• BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

    Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Birds fae Torry (1 Viewer)

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening
Staff member
Supporter
Scotland
Behold the mighty Glonk!
 

Attachments

  • Glaucous Gull Girdle Ness 060108b.jpg
    Glaucous Gull Girdle Ness 060108b.jpg
    203.2 KB · Views: 107
  • Glaucous Gull Girdle Ness 060108j.jpg
    Glaucous Gull Girdle Ness 060108j.jpg
    196.3 KB · Views: 108
  • Glaucous Gull Girdle Ness 060108d.jpg
    Glaucous Gull Girdle Ness 060108d.jpg
    187.4 KB · Views: 92
  • Glaucous Gull Girdle Ness 060108e.jpg
    Glaucous Gull Girdle Ness 060108e.jpg
    191.9 KB · Views: 95
  • Glaucous Gull Girdle Ness 060108f.jpg
    Glaucous Gull Girdle Ness 060108f.jpg
    191.6 KB · Views: 84

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening
Staff member
Supporter
Scotland
I had a look for the Glaucous Gull later on but it had disappeared from the shore. There was some potential for it to reappear as a house tick, or so I thought, but I couldn't see it perched up on any of the piers of loafing about on the water. Perhaps it headed up to Donmouth where several hundred gulls could be seen distantly near the beach, probably feeding amongst material washed up by the recent rough weather.

I had a quick look at this gull flock today but didn't see any white wingers. The highlight was a typically huggable and squeezable juvenile Little Gull fluttering over the waves at Donmouth. Lots of waders along the shore too, particularly Turnstone and Sanderling. There were even a few Purple Sandpipers, which are fairly unusual on Aberdeen beach.
 

Dave Kennedy

Well-known member
Hey, Andrew -

Came across a nice picture of Torry today. Which one's yours?
By the way, the lighthouse in among the houses is a nice touch.

Regards,
Dave K
 

Attachments

  • Torry 2.JPG
    Torry 2.JPG
    26.7 KB · Views: 120

Ben Nevis

Registered User
Supporter
Scotland
The Lighthouse still stands (known as the Leading Light) but the houses (Old Torry) were pulled down,to make way for the Oil Industry moving into the North Sea and Aberdeen in particular.The residents of Old Torry,received a cash sum and a new council house,to move out of the area.

Probably useless information for most but a lot of history,is attached to the Fishermens Cottages and their residents and I remember playing there as a boy.
 

Dave Kennedy

Well-known member
The Lighthouse still stands (known as the Leading Light) but the houses (Old Torry) were pulled down,to make way for the Oil Industry moving into the North Sea and Aberdeen in particular.The residents of Old Torry,received a cash sum and a new council house,to move out of the area.

Probably useless information for most but a lot of history,is attached to the Fishermens Cottages and their residents and I remember playing there as a boy.

Thanks for the information about these quaint dwellings, although I don't suppose they were the lap of luxury for those living in them. Nevertheless, it's always sad when a piece of history gets pulled down and replaced with something which, regrettably, is rarely better.

Dave K
 

Big Phil

Well-known member
If it's of interest a juvvy Glauc is sitting on the Golf Course close to the road just past the allotments...well it was when I cycled past 20 mins ago. Can also be seen looking back from the end of Viccy Road across the corner of the GC.

The young male King Eider still off the foghorn...a good BIGBY tick I feel!.
 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening
Staff member
Supporter
Scotland
If it's of interest a juvvy Glauc is sitting on the Golf Course close to the road just past the allotments...well it was when I cycled past 20 mins ago. Can also be seen looking back from the end of Viccy Road across the corner of the GC.

The young male King Eider still off the foghorn...a good BIGBY tick I feel!.

Damn. I bet if I was at home I could get it on my flat list. I'll keep looking over the weekend though!
 

Big Phil

Well-known member
Damn. I bet if I was at home I could get it on my flat list. I'll keep looking over the weekend though!

It was patrolling a wide patch of the river when I first saw it so would have visible from a variety of places. You'll get one from the house sooner or later I'm sure...

Whilst I'm here does anyone know if the Bonys is still about at Peterhead?. Where best to look?. Ta!.
 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening
Staff member
Supporter
Scotland
It was patrolling a wide patch of the river when I first saw it so would have visible from a variety of places. You'll get one from the house sooner or later I'm sure...

Whilst I'm here does anyone know if the Bonys is still about at Peterhead?. Where best to look?. Ta!.

I saw it last Saturday but I've not heard of it being reported since. There have been periods before when it's not been reported though, so it's probably still around. Last Saturday it was feeding on the beach to the north of the Ugie mouth, near to where the rocks start.
 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening
Staff member
Supporter
Scotland
It was patrolling a wide patch of the river when I first saw it so would have visible from a variety of places. You'll get one from the house sooner or later I'm sure...

Pretty much the first chance I've had to look this morning and there it was, the first winter Glaucous Gull sat on the golf course before being flushed by a dog. Yaldy! I think that's 73 for the flat list and the first new one for a while.
 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening
Staff member
Supporter
Scotland
After the rain cleared today I thought I'd pop out for a stroll round the Ness. By the time I got out, the rain had started again. But there was still much joy to be had amongst the unrelenting greyness. The Glonk was again seen, flying down to its favoured bit of beach on the north shore. He seems to do his own thing. Perhaps he's got no friends. Maybe, the other gulls don't talk to him, just because he's 'different'. I think he's just misunderstood.

A drake Goosander was on the river near the Victoria Bridge and a Red-throated Diver and male Red-breasted Merganser were also on the harbour. The Purple Sandpipers were 'at roost'. Grrrr187rrrrr. Whaddaya mean 'Grrrr187rrrr?'. That's 187, roughly speaking. Ted Chippington joke - doesn't work too well in writing. I also managed to finally see my first Stonechat of the year, a female.

There was a pretty hefty flock of Turnstones in the lighthouse field, together with 4 Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin and 2 Rock Pipits. However, I regret to report that despite the prominent signs ordering its prohibition, no fewer than three people, if you can even call them 'people', were practicing golf. Name and shame them, I hear you say. I'd like to, but I can't. Because I don't know their names. And in any case, they'd probably write in to the BF admin and a pronouncement would be posted saying that they weren't really playing golf but firing golf ball sized bits of chocolate to the confectionery-starved worms of the field and were thus providing a valuable ecological service. That does seem a bit far-fetched though.

Oh, and the immature drake King Eider was 'again present' as they like to say on the info services. Plus 3 Red-throated Divers and a few Fulmars drifting south.
 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening
Staff member
Supporter
Scotland
I managed to see the Glaucous Gull three times from the flat today, always drifting about near the Battery. He seems to be making more friends now. The Peregrine was again perched on Tripe Kirks this morning. On the harbour were several Purple Sandpipers, a Red-throated Diver and a drake Red-breasted Merganser.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top