Birds fae Torry (3 Viewers)

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Another low key wander round the headland this evening. A Common Sandpiper was heard along the north shore. Tern numbers were good again, with 115 Sandwich Terns, a big influx of 67 Common Terns and 44 Arctic Terns. In further developments to the Nigg Bay questions above, there were no Common Scoters at all in the bay. They seem to have finally left. The pair of Black Guillemots were still about. A Whimbrel was heard flying over the golf course.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Bird Net and Merlin say there was a ring ouzel on St Fitticks.
Wotchaffink?
View attachment St Fitticks - ring ouzel ? .mov

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Bird Net and Merlin say there was a ring ouzel on St Fitticks.
Wotchaffink?
View attachment 1578909

Song Thrush

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Bird Net and Merlin say there was a ring ouzel on St Fitticks.

Mind you, they both swear this is a Sagebrush sparrow.

View attachment 24,5,7 Sagebrush sparrow, golf course gorse 81.mov

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Mind you, they both swear this is a Sagebrush sparrow.

View attachment 1578911

You might need to edit your location settings!

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Song Thrush

I had heard the thrush earlier. Just this isolated bit of the call discombobulated the AI-xperts.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

You might need to edit your location settings!

Got Britain+Ireland, Europe and Australia. Not US.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Help with the terns please. What do I look for to differentiate common from Arctic? Not good at spotting opaque versus transparent 1ºs, narrow vs broad black edge. View attachment 24,5,7 Greyhope terns .mov
Lots of sand eels being traded (for sexual favours?) or stolen.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Help with the terns please. What do I look for to differentiate common from Arctic? Not good at spotting opaque versus transparent 1ºs, narrow vs broad black edge. View attachment 1578953
Lots of sand eels being traded (for sexual favours?) or stolen.

As well as Sandwich Terns, there are a couple of Common Terns at the end. Note the longish legs and the dark wedges in the primaries. Arctic Terns have mostly been well offshore, although some come onto the rocks in Greyhope Bay.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

We interrupt 'Birds fae Torry' to bring you 'Mirrie Dancers fae Torry'.

 

[delia todd]

So beautiful Andrew. You've got some cracking pictures there.

Don't know how I didn't see it. So I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for it tonight.

What time did it start?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

So beautiful Andrew. You've got some cracking pictures there.

Don't know how I didn't see it. So I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for it tonight.

What time did it start?

Was first visible around 1100 and probably best around 1130. Suspect it will be too cloudy here tonight, but we'll see.

 

[delia todd]

Thanks Andrew. Good luck for tonight then.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A warm day today but fairly quiet for birds. A look around St Fittick's in the morning was of more note for butterflies, with multiples of both Orange Tip and Speckled Wood on the wing. Birds included six Sedge Warblers, five Blackcaps and a Long-tailed Tit. Having said they'd gone, there were four Common Scoters back in Nigg Bay. The pair of Black Guillemots were again present.

An evening walk around the headland was also pretty quiet. Two Red-breasted Mergansers, three Common Scoters and three Arctic Terns passed offshore. Seven Swifts were over Torry.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

It was cooler today and fairly misty most of the time, with a brisk SE breeze. I had a decent look around through the morning. At St Fittick's, the usual array of birds were around including three Redpolls and a Pheasant. Four Common Scoters and two Black Guillemots continued to abide in Nigg Bay. Five Whitethroats around the headland was a bit of an increase on the numbers, but is still below par. A Knot in Greyhope Bay was the only bird that was new for the year.

I went around the headland again in the evening. 70 Purple Sandpipers were gathered in Greyhope Bay, with most getting into breeding plumage now. A male Wheatear was also there. Offshore there were nine Arctic Terns.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A brisk look around late afternoon today. Things were fairly quiet again, although 49 Purple Sandpipers remained in Greyhope Bay. Two Sanderlings on the breakwater included a very fine looking reddish, breeding plumage bird. The pair of Black Guillemots were off the foghorn before returning to Nigg Bay. Still three Common Scoters there.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Another misty day with light winds. I had a look around the headland late afternoon. There were still 44 Purple Sandpipers in Greyhope Bay and an unseasonal Curlew. A female Wheatear was also there. Offshore, seven Arctic Skuas was a good number and 16 Puffins went through, including a group of three that were fairly close. Two Whimbrel went north and eight Common Scoters south. I was pleased to see four Black Guillemots in Nigg Bay.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Just wanted a quiet nap after pigeon for lunch.
But the neighbours weren't having it!
View attachment Garden 24,5,14 sparrowhawk, magpie + crow in birch 7 CUT 2 cut .mov

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Just wanted a quiet nap after pigeon for lunch.
View attachment 1579827 But the neighbours weren't having it!
View attachment 1579830

Probably the male I photographed a week or so back.