Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (7 Viewers)

Capercaillie71 said:

They are indeed Grey Squirrels - hopefully soon to be eradicated . Red and Grey Squirrels don't hybridise.

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Total nightmare if they did!

Ken Hall said:

Total nightmare if they did!

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Theoretically they could though couldn't they? I mean they are in the same genus and have the same amount of chromosones...

Ah ha! I can finally contribute to this thread as I was in Aberdeenshire today. More by accident than intention :-O.

I set out this morning, yet again planning to look for crested tits but the rain started coming down so I thought I'd drive South as there is usually something to see from the car. First bird I saw in Aberdeenshire was a kestrel.......well I first saw it in Aberdeenshire but in a couple of seconds it was over the border into Moray, landing on a telegraph pole. By the time I'd got the camera out and taken a couple of shots I realised it had already moved on so I just had photos of the pole! Then a lbj flew into a bush which turned out to be a female stonechat, again it was "just" in Moray. Drove on across the "border" and parked up where I had great views of the countryside.......which unfortunately was devoid of birds. The rain eased and the noise of several birds in the forestry across the road encouraged me to get out of the car. Lots of chaffinch, a couple of willow warblers, a juve robin, several coal tits and 3 spotted flycatchers. I don't know about anyone else but after only seeing one spotted fly last year I don't seem to be able to go anywhere without seeing them this year. I was sure there was something else in amongst the group but the midges descended in a fog around me so I decided to walk to get away from them.

I went a bit further on and came across what looked like the kind of den I used to make as a child. Had a look in expecting to see bottles of booze and rubbish etc but it was clean. Thought about how it was positioned and decided someone had made a hide :t:. That's really useful to know for the future as it overlooks an area of very young conifers and rough grassland.

Continued on my way, taking a new route that I hadn't gone before, checking the trees for old nest sites. Didn't find any but did see yet more spotted flys. Came across a possible badger poo with lots of barley in it, a bit of a coincidence as I found found one close to home only a couple of days ago which was virtually all barley........I'll have to ask in the mammal section if badgers eat barley, it seems more likely than a fox.

Managed to make a circular route back to the car and thought about heading for home but there were a couple of rocky outcrops that I could see in the distance that were calling to me so decided to drive on a bit and see if I could find a way up to them. Conveniently there was a track where I could park which I was sure would lead me in the right direction so parked up and started off. A fairly easy route and managed to find my way with a couple of helpful tips from a dog walker (the only person I saw on my travels). Just a shame the weather was so rubbish as the views north and south would have been amazing. Climbed up to the top of the rocks and got my usual vertigo, I really don't like heights, found a new wildflower for me which I'll have to get checked out in the flower section as my Observers book of wild flowers 1972 edition doesn't seem to have it in and googling hasn't found it either. At least I was able to get a mobile signal at the top to let OH know that that I was OK and would be back in an hour or so. Only birds I saw there were wood pigeon, coal tit and wren. Oh, and lots of feathers from a bird kill which is something else I'll have to check on.

On my way home (and ok this is back in Moray again) saw about 15 mistle thrush, 2 more kestrels and of course several buzzard. Doesn't compare with the 50 plus mistles I saw close to home the other day. I've no idea how many there were but I counted at least 30 in a photo I took of a tree they were landing in and they just seemed to keep on coming and coming. Quite an amazing sight to be honest.

I'll have bored you all to tears by now so I'll shut up but I just couldn't resist adding to the "Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire" thread when I got the chance :gh:.

TS

Tree Sparrow said:

Came across a possible badger poo with lots of barley in it, a bit of a coincidence as I found found one close to home only a couple of days ago which was virtually all barley........I'll have to ask in the mammal section if badgers eat barley, it seems more likely than a fox.

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I found badger poo full of Barley a couple of years ago (in Moray!). I could be certain it was badger as it was close to a sett and in a latrine pit. They probably eat quite a lot of grain at this time of year as it is ripening.

Well done TS. At last someone has managed to write an interesting report . I was particularly interested in your Mistle Thrush count. Last week I had 75 of them just outside the garden, perched along some electricity wires. It seems to be a traditional gathering spot for post breeding flocks, but this is the highest count yet. When I put it on the BTO Bird Atlas as a Roving Record I got the red "unusually high count" message (a euphemism for you must be joking surely). I'll look forward to reading your next report.

Forgot to add, I too have been seeing more Spotted Flys this year than in previous years. Are there more around or are my skills improving?

Capercaillie71 said:

I found badger poo full of Barley a couple of years ago (in Moray!). I could be certain it was badger as it was close to a sett and in a latrine pit. They probably eat quite a lot of grain at this time of year as it is ripening.

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The only latrine pit I've found is a couple of miles away. The one I found today was on it's own and I have no idea if there is a sett nearby. I know for certain that the one I found close to home isn't near a sett. There are badgers within a mile but definitely no badgers setting up home here. The only sighting of a badger here was in late July a couple of years ago. My feeling is that it could be the youngsters exploring new territory. The ground is very wet so I doubt they'll ever settle here. I should make the effort and spend a bit of time watching for them at this time of year.

Where abouts in Moray did you see the badger poo? PM me as I'd be interested to know and I can tell you where I saw a latrine too. Always a bit wary of giving details of where badgers are on a public forum in case the wrong sort of people are reading.

TS

Ken Hall said:

Well done TS. At last someone has managed to write an interesting report . I was particularly interested in your Mistle Thrush count. Last week I had 75 of them just outside the garden, perched along some electricity wires. It seems to be a traditional gathering spot for post breeding flocks, but this is the highest count yet. When I put it on the BTO Bird Atlas as a Roving Record I got the red "unusually high count" message (a euphemism for you must be joking surely). I'll look forward to reading your next report.

Forgot to add, I too have been seeing more Spotted Flys this year than in previous years. Are there more around or are my skills improving?

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Interesting report?!! It was a load of waffle with very few birds :-O. Me thinks you're trying to wind up everyone else . However it was a very enjoyable day for me.

Now I have a question for you. I get a bit confused about whether to put in roving records for birds outside of the breeding time. On the Atlas page it says they want to know about "breeding evidence" of birds out of the normal breeding time but do they want records such as the large numbers of mistle thrush........or about the LEO that I had in my garden the other day? I really would like to put in the LEO as it would be the only one for my 10km square and surely the numbers of mistle thrush would be useful for the records regardless of the time of year? I got the "unusually high count" for linnets in the winter. I'd taken a photo of the flock so printed it off and counted them and got an even higher number lol.

Re the spotted flys......I too wondered if I'd just "got my eye in" for them this year but I don't think so. I always check everything I see so carefully that I just can't imagine that I'd have missed them last year if they'd been so numerous.

Would you mind if my Moray bits and pieces slipped into this thread?

TS

Tree Sparrow said:

Interesting report?!! It was a load of waffle with very few birds :-O. Me thinks you're trying to wind up everyone else . However it was a very enjoyable day for me.

Now I have a question for you. I get a bit confused about whether to put in roving records for birds outside of the breeding time. On the Atlas page it says they want to know about "breeding evidence" of birds out of the normal breeding time but do they want records such as the large numbers of mistle thrush........or about the LEO that I had in my garden the other day? I really would like to put in the LEO as it would be the only one for my 10km square and surely the numbers of mistle thrush would be useful for the records regardless of the time of year? I got the "unusually high count" for linnets in the winter. I'd taken a photo of the flock so printed it off and counted them and got an even higher number lol.

Re the spotted flys......I too wondered if I'd just "got my eye in" for them this year but I don't think so. I always check everything I see so carefully that I just can't imagine that I'd have missed them last year if they'd been so numerous.

Would you mind if my Moray bits and pieces slipped into this thread?


TS

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It was your obvious enjoyment that I liked - and it was interesting. To me, a load of birds seen is not necessarily always interesting. It's the little things that enliven a day.

The way I read it, roving records outside the breeding season are just as important. If there is evidence of breeding, give it, otherwise ignore it. It's optional anyway. I'm sure all records are important and welcome, and your LEO and Mistle Thrushes especially so. The "unusually high count" message is understandable - people can make typos. Well, I can!

Your Moray bits and pieces are most welcome here any time. Or you could start your own thread. I'm not sure who else might contribute regularly apart from Henry B and yourself, but you never know. Either way, I'd find it interesting - loads of birds or not.

Tree Sparrow said:

Would you mind if my Moray bits and pieces slipped into this thread?

TS

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I like Ken,would be Interested in reading about the Moray area.

Ken Hall said:

It was your obvious enjoyment that I liked - and it was interesting. To me, a load of birds seen is not necessarily always interesting. It's the little things that enliven a day.

The way I read it, roving records outside the breeding season are just as important. If there is evidence of breeding, give it, otherwise ignore it. It's optional anyway. I'm sure all records are important and welcome, and your LEO and Mistle Thrushes especially so. The "unusually high count" message is understandable - people can make typos. Well, I can!

Your Moray bits and pieces are most welcome here any time. Or you could start your own thread. I'm not sure who else might contribute regularly apart from Henry B and yourself, but you never know. Either way, I'd find it interesting - loads of birds or not.

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Pleased you found it interesting Ken and thanks for the the info on the roving records.

I think maybe I should start a separate Moray thread. There doesn't seem to be one as far as I know. As you say there is Henry B and also Moraybirdlover. It would also make it easier for other people to find and contribute as and when.

I'll wait until something interesting happens and start it then............that probably means that nothing interesting will happen for ages lol.

TS

Ben Nevis said:

I like Ken,would be Interested in reading about the Moray area.

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Well I've decided to start a new Moray thread. My contributions will mostly be waffling about walking up hills and seeing very little but both Henry B & Moraybirdlover are nearer the coast so hopefully it'll cover lots of different habitats.

TS

Tree Sparrow said:

Well I've decided to start a new Moray thread. My contributions will mostly be waffling about walking up hills and seeing very little but both Henry B & Moraybirdlover are nearer the coast so hopefully it'll cover lots of different habitats.

TS

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Excellent, look forward to reading it. It might give me some new places to visit as well.

Nipped up to blackdog tonight - saw the surfie, bobbing about on the rather substantial waves. Managed a couple of red throated divers as well as common and velvet scoter too.

Followed that up with a walk out past newburgh golf course (first time at this spot,) cracking vantage point for watching the seals and an adult pale phase arctic skua resting on the sand by the eastuary mouth. Definitely bird of the day for me.

Kev T

Was certainly wild weather here yesterday, was it Hurricane Bill or am I mistaken?

only the remnants. There will be plenty more to follow. Hopefully they will bring a bird or two and deposit them somewhere local.

Hello folks,

A Citrine Wagtail seems to have drifted up to Strathbeg with the remnants of Hurricane Bill. My Dad and I have organised to go birding tomorrow; will mostly be sea-watching I imagine but will go up to Strathbeg. I will report back if we see anything of note.

A good days birding today. The day didn't start so well (if you exclude my reports of my Dad and I going to the Ness, see Birds Fae Torry). At the Ythan there were a lot of waders, but they were just the commoner bunch, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank and the odd Greenshank. The highlight of the Ythan however was a Peregrine sitting in a field near Meickle Loch eating a Redshank, the Redshank being identified as the Peregrine noticed us and flew off with its prey in its talons.

The Loch of Strathbeg, however, proved to be the best place to be today, especially at Tower Pool, as all the waders had moved away from Starnafin due to slightly the slightly flooded pools there. Wader wise there were about a dozen Ruff, 5 Greenshank, a couple of hundred Golden Plover, 2 Snipe, and around 1200 Lapwing. Other birds included 3 Marsh Harriers, some cracking views of a female Sparrowhawk sitting on a post very close to us, and a female Shoveler, and over 5 Buzzards. However, the main higlight at Tower Pool was the long-stay juvenile White-tailed Eagle, known as Ralph. "Ralph" flew in from Savioch, sending all the waders around him up, which was what attracted our attention to him. He then landed on the pools, and proceeded to wash himself in the water, which was a rather fantastic site. He then flew away. He was honestly the biggest bird I have ever seen in the UK, barn-door is just the word to describe White-tailed Eagles. I have never seen a White-tailed Eagle before, let alone an eagle in Britain, so this was fantastic for me. Whilst at Tower Pool, the warden David Parnaby picked up a marsh tern on the loch, which was a long way off. David, my Dad and I were interested by this, and thus went down to see if we could see it on the actual Loch. So we went to the Loch, and scoured it for this marsh tern species. Eventually, although it was a long way off, we found it, and discovered it was a juvenile Black Tern, not a common bird in these parts and the first I had ever seen in Britain. We only got around a minutes view of it, as eventually it flew out of our vision. A good days birding nonetheless though.

Sounds like you had a great day Joseph,well done. :t:

Interestingly, there was a White-winged Black Tern reported at Loch of Strathbeg this evening. From the message I got, I wonder if this is the earlier Black Tern reidentified. Anyone know?

Really? If so, that's fantastic! Dad's checking his mail to see if he has got any info from ABZ Rare Birds on the matter.