-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ken Hall
- Start date
Hugh Addlesee
Well-known member
For anybody thinking of going for the WBDs, while 3 were still present yesterday evening, I wouldn't have said the views were outstanding, as 2 were very distant, and the closer one was (of course) in worse light. The glare from the sun made viewing at all to the west a bit awkward - in fact, bill colour was extremely hard to discern unless birds were facing east, when they stood out like a sore thumb. Earlier on might be better, assuming the birds don't drift out too far and it doesn't get hazy. One was reported to staff at Strathbeg as having been right in the harbour mouth yesterday morning - that would have been some sight!
Capercaillie71
Well-known member
By good fortune I had some fieldwork to do this morning about 10 miles from Portsoy, so I headed there late morning after I was finished. On my first scan from the headland I picked up a diver in the distance with an apparently white bill. However, as Hugh says in the last post, the glare from the sun made it quite difficult to be sure it wasn't just reflected light. It looked promising, but was to the east of the harbour entrance, so I headed round to the other side of the harbour, meeting another couple of birders on the way. Almost immediately I picked up a summer plumage Great Northern Diver in the same area where I had seen the first bird. It was the first (and hopefully last) time I've been disappointed to see one of those! I assumed that the light bill I'd seen earlier was just reflected light off the GND. About 20 Bottle-nosed dolphins close in were some consolation.
I spent another hour or so on both sides of the harbour (which included a flypast Black Guillemot) before deciding to call it a day and leave. However, after looking at the map I decided to take a detour down Links Road which gives a view over the bay to the east of the harbour. I found a spot behind some large sheds to look out over the bay and soon found another diver which again appeared to have a white bill. Again, I had doubts about glare and reflection, but gradually as I had prolonged, but fairly distant views, it became clear that it was a White-Billed Diver. Looking at my dreadful hand-held digiscoped photos below, it is hard to see how there could have been any doubt, but somehow it wasn't as apparent in the field.
Returning past the harbour I noticed a birder on the headland to the west, so I went back there and took him round to show him where I had seen the bird. After a few agonising minutes, I refound it closer in, and there was then absolutely no doubt about its identity. Unfortunately I didn't manage any photos of it closer in as by then it was diving continually and was only on the surface for 10-20 seconds at a time.
I spent another hour or so on both sides of the harbour (which included a flypast Black Guillemot) before deciding to call it a day and leave. However, after looking at the map I decided to take a detour down Links Road which gives a view over the bay to the east of the harbour. I found a spot behind some large sheds to look out over the bay and soon found another diver which again appeared to have a white bill. Again, I had doubts about glare and reflection, but gradually as I had prolonged, but fairly distant views, it became clear that it was a White-Billed Diver. Looking at my dreadful hand-held digiscoped photos below, it is hard to see how there could have been any doubt, but somehow it wasn't as apparent in the field.
Returning past the harbour I noticed a birder on the headland to the west, so I went back there and took him round to show him where I had seen the bird. After a few agonising minutes, I refound it closer in, and there was then absolutely no doubt about its identity. Unfortunately I didn't manage any photos of it closer in as by then it was diving continually and was only on the surface for 10-20 seconds at a time.
Attachments
Last edited:
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
Hi Colin,
The King Eider is best seen at the mouth of the estuary. To access here, go right down the small road when you see the Ythan Hotel on the southern outskirts of the village. This will eventually take you to a car park. Walk down the path through the gorse towards the large grey shed (lifeboat station), which is visible from the car park, to the beach at the mouth of the estuary. Opposite here there is a colony of Grey Seals and a group of Eiders often roost nearby them which quite regularly includes the King Eider. However, it is worth walking upstream a good way and checking any groups of Eiders that you see - there is a hut not too far along the beach which provides a good viewpoint to scan the Eiders. If you are unable to locate the bird from here you can try Inches Point, accessible from Inch Road, a road to your right as you get the first proper view of the estuary when going through Newburgh. Pass through a builders yard until the spit at the very end of the road. This is where the King Eider was seen from most regularly last year. Other good places to view on the Estuary include the Snub laybys and Waulkmill Hide -for info on these places see the link below. Note that there has been a Bonaparte's Gull on the estuary, which is mostly seen from the two latter areas. Best of luck in getting the Eider and also if you go for the divers, there were three summer plumaged birds still there yesterday so fingers crossed they're still there.
(http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Ythan_Estuary)
Joseph
Last edited:
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
My Dad and I finally managed to make it up to Portsoy today for a look for the White-billed Diver(s). Parking up at the west end of the harbour and up onto the higher ground, we found the sea to be pretty calm. Despite the idyllic conditions, I wasn't that confident that we'd be successful, but after 15 minutes or so I managed to find one summer plumaged White-billed Diver pretty distantly, its yellow bill standing out a mile. It was watched swimming for about a minute alongside a Cormorant which it was quite a bit larger than, and then dived. Despite meticulous searching it wasn't seen to re-surface and wasn't re-found, so the likelihood is that when it did re-surface that it was beyond the scope's magnification and thus not visible. The wind also strengthend shortly after this and the sea became choppy, so this made it increasingly difficult to re-find it. What a fantastic bird though!
Trying to re-find the White-billed proved frustrating, and the wind was cold, so it wasn't particularly pleasant. However about 10 minutes after having seen the White-billed this unpleasant atmosphere lifted as a juvenile Iceland Gull was found right at the edge of the higher ground no more than 20ft away from us! It proceeded to wheel round and go right over our heads, and was watched as it headed east until it went out of view - what a stroke of luck and a brilliant looking bird! Half an hour was spent continuing to look for the White-billed, with 2 summer plumaged Great-Northern Divers and 15+ Long-tailed Ducks keeping us occupied. There was still no success though so we headed to Links Road to the east of the harbour where Paul saw a White-billed Diver on Wednesday. Yet again though, there was no sign of anything from here. We gave up at this stage, but left delighted nonetheless -having had reasonably good, albeit brief views of White-billed Diver and a juv. Iceland Gull. The final part of the day was spent at Strathbeg, but it was quiet here, save an Osprey washing itself on the Savoch Low Ground.
Just a note that 3 White-billed Divers, 1 in partial summer plumage, were seen off the Maltings at Burghead this morning by a couple of birders (gus and alex guthrie) from Angus that we later met at Portsoy. With a partial sum plum bird at Portsoy on Monday it seems very possible that there are a number of White-billed Divers commuting up and down that stretch of coast between Portsoy and Burghead.
Joseph
Trying to re-find the White-billed proved frustrating, and the wind was cold, so it wasn't particularly pleasant. However about 10 minutes after having seen the White-billed this unpleasant atmosphere lifted as a juvenile Iceland Gull was found right at the edge of the higher ground no more than 20ft away from us! It proceeded to wheel round and go right over our heads, and was watched as it headed east until it went out of view - what a stroke of luck and a brilliant looking bird! Half an hour was spent continuing to look for the White-billed, with 2 summer plumaged Great-Northern Divers and 15+ Long-tailed Ducks keeping us occupied. There was still no success though so we headed to Links Road to the east of the harbour where Paul saw a White-billed Diver on Wednesday. Yet again though, there was no sign of anything from here. We gave up at this stage, but left delighted nonetheless -having had reasonably good, albeit brief views of White-billed Diver and a juv. Iceland Gull. The final part of the day was spent at Strathbeg, but it was quiet here, save an Osprey washing itself on the Savoch Low Ground.
Just a note that 3 White-billed Divers, 1 in partial summer plumage, were seen off the Maltings at Burghead this morning by a couple of birders (gus and alex guthrie) from Angus that we later met at Portsoy. With a partial sum plum bird at Portsoy on Monday it seems very possible that there are a number of White-billed Divers commuting up and down that stretch of coast between Portsoy and Burghead.
Joseph
Last edited:
Capercaillie71
Well-known member
Excellent - glad it stayed for you Joseph. After hearing no reports from yesterday I thought it might have moved on.
ColinD
Well-known member
Great stuff! I hope to make it's acquaintance on Sunday. I've only seen 1 White-billed Diver before, and that was a 1st winter bird off Filey about 20+ years ago. Don't know which I'm more excited about, King Eider or White-billed Diver! It would be nice to get both! I assume that the Bonapartes Gull has not been seen recently?
Thanks for the advice BTW.
Colin
The Bonaparte's Gull was reported around Ythan mouth on Wednesday evening, so it's quite likely to still be around. Also 11 Dotterel nearby at Collieston Crossroads.
ColinD
Well-known member
Thanks! Sounds like it's going to be a busy day!
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
No problem at all Colin, it certainly would be nice to get both! Best of luck if you go to Portsoy and also with the King Eider and the Boneys too, will look forward to seeing how you got on.
Thanks Paul, was anxious on the basis of no reports yesterday that it might have moved on as well, but thankfully not - I reckon its lack of people looking that's the reason behind no reports from yesterday. As for those Dotterel at Collieston crossroads, if they're still around tomorrow I will very likely head up to try and see them in the evening - will report back if I go up for them.
Joseph
Last edited:
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
I am supposed to be revising a lot, but Aberdeenshire birding is too good to resist at the moment. For this very reason I found myself heading to the Collieston crossroads in search of the 11 Dotterels that turned up there yesterday evening. Once there it took barely any time to locate them, which was very nice. They weren't that far off, but heat haze and the sun shining more or less right on the field meant that viewing could have been better, and as a result of this I wasn't able to fully discern the gender mix of the group - there were at least 4 females as far as I could see, very likely more. Despite the blazing sun and the haze it was fantastic to see them and I watched these enigmatic waders for half an hour as they scuttled hither and thither around the field. After about half an hour the birds lay down and were able to completely disappear from view. We managed to view the birds from a different vantage point by the A975, but views at this point were of the top of their heads and superciliums in very low grass - it just goes to show how adept these birds are at concealing themselves!
Shortly afterwards the phone sounded and I was alerted of a drake Surf Scoter at Murcar, so we quickly made our way down there, picking up House Martin for the year over Newburgh. We arrived to find that no-one was there, but no difficulty was had in finding the Surfie. It was with 50+ Common Scoters no more than 100 yards offshore, and the conditions were superb with the sun being behind us. It was roosting for the first 10 minutes or so after it was seen, but it soon woke up and we were treated to prolonged, brilliant views. I've had such bad luck with Surfies off Murcar and Blackdog in the last few years, managing to finally see 3 off Blackdog for the first time last year. Views were good then, but they were nowhere near as good as this. Very rarely has an afternoon's birding been so pleasurable!
Joseph
Shortly afterwards the phone sounded and I was alerted of a drake Surf Scoter at Murcar, so we quickly made our way down there, picking up House Martin for the year over Newburgh. We arrived to find that no-one was there, but no difficulty was had in finding the Surfie. It was with 50+ Common Scoters no more than 100 yards offshore, and the conditions were superb with the sun being behind us. It was roosting for the first 10 minutes or so after it was seen, but it soon woke up and we were treated to prolonged, brilliant views. I've had such bad luck with Surfies off Murcar and Blackdog in the last few years, managing to finally see 3 off Blackdog for the first time last year. Views were good then, but they were nowhere near as good as this. Very rarely has an afternoon's birding been so pleasurable!
Joseph
Last edited:
I also managed enjoyable views of the 11 Dotterel at Collieston Crossroads this afternoon. I reckoned there were five females - quite a mixture of plumages really, with some birds only just developing breeding plumage. I had prolonged but distant views of the Bonaparte's Gull on the Ythan, from the northernmost lay-by. Also six Greenshank, a Whimbrel, two Pintail and several Little Terns on the estuary. I completely failed to find the King Eider, although it was seen by others today.
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
Good to see you managed the Dotterels and the Boney's, Andrew. That's interesting that you thought there were five females, that seemed to be about right to me as I had 4 females in the scope at one point. Hope the WBD sticks around for you roougers - if all fails there Burghead is always an alternative.
Joseph
ColinD
Well-known member
Just got back from a very brief visit to Aberdeenshire. I met a lot of nice people who were very friendly and helpful! Sunday morning was exceptional. I'd found the King Eider by 8am at the mouth of the Ythan with very little trouble, and following the advice of a local birder, I'd even managed to pick out a potential Northern Eider (Borealis) displaying its sails as it displayed to a female Eider. By 10am I'd seen the Bonaparte's Gull well from the layby and five Dotterel at Collieston! I couldn't quite sustain the pace after that, and dipped on the White-billed Diver at Portsoy, but I did at least get summer plumage Great Northern and Long-tailed Ducks there, and finally I finished the day at Forvie Sands NNR and saw a few decent sea birds, including 4 species of tern.
The mouth of the Ythan was a magical place I thought, I've never seen Eiders in such big numbers, and the air was full of their calls and mixed in with the cries of terns (mainly Sandwich). Great weather as well, I didn't realise that Aberdeenshire was the UK Riviera
Thanks to everybody who helped out here, and all of those I met if you read this :t:
The mouth of the Ythan was a magical place I thought, I've never seen Eiders in such big numbers, and the air was full of their calls and mixed in with the cries of terns (mainly Sandwich). Great weather as well, I didn't realise that Aberdeenshire was the UK Riviera
Thanks to everybody who helped out here, and all of those I met if you read this :t:
Last edited:
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
Just got back from a very brief visit to Aberdeenshire. I met a lot of nice people who were very friendly and helpful! Sunday morning was exceptional. I'd found the King Eider by 8am at the mouth of the Ythan with very little trouble, and following the advice of a local birder, I'd even managed to pick out a potential Northern Eider (Borealis) displaying its sails as it displayed to a female Eider. By 10am I'd seen the Bonaparte's Gull well from the layby and five Dotterel at Collieston! I couldn't quite sustain the pace after that, and dipped on the White-billed Diver at Portsoy, but I did at least get summer plumage Great Northern and Long-tailed Ducks there, and finally I finished the day at Forvie Sands NNR and saw a few decent sea birds, including 4 species of tern.
The mouth of the Ythan was a magical place I thought, I've never seen Eiders in such big numbers, and the air was full of their calls and mixed in with the cries of terns (mainly Sandwich). Great weather as well, I didn't realise that Aberdeenshire was the UK Riviera
Thanks to everybody who helped out here, and all of those I met if you read this :t:
Hi Colin,
I saw most of the birds in the Ythan area getting reported on birdguides in very quick sucession of one another so I suspected that might have been you, and it now appears it was! Many congratulations on having such a sucessful time and I'm glad that you loved the Ythan area, it is indeed a truly beautiful place and it's great to hear of others from elsewhere being successful in the county :t:. Unlucky about dipping the White-billed Diver, but I'm glad that didn't put you off too much! As for the great weather at the moment, it's a very rare thing in this neck of the woods, can't remember the last time that we had a spring as lovely as this - although that maybe because I am too young to remember equally nice springs!
Well done once again and thank you very much for the great report,
Joseph
Capercaillie71
Well-known member
It's a very rare thing! I've just checked the met office stats (http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/datasets/#), and it was the warmest and 2nd sunniest April in east Scotland since records began (in 1910). Only the 18th driest though (I think we had some heavy downpours early in the month?). Seems like the rain is returning at the end of this week though.
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
Wow, that is quite something! Thanks very much for the statistics Paul, very interesting stuff and great to know that April was the warmest on record up this way and the second sunniest - it really has been a wonderful spring. It does indeed seem as if we'll be getting some rain this weekend - will be frustrating if some very good birds turns up as exams will prevent me from getting out!
Joseph
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
Looks like the Swifts are back in Aberdeen now. A birder had about 40 yesterday and I had 7 wheeling over my school today - Aberdeen Grammar School - that were my first of the year. Also rather surprisingly over the house this morning a mini passage of 6 Swallows (as well as Swift heard), presumably due to the weather yesterday... Has anyone had any Swifts yet outwith the city?
Joseph
Joseph
Last edited:
