Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (3 Viewers)

Northern123 · May 22, 2013

I'm currently on holiday in Deeside (staying in Banchory) and have managed to catch up with most of the local specialties but have yet to see or hear any crossbills. Are they proving to be scarce this year or have I just been unlucky? Are there any sites where they are currently being seen? I know ID is an issue but I am particularly interested in trying to find Scottish crossbills.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hugh Addlesee · May 23, 2013

Jimmycq said:
Had a quick walk down the Loch of Skene last night, light not great but there was two Whooper Swan on the water, West end, being quite vocal and of course when I got the lens on them both one went in to sleep mode. The 'resident' Whooper with the damaged wing I got on the way back, in the same area so it may be one of them but the damaged wing doesn't stand out so much in the first two photos. Also a flock of 60+ Swift over the East end along with Sedge Warbler, 2 Tern, unidentified, Sand Martins, and the usual Tits etc.
Jim.

Hi Jimmy,
The second Whooper has been around for a couple of weeks now, sometimes interacting with the resident. I assume it's sick or injured, though outwardly looks ok. I imagine it might well stay at Skene for the summer now.
A female Hen Harrier gave great views as it flew west yesterday morning - my first ever there. Also a brief Arctic Tern. Drake Mandarin on Monday.
Hugh

richardblackburn · May 24, 2013

Ythan estaury (24 May): King eider there this afternoon (just after hide tide and it was roosting on the opposite bank to the golf course) and a single great skua flew through the ternery creating havoc! No sign of the possible little egret reported on twitter though.

Capercaillie71 · Jun 4, 2013

Lochnagar

I had a cracking day out yesterday on Lochnagar, making use of a local holiday at work, combined with decent weather and hastily arranged childcare. We set out from Spital of Glenmuick at 10am and made rapid progress up to the Ladder,overlooking the loch from which the mountain gets its name, where we encountered the first Ptarmigan of the walk. Onto the summit plateau and things were quiet apart from a few singing Meadow pipits and Wheatears, although a pair of Ravens appeared at the summit itself.

We reached the summit a little quicker than expected, so after admiring the views which extended from Caithness in the north to Fife in the south, and from Aberdeen in the east to Ben More at Crianlarich in the west, we continued onto the rolling plateau beyond and quickly went off-piste, away from all the other walkers and passing a few Mountain Hares on the way. After a while we started tripping over Dotterels, two groups of three and a couple of individual males, one of which started doing a distraction display, suggesting recently laid eggs. Needless to say, we rapidly cleared out of the area, taking care of where we were walking. Dropping back down onto the heathery slopes we started flushing Red Grouse in good numbers, and after a long walk back out, we returned to Spital of Glenmuick as evening was approaching. A total of 21 Black Grouse were out on the two leks near the Spital, mostly loafing around, but occasionally bursting into display. The birds on the lek nearest the Spital were sharing the grassy flats with about 200 Red Deer and a pair of Greylag Geese.

I didn't lug my big camera up the hill, so only rubbishy photos from a small compact camera I'm afraid.

Caledonian · Jun 5, 2013

That's what I call a cracking day!! :t:

gnome · Jun 7, 2013

richardblackburn said:
Ythan estaury (24 May): King eider there this afternoon (just after hide tide and it was roosting on the opposite bank to the golf course) and a single great skua flew through the ternery creating havoc! No sign of the possible little egret reported on twitter though.

I'm coming up to Scotland next week to try and get the local specialities. I was thinking of stopping off for the King Eider at the Ythan estuary but I see today that it has been reported at Murcar instead. Does it often change location like this or is the Ythan estuary still the best bet? I may well stop off at the golf course en route just to be on the safe side. I presume that I park at the Golf Club, is this correct? Is there an obvious viewing point there or do I just walk to the beach and look for the Eider flock?

TIA

Adam

richardblackburn · Jun 7, 2013

Adam, drive down the single track road to the golf club and instead of turning right to the clubhouse, just in front straight ahead is a car park. From here, follow the track beyond a gate which will take you to a few sheds and on to the waters edge. From here look left and you should see the Ythan estuary disappear around a bend and a wee hut on the corner. From this hut, you can scan the opposite bank from (right to left) the seal colony on the estuary mouth round past the tern/black headed gull breeding area and on to the eider roosts.

Andrew Whitehouse · Jun 7, 2013

Richard's directions sound like they are to the mouth of the Ythan, but I think Adam is after the golf club at Murcar. You should be able to park at the golf club at Murcar and can walk across the course to the top of the dunes to look over the sea. Alternatively you can park at Blackdog and walk along the coast from there. As the bird is likely to move up and down the coast to some extent, this can be a good strategy, but it depends on how much time you have. It tends to move a bit between the Ythan and Blackdog/ Murcar but I suspect over the coming weeks and as it goes into moult it's most likely to become fairly settled at Blackdog/ Murcar. There's also a Surf Scoter (with more likely to follow) so it's worth a visit in any case.

gnome · Jun 7, 2013

Andrew Whitehouse said:
Richard's directions sound like they are to the mouth of the Ythan, but I think Adam is after the golf club at Murcar. You should be able to park at the golf club at Murcar and can walk across the course to the top of the dunes to look over the sea. Alternatively you can park at Blackdog and walk along the coast from there. As the bird is likely to move up and down the coast to some extent, this can be a good strategy, but it depends on how much time you have. It tends to move a bit between the Ythan and Blackdog/ Murcar but I suspect over the coming weeks and as it goes into moult it's most likely to become fairly settled at Blackdog/ Murcar. There's also a Surf Scoter (with more likely to follow) so it's worth a visit in any case.

Thanks to Richard and Andrew for such prompt replies. Andrew is correct that I was actually talking about the Murcar golf course though I wasn't exactly clear and of course it's useful to have precise directions to the Ythan estuary location as well. I'm flying in on Tuesday to Aberdeen rather than Inverness specifically to try for the King Eider and am prepared to put in an afternoon looking for it. In the absence of any news that day it sounds like my best tactics may be to walk from Blackdog towards Murcar first and then if I have no luck to try the Ythan estuary. Of course prior knowledge of where exactly it is that day would certainly help & I'll check RBA first - is it being looked for regularly?

Adam

Andrew Whitehouse · Jun 7, 2013

gnome said:
Thanks to Richard and Andrew for such prompt replies. Andrew is correct that I was actually talking about the Murcar golf course though I wasn't exactly clear and of course it's useful to have precise directions to the Ythan estuary location as well. I'm flying in on Tuesday to Aberdeen rather than Inverness specifically to try for the King Eider and am prepared to put in an afternoon looking for it. In the absence of any news that day it sounds like my best tactics may be to walk from Blackdog towards Murcar first and then if I have no luck to try the Ythan estuary. Of course prior knowledge of where exactly it is that day would certainly help & I'll check RBA first - is it being looked for regularly?

Adam

I actually went to look for the King Eider this evening and found it after 20-30 minutes showing quite well just offshore at Murcar (so I guess around where it was seen earlier today). If you give yourself an afternoon you should be able to find it but it can be harder to pick out than you might think (there are several hundred Common Eiders in the area). The drake Surf Scoter was offshore at Blackdog again too, amongst a thousand or more Common Scoters. It can also take a bit of looking for.

I guess people will be out over the weekend and will probably put out reports. During the week they might do, but there's no guarantee. Whatever happens, you'll probably be on your own and will just have to keep looking till you see it. That's usually the way of things here - no heading for the crowd of birders and asking them to tell you where it is because there won't be one!

Jimmycq · Jun 8, 2013

Had a quick look round Loch of Skene this morning, all the usuals plus 2 flock of geese on the water, 20 Canada Geese and c8 Greylag, first time I've seen them here at this time of year

Jim

Ian Bell · Jun 8, 2013

A pair of Cuckoo's being chased by Mipits In Glen Gairn this morning.

Andrew Whitehouse · Jun 9, 2013

I spent an interesting weekend in Deeside. I began with a stroll around Dinnet Oakwoods, which looked lovely but were mostly just busy with common woodland birds. On nearby Loch Kinord a few broods of Goldeneye were on the water and the adjacent woodland produced a few Redstarts, Spotted Flycatchers and Tree Pipits, amonst other interesting species. Four-spotted Chasers and Large Red Damselflies were both on the wing.

The afternoon was spent on a long walk to the Cairngorm summits. A Green Woodpecker was seen briefly in the pinewoods, where Redstart and Tree Pipit were both common. A splendid Golden Eagle flew overhead before circling above a hill and gliding rapidly across the sky at much greater height. The most bizarre sight was of twelve Canada Geese - presumably on moult migration - coming straight over the top of the summit. Another was seen later in the day.

The long walk up the slopes produced very little except a single Red Grouse. Better was to come on the summit, where I soon began to hear the shrill whistles of Dotterel. Some really close views were had close to the path, with at least three birds seen. Around the still snow covered crags a male Snow Bunting sang, and a Ring Ouzel joined in a little further away. Surprisingly, no Ptarmigan were seen, although I did find a very downy feather.

Today was quieter, with Glen Muick rather too busy with people. Forest of Birse was busy with Cuckoos, including one quite brown looking female.

Unlike Paul, I did actually take my big camera up the hill, so can't have any excuses with the pictures.

Capercaillie71 · Jun 9, 2013

Andrew Whitehouse said:
Forest of Birse was busy with Cuckoos, including one quite brown looking female.

Unlike Paul, I did actually take my big camera up the hill, so can't have any excuses with the pictures.

Nice Dotterel photos, Andrew. I think I saw that brown looking cuckoo last week, when it flew across the road right in front of my car.

Ian Bell · Jun 10, 2013

Super photos Andrew.

Shall we be getting some snaps of the unusual Items,that turn up round "The Ness" ? I have to admit,I miss them.

Andrew Whitehouse · Jun 10, 2013

Thanks for the comments. I've been a bit lax on getting shots of 'quirky items' from Girdle Ness. I'll have to keep my eyes and my camera out for suitable subjects.

Ian Bell · Jun 12, 2013

Was watching the city centre Peregrine at 5.20am this morning and a dog Fox casually walked past me and scented a tree within 10 metres.All this was just a stones throw off Union Street.

gordon hamlett · Jun 17, 2013

Tarland hide

Hi,

I'm just completing the second edition of my book on the Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands and was wondering if anyone had been to the Tarland hide recently.

The only reason I ask, is that while I would like to include a section on it, the local Tarland community website seems to make no mention of whatsoever, almost as if they are ashamed to acknowledge its presence.

Is the hide still there and fully operational? Or has it been vandalised, pulled down or similar?

Any advice more than welcome.

Thanks in advance

Gordon

Capercaillie71 · Jun 17, 2013

gordon hamlett said:
Hi,

I'm just completing the second edition of my book on the Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands and was wondering if anyone had been to the Tarland hide recently.

The only reason I ask, is that while I would like to include a section on it, the local Tarland community website seems to make no mention of whatsoever, almost as if they are ashamed to acknowledge its presence.

Is the hide still there and fully operational? Or has it been vandalised, pulled down or similar?

Any advice more than welcome.

Thanks in advance

Gordon

Hi Gordon

I visited the hide a couple of weeks ago. It is still there and fully functional. It does seem to be used as a bit of a teen hangout sometimes (presumably evenings) as there is a bit of graffitti in the hide, but it's not too bad (unless you are mortally offended by the odd swear word or primitive drawings of men's genitals!).

The vegetation in the wetland area looked quite good early in the season, although the amount of standing water has sometimes been a little on the low side in the past year or two, possibly limiting its attractiveness to passing waders. As the spring and summer progresses it gets quite overgrown and it can be difficult to see much. There are still quite good numbers of breeding redshanks and lapwings there and it usually attracts a few hundred pinkfeet in late winter.

gordon hamlett · Jun 18, 2013

Capercaillie71 said:
Hi Gordon

I visited the hide a couple of weeks ago. It is still there and fully functional. It does seem to be used as a bit of a teen hangout sometimes (presumably evenings) as there is a bit of graffitti in the hide, but it's not too bad (unless you are mortally offended by the odd swear word or primitive drawings of men's genitals!).

The vegetation in the wetland area looked quite good early in the season, although the amount of standing water has sometimes been a little on the low side in the past year or two, possibly limiting its attractiveness to passing waders. As the spring and summer progresses it gets quite overgrown and it can be difficult to see much. There are still quite good numbers of breeding redshanks and lapwings there and it usually attracts a few hundred pinkfeet in late winter.

Thanks for that - much appreciated.

A quick follow up if I may.

Do you know if the feeders on the edge of the wood there, that used to be maintained by the late lamented Ken Hall, are still in use?

Cheers

Gordon

Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (3 Viewers)

Well-known member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Active member

Professor of Listening

Well-known member

Professor of Listening

JayQ

Attachments

Registered User

Professor of Listening

Attachments

Well-known member

Registered User

Professor of Listening

Registered User

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread