Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (1 Viewer)

[Ken Hall]

I found it fascinating, I love reading stuff like that. I meant to comment at the time but was going to have a look at the whole article first....... which I still haven't done!

Oh, and congrats on the Red Kite, I'd be very grateful if you could shoo it in my direction. I'm hoping they'll spread this way eventually.

TS

The whole article is worth reading, I think, especially if you know the area well. You can identify all the old jetties and piers and sewers etc, and see how the estuary was even 50 years ago. I wonder how many high tide roosting waders were disturbed by the passing boats and barges, all the way from the sea up to Ellon.

Still snowbound up your way then? Have you noticed any changes to the numbers of birds visiting your garden over the winter? Numbers halved here during the minus 15 days and nights. Hopefully they have just moved down towards the coast.

If the kite comes back, I'll tell send it your way.

atb

Ken

 

[Tree Sparrow]

The whole article is worth reading, I think, especially if you know the area well. You can identify all the old jetties and piers and sewers etc, and see how the estuary was even 50 years ago. I wonder how many high tide roosting waders were disturbed by the passing boats and barges, all the way from the sea up to Ellon.

Still snowbound up your way then? Have you noticed any changes to the numbers of birds visiting your garden over the winter? Numbers halved here during the minus 15 days and nights. Hopefully they have just moved down towards the coast.

If the kite comes back, I'll tell send it your way.

atb

Ken

I don't know that area well at all but I'll still enjoy reading the article.

We had one day of seeing green when we had a bit of a thaw but back to white again now but at least it's not too deep to walk through (although the track keeps drifting in) so I'm off out in a bit. Garden bird numbers have stayed steady through the cold and interestingly I've had a sudden increase in Yellowhammers, the last few days I've had up to twelve at a time below the feeders which is double what I used to get. The buzzards disappeared from the area for a bit but seem to be coming back now.

Tell your Kite to wait until the snow has gone before coming over here :-O.

TS

 

[Ken Hall]

Yesterday I had a quick visit to Danestone Country Park (Woodside, Aberdeen, near Tesco and just off the A90) It's a good place for river and woodland birds. Best of the day was a Dipper, giving great views down to a few metres.

 

[Tree Sparrow]

Yesterday I had a quick visit to Danestone Country Park (Woodside, Aberdeen, near Tesco and just off the A90) It's a good place for river and woodland birds. Best of the day was a Dipper, giving great views down to a few metres.

Well I didn't get a Dipper yesterday although it was an area I'd normally see them, so you did better than me . My best was 4 Magpie which certainly seem to be increasing locally.

TS

 

[Ken Hall]

Yesterday I stepped outside the county a little bit, but since TS still hasn't started a thread for Moray I'll put it here. Some of it was in Aberdeenshire!
King Eider still showing well at Burghead, a few hundred yards east of the old fort, also some Long-tailed Ducks around. Red Grouse calling on Dava Moor, and a flock of 20ish at the Lecht. No Snow Buntings there though! Capercaillie in Anagach Woods at Grantown, and a couple of Crested Tits at the RSPB centre at Loch Garten. :t:

 

[Joseph N]

Sounds like you had a fantastic time Ken, well done. I hope to go birding in the Speyside area in June. It was an abandoned mission birding-wise today for me and my Dad. Within less than 20 minutes of arriving at Loch of Skene for a look for some woodland birds it started snowing and it has obviously been doing so on and off ever since (well, its just sleet and rain in Aberdeen). A pity, but there's always an other day.

 

[Ken Hall]

Sounds like you had a fantastic time Ken, well done. I hope to go birding in the Speyside area in June. It was an abandoned mission birding-wise today for me and my Dad. Within less than 20 minutes of arriving at Loch of Skene for a look for some woodland birds it started snowing and it has obviously been doing so on and off ever since (well, its just sleet and rain in Aberdeen). A pity, but there's always an other day.

Too bad your day out was spoiled by the awful weather. Still, it gives me a chance to catch up on your year list total Yes, I had a really good day yesterday, and now I've written up my diary so you can read all about it in more detail. :king:

 

[Joseph N]

Too bad your day out was spoiled by the awful weather. Still, it gives me a chance to catch up on your year list total Yes, I had a really good day yesterday, and now I've written up my diary so you can read all about it in more detail. :king:

I didn't know you were so competitive Ken! :-O I'll have a read of your diary shortly. Can I ask, do the Red Kites show so well at Loch of Skene at this time of year?

 

[Ken Hall]

I didn't know you were so competitive Ken! :-O I'll have a read of your diary shortly. Can I ask, do the Red Kites show so well at Loch of Skene at this time of year?

The Red Kites show well all year as far as I can tell. I can almost guarantee to see at least one each time I drive into Aberdeen, on the Garlogie road. Anywhere around Echt, Garlogie, Dunecht should do.

 

[Joseph N]

Hi Ken,

That's good to hear. On a better day I'll venture out to that area again and see if there are any of these lovely raptors about. Its great to have them around so near.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I briefly saw my first Waxwings of the winter: two flying over the High Street at the University today.

 

[Joseph N]

I thought it might have beeen you who had seen those Waxirs, Andrew. Well done. The university is quite a good place for Waxies, what with those cotoneaster bushes there. My Dad must have been still working or at lunch when you saw them, as he was in the area at the time.

 

[Capercaillie71]

A record count of Bullfinches for my garden today - 10 males and 2 females stripping the flower buds of my ornamental cherry tree.

Edit: I saw three females this afternoon, so the totaliser goes up to 13.

 

[Joseph N]

Up to 15 Waxwings seen by Alan Knox in the Hilton campus at Aberdeen University on the cotoneasters this morning as per ABZ Rare Birds. There definitely seems to be a mini invasion going on, with I reckon maybe 30 birds present in the city, what with this flock, Andrew's two yeterday, and the one seen by Ben on Grampian Road. I've been looking for them by my school, where I've seen good numbers in the past, but there was no sign of any today, as well as my road where there's some cotoneasters. I will keep a look out. The University seems to be where quite a few birds are congregating, so it's definitely worth a look around there for them if you're in that area.

 

[TheSeagull]

I keep looking at the berry laden trees when I'm out and about but no Waxwings as of yet.

 

[Tree Sparrow]

Too bad your day out was spoiled by the awful weather. Still, it gives me a chance to catch up on your year list total Yes, I had a really good day yesterday, and now I've written up my diary so you can read all about it in more detail. :king:

I've now read the update to your nature diary and the photo of a Crested Tit is just great!

TS

 

[Ken Hall]

I've now read the update to your nature diary and the photo of a Crested Tit is just great!

TS

thanks for that, it was quite a good day. Must visit Moray more often.

 

[Joseph N]

Will be getting out tomorrow unless the weather is too bad (Sunday looks good if not), and will be searching for Waxies round the city, as well as for Red Kites at Loch of Skene and the Bittern from Fen Hide at Strathbeg. Will report back my day then.

 

[Joseph N]

Had a nice day's birding today. 18 Waxwings were seen at mid-morning on Hilton Street near the campus on the trees by the cotoneasters. The views were brief though, which shows a degree of mobility in these birds. I might go up for a walk that way again to see if I can get some photos and better views.

At Loch of Skene Red Kites proved elusive, as did the Bittern at Fen Hide. However, Strathbeg did provide cracking views of up to 3 ringtails, and there were 6 Great Northern Divers on the sea off Rattray. There were also huge numbers of Pink-footed Geese on the fields on the way to Ratteay, maybe in the region of 550-700 birds. Amongst these were a few Barnacles but no signs of Brent or White-fronted Goose, both of which have been seen amongst that flock earlier in the week. At the Ythan there wasn't much to note, but 2 Grey Partridges were a pleasant surprise. Overall, a very nice day.

Joseph

 

[TheSeagull]

Simon King is coming to The Lemon Tree if anyone is interested -
http://www.boxofficeaberdeen.com/news_details.asp?VenueID=132&NewsID=759
http://www.boxofficeaberdeen.com/prod-productions_details.asp?VenueID=132&pid=2549