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Birds fae Torry (13 Viewers)
- Thread starter Andrew Whitehouse
- Start date
Cucurrucucu
Cucurrucucu
Is it just your knees going soft or have you got nice new titanium ones?
Storm Ashley didn't seem to do much damage.
Nothing much in the harbour this morning. A reed bunting was about as exciting as it got.
Boring old dolphins were eclipsed by
. Don't usually see commons here and very few pups. Had it been washed out of Donmouth?Is it too little to be away from its mummy?
It did swim off and might be the one I have been seeing the last few days.
But does look a bit thin.
Should I report it?
I usually think these will be okay, so leave them alone. Common Seals have been hanging about quite often in the new harbour in the last year or so.
Cucurrucucu
Cucurrucucu
Gosh. Always think they are greys.
Julia from British Divers Marine Life Rescue asks sightings to be reported to them so they can go and check it. 01825 765546 [email protected] https://bdmlr.org.uk
Julia from British Divers Marine Life Rescue asks sightings to be reported to them so they can go and check it. 01825 765546 [email protected] https://bdmlr.org.uk
I popped out late afternoon to tour the headland in bright and breezy conditions. Things were fairly quiet offshore but I did pick out a distant Little Gull. In Nigg Bay, a pair of Goldeneye and a Little Grebe were notable.
Had a flock of ten Tree Sparrows fly over Victoria Road this morning, as I walked in to work.
Cucurrucucu
Cucurrucucu
Just had our garden cut back including the yew which was the tree in our garden most favoured by the tree sparrow a while ago. Maybe the activity in the garden scared them off.
The badgers certainly didn't like it being so exposed now. Their evening meal was still sitting on the doorstep this morning.
Today hardly saw anything of interest. Flushed a snipe behind the Ponds on St F's.
It was sunny, warm and windy as best illustrated by the video.
View attachment St Fitticks 24,10,24 red admiral butterfly - Vanessa atalanta in the hot sun and wind, Forest ...mov I don't think of red admirals being so fluffy that their hair blows in the breeze!
View attachment St Fitticks 24,10,24 Phalacrocorax with a fish. Looks like a cormorant but dives like a shag. ...mov This looks like a cormorant to me but it dives like a shag, doesn't it?
It had a good catch.
Saw a sizeable fish jumping yesterday morning just below SEPA.
A calm and rather overcast day today. I had a look around the headland. Things were mostly quiet, although I picked out two Long-tailed Ducks in Aberdeen Bay. A Harbour Porpoise was also visible in the calm seas off the foghorn. The most unusual sighting was of a juvenile Arctic Tern lingering just offshore. Late autumn records seem to be pretty regular here these days.
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Today was mostly sunny, with a strong southwest wind and rather mild temperatures. I looked around St Fittick's in the morning. There was a bit of an arrival of Redwings, with at 80 seen, but there wasn't much sign of any other migrants. Other stuff included two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Water Rails, a Snipe, seven Stock Doves, and two Siskins. A late Red Admiral was on the wing.
Things were even quieter around the headland in the afternoon. A female Stonechat and a Dunlin were probably the best of it. Things are still incredibly quiet offshore, with very low numbers of most seabirds.
Things were even quieter around the headland in the afternoon. A female Stonechat and a Dunlin were probably the best of it. Things are still incredibly quiet offshore, with very low numbers of most seabirds.
Quite a pleasant day again but a bit cooler than yesterday. It was probably even quieter for birds. The headland was quiet but a Redpoll was heard going over. Not much more was around St Fittick's. A Chiffchaff was my only one this weekend. There was a scatter of migrant Redwings and Blackbirds and a Water Rail called.
In the absence of notable birds, regular readers of this thread will be pleased to see the return of random discarded objects. Today, a toy truck.
In the absence of notable birds, regular readers of this thread will be pleased to see the return of random discarded objects. Today, a toy truck.
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Indeed. Glad to hear you liked it!Fantastic,Andrew.A return to the original days
LOL I got distracted when I was looking at your initial post Andrew and thought I'd seen the picture.
Doh!!!
Doh!!!
After a mild, sunny week, the weather turned cooler and more overcast today with a fresh wind from the north. The change in weather produced some interesting bits and pieces including drum roll a patch tick. This came early on when I was walking along the road towards the Battery. I was scanning over Aberdeen Bay when I picked out an oddly shaped, pale looking bird flying southwards towards me. I realised fairly quickly it was an egret. I had to wait until it got closer before getting pictures and being able to confirm it was my first patch Little Egret. I think maybe only the third or fourth ever record here.
Continuing the theme of 'big white things flying through', I saw three Whooper Swans out to sea. Two were going south but another was heading more or less east to west and probably headed up the Dee. A Shelduck also went north.
Continuing the theme of 'big white things flying through', I saw three Whooper Swans out to sea. Two were going south but another was heading more or less east to west and probably headed up the Dee. A Shelduck also went north.
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Nice one Andrew. Well done.
Today was a bit milder with a fairly strong southwest breeze and mostly bright skies. It turned out to be an interesting day. Things were fairly subdued as I wander around the headland but then I got a message saying there was a drake Surf Scoter off the foghorn. I walked at a rather brisk pace from the breakwater and soon met up with a very excited Edgar Joly, who had found the bird. I was soon watching the bird as it dived and fed just offshore. My second patch tick in 24 hours and some of the best views I've ever had of one in Scotland.
Other birds were soon appearing. A Woodcock zoomed below us, having just come in off the sea. I picked out a Merlin going south over the water, initially quite high and close but getting lower and further out as it zipped along. A juvenile Little Gull was lingering. A few ducks moving south included seven Goldeneye, a Goosander, a Teal and a Mallard. A Manx Shearwater that slowly headed north was quite a late record. I wandered down to the old pumphouse to get some very close views of the scoter, which was only just beyond the rocks.
I then headed around to St Fittick's. I soon found a Siberian Chiffchaff in the trees near the skate park, alongside a Common Chiffchaff. Another Woodcock was flushed from here and later I picked one out with the thermal along the railway embankment. I probably should have used the thermal a bit more around the marsh, as it would have helped me avoid flushing my first Jack Snipe of the autumn. Other birds included the Jay, two Water Rails, a Mistle Thrush, a Siskin, two Teal, and two Redwings.
Other birds were soon appearing. A Woodcock zoomed below us, having just come in off the sea. I picked out a Merlin going south over the water, initially quite high and close but getting lower and further out as it zipped along. A juvenile Little Gull was lingering. A few ducks moving south included seven Goldeneye, a Goosander, a Teal and a Mallard. A Manx Shearwater that slowly headed north was quite a late record. I wandered down to the old pumphouse to get some very close views of the scoter, which was only just beyond the rocks.
I then headed around to St Fittick's. I soon found a Siberian Chiffchaff in the trees near the skate park, alongside a Common Chiffchaff. Another Woodcock was flushed from here and later I picked one out with the thermal along the railway embankment. I probably should have used the thermal a bit more around the marsh, as it would have helped me avoid flushing my first Jack Snipe of the autumn. Other birds included the Jay, two Water Rails, a Mistle Thrush, a Siskin, two Teal, and two Redwings.
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Thanks Ian! I was out most of today in astonishingly pleasant conditions, with barely any wind or cloud. It was cool to begin with but became quite mild in the sun. I spent the morning at St Fittick's. The main focus was on warblers. I spent quite a long while looking at Chiffchaffs in the trees near the skate park. Around five birds were present. I think I have to put them all down as Common Chiffchaffs, but at least two were quite 'eastern' looking and could potentially have been Siberian. I only heard Common calls and usually there was a slight yellow hint apparent in the 'eastern' looking birds. They may be some on the abietinus/ tristis borderline. On reflection, I suspect the bird I posted yesterday as a Siberian Chiffchaff may have been something similar. Later, between the bridges, I saw what I'm 90% sure was a Willow Warbler, and probably a fairly 'eastern' one at that. It disappeared just as I twigged what it might be, so I'll have to leave it unconfirmed. I saw the Jay quite well near the wooden bridge. Other stuff included a Snipe, three Teal, three Siskins, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Three Water Rails called.
In the afternoon, I headed round the headland. A lot of waders were roosting, including a high count of 112 Turnstones. A male Stonechat was around the Battery. I spent a lot of time scanning Aberdeen Bay beyond the North Pier. This produced quite a decent range of ducks including 35 Common Scoter, 11 Long-tailed Ducks, 15 Wigeon, six Goldeneye and five Teal. Best of the bunch was a female Scaup. There were also at least 24 Red-throated Divers. In Greyhope Bay, I was surprised to see a Puffin on the water. From the Coo, I saw three more, as well as five more Wigeon. The best bird was my first Great Northern Diver of the year, a slightly messy looking bird in transitional plumage.
In the afternoon, I headed round the headland. A lot of waders were roosting, including a high count of 112 Turnstones. A male Stonechat was around the Battery. I spent a lot of time scanning Aberdeen Bay beyond the North Pier. This produced quite a decent range of ducks including 35 Common Scoter, 11 Long-tailed Ducks, 15 Wigeon, six Goldeneye and five Teal. Best of the bunch was a female Scaup. There were also at least 24 Red-throated Divers. In Greyhope Bay, I was surprised to see a Puffin on the water. From the Coo, I saw three more, as well as five more Wigeon. The best bird was my first Great Northern Diver of the year, a slightly messy looking bird in transitional plumage.
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Cucurrucucu
Cucurrucucu
What an impressive list over the last few days!
I was telling somebody on Thursday that there are egrets in Scotland. Don't think he believed me.
Had to go into town instead of the harbour so the best I saw was a lot of long-tailed tits.
Are they something special in Japan?
I was telling somebody on Thursday that there are egrets in Scotland. Don't think he believed me.
Had to go into town instead of the harbour so the best I saw was a lot of long-tailed tits.
Are they something special in Japan?
They get the white headed northern Long-tailed Tits there, so they are extra cute.
