Birds fae Torry (4 Viewers)

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Quite a pleasant day here but still with a brisk southerly wind. I looked around St Fittick's in the morning. I was pleased to find a Yellow-browed Warbler near the railway embankment west of the concrete bridge. It showed well for a short time. Later, one was calling quite persistently in the trees by the skate park. Not too much else was around but there was a Great Spotted Woodpecker, eight Stock Doves, eight Chiffchaffs, and a Siskin.

In the afternoon I went around the headland. A third Yellow-browed Warbler appeared in the willows below the Battery and stayed still long enough for me to get some photos. It was pretty quiet otherwise, although more auks seemed to be about than for several months.

 

[Ian Bell]

Great photos,Andrew 👍
I had a recce of St Fitticks Park at dawn,hoping to see Roe Deer,as my Grandsons are staying over next weekend and want to see them but none seen..! However,a lady dog walker said; "You should have been here yesterday,there was six of them". It was very quiet ln the blustery wind and the only things of note,were calling Water Rail (ln three different area's) a female Sparrowhawk being cheased by Crows and a charm of 60+ Goldfinch flying beside old St Fitticks Church.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Today was fairly grey with a bit of rain and brisk but mild wind, which turned a little to the southeast as the day progressed. A look around St Fittick's in the morning was fairly quiet. The best of it was a Blackcap, Water Rail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, and three Chiffchaffs.

I look around the headland in the afternoon was more productive. A Blackcap was along Abbey Road and a Yellow-browed Warbler was again in the large willow bush below the Battery. A Wheatear and three Stonechats were in Greyhope Bay. I was pleased to see another juvenile Mediterranean Gull in amongst the Kittiwakes on the breakwater. Three Arctic Skuas were lingering offshore.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

juvenile Mediterranean Gull in amongst the Kittiwakes on the breakwater.

So larger than its neighbours? Leg + beak colour?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

So larger than its neighbours? Leg + beak colour?

It looks reasonably different to Kittiwakes but is easier to mistake for Black-headed or Common Gulls. Something the pictures show well is the very long legs, much longer than the short legged Kittiwakes. The bill and leg colours are darker than on Black-headed. The dark mask is also quite distinctive.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I had a fairly quick look around the headland late afternoon today, in chilly but initially calm weather that later turned more blustery and wet. There seemed to be a scattering of migrants, with more Robins and Blackbirds and a couple of Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap. A Stonechat was also around. I suspect more searching might have turned up something of greater note. A quick look out to sea was initially uninspiring with nothing obvious moving at all. Then, a male Scaup flew north - my first of the year. It was soon followed by four Wigeon.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I had a fairly good look around today, in weather that eased during the afternoon to become quite pleasant and sunny. Things were pretty quiet in general with the weather not doing much to move birds around. The headland was very ordinary. A couple of Roe Deer near the Battery was an unusual location. At least two Harbour Porpoises were offshore but the sea was otherwise quiet.

St Fittick's was a bit better and the Jay was calling again near the main marsh. I saw it briefly, flying between patches of trees. Other stuff included three Chiffchaffs, Great Spotted Woodpecker, five Stock Doves and a couple of calling Water Rails.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A very autumnal day today, but it was quite pleasant most of the time. I had a productive look around, recording 70 species, including some patch year ticks. The first of these was seen before I even left home, with two Whooper Swans seen flying over the city centre. The headland was mostly quiet but was enlivened by a Golden Plover on the golf course - my first here for a couple of years. Offshore, a few ducks were moving including a Red-breasted Merganser, Common Scoter and two Teal. A Snipe was flushed on the south side of the golf course.

Bird of the day was at St Fittick's, where a first-year male Redstart unexpectedly appeared in the trees near the skate park. The Jay was again heard calling near the wooden bridge. Other birds included Water Rail, Pheasant, 15 Stock Doves, Great Spotted Woodpecker, ten Chiffchaffs, a Siskin and a Buzzard.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Can we count pheasants? Saw dozen from the train from Edinburgh yesterday. (Are there fewer buzzards these days? Used to see lots from the train. Counted 52 between Stirling and Glasgow on trip.)
Only saw geese over the town today. And a couple of goosanders and a cormorant on the bak below Victoria bridge.
Not in search of an aurora tonight? My friend in Tasmania has had nights of lights.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Can we count pheasants? Saw dozen from the train from Edinburgh yesterday. (Are there fewer buzzards these days? Used to see lots from the train. Counted 52 between Stirling and Glasgow on trip.)
Only saw geese over the town today. And a couple of goosanders and a cormorant on the bak below Victoria bridge.
Not in search of an aurora tonight? My friend in Tasmania has had nights of lights.

I often wonder where the Pheasants we see in the area come from. Not sure where the nearest place they might be released is.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Another very pleasant but breezy day here. From home, I saw a Peregrine over the city a couple of times. I had a look around St Fittick's late afternoon. The Jay was still around and was seen briefly in flight. Not too much else was about, although there were three Chiffchaffs, a Water Rail, 20 Long-tailed Tits and four Grey Wagtails.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A couple of flocks of Redwings, totalling about 80 birds, came in off the sea this morning. I expect a lot more will have been around.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I saw my first Woodcock of the autumn this morning, as I was walking to work. It was just over the river, flying from the east over the harbour and then across Market Street, no doubt desperate to find somewhere suitable to rest.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

I saw my first Woodcock of the autumn this morning

Haven't seen a woodcock in ages apart from the one that turned up on our wildcam pulling up worms and the dead one I found on Crombie Rd.
Are these Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds?

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Golden eye in the harbour today.
What is this? Bigger than the redshanks below it. Spotted redshank?
Sorry about the crap screenshots.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Golden eye in the harbour today.
What is this? Bigger than the redshanks below it. View attachment 1608388View attachment 1608389 Spotted redshank?
Sorry about the crap screenshots.

Still a Common Redshank, I'm afraid. Not sure it's any bigger than the others. Sometimes photos can mess a bit with apparent size.

I had a look around the headland late afternoon today but saw almost nothing. Almost as quiet as winter.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Quite a pleasant day here today, probably a lot better than it will be tomorrow. Winds were generally light and it was quite mild. The best of the birding came fairly early around 'the Mound' near the Golden Tee. Four Chiffchaffs were flitting about and it wasn't long before I saw a Yellow-browed Warbler in the same area. Soon after, a Lesser Whitethroat (probably a fairly eastern one) was seen briefly in the sycamores.

St Fittck's was mostly fairly quiet, although I saw a Treecreeper soon after arriving and a flock of 15 Tree Sparrows went north overhead. Other birds included a calling Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker, seven Stock Doves, three Water Rails, a Siskin, a Snipe, two more Chiffchaffs and five Redwings. A group of three Mistle Thrushes flew south over Tullos Hill.

A wander around the headland in the afternoon was fairly low key. 15 Common Scoters went north out to sea, where there was otherwise a startling lack of seabirds. Two Stonechats were flitting about the gorse on the south side.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Still a Common Redshank, I'm afraid. Not sure it's any bigger than the others. Sometimes photos can mess a bit with apparent size.

For a pessimist, I do a lot of wishful thinking.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Not Torry - Bridge of Don.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A fairly rough day here, with heavy rain through the morning giving way to a very strong southerly by the afternoon. I mostly focused on seawatching. Conditions were tricky, particularly with the big waves, and there wasn't a huge amount moving. However, I did pick out two Sooty Shearwaters and six Little Gulls.