Birds fae Torry (2 Viewers)

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Had a stroll around the headland this evening. It's still cold, but felt a degree or two warmer today. Two White Wagtails were on the golf course. Things were quiet offshore but there were at least 100 Sandwich Terns around. A summer-plumage Dunlin was in Greyhope Bay and there were still at least 12 Purple Sandpipers. A Common Sandpiper was on the shore below the allotments.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

To quote the much missed Tim Brooke-Taylor, one swallow does not an orgy make.
What about 3?
Certainly the pair of blue tits below them were X-Rating their little fluffy bottoms off.
LT tits, bullfinch pair following a couple of willow warblers with a song thrush singing them on. And then sedge warbler at the top of the reeds at last. And, just before home there was a heron struggling to swallow a still very much alive butter? fish.
Not a bad walk back from the supermarket.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Had a pleasant stroll around St Fittick's this evening. Not too much new stuff was about but plenty was singing. A Water Rail was seen near the wooden bridge at dusk. The highlight was the roosting flock of Sand Martins, which this evening numbered at least 110.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I had quite a good look around today, at least until the rain came early in the afternoon. I picked out a Bonxie from home, so it looked as though the sea might be worth a look. I headed out around the headland, hearing a Whitethroat near the allotments. A Dunlin and 14 Purple Sandpipers were on the shore, with a Whimbrel showing nicely at the eastern end of Greyhope Bay. Offshore were around three Bonxies, 16 Common Terns and a Puffin. Six Teal were perhaps the most surprising birds, with five going south and then one north. A Wheatear was in Greyhope Bay and a White Wagtail on the golf course.

St Fittick's was fairly quiet but another Whitethroat was heard and there were at least three Sedge Warblers singing. Perhaps the highlight of the day came as I was heading home along Victoria Road, with the rain just setting in. My first Swift of the year flew up the road, just above the rooftops.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Today was the first for about a month that actually seemed a bit warm. I didn't need my hat and gloves anyway! A few days ago, the forecast had looked promising for migrants but the rain had passed through the previous evening rather than overnight and the winds had probably taken migrants elsewhere. There were some new arrivals though and summer visitors were much more conspicuous than they have been. Two Whitethroats were around the headland and there were more Swallows than I've been seeing. A Chiffchaff in the north bank sycamores may have been a migrant.

Offshore, a Bonxie lurked around. There were large numbers of terns with minima of 76 Sandwich Terns, 28 Common Terns and four Arctic Terns. 14 Common Scoters went north. At least six Wheatears were dotted about, including a rather striking Greenland male. The golf course held a White Wagtail and a Yellowhammer.

St Fittick's was fairly quiet by the time I got there but my first local House Martin of the year was seen flying over. Sedge Warblers were numerous, with the day producing at least eight. Another Whitethroat was near the railway bridge and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling nearby. A surprising sight was a Dunlin flying across the marsh, before continuing south.

 

[Andy Strachan]

A Chiffchaff in the north bank sycamores may have been a migrant.

For a newbie like me... what makes you think that it may be a migrant?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

For a newbie like me... what makes you think that it may be a migrant?

It's really just circumstantial. It wasn't in a location where Chiffchaffs would breed i.e. with just a few small trees.

 

[Andy Strachan]

Ah ok, got you. I was thinking it might have returned with a sun tan or something! haha

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Definitely more like spring today. At least eight House Martins were flying over the houses on Abbey Road this morning. A wander around the headland was fairly quiet, but plenty of warblers were singing. Three Wheatears were also about. A single Swift was looking a bit lonely over Torry. Hopefully it'll have company soon.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I had a wander round the headland early evening today, in pleasant, mild conditions. Nothing too major was about but there were a few interesting things and a good variety of stuff. Wheatears were conspicuous, with ten on the golf course. At least 75 Common Terns in Greyhope Bay was a very high count. There were also 12 Purple Sandpipers and a Dunlin. A Yellowhammer was singing on the south bank. A Siskin flew over the edge of the golf course and another was, rather bizarrely, clinging to the wall of Mark's flat on Victoria Road. No idea what that one was up to.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

At least 75 Common Terns in Greyhope Bay was a very high count.

So all those noisy things I've been filming are commons, not sandwich?
While I am consulting the Oracle:
Do swallows compete directly with the sand martins for food? They were patrolling the harbour en masse a couple of days ago.
Goosanders back. Where have they been?
Is this fighting over food or courtship? The larger of the two (male?), certainly won possession by the time I stopped filming.
Whitethroats have come in from the Sahara?
Where has the Capstan's greenfinch gone? I was so delighted to hear/see/film it and thought it had settled.
Common gull?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A few answers:
1. There are also lots of Sandwich Terns about, so you're probably hearing both.
2. Hirundines all feed on flying insects, so will feed in the areas where those tend to be e.g. along the north bank when the wind is from the south. I suppose they're competing, but mainly they're just feeding in the same area.
3. Not sure if the gulls are fighting. Some courtship can look aggressive. It may be a pair. Males are larger than females.
4. Whitethroats winter in the Sahel, I think.
5. Not sure about the Greenfinch, but there are a few around at the moment and they're singing a lot. Along the railway embankment is good.
6. That looks like a 2nd calendar year Common Gull from what I can see.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Much gloomier and cooler today, with a lot of mist and drizzle. I had a pretty good look around in the evening. The mist didn't really seem to have brought any migrants in. Three Wheatears were the best of it on that front. 46 Common Terns and a Dunlin were in Greyhope Bay. A Collared Dove by the allotments was slightly unusual. St Fittick's was fairly quiet although there was a flock of ten Bullfinches and a Redpoll.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

A few answers:

A comprehensive reply. Thank you.
It has been the song thrush by the railway bridge that has stopped me in my tracks all this week. Greenfinch are very sweet but song thrush are superb.
This morning a mower was comprehensively massacring the dandelions and daisies around St F's ruin. Gone is much of the food for the bees, butterflies, linnets and pipits. I can understand the Council wanting to keep it short around the playground equipment and even wanting to make paths across the green.
Is it worth lobbying to get the rest to be left for a few more weeks?
Council workers could be redeployed putting in more bins and empty existent ones more often. Picked up 20+ full and fermenting dog poo bags on the junction of paths by the concrete bridge on the western side. Probably the same person throws one into the undergrowth or up into the trees every day.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The Council seemed not to do much mowing last summer, which was really good. I hope they leave things to grow for a while, particularly when birds are breeding.

I had a look around early evening today. The best bird was early on and involved the first hot migrant action of the spring. Along Victoria Road near the bowling green I heard a quick twittering from the trees, which put me on to a Lesser Whitethroat. I headed around the headland, hoping for more migrants, but it was pretty quiet. There were four Wheatears and a White Wagtail on the golf course but that was about it. Three Dunlin were in Greyhope Bay. There still only seems to be one Swift around.