Birds fae Torry (21 Viewers)

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I don't know! Magpies and other crows often seem to gather in larger groups for what I suspect are social reasons. I've seen large groups gathered where one bird is attacked by the others, as if some sort of 'punishment' is going on. I think corvids are pretty complex socially. I know with some corvids, you may also get fairly large groups of immature birds that are not ready to breed.

 

[MJB]

I don't really know C. I saw a big party of them last summer in S Wales. Presumed that was a family group though, they weren't very close so couldn't check if there were any young ones there. It was middle of June, but I don't even know when they fledge. Sorry, I'm no use to you!!!

There'll be someone who knows LOL

I would think that Magpies that breed in Scandinavia would likely gather in groups on their wintering grounds and stopovers before they tackle the final leg of their journey. It's not an uncommon occurrence among migrants that are not especially social in their breeding distribution.
MJB

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

My first proper birding here for a couple of weeks today, in grey and cool weather. In the morning, I headed to St Fittick's. On the way, I was pleased to hear a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming along Victoria Road. Around the marsh, there were ten Teal, a Water Rail, two Goldcrests, a Redwing and a Redpoll. Tullos Hill held the regular Pheasant, nine Stock Doves and a pair of Mistle Thrushes. 11 Common Scoters and a Long-tailed Duck were in Nigg Bay.

From home, I picked out a flock of at least 20 Long-tailed Ducks at the south end of Aberdeen Bay. Six Common Scoter were in the same area. Things were quiet around the headland, although a Fulmar going south was my first of the year. A pair of Ravens flew through Nigg Bay and came down around Greg Ness, the first time I've seen them land in the area.

 

[Ian Bell]

A friend of mine,who Is a Golfer,told me he seen a Short eared Owl on the 14th Green of the Golf Course,at very close quarters yesterday.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I also spoke to someone today who had seen a Short-eared Owl recently. Maybe it's the same one I saw earlier in the month.

It was very mild and pleasant here today. Plenty of birds were singing, particularly the Skylarks, which were getting very territorial around the golf course. The most impressive sight was of a flock of 35 Long-tailed Ducks just north of the North Pier, most of which were drakes. The Common Scoters seem to have mostly moved to the same area. 18 were counted in total, but only three remained in Nigg Bay. Otherwise, things were fairly quiet. Four Teal, five Stock Doves and a Water Rail were around St Fittick's.

 

[tjbw]

I had a quick walk around this afternoon. I was pleased to see and hear 6 Skylark at Greyhope car park. There were 62 Redshank at the Inner Breakwater.

Just 1 Long-tailed Duck in Nigg Bay, also 1 Common Guillemot, and Common Scoter.

Two Raven were together on Tullos Hill, and 2 Song Thrush were singing at St Fittick's.

Barry

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Thrush singing in Abbey Rd at 2am today and again at 08:30.
Lapwing below the South breakwater and 40 redshanks on the middle Pier.

 

[Ian Bell]

Thrush singing in Abbey Rd at 2am today and again at 08:30.
Lapwing below the South breakwater and 40 redshanks on the middle Pier.

Hope Mavis did'nt keep you wakened

 

[tjbw]

The sky cleared this afternoon, so I headed to Girdleness.

Changes from my previous sightings included:
1 Common Scoter by the Inner Breakwater, and 12 Linnet in Walker Park. Some Kittiwake and Fulmar were offshore. As I was leaving I found a Curlew at Greyhope Bay.

At Nigg Bay there were 7 Common Scoter, and 1 Long-tailed Duck.

Barry

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A pleasant but cool day today, with much lighter winds than we've had for a while. I looked around St Fittick's in the morning. Things were generally quiet but there were six Stock Doves, two Redwings, a Mistle Thrush, and a Redpoll. Four Water Rails were heard and one of them was seen quite well from the concrete bridge. 70 Pink-footed Geese went north. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was by the River Don, but otherwise things were quiet for birds with the Aberdeen boat race happening.

The headland was also fairly subdued. 11 Long-tailed Ducks were in Aberdeen Bay. 11 Common Scoters and a Goldeneye were in Nigg Bay and nine Teal were in the marsh at St Fittick's.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Not much to see today around the Lighthouse today apart from a pair of stonechats in Greyhope Carpark.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Have been wondering if there were any Stonechats around - will keep an eye out for them.

I've not been out much lately and haven't seen a great deal even when I have. I had a look around this afternoon. The headland was quiet, although there were a few more seabirds moving around that there have been. Five Common Scoters and a Long-tailed Duck were in Nigg Bay. Around St Fittick's there were two Water Rails, a Stock Dove, a Siskin, a Redpoll and a Goldcrest.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Still fairly quiet and cool, with grey, misty weather today. A sign of spring was my first Lesser Black-backed Gull of the year on the rooftops by the harbour. A quick look around St Fittick's produced seven Teal, three Stock Doves, and a Goldcrest. A very tiny Sparrowhawk came close to taking a Blackbird that was barely smaller than it.

 

[Ian Bell]

Still fairly quiet and cool, with grey, misty weather today. A sign of spring was my first Lesser Black-backed Gull of the year on the rooftops by the harbour. A quick look around St Fittick's produced seven Teal, three Stock Doves, and a Goldcrest. A very tiny Sparrowhawk came close to taking a Blackbird that was barely smaller than it.

I've been doing most of my birding on the Don and Ythan recently but was wondering Andrew,can you get access to the new Harbour or do you watch It from distance ?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I've been doing most of my birding on the Don and Ythan recently but was wondering Andrew,can you get access to the new Harbour or do you watch It from distance ?

The only new access is the road on the south side of the headland, which has been open for a few months now. I generally watch the new harbour either from there or from the main road by the waterworks entrance.

 

[tjbw]

There's a gap in the fence near the waterworks entrance.

I've been down by the waters edge and still failed to get a good photo of the Long-tailed Ducks!

Barry

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Still cold and grey today. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was again showing nicely on the rooftops. A female Red-breasted Merganser in the harbour was my first of the year. Perhaps of most note were a group of six Pheasants (a male and five females) on Tullos Hill. I suspect that's my highest ever count here. Not too much else around except for a Water Rail and three Bullfinches. Ten Common Scoters and a Long-tailed Duck were in Nigg Bay.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The wind had picked up a bit today, so it felt even chillier around the headland. The Purple Sandpipers were roosting on the upstream face of the middle pier for a change, with 162 counted. Reasonable numbers of seabirds were moving offshore, as were a Long-tailed Duck and a Common Scoter. Another Long-tailed Duck and 11 Common Scoters were in Nigg Bay. 23 Rock Pipits were on the golf course. St Fittick's was fairly quiet but there were two Redpolls, a Water Rail, eight Stock Doves, five Pheasants, a Redwing, four Teal and a Kestrel. A female Yellowhammer around the feeders was new for the year. On the way home, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was again drumming along Victoria Road.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

eight Stock Doves,

You see Stock doves; I see Rock Doves.
Am I right?
A stock dove would be ~overall grey and more like a feral pigeon?
How do their numbers compare, Stock and Rock? (Yes I do have The Book. But it is so much easier to ask you!)
(Had wondered if the little black head in the water below Victoria Bridge had been an otter. Now I think it might have been a guillemot. Dived too fast to see.)
Saw your mergansers again today too.
They are are pair?
A guillemot or two.
Not much else.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

You see Stock doves; I see Rock Doves.
View attachment 1564129 Am I right?
A stock dove would be ~overall grey and more like a feral pigeon?
How do their numbers compare, Stock and Rock? (Yes I do have The Book. But it is so much easier to ask you!)
(Had wondered if the little black head in the water below Victoria Bridge had been an otter. Now I think it might have been a guillemot. Dived too fast to see.)
Saw your mergansers again today too.
View attachment 1564130 They are are pair?
A guillemot or two.
Not much else.

Rock Doves (or more precisely Feral Pigeons) are very common. Stock Doves are less numerous (but increasing) and mostly just around Tullos Hill, although Feral Pigeons are also in that area and sometimes mix with Stock Doves. Stock Doves are a bit larger than Feral Pigeons and have yellowish-pink bills and a pinkish breast. The pattern of black on the wings is also a bit different. The underwing of Feral Pigeons is silvery white whereas in Stock Doves it's grey. I would say if you're seeing them on a rocky shore, they're not likely to be Stock Doves.

It's nice that you got the Mergansers together. I've only been seeing them separately.