer even though they are regular. No matter how many times I say they aren't unusual it never gets changed.

For several years (probably decades) I and others have regularly reported flocks of over 200 Purple Sandpipers at Girdle Ness in Aberdeen. These are still flagged by BirdTrack as an unusually high count. I wonder if these flag limits are ever properly checked and revised, either by BirdTrack or Ebird.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

The ebird thresholds can easily be changed by the local reviewer. I must get round to it at some point...!

 

[Richard Prior]

Aha, you're going to regret mentioning your ebird connection Mark as I have a query perhaps you can help me with!
They have changed the Yard Totals page recently and I can't get it to change regions (it's on United States as default, natch..). any ideas (or someone I can ask, apart from your good self of course)?

 

[Mark Lew1s]

I have no idea I’m afraid! I guess you could ask in the help centre?

 

[birdmeister]

Aha, you're going to regret mentioning your ebird connection Mark as I have a query perhaps you can help me with!
They have changed the Yard Totals page recently and I can't get it to change regions (it's on United States as default, natch..). any ideas (or someone I can ask, apart from your good self of course)?

Took me a while to figure it out, Richard! On the "Yard Totals" page, there should be a little globe image right above the "Yard Totals" label, where you have to manually enter a desired location. I'm not thrilled with the new design myself.

 

[Richard Prior]

Thanks BM, I ‘ll try that later, as the saying goes: “If ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, the previous design was fine I thought.