Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (1 Viewer)

[Farnboro John]

Ah, I could go with that, here's another snap, equally as bad as the first, thanks Capercaillie71

Jim.

Looks too brown for a Greylag to me, and a thin neck. Round here I think we'd call that a Canada X Greylag hybrid.

John

 

[Pancho85]

I know it's a bit late, but on friday in Ythan stuary, there was still the King Eider. Also some Little terns, common terns, at least one arctic tern, and some sandwich terns, and plenty of Sedge warbler around the hide.

In Fowlsheugh, full of razor bills and guillemots, two puffins, and two great skuas.

 

[Capercaillie71]

Looks too brown for a Greylag to me, and a thin neck. Round here I think we'd call that a Canada X Greylag hybrid.

John

Good call. I have seen Canada/Greylag hybrids on the Ythan and the body shape probably fits that better too.

 

[Ben Nevis]

There Is another boat trip planned to see the Divers on May 31st.I already have my name down for the trip but I would be delighted If anyone from the Aberdeen area (or travelling through) who may also be going,could offer me a lift to and from Buckie ?

Obviously,I would contribute to the cost of petrol.I shall keep my fingers crossed that someone reading this,Is also making the journey and can help me out.

More Information and booking can be made from paulbaxter 'AT' hotmail.co.uk

Still looking for a lift,If anyone can help ?

 

[nicklittlewood]

Still looking for a lift,If anyone can help ?

Hi Ben Nevis,

Might have more chance of success posting a lift request on the ABZ Rare Birds Yahoo group - the posts are probably seen by more active birders locally than see this thread.

Cheers
Nick

 

[Ben Nevis]

Hi Ben Nevis,

Might have more chance of success posting a lift request on the ABZ Rare Birds Yahoo group - the posts are probably seen by more active birders locally than see this thread.

Cheers
Nick

Cheers Nick.

I have already spoken to Paul Baxter about It.

 

[Capercaillie71]

I saw a flock of 50 crossbills (presumed commons) in a wood near Fyvie today - the first decent numbers of crossbills I've seen for a year or two.

Also a Mistle Thrush family with 3 well grown fully fledged young.

 

[amilne]

Maybe not exciting for a lot of birders, but I saw my first cuckoo for a while 100m west of Knockburn Loch coffee shop, moving between the boundary fence posts, probably male, only calling once. Stayed 10 minutes, and went off North.

 

[amilne]

The cuckoo is still there near the Knockburn sporting (Triathlon really) loch coffee shop, and likely to be there for a while. We did not see it today, but it was calling from South of where we were regularly. We always expected it to come closer, but eventually we had to go before it did. Just hope it's not a single male. Excellent Cuckoo habitat, with reed warblers and Garden Tiger caterpillars (and much other flora and and fauna). Lots of different habitat and pools. Great spot for a patch, just wish I was better able to identify and record everything.

 

[Pancho85]

1 Alpine Swift this afternoon at Westburn Park! It crossed going to the north, and 5 minutes later it was back to the south. After that, it disappeared.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

1 Alpine Swift this afternoon at Westburn Park! It crossed going to the north, and 5 minutes later it was back to the south. After that, it disappeared.

I think you definitely need to report that! Would be a big rarity in this area.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The cuckoo is still there near the Knockburn sporting (Triathlon really) loch coffee shop, and likely to be there for a while. We did not see it today, but it was calling from South of where we were regularly. We always expected it to come closer, but eventually we had to go before it did. Just hope it's not a single male. Excellent Cuckoo habitat, with reed warblers and Garden Tiger caterpillars (and much other flora and and fauna). Lots of different habitat and pools. Great spot for a patch, just wish I was better able to identify and record everything.

Interesting to hear about this area, which sounds good. Are you definitely seeing Reed Warblers there, which are not normally a regular breeding bird in Aberdeenshire?

 

[Pancho85]

I think you definitely need to report that! Would be a big rarity in this area.

Where can I report it? At BirdTrack?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Where can I report it? At BirdTrack?

Actually I've already reported it via the local ABZ group:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ABZ-Rare-Birds/info
Hope that's okay! It would be worth joining that group, both to get information on rare birds and also to report them. Other rare bird news services tend to pick up information from there, so the news tends to spread pretty quickly.

 

[Pancho85]

Actually I've already reported it via the local ABZ group:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ABZ-Rare-Birds/info
Hope that's okay! It would be worth joining that group, both to get information on rare birds and also to report them. Other rare bird news services tend to pick up information from there, so the news tends to spread pretty quickly.

Wow, great Andrew! Thanks!

 

[TWM]

The fourth record for NE Scotland, the last one was 30 years ago (1984)!!!

 

[amilne]

Interesting to hear about this area, which sounds good. Are you definitely seeing Reed Warblers there, which are not normally a regular breeding bird in Aberdeenshire?

I'm rubbish at identifying by sound, but my wife thought she clearly heard and saw reed warbler, and at the loch listened to recordings of reed warbler to confirm. I have no photo or recording. I'll try to rectify that on our next visit. It is a relatively small area, so should be possible, although there seemed to be warblers and other LBJs singing their hearts out all around.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I'm rubbish at identifying by sound, but my wife thought she clearly heard and saw reed warbler, and at the loch listened to recordings of reed warbler to confirm. I have no photo or recording. I'll try to rectify that on our next visit. It is a relatively small area, so should be possible, although there seemed to be warblers and other LBJs singing their hearts out all around.

Sedge Warblers would be much more likely than Reed and can sound a bit similar (much more frenetic than Reed though, which has a slower, more plodding pace).

 

[amilne]

Sedge Warblers would be much more likely than Reed and can sound a bit similar (much more frenetic than Reed though, which has a slower, more plodding pace).

Well my wife doesn't like the bird for a sedge warbler. I'm stuck in the middle between 2 people I can't argue with (for different reasons of course). We'll need to go again. Just as well I like the coffee there.

 

[Jimmycq]

Loch of Skene

Managed a quick wander round the loch on Saturday morning, birding time in short supply just now with my daughter's wedding on 6th, Dad's taxi working overtime. All the usual finches, tits around, still quite a few Coot on the water, Treecreepers, G S Woodpecker, Martins and swallows over the loch, Willow Warblers and my first Sedge Warblers of the year, pair of Blackcaps spotted with insects. Wanted a confirmation on this little fella, hoping it might be a Spotted Flycatcher, photos cropped a bit, in all 32 species over a couple of hours

Jim