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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Birds fae Torry (6 Viewers)

I had possibly the same YBW on the other side of the railway this afternoon.

Cycling through Nigg Bay on the path between the beach & the road I put up what appeared to be a Red-breasted Flycatcher from long marrarm grass - it was very flighty and I couldn't get conclusive views - it went to ground a couple of times and then flew towards the south bank and seemed to land there. Frustratingly I was already late so couldn't search for it.
 
A few thrushes coming in over the last few mornings, as well as the odd blackcap, goldcrest and brambling. A great crested grebe between the two main breakwaters has been the best of it.
 
1 Stonechat & 1 Whinchat keeping each other company on Tullos Hill today - I haven't seen a Stonechat locally for some years. Great to see on our little moor. Its a shame that Aberdeen CC is spraying gorse and planting trees all over it - fairly bizarre (mis)management of a unique place in my opinion...
 
I had a rummage around this morning, in between the showers. There were clearly a few things in, although I didn't manage to find anything too exciting. Migrants included ten Song Thrushes, five Blackcaps, two Goldcrests, a Brambling and quite a few Robins, Dunnocks and Blackbirds. The Great-crested Grebe was again around the harbour mouth. I suspect something more thrilling was out there somewhere.
 
Quite entertaining on Tullos Hill this evening, the little roaming chat flock on t'moor had grown to 2 Whinchats, 1 Stonechat, 1 Redstart & 2 Robins.

There was a single Yellow-browed Warbler in the woods and 15 Barnacle Geese went over south with pinks.
 
Any thoughts re the Lesser Whitethroat at Girdle Ness in recent days (or is "possibly of an eastern form" a prefix for all late LW records nowadays?)
 
Hi Phil,

There's a thread here with a few pictures - and not a single comment yet!

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=268050

In its favour are the overall pale and sandy tone to the upperparts, the sandy brown of the mantle extending all the way up the nape to the crown, and completely white T6 and T5 with a pale spot at he tip.

Also around yesterday were a tree sparrow in the allotments, Phils 15 barnies, and a cracking shorelark at the battery in the evening.
 
A long slog round Tullos Hill & Doonies this morning produced some decent birds - but it was hard work!

I found 5 Yellow-browed Warblers in various locations. There could actually have been quite a few more in the area - I didn't visit the NE woods & scrub. The chat flock on t'moor was up to 2 Redstart, 2 Whinchat, 1 Stonechat and various Robins that periodically joined the fun. There were a few Brambling, Blackcaps & Chiffs about.

Best of all was a Barred Warbler that crashed into a bush I was watching...never to be seen again!
 
So, there seem to be a few migrants about. My well-known sprite-repellence partially abated when I heard a Yellow-browed Warbler along Abbey Road. It was a bit too fast moving and well into the scrub to get onto. In 'The Tree' the Lesser Whitethroat of the 'interesting form' showed for a bit. It looked noticeably small, not that much bigger than a nearby Chiffchaff. I'd like to have got a closer look (and have more of a clue about how to ID them). A more normal looking Lesser Whitethroat was on the south bank. A Pied Flycatcher was at the mound. Other migrants included nine Blackcaps, five Chiffchaffs, three Goldcrests, four Grey Wagtails, five Wheatears and three Song Thrushes. A Tree Sparrow, presumably the one Mark saw yesterday, was in the allotments.

Waders included two Knot, a Bar-tailed Godwit and three Dunlin. There was a bit of movement on the Purple Sandpiper Totaliser:

34

Let's keep it going in the right direction. A fairly substantial passage of Pink-footed Geese totalled 760 during the morning. The Velvet Scoter was still off the Coo and a Bonxie flew north.
 
Thanks for the links Jane. I knew about the call - I remember the one at ARI a few years ago that chattered away like a Blue Tit. I was wondering if there's anything conclusive visually e.g. wing formula etc. I didn't see it today anyway!

There seemed to have been a bit of an exodus of migrants. Blackcaps were down to two, although there were still five Chiffchaffs. There were pretty much no other migrants apart from that. Some explanation for recent events in the allotments came when a flock of around ten Tree Sparrrows piled into the weedy corner by the mound. I think that's the most I've ever seen here. Some patch year list gold was at the Battery: no fewer than two Yellowhammers, which dropped in for a minute on their way south. Waders included two Dunlin and a Knot. Offshore a couple of skuas were distantly sauntering about. They looked a bit bulky, so perhaps Poms but I'm not one of those people who likes to ID their Poms at a distance, so that no confusing plumage details are able to interfere with the correct result.

I spent most of the time collecting half a kilo of blackberries, which are now baking into a crumble.
 
Andrew Whitehouse said:
Some explanation for recent events in the allotments came when a flock of around ten Tree Sparrrows piled into the weedy corner by the mound. I think that's the most I've ever seen here. Some patch year list gold was at the Battery: no
Click to expand...

When I was a lad (late 60s/70s) there was a colony of Tree Sparrows that nested every year In the area of "The Mound",before they build Provost Hogg Court.

It used to be a large Swing Park.
 
Andrew Whitehouse said:
Thanks for the links Jane. I knew about the call - I remember the one at ARI a few years ago that chattered away like a Blue Tit. I was wondering if there's anything conclusive visually e.g. wing formula etc. I didn't see it today anyway!.
Click to expand...


There used to be views...but taxonomy is in the air at present
 
Heading back towards normality on The Hill today - 2/3 Chiffs and a few Goldcrests the only birds of note in the woods.

Out on t'moor the chat flock had dispersed a bit, but gained some new recruits in a splendid drake Stonechat & a big pale knackered looking Wheatear. One Whinchat was still leading the antics and a few Robins joined in, but the redstarts & juv Stonechat had gone.

It was a very pleasant evening on the Costa del Deen and I finished off watching numerous Pink-feet heading south over the city.
 
Teamscotch said:
Heading back towards normality on The Hill today - 2/3 Chiffs and a few Goldcrests the only birds of note in the woods.

Out on t'moor the chat flock had dispersed a bit, but gained some new recruits in a splendid drake Stonechat & a big pale knackered looking Wheatear. One Whinchat was still leading the antics and a few Robins joined in, but the redstarts & juv Stonechat had gone.
Click to expand...

Hi Teamscotch,
I presume your Wheatear was definitely just a Northern? - as you probably know, there was an Isabelline claimed on the beach boulevard on Monday.
Cheers,
Hugh.
 

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