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Birds fae Torry (3 Viewers)

I went round the Ness in fairly boisterous winds this afternoon. A very high tide produced good numbers of waders, including 126 Oystercatchers, 96 Turnstone and four Knot. Three Wheatears were along the north shore. The juvenile Black Guillemot was still around, quite close to the shore below the Coo. Out to sea there were a lot of common seabirds and also single Arctic Terns and Manx Shearwaters.

There are still Swifts around. Two went south this morning then I had two coming in off the sea in the afternoon. In the evening six passed over Victoria Road.
 
I had a reasonably interesting wander round the Ness today even though the conditions weren't all that promising. Most notable were at least four Whinchats, spread between the north side of the golf course and Greyhope Bay. There were also at least eleven Wheatears.

Offshore was fairly quiet but there was a Bonxie going north, as well as ten Common Scoters and a Red-throated Diver.

A juvenile Black-tailed Godwit flew south over the golf course, calling as it went. I also heard a Whimbrel going over.

As it's now September and officially autumn, it's about time we fired up the old Purple Sandpiper Totaliser:

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And we're off!

Keeping a hand in for summer was a single Swift over Victoria Road this evening.
 

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As it's now September and officially autumn, it's about time we fired up the old Purple Sandpiper Totaliser:

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Click to expand...

:-O Well you've got to start somewhere I suppose Andrew!!

I've not see/heard Swifts here for weeks now!
 
At least 35 Swifts over the harbour this morning, probably moving through. There was quite noticeable vis mig happening, with good numbers of Meadow Pipits and smaller numbers of Pied Wagtails, Swallows, Sand and House Martins.
 
Similar to Andrew,I had at least 20 Swifts over Abbey Place/Balnagask Road at 1830,followed by a dozen House Martins shortly after.
I dont keep dates but this must be the latest Swifts I have ever seen In Torry.
 
Yes, I saw at least ten Swifts this evening. Most were flying quite low over the south side of the golf course but a couple were over Victoria Road.

I should add to this morning's notes that I also saw a small distant flock of geese. They were too far away to ID but others have been seeing quite a few (very early) Pink-footed Geese today so I presume that was what they were. Quite odd to have Pink-feet arriving on a day when there are still loads of Swifts around. Strange times.

I had a look around the Ness this evening. Birds were quite similar to yesterday. Three Whinchats were near the Battery and there were ten Wheatears scattered across the golf course. In Greyhope Bay there was a large flock of 50 Knot, almost all juveniles. A quick look out to sea turned up a Bonxie and two Arctic Skuas.
 
Another day with the peculiar mix of geese and Swifts. Five Swifts went south over the harbour this morning and 57 Pink-footed Geese also went through. Quite an obvious southward passage of Meadow Pipits and Swallows too.
 
I still had my local House Martin pair,feeding young (3rd brood) at the nest on Wednesday on Balnagask Road.Shall have to have a look today,to see If they are still there.
 
Despite there being hordes of good seabirds further south today, things were rather quiet here. Offshore the best of it were singles of Arctic Skua and Bonxie and a couple of Wigeon. The juvenile Black Guillemot was again around off the Coo. Eight Knot include seven going north and there was also a Dunlin and a Purple Sandpiper. One Wheatear was on the golf course.
 
I was out for quite a bit of the day today. It was interesting without ever really taking off. Probably the most notable bird was seen early: a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker at Baxter Place. A good look around Nigg Bay didn't pull out anything particularly major but there were two Goldcrests, four Chiffchaffs, three Sedge Warblers and a juvenile Bullfinch. A group of five Wigeon and three Teal were seen flying over the golf course in the distance.

An afternoon look around the Ness was largely uneventful. Two each of Knot and Dunlin were the best of the waders. A Red-breasted Merganser was with the Eiders off the Coo. Three more Teal went south. Two Sand Martins were over the golf course. I'm really starting to yearn for some proper easterlies.
 

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There are still house martin's working the area around the lochan at my work, just west of Aberdeen, just as they have all summer. The weather is still nice, but I do wonder for how many more days we'll have their company this year.
In Stonehaven in the evenings right now there are tens if not hundreds of house martins, sand martins and swifts up high - they can't all be local birds, so they must be passing through. Autumn is here.
 
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The Swallows are still feeding young in the Coo. Not too much else around today. Offshore there were single Great and Arctic Skuas. A Dunlin was among the waders and two Wheatears were on the golf course.
 
It was a bit livelier this afternoon even if there wasn't anything major around. Most noticeable was the sizeable passage of Pink-footed Geese with 427 counted. A few very distant flocks were probably this species too, so the actual numbers were no doubt quite a bit higher. Most were going through out to sea or were coming in off.

Also out to sea were substantial numbers of feeding Kittiwakes and Gannets, creating quite a spectacle. Passage included three Bonxies, an Arctic Skua and seven Manx Shearwaters. Three Knot went north and another was on Greyhope Bay. The Purple Sandpiper Totaliser also shot right up:

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A Pheasant called unseen from somewhere in the allotments.
 
I had a fairly good look around today. The most interesting thing in the Nigg Bay area is that the marsh is being 'managed' at the moment, with quite a bit of the vegetation being cut out. It gives a much clearer view and will probably help to stop it clogging up too much. A very young Moorhen was in there - maybe a third brood? Other birds in that area included a single Redpoll, four Chiffchaffs, three Goldcrests, three Bullfinches and a Blackcap.

A look round the Ness in the afternoon almost immediately turned up my first Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn at the allotments. It was initially heard calling and then was seen in the small trees in the southwestern part before showing fairly well in the grass dump. It was brielfy heard and seen in the same area at dusk. I think this might be the earliest I've seen Yellow-browed Warbler in the area.

Other birds included four scrappy looking Pheasants, five Goosander, four Knot, 14 Ringed Plovers, three Dunlin, a Chiffchaff and two Sandwich Terns. Four Manx Shearwaters went north out to sea.
 

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A scattering of migrants here today, in pleasant hazy sunshine. The battery held a Whinchat, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler (with bill stained pink from eating blackberries). At the allotments there were at least two Yellow-browed Warblers. One was in the same area as yesterday and showed quite well at times. Two were calling together nearby on the north bank, one of which was seen. It could be that the two included the initial bird but they could have been different. There was also a Redstart briefly at the grass dump.

Otherwise, a Goldeneye whizzed around the harbour and there were two Black Guillemots just off the Coo. Waders included a Dunlin and two Knot. On the way back through Torry I had good views of a Treecreeper along Victoria Road.
 

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