Birds fae Torry (4 Viewers)

[Mark Lew1s]

A quick walk at lunchtime produced 7 tufties - flying into the southern corner of Aberdeen bay, when really they should have gone the other side of the harbour wall and given me a nice flyby. The most I have ever seen here by a long way. Also a snow bunting heard over the battery but not seen.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

At least three colybitta looking chiffchaffs around the sewage works this lunchtime.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

10 long-tailed tits, 2 chiffchaffs it the sewage works today, and 2 stonechat on the south bank.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Had a look around this morning in fairly wintery weather. There wasn't much activity in the willows by the sewage works but I did put up a Jack Snipe along the burn. I wasn't too surprised to find one, after the drier, colder conditions of recent days. Not much else doing.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Wasn't able to get out over the weekend but I did manage a patch year tick this morning, with a Little Grebe by the Victoria Bridge. Wonder if that'll be the last addition of the year.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

happy new year all!

a few interesting bits around the sewage works this morning - three goldcrest and a woodcock. Otherwise pretty quiet, with a few red-throats kicking around, 2 gannets offshore, and a pair of stonechat (still) on the south bank.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Med gull and otter from the office window yesterday. Other than that, it's been quiet...

 

[Mark Lew1s]

2 white wingers today - one genuine one in the form of an imm Iceland gull that flew north through greyhope bay, and an all white herring gull in the harbour. This bird seems to have been around for several years now (or at least a bird very like it has...!)

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

So, in case you've been wondering, I have actually been birding a few times around Girdle Ness recently but it's just been a bit 'lacking' as they say. My best bird in January was a Little Grebe around the Victoria Bridge last Sunday. That and the 'white Herring Gull' were about the sum total of the excitement.

February has been an improvement already. In between this afternoon's snow flurries I had a couple of good birds. First up was a first winter Iceland Gull in Greyhope Bay. I suspect this is the one others have been seeing in the area. A bit of persistence off the Ness then produced a single Little Auk going north, not too far out. Not much else was around although there was an obvious influx of smaller gulls.

Here's the Iceland Gull (to the rear):

 

[roougers]

With a month or so off work I thought I would finally get round to doing some proper birding in Aberdeen after moving back here last year. The coastal path from Cove to the Duthie Park was first on the hitlist, it always seems such a short distance in the car (!!) and girdleness was my stomping ground with my birding pals 20 odd years ago, so yesterday jumped on the bus up to cove

Have to say although the path is a lot longer thanI thought, it was highly enjoyable. Before I had reached the cliffs, Stonechat and a variety of finches, a kestrel and 2 roe deer had already been seen.

The cliffs had excellent views of Fulmars and Guillemots, couple of Common Scotter offshore and a diver of some description well out were amongst the common species.

Eventually reaching the bay nothing much else until the Purple Sandpipers which have relocated since my last visit 20 odd years ago when they seemed to prefer under the foghorn.

A probable Iceland Gull and a Goosander at the Torry bridge rounded off a thoroughly enjoyable day. Nothing majorly spectacular and I have to admit I didn't make it to the Duthie Park, but a throughly enjoyable day out.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Apart from fairly regular otter sightings from inverdee house, it's been pretty quiet of late. Of note from this morning though was a pomarine skua that was lingering off the foghorn.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The Pomarine Skua seems to have been around all weekend. We saw it lurking about off the Coo yesterday and then I saw it again this afternoon. It's been good to see lots of 'commoner' seabirds around this weekend too, for the first time this year. My first Lesser Black-backed Gulls of the year have also appeared on the rooftops by the harbour in Torry.

Yesterday I had prolonged views of an Otter near Inverdee House. It seemed to be carrying a fish off to eat, probably in a nook below the docks. Today a Fox was near the waterworks. There's been plenty of dolphin happenings all weekend too.

Today a female Stonechat was on the south bank and a Snow Bunting flew north over Greyhope Bay. There were also the first signs of some wildfowl movement with a pair of Teal and a drake Long-tailed Duck on Nigg Bay and a Red-breasted Merganser north.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

With a chiffchaff yesterday, and in addition to Andrews birds a shelduck, 4 whooper swans and a peregrine today, it's been a pretty good weekend! I can add harbour porpoise to the wet mammal list too.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

A very smart littoralis Rock pipit on the shore by the allotments this morning.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A wander in the gloom this afternoon was more productive than expected, with a fine 1st winter Glaucous Gull on the breakwater. It seemed rather settled - perhaps it'll be a stayer. Also had my first Common Scoter of the year.

Very little was about yesterday, with the best a Redpoll over the railway embankment.

1&2. Glaucous Gull
3&4. The curious new 'dog memorial' on the beach near the breakwater.
5. Boaby.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I had a fairly good look around in what, at least for the time of year, seemed promising conditions. I didn't see a lot, at least in terms of birds. Seven Goldcrests scattered about suggested at least some birds had come in but there wasn't much else to show for it.

The highlight, by some distance, came on the north side of Girdle Ness. A few Bottlenose Dolphins were coming well up the river channel and then I noticed an Otter surfacing regularly in the same area. It seemed to be feeding on a fish out in the water - perhaps fifty metres away - and I spent several minutes watching and photographing it. I was about to leave it in peace when I noticed it had suddenly started swimming vigorously towards the shore. And straight at me! It drew itself up out of the water and, entirely unconcerned by my presence not much more than fifteen metres away, proceeded to chomp on the remains of whatever it caught. It then scuttled even closer as I videoed, eventually disappearing into the rocks almost under my feet. I saw it re-emerge a minute or two later and I think it headed back into the river.

Here's the video:
https://vimeo.com/123503408

And a photo sequence...

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Nice video Andy. Thanks for posting.

Rich

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Awesome. It's not been seen for a few weeks as far as I know so great that it's still around. Must only have been 5 minutes after I saw you!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Awesome. It's not been seen for a few weeks as far as I know so great that it's still around. Must only have been 5 minutes after I saw you!

Not long after no - I wonder if you might have walked past it, as I got the impression it had been out in the river channel for a while when I first saw it. I guess it must be the same one that's been hanging around.

 

[amilne]

Saw the otter around 1120 this morning. Near the ASCO oil tanks. Looked a few times over the past few weeks unsuccessfully. Wow!
I've added my best photo - pretty useless, and also something of grave interest seen when cycling up the hill behind the sewage works on the diversion caused by the large fence which seems to have been put in to be trail motorcycle friendly and unfriendly to anyone else.