Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (8 Viewers)

[delia todd]

You can add it if you don't mind Delia, yes it was very windy, but I carry(well actually my wife was lol) a tripod to get a steadier shot, I'm still not able to walk far, but managed down the cliff path to the Peregrines territory, 2 chicks apparently, but too small to see from the path yet.

Yeah.... I'm glad you're managing to get about Burnie.

Re the video... it's not something I can do for you, as it's your video and has to be uploaded in your name. I can, however, add the details about it once you've uploaded it. It's quite simple to do....

Click on the Gallery tab above, then on the big red Add Media button top right.
On the next screen select the Britain and Europe Category.
Then click on Embed Media and select your video from FlickR.

Give it a title and fill in any of the fields below that you can/want to (or give me the information and I can do that part for you).

Let me know when it's done, so I can do the link on the Opus article.

 

[Little Angel]

How do I get added to the WhatsAPP group? TIA.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

How do I get added to the WhatsAPP group? TIA.

If you send a private message to Mark Lewis, he should be able to add you to the group:

Mark Lew1s

www.birdforum.net

 

[Little Angel]

Thank you

 

[Andy Strachan]

Had a great walk around Willowbank, between Peterhead and Longside today. Either side of the old longside/peterhead railway line there are two "new" walk paths that were made accessible a couple of years ago, Buthlaw River Ugie path, and Faichfield Burn path. Both take you for a farmland loop over a couple of miles, one taking you alongside the River Ugie. And if you find the dodgy bridge to cross to the other side to what I call "The Island" that isn't actually an island, I'm wondering if you can walk all the way back to Inverugie on the cut grass path, following it along the river to Ravenscraig Castle and Inverugie (though you would be on the wrong side for the castle). I'm planning on doing that this summer sometime.
Anyway, weather was very windy, but wasn't cold so wasn't too bothered. Very quickly I had 3 raptors on my list, and ended up with 4.

I parked up, and before I even got out of the tree's onto the path I spotted a Buzzard. Great. Then soon after as I was between the fields I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from a little hawthorn tree in the ditch. Calling a lot more than I've ever heard before. Again and again and again. Seemed unusual for GSW so I started to doubt it. I peeked into the hawthorn and it stopped calling and I couldnt see it, all I could see were 3 Wrens, 2 of them juveniles . Just as I was giving up the bird took off and let me know that it was GSW after all. I was pleased with this. Always good to get a woodpecker!

Straight after, waaay in the distance I spotted a large whiteish bird, I thought gull at first, but getting the binoculars on it, showed it to be an Osprey. It was far too far to get decent pictures and it never came any closer, but it hung out there for quite some time. Just tormenting me! I gave up on it and as I turned my attention elsewhere, almost immediately I spotted a brown raptor flying low across the field, and assumed it was the buzzard I'd just seen, but noticed it was very messy looking - feathers missing all over the place. So started taking some pictures, and realised this wasn't the buzzard, but was actually something else! but what? I didn't know Checked my guide that I carry, and to me it looked most like juvenile or female marsh harrier. All brown, except head/face and that it had one or two stubby grey feathers on tail and wings. I suspected MH before checking the guide. I wasn't sure though, so posted it in ID forum and I think the consensus seems to be that it was a 2cy male Marsh Harrier with its grey adult plumage coming through.
BOOM. 3 raptors, Not even ten minutes into my walk yet! My face = 😊

MH was a first for me.
For a while after this it was all the farmland casuals - reed bunting, yellowhammer, skylark, pheasant, swallow + some swift. And as I walked along the riverside there were probably hundreds of Sand Martins. I gave up counting at 100. Also, got 2 Moorhen, 1 of them a juvenile. Crossed the river bridge to "the island", which is more like a tree island standing out among the surrounding fields rather than being surrounded by water. Normally here I'd get all the finches and tits, I got a couple, but was missing goldfinches, chaffinchs and linnets this time. But I did spot my 4th raptor! Smallish grey raptor flew down the bank to the river and rounded the bend. I actually ran to the bend to see it if I could catch it. Luckily it had perched up while I caught up and just as I got a glimpse of it through the binoculars it took off down the river again. It was just enough though to see that it was a Sparrowhawk.

Other notables were probably the Carrion/Hooded Crow hybrid and the Tree Sparrows just off the railway line. Seen at least 20 tree sparrows, and I bet there's a lot more. They were mingling with a crowd of House sparrow. I have no idea what the tree sparrow population is in the countryside of aberdeenshire, but this seems to be a great spot for them as I always see flocks of them at this spot, whereas almost never anywhere else, and if I do, it's one or two. I know strathbeg has a good number.

Got 35 on my list today. One day in the winter I only got about 7 in the same area!
Good times.

 

[burnie]

Took some visitors to Stonehaven for an ice cream and a walk along the beach, a Red Throated Diver kept us company fishing very close to the shore, plenty of Herring and Black headed Gulls a few assorted Terns and a lone Shag in the bay on hot and sunny day.

 

[Ian Bell]

I had a couple of hours birding In and around the Ythan at Newburgh yesterday morning.My first birding,since my holiday In Mallorca.Nothing near as exciting as what was happening up at Strathbeg but a nice walk In overcast conditions.Still plenty of Terns around and an Arctic Tern,made a mock dive at me,as I was approaching the "Tin Hut" ! At least 3 Whimbrels on the Ythan and I seen 2 Greenshank also.Turnstones and Knot In summer plumage was nice to see,as were the plentiful Dunlin.An Osprey was trying to fish but was getting mobbed by Terns and gave up and flew upstream.Last bird of note,was a Little Egret,which was at Inches and then (I assume the same bird) relocated to Foveran Burn.Perhaps It followed me home from Mallorca !!!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I headed north today to Blackdog. At this time of year, there are often large numbers of moulting seaduck and these often attract more unusual species. Searching through the thousands of Common Scoters and Eiders can take a while but I fairly quickly managed to pick out the drake Black Scoter and drake Surf Scoter that have been present for a week or so. Strangely, there was just one Velvet Scoter, which was generally associating with the Eiders. 203 Red-breasted Mergansers was a rather high count. Other birds included a Black Guillemot and two Teal. 15 Sanderling and three Dunlin were along the shore.

Continuing on to Donmouth, a surprise was a juvenile Cuckoo flying over the top of the dunes and over the beach, pursued by an angry Sand Martin.

 

[Andy Strachan]

I headed north today to Blackdog. At this time of year, there are often large numbers of moulting seaduck and these often attract more unusual species. Searching through the thousands of Common Scoters and Eiders can take a while but I fairly quickly managed to pick out the drake Black Scoter and drake Surf Scoter that have been present for a week or so.

I considered going down to see these, but didnt bother cause im just not well equipped for seawatching. Have they been quite distant?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I considered going down to see these, but didnt bother cause im just not well equipped for seawatching. Have they been quite distant?

I think you definitely need a scope to have any realistic chance, particularly of the Black Scoter. It's useful to have a scope that can zoom up to at least 40x as well. The birds aren't always really distant but are probably at best going to be about 500 metres away. Some scoters will probably be much further out. You probably should also go after midday to avoid looking into the light and go in fairly calm conditions to make it easier to keep track of birds. This evening would probably be decent.

 

[Andy Strachan]

I think you definitely need a scope to have any realistic chance, particularly of the Black Scoter. It's useful to have a scope that can zoom up to at least 40x as well. The birds aren't always really distant but are probably at best going to be about 500 metres away. Some scoters will probably be much further out. You probably should also go after midday to avoid looking into the light and go in fairly calm conditions to make it easier to keep track of birds. This evening would probably be decent.

Ah ok, I thought I might need something a bit stronger than my binocs or my camera. Never had much success with spotting birds out at sea so far. Maybe I'll treat myself to a scope at some point, seeing as I seem to be taking this birding thing quite seriously I've had so many hobbies over the years, due to just having so many interests, but birding's been my number one and main pass time for the last couple of years.
Thanks for the info though

 

[Andy Strachan]

Spotted this out and about today, up Stirlinghill, at Boddam. Even after looking online, I'm still not 100% what is it. Weasel or Stoat?
I'm leaning towards Weasel..?
There were 3 or 4 calling wrens hopping around the heather, so I thought I'd try for some pics as it's not always easy to get Wren photo's as they're always in awkward places. After a few mins the weasel popped up on the rock for its photo! Only for a few seconds though so I was lucky I was ready.
That explained why the wrens were a bit frantic!

The haar came blowing in so it was cold up there today.
Other notables, at least for me, were 4 tree sparrows, some of them youngsters. 2 adult mute swans with 9 big juveniles, and in the boating pond one little grebe, and in Den Dam two adult little grebes with three small juveniles.

 

[delia todd]

Short tail, with no black tip makes it a Weasel in my book.

Great pictures Andy.

 

[Gander]

I agree with Delia. It is a weasel.

 

[Andy Strachan]

Thanks. First time seeing one that wasn't running in front of car headlights! so wasn't too sure. Saying that, there was a dead one in my local park last year on the path I didn't actually think to ID it properly or report it. I might have taken a photo though. Would feel like a bit of an odd patch tick, but good to know they're in the area (assuming there was more than just the one!).

 

[delia todd]

They particularly like dry stone dykes - plenty of nooks and crannies to explore and also to hide in.

 

[Ian Bell]

Having spent Saturday morning,with little to show for my time and effort around Girdleness,I paid the Ythan a visit yesterday but spent most of my time around the Foveran Burn,as there was plenty to watch.
A Kingfisher was flying around,then sitting on any available sticks over the water.Two Little Egrets were fishing successfully.An assortment of Waders walked the mud,especially Dunlin and Redshank but with a supporting cast of single Black tailed Godwit and Greenshank and good numbers of Wigeon and Teal.Also plenty Pink footed Geese flying around.Also many smaller species around,which made for a lovely couple of hours escape,from the city.

 

[Andy Strachan]

Finally got onto a Yellow-browed warbler this morning. Berryhill Driving range Peterhead. There's a great walk path called Berryhill Loops, you can park at either the Berryhill driving range or Stella's voice Barn and join the path from there and loop round. Good mixture of woodland and farm land.
I first heard the bird calling across the main Longside road, and it was so frustrating because cars kept roaring past and I was struggling to hear it and record it, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to get closer because there was a fence between me and the road, so I at least wanted a half decent recording but it was near impossible. I tried my best and was happy enough that I'd finally ticked my first YBW. I thought I'd briefly heard one on my own patch last year but I was running late for work while out with the dog and had no time to hang about! So missed out on that.
Anyway, I moved on and shortly after I heard one close by in the woodland and luckily it showed as it flitted about the tree's. I'm assuming it's the same bird, but you never know. Wasn't easy getting some shots! But they'll do me.

 

[Ian Bell]

I spent a few hours on the Ythan at Newburgh yesterday.Little Grebe and Kingfisher being seen well from the bridge over Foveran Burn.Impressive numbers of Golden Plover were at the mouth of the Burn,easily reaching over 100 birds,which were regularly taking off,then landing again.Also a Greenshank and two Bar tailed Godwits around.Plenty other waders and wildfowl around but the prize of most unexpected bird of the day went to a single Swallow flying around the village.

 

[burnie]

Had a trip over the Cairn O'mount to Aboyne today, on the hill top we were in the low cloud, so saw nothing, but on the decent and ascent there were large numbers of Thrushes, Redwings and Fieldfares in their hundreds, apparently there is a real cold front moving out of Russia towards us, also a small group of waders in a field well away from the sea, so I guess either Snipe or Woodcock, just could not positive id them. Red Kites seem to covering quite an area in southern Aberdeenshire, we see them on every trip these days around Finzean and the Forest of Birse areas.