Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (5 Viewers)

[Capercaillie71]

I called in at Strathbeg today for the first time in a while. The weather was pretty wild, but I soon picked up the Pectoral Sandpiper that has been there for a few days, partly hidden among the vegetation at the edge of the pool to the right of the visitor centre. However, small waders aren't really my strong point and it took a long period of patient observation before it finally turned towards me and stretched up to reveal its diagnostic chest pattern, reassuring me that I hadn't horribly misidentified a dunlin or something!

The only other wader on the pools was a greenshank and there were also a couple of pintails. Plenty of pinkfeet going about and at least 60 barnacles beyond the low ground.

 

[choughed2bits]

Great Grey Shrike and Lesser Whitethroat this morning on the path between Gourdon and Johnshaven.

Shrike showing really well about a mile south of Gourdon in the small bushes in amongst the old abandoned motocross circuit.

Really put a smile on my face finding these birds, but i wasn't out for long so am pretty sure there is heaps of stuff out there that i haven't picked up on.

Happy birding,

KT

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Well done on the Great Grey Shrike KT. It'd be worth posting that on ABZ News:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ABZ-Rare-Birds/

 

[choughed2bits]

Am away from home at present, so thanks for the well done and posting on to ABZ rares on my behalf.

I really hope that it sticks around to allow others the chance to see it.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?...archp=ids.srf&dn=580&ax=381827&ay=769825&lm=0

Best way to view is walk along the coastal path from gourdon until past the fields with the horses. then look up the banking towards the smallish trees and bushes.


hope this helps!

cheers,

k

 

[Joseph N]

Had a pleasant day's birding today. I started the day off at Cove Community Woodlands, where common migrants were noticeable in the form of: 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 5 Song Thrushes, 1 Blackcap and 1 Willow Warbler. A quick search round the Ness revealed that there wasn't much going on in comparison to Thursday, with just a few Song Thrushes, a Blackcap and a couple of Goldcrests seen.

At about lunchtime today, I went down in search of the Shore Larks at Donmouth. At first, despite walking at least a mile or so up the golf course, the birds didn't appear to be anywhere to be seen. We were heading back on a gravel path just to the edge of the golf course and were on the edge of giving up, when all of a sudden we flushed two birds. As soon as the we got the bins on them it was clear that they were the Shore Larks, my first of this species ever and majestic little birds. I proceeded to frantically photograph one of the birds as it pecked around in some vegetation, just getting a couple of good shots whilst it was here, and then both birds flew down onto the actual golf course. From the top of the mound that we had been on we watched them, with cracking views through the scope, and then I decided I would try and get as close as I could without scaring them off and photograph them. I managed to get down to within 10-15ft of where they were, and got a few photos. They were remarkably tame and obliging, and one of the birds had a particular habit of erratically sitting down. I photographed them and watched them for about an hour or so, and then headed off. Lovely birds, and not a sight I'll expect to see up this way again, or at least not for quite some time!

The rest of the day was spent in the Ythan area. Not a great deal apart from a single Black-tailed Godwit and 40 Golden Plovers were from the second waterside car park, so we tried for a Barred Warbler that had been seen at Forvie early on that day. Unfortunately, we weren't able to refind it, but I did discover a freshly dead Brambling here, presumably killed by yesterday's ferocious storms. I am presuming this bird is a juvenile, or might I be wrong?

ATB

Joseph

 

[Capercaillie71]

Excellent photos Joseph - I'm very envious. I spent today in the Bon Accord centre!

If they hang around till Monday I might have an opportunity.

 

[choughed2bits]

I'm quite embarrassed by the quality of my rather Heath Robinson attempt at capturing an image of the Shrike.

I am sure Joseph, Ken and the other fantastic photographers on here can rest easy!

kt

 

[Joseph N]

Excellent photos Joseph - I'm very envious. I spent today in the Bon Accord centre!

If they hang around till Monday I might have an opportunity.

Thanks very much Paul, I feel priveliged to have managed to get so close to such a lovely species of bird, and a scarce one in the county. It must have been at least a couple of years since any Shore Larks have been reported in the county, am I right?

If you are able to have a stab at searching for them tomorrow, the only way you can see them really is by risking going into the golf course itself and keeping to the main gravel path going towards the wind pump there. They're not very flighty, but when flushed by golfers they ranged between the first fareway all the way up to the windpump, the latter I should think being a good 3/4 mile- a mile from the car park at North Donmouth.

And Kev, no need to feel bad about that photo of the Great Grey Shrike - its not bad at all for a record shot of a good bird!


ATB

Joseph

 

[nicklittlewood]

I'm quite embarrassed by the quality of my rather Heath Robinson attempt at capturing an image of the Shrike.

I am sure Joseph, Ken and the other fantastic photographers on here can rest easy!

kt

Hi KT,

Great find. Looks like a juvenile as there appears to be a hint of barring on the underparts and impression of a pale bill. Must admit when I first looked at the pic I wondered if you had eliminated Steppe Grey Shrike when you saw the bird. Exceedingly difficult to tell from this image, of course, but the narrow mask and what looks to be a hint of a supercillium might suggest that species/form. However the shape of the white primary patch looks more in keeping with the "normal" form.

Cheers

Nick

 

[Ken Hall]

Balmedie Country Park was also quite good today, in the trees and bushes around the car park. Lots of Goldcrests, Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, Redwings, Stonechats, Reed Buntings, 2 male Blackcaps and a few singing Skylarks. Oh, and a drum and percussion ensemble that suddenly started up and had no apparent effect on the birds whatsoever. and a Pied Flycatcher, forgot that one.

 

[Joseph N]

A day out in the Strathbeg area today proved very productive on the passerine front. The plantation was absolutely teeming with birds, with the following totals from a couple of hours spent searching meticulously here:

Yellow-browed Warbler - one, possibly two. I only saw one for a couple of seconds amongst a couple of Goldcrests. One was later seen again just by my Dad which I missed by seconds, possibly a different bird but it also could have been the same bird that I saw earlier. Absolutely fantastic to see, despite views being fleeting, as I love Yellow-browed Warblers and this was only my third ever!

Also: 70+ Goldcrests, 50 Robins, 20 Song, Thrushes, 5 Redwings, a Fieldfare, 5 Blackcaps, 7 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, a Redstart and a Treecreeper

Lapland Bunting - In the fields just to the north of the plantation a flock of 19 were spotted, which was an absolutely fantastic sight (seen both on ground and in flight), and brilliant to see them in such numbers. Later on however I was in for even more of a surprise. I was in the plantation when I heard their distinct call, and I looked up to see a flock of 31 Lapland Buntings fly over! It was just possible one or two of them might be Snows, but nonetheless I was completely taken aback by the sheer number of them!

After what was a very satisfying trip to the plantation, we went for a possible Blyth's Reed Warbler at Rattray, but this was re-identified as a Reed Warbler. Starnafin was relatively quiet, with 19 Dunlin and 2 Greenshank being the best of it here. Finally, it was very nice to see a juvenile Little Stint at Cairnbulg, a bird that hasn't been around in great numbers in Aberdeenshire this year and was good to see for the year at last.

I am off to Fair Isle on Tuesday. I will be staying there for 5 days then spending a couple of days on Shetland going for anything there. Hoping to have a very good time, but nonetheless I hope that I don't miss anything too major here whilst I'm away! :-O

ATB,

Joseph

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Saw my first Woodcock of the autumn this morning: two flushed in St Peter's Cemetery on King Street (a 'traditional' site for them). Also there were a couple of Mistle Thrushes and a good scattering of Song Thrush, Redwing and Chaffinch.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Some good stuff at the ness this afternoon.

YBW on the north bank, favouring the area around the big pile of stones. It was showing well and calling occaisionally. I also flushed what had to be a water rail here...just didn't get enough on it.

At the battery, whinchat, redstart, and flushed a definite water rail! Made up for missing the earlier one, which I was a bit sore about!

A few other redstarts here and there and a very secretive acro on the south bank that unfortunately turned out to be a reed warbler. Not the first bit of warbler related disappointment of the day.....

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Sorry, that was posted in the wrong thread! I'm sure all the nessphiles will find it though. I'll paste it across later for the sake of completeness.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Sorry, that was posted in the wrong thread! I'm sure all the nessphiles will find it though. I'll paste it across later for the sake of completeness.

Are you going to tell us what the other warbler related disappointment was? Your public is all on tenterhooks you know...

 

[Mark Lew1s]

I can't really say really.....I'm sure it'll all come out soon enough. No surpression going on, just someone saw a potential mega but got terrible views...others looked for the bird but to no avail.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Steppe grey shrike at the visitor cente at strathbeg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

In a bid to keep this thread going, here are a few more Waxwing shots from Kincorth (just some of the 700 or more that were there this afternoon).

 

[Joseph N]

In a bid to keep this thread going, here are a few more Waxwing shots from Kincorth (just some of the 700 or more that were there this afternoon).

Some lovely shots there Andrew - it makes me so tempted to go down to Kincorth just to see them in such numbers! I take it that the birds were quite mobile, despite the rather good and close shots you managed to get of them?

I have had a good deal of Waxwings myself over the last couple of days. I first managed to connect with the invasion yesterday, with a total of 20 at Belgrave Terrace in the morning on the way to school, and later 12 on Blenheim Lane (just off Osborne Place in the Fountainhall area), plus two over my street in the Rosemount area, a total of 34 in all and on a day when I wasn't searching for them. Today, however, I went for a proper search for large flocks within the city, going up to the Primerosehill area off Clifton Road. Here I was able to connect with a total of 110 birds, counted as the whole flock was seen together, split into two groups of 66 and 44 respectively and wheeled round the area for a little while. However, they were VERY mobile, which didn't allow for prolonged views , I had to settle for several very brief but good views. It was then down to the Kittybrewster area, where I was aiming to find the school (where a group of 150 had been seen on Thursday), but wasn't able to do so. However, I chanced upon them anyway, as whilst I was walking past the Kittybrewster Retail Park a total of 130 flew over, staying in flight for quite some time but keeping quite distant.

This made my overall total today 240 Waxwings in the two different areas respectively. Unfortunately they were all so mobile that I didn't get the chance to get any photos whatsoever. However, there is still plenty of time to photograph this species, what with the sheer enormity of the invasion!

ATB,

Joseph

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Some lovely shots there Andrew - it makes me so tempted to go down to Kincorth just to see them in such numbers! I take it that the birds were quite mobile, despite the rather good and close shots you managed to get of them?

They were quite mobile but eventually seemed to settle quite well in a relatively small area. They're about the only group of Waxwings I've been able to watch for any length of time this autumn.