Monday, April 22, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Orkney 22/04/24

Today we sailed with Pentland Ferries from Gills Bay on the mainland to St. Margaret's Hope on Orkney. An occasionally bouncy but pleasant enough hour and fifteen minutes crossing and thankfully it remained dry with good spells of sunshine. 

Black Guillemot

On the sea several Black Guillemots around the harbour, at least 20 Puffins, and many Common Guillemots and  Razorbill. At one time we watched two Great Skuas, the pirates of the sea harassing a Gannet, obviously trying to steal a free meal. 

Fulmar flying alongside.

Plenty of Kittiwakes enjoying the stiff breeze and often we'd be joined by the odd Fulmar flying alongside the ship. Shortly after disembarking, we stopped briefly at Echna Loch and were amazed to find at least 100 Long-tailed Ducks. Also of note before we reached our accommodation at Stromness we watched a Merlin flying low over the fields.

Puffins

One of the two Great Skuas seen today harassing a Gannet.

A small section of the Long-tailed Ducks on Echna Loch today.

Highly cropped image of Long-tailed Ducks

Sunday, April 21, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Dunnet Head 21/04/24

🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sunday 21st April 2024 🌀 13C ~ Wind SSW @ 3MPH ~ Today we spent the morning and early afternoon exploring the area from Dunnet Beach to Dunnet Head, the latter being the most northerly point on mainland Britain. 

View from Dunnet Head towards Orkney and the Old Man of Hoy stack.

From Dunnet Head, you get good views of the Orkney Islands, our destination tomorrow. Today's weather was a surprise with plenty of sunshine a light breeze and a temperature of 13C.

Great Northern Diver

We spent an hour at Dunnet Beach, observing many Great Northern Divers in different plumages and a few Red-throated Divers. Several Sandwich Terns were resting on the rocks. Although only a few waders were seen, we did spot Ringed Plover, Curlew, Oystercatcher and Redshank. "A group of six Sand Martins flew by, and a Willow Warbler was heard singing in the vicinity."

Hooded Crow

As we approached Dunnet Head, we stopped several times to watch a pair of Stonechat, three Wheatear, and several Hooded Crows. After parking at the lighthouse, we went for a walk along the high cliffs where Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemot and Fulmar were nesting and on the water below many Kittiwakes. Skylark, Meadow Pipits and Twite were also noted along with Rock Pipit before we headed off for lunch.

Tree Pipit

After lunch, we drove a short distance to Castlehill Heritage Centre where we spent some time around the old harbour. We sat and watched more Great Northern Divers and were pleasantly surprised to see a Tree Pipit followed shortly after by three Whimbrels, constantly calling out before disappearing across the harbour, both year firsts. 


Saturday, April 20, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Orkney Islands Stage 1 20/04/24

We began our trip to Orkney today, and the first stage involved a 4-and-a-half-hour drive north. We are staying about 20 minutes away from John o'Groats. Tomorrow, we plan to spend the day here. On Monday, we will take the ferry from Gills Bay to St. Margaret's Hope, where we will spend four days exploring the islands.

Short-eared Owl at Campbeltown.

A few stops along the route provided birding opportunities. The best one was observing a Short-eared Owl flying over the coastal dunes in Castletown.

Short-eared Owl

Friday, April 19, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Coffee & Cake 19/04/24

 πŸ΄σ §σ ’󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Friday 19th April 2024 🌦️πŸ’¨ 6C ~ Wind N @ 20MPH ~ David Leslie and I had planned to take a morning walk before high tide around the Ythan estuary at Newburgh today. We knew it would be a little challenging in the strong breeze but having also been soaked on two separate occasions after an hour we gave up and headed off to the sanctuary of the Trellis cafe in the village for coffee and cake!

A Drake Pintail 

As you'd expect there were plenty of waders, mostly Redshank along with Greenshank, Knot, Dunlin, Turnstone, a single Bar-tailed Godwit and a flock of (35) Ringed Plovers. Along Foveran Burn Teal and Gadwall and where the burn runs into the river a single drake Pintail.

Sandwich Tern

Taking shelter in the 'tin hut' we scanned through the 100s of Black-headed Gulls but nothing unusual here. Sandwich Terns are now back in numbers and before getting down to the task of breeding, several were busy fishing in the latest downpour. On the opposite bank, thirty or so Oystercatchers were sheltering along with the many Eider Ducks that reside here.

Thursday, April 18, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Dalmadilly Ponds 17/04/24

 πŸ΄σ §σ ’󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Wednesday 17th April 2024  9C ~ Wind N @ 9MPH ~ Even with the sun shining the weather can be quite deceptive up here and when a biting northerly breeze blows the temperatures can plummet. So for me, it's still a hat & gloves.  

Newly arrived Willow Warbler

A few visits to my local Dalmadilly Ponds over the past few days and finally things are starting to happen with a good influx of Willow Warblers, seven singing birds counted today. 

Male Blackcap from today.

Blackcaps
on the other hand are a little lighter in numbers with just a pair seen during today's visit. I dropped in yesterday briefly after my trip to the Cabrach and the east pool had (17) Sand Martins and a couple of Swallows but just a single Sand Martin today. Chiffchaffs continue to sing, (4) birds during my visit and there are at least 3 pairs of Little Grebes, which hopefully will nest but I fear that the regular wild swimmers who now frequent the pools might put pay to that. 

East Hide

East Hide

After 4 years of living here, I am still unsure whether these ponds were formed by the local quarry for nature or leisure purposes. There are two substantial hides present, but unfortunately, they remain locked. Even if they were accessible, they wouldn't be of much use since the paths run in front of them, and dog walkers wander freely with dogs often swimming in the pools. It won't be long before the rubber dingies are out too!

Roe Deer

During my walk, I tried to capture a quick photo of a Roe Deer hiding in the thicket. The deer looked like it had been damaged at some stage in the past, but it looked sprightly enough and bolted as soon as it saw me. Also of note today was a Red Kite, which drifted at height to the north.

A Willow Warbler with attitude!

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The Lek 16/04/24

Up with the larks this morning for a few hours drive around the Cabrach. This area is located on the northern edge of the Cairngorms National Park and is about a 40-minute drive from my home. It's a beautiful but remote and sparsely populated area consisting of mountainous terrain, stretching ten miles (16 km) wide by eight miles (13 km) long.

View across the Cabrach from the roadside.

The main reason for the early start was to catch the Black Grouse lek and I managed six Black Grouse, all in the surrounding open fields. Unfortunately, the sun was shining almost directly at me and photography was difficult. 

Black Grouse

Not one of my best photos of Black Grouse

While parked up a couple of Buzzards were displaying high up in the distance, plus a couple of 'cronking' Ravens passed overhead with plenty of Meadow PipitsCurlew, Oystercatchers, Lapwings & Skylarks, all regular nesting species here. Common Gulls and Black-headed Gulls also breed here and several pairs were noted. 

A female Wheatear on a roadside fence 

A few summer migrants are now beginning to arrive and a Willow Warbler was seen, along with at least three Wheatear. I say three but I'm pretty sure I picked up a few distant birds. 

Song Thrush takes a breather. 

On the edges of the surrounding woodland, a few Song Thrush along with Chiffchaff, Wren, Robin & Chaffinch all singing and doing their best to attract a mate against a stiff northerly breeze.

Dipper

When I was up here with Theo de Clermont, one of my Warwickshire buddies, earlier in February we managed Golden Eagle and Goshawk but disappointingly none today. Another raptor normally encountered while on the Cabrach, Hen Harrier was also another of today's absentees. Also of note today was a single Dipper on the Burn of Redford and a large mixed flock of Siskin/Lesser Redpoll, around 100 or so. A bitterly cold day with a stiff northerly breeze may well have had an influence on today's absentees but it's always a treat to see a lek.

A Few More Images of the Visit...

Skylark

Oystercatcher display.

A pair of Wheatear

Sunday, April 14, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Aberdeenshire 1st 14/04/24

I went on a morning walk at Crathes Castle in Banchory with the RSPB Aberdeen & District Local Group today. A good turnout with some 28 members attending. The temperature had dropped from a pleasant 18°C the day before to a more typical 9°C for this time of year. However, there was little wind and occasional breaks in the clouds, so it still felt pleasant enough when the sun shone.


Nuthatch ~ A first for me in Aberdeenshire

Today we were on the lookout for a Nuthatch. It's not often seen in the northeast, and there have been very few reports in Aberdeenshire over the years. To my knowledge, this is the only location Nuthatch has been reported this year. It took us a couple of tries to find the bird at its known location, but eventually, we spotted it singing from the top of a large pine tree. Its silhouette was unmistakable against the cloudy sky. It was quite surreal to see a Nuthatch, my first for Aberdeenshire, especially since they used to be a regular nesting species at Brandon Marsh in Warwickshire, where I volunteered before moving to Scotland. 

Red Squirrel

The usual woodland birds were noted, along with two Fieldfare, a Sparrowhawk and a couple of Buzzards but still little in the way of summer arrivals apart from Chiffchaff. A Red Squirrel is always great to see and a single individual was seen near the cafe where we ended the morning with lunch.

Friday, April 12, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Spring Awaits 12/04/24

A cloudless sky and an early morning visit to my local Dalmadilly Ponds failed to produce any overnight arrivals and I still await my first spring Blackcap and Willow Warbler, normally the next two passerines to arrive after Chiffchaffs! As is the norm up here in the northeast of Scotland we are probably around two or three weeks behind my old birding grounds of Warwickshire.  

Oystercatcher

After breakfast, I headed off to the coast with stops along the Ythan and at Bullers of Buchan. The tide was out with a stiff offshore breeze and there were plenty of waders feeding which included the hoards of Redshank, along with Curlew, Dunlin, OystercatcherTurnstone, Ringed Plover, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit and a small group of summer plumage Black-tailed Godwits. A single drake Long-tailed Duck was also noted from Inch Point.

Just a single Puffin seen at Bullers of Buchan

Finally, I went for a quick walk along the cliffs at Bullers of Buchan, would you believe in shirtsleeves, to see if any Puffins had arrived yet. None along the cliffs but I did manage a single bird on the water mixed in with the Guillemots and Razorbills. Both Kittiwakes and Fulmars were already on nests and it was the usual wonderful cacophony of noise.

Bullers of Buchan

Thursday, April 11, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 North Aberdeenshire 10/04/24

I took advantage of a break in the weather and started my day early, as there was no rain expected until this afternoon. I arrived at Portsoy Harbour just before 7am, where I noticed that the wind had died down and there was only a slight swell on the sea. The relatively clear skies were perfect for scanning the area for White-billed Divers, which are a common sight along this part of the coast during spring.

Long-tailed Ducks

I observed a group of five Long-tailed Ducks and a single Red-throated Diver below. There were plenty of Guillemot and Razorbill moving back and forth, and further out, I noted Gannet, Fulmar, and Kittiwake. Though I didn't spot any White-billed Divers on the sea, I was eventually rewarded when a single bird flew east past the harbour. I followed the bird through the scope, its bill catching the low morning sun on occasions and had some decent views until it disappeared to the east.

Red-throated Diver

After visiting Portsoy, I took a drive along the coast to Fraserburgh where I had breakfast, parking opposite the Home Bargains store, which can be a good spot for observing white-winged gulls. The tide was low and though I scanned the gulls, I didn't find anything unusual. However, I did spot a few waders including a group of eight Ringed Plover, as well as DunlinCurlew, Turnstone, Redshank and Oystercatcher.

I visited RSPB Loch of Strathbeg next, and since it was a pleasant morning, I spent an hour at the bench overlooking Starnafin Pools. A couple of Greenshank, along with a Little Egret, and a good selection of wildfowl, including Gadwall, Shoveler, Wigeon, Shelduck, and Teal. I also spotted the regular Green-winged Teal, but before I could take a picture, a couple appeared, walked straight to the fence in front of me, and flushed the birds. The Green-winged Teal was last seen flying over to low ground. 😑

Pintail

From the bench, I booted up & walked to the Dunbar hide around the farmland track. Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, and Yellowhammer, with a few Sand Martins that had just started to appear. When I arrived at the Dubar Hide, I saw the bird-flushing couple who were getting very excited and taking lots of pictures of what they thought was a 'Great White Egret.' However, it was actually a Little Egret, and I didn't have the heart to tell them otherwise. A large flock of Black-tailed Godwit, which I estimate to be about 100 in number were feeding just out in front looking stunning in their smart summer plumage. Further out around 500 Golden Plovers were spooked by a passing Marsh Harrier, and a pair of Pintails were another highlight. Back at the centre before heading off a real Great White Egret was noted, although distant. I did scan the many distant Pink-footed Geese feeding on the fields but no sign of any white geese, a Snow Goose seen by Mark Sullivan a few days earlier. 

Sandwich Tern

Finally, a stop at Inch Point in Newburgh overlooking the Ythan, the tide now in, produced my first Sandwich Terns of the year with three in total, a lone Common Scoter, two Long-tailed Duck and of course the wonderful Eiders, a good end to a long day.  

Tuesday, April 09, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 I'm Back 09/04/24

After a two-month break from blogging, I'm back. Despite no posts I've had ample opportunity to get out and about and I suppose the best way to bring things up to date is by means of a pictorial, so here we go with a few highlights over the period.


Shorelark 

 RSPB Fowlsheugh February 27th 2024 ~ A day out with David Leslie, Mark Sullivan & Rob Leslie. An elusive bird to find in a deep ridged ploughed field but eventually picked up with a thermal imager. Also during the same outing our first Black Guillemot of the year just along the coast at Cove.

Black Guillemot


Bufflehead

A short drive over to the Sand Loch at Forvie NNR on March 25th for a Drake Bufflehead which is almost certainly the same bird that spent a brief few hours on the east side of the Irish Sea at Carbeth Loch, Clyde. From here it made its way across to the North Sea coast at Sand Loch, Aberdeenshire, on the 24th becoming the first record for both counties.

Corn Bunting

Although not particularly scarce in Aberdeenshire the above Corn Bunting was one highlight during a particularly quiet day out with the RSPB Aberdeen & District Local Group at RSPB Strathbeg on Sunday, March 24th.



Tree Sparrow

One garden surprise for me was on the morning of March 20th when two Tree Sparrows visited my feeders for the very first time since I moved north. I've also had subsequent visits from both birds since.

Mandarin Duck

These colourful ducks are regular visitors to Fyvie Castle Loch during the winter months and David Leslie and I managed two pairs during a morning stroll around the loch on March 19th. 

Dipper

Dippers are a regular feature around my local patch, this particular one taken on the River Don near Seaton Park Aberdeen.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls at RSPB Strathbeg

Surprisingly LBBG's are only summer visitors to Aberdeenshire, like this pair only arriving back in late March.

Brambling ~ A regular in the garden.

Back to today and an early afternoon visit to my local Dalmadilly Ponds in the pouring rain! An excellent hour with my first local counts of Swallows and House Martins of the year, the rain obviously bringing the birds down low to feed. Also of note back home was a Brambling, which has been hanging around for the past week, along with what seems like the whole Siskin population of the village, over 50 counted in the surrounding trees during a cold snap last week.