Action
While everyone else was seeing loads of migrants on Tuesday and Wednesday I was languishing in Lothian. Happily I got back last night and was still able to enjoy loads of migrants in much nicer weather. It was really enormously pleasant most of the day (apart from a bit of a downpour late afternoon) and, although some people seemed to be saying there wasn't as much about as there has been, I didn't exactly get bored at any stage. The big problem with migrants, I find, is that they all turn up at once and this means that some otherwise good birds are mere footnotes in my account of today, reduced to raw numbers. So, those raw numbers were along the lines of: Blackcap (3), Willow Warbler (13), Garden Warbler (6), Redstart (10), Spotted Flycatcher (3), Pied Flycatcher (2), Whitethroat (2), Wheatear (15). And some rarer stuff.
I started off along Abbey Road where plenty of Willow Warblers were moving through, and there was a general impression through the morning of birds moving quickly inland. This meant that areas a bit further west seemed to be busier. At the allotments I was almost immediately greeted by a big, scruffy looking warbler preening itself on the fence: a Barred Warbler. It continued to be a bit of a tart for several minutes, looking dishevelled after presumably bathing. I got some nice 'mystery photo' style pictures. Redstarts were very common and included some nice fresh-plumaged males. A Spotted Flycatcher zipped about and there were also Garden Warblers and Blackcaps. On the north shore there were five Goosanders and a Common Sandpiper. Lots of Wheatears were along the shore. Otherwise it was more of the same really, with the Battery being a bit quiet.
I reckoned that I might find a few more birds in the thicker cover slightly further inland so headed for the sycamores by the Golden Tee pub in Torry. This is a really good spot that I always reckon must pick up a lot of migrants when conditions are right. It's just a hundred yards or so from the golf course but has several mature sycamores and patches of scrub. What's most helpful is that the trees surround a small mound, which you can climb up to get yourself to mid-canopy level. It proved to be the liveliest spot of the day. The best bird appeared in a small elder bush at the base of the mound - a medium-sized warbler that I quickly realised was an Icterine Warbler. It cavorted about rather gamely for a couple of minutes before zipping off, sadly just as I was about to get some shots of it. A nice plain-faced bird with a good wing panel. Mark sadly turned up after it had gone, although I think I may have seen it again briefly while he was there (sorry I couldn't get you onto it Mark!). He did manage to find a Pied Flycatcher in the trees and there were also more Spotted Flycatchers, Redstarts, Garden and Willow Warblers.
I had to go to work this afternoon (hard life that I lead) but managed to get out again for the last hour or two of the day. Another Pied Flycatcher was just off Victoria Road in Torry and Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart and Garden and Willow Warblers were again by the Golden Tee. A Sparrowhawk, no doubt with as keen an eye for migrants as I had, flew into one of the trees and quietened things down a bit. I also had brief views of what appeared to be a Reed Warbler, again in the elder that the Icky had been in. I think it probably was one (it looked pretty rufous) but I'd have liked a better view. I then headed down to the allotments where I soon picked up two flava Wagtails flying about with some Pied Wagtails. I assumed these were the birds that Mark's been seeing over the past couple of days but which haven't been showing well on the deck. Happily they came down close by this time and I was able to get some decent views and some pictures (which aren't really that decent). One was a female/immature type but the other was a nice male Grey-headed Wagtail thunbergi. A really cracking bird - not one I've seen in the UK before.
I've got a bit more time tomorrow but it'll probably be rubbish then.