Birds fae Torry (3 Viewers)

[TwoDipsfromAmsterdam]

Perhaps the discarded footwear is an ancient pastime in the area,which maybe gave way to local street names,Wellington and Walker Road.

Should be good for a Booted Warbler then!

 

[nicklittlewood]

I and a few others were able to watch it for some time as it shuffled about amongst the vegetables and, rather peculiarly, on top of some tarpaulin.

Here's a few pictures. Thanks also to Ian for putting the news out. And, as it's been a while since I've found any discarded footwear at the Ness, there's also a shot of a nice find I made today.

Thanks very much for getting us on to the lark this afternoon Andrew - cracking views as it shuffled on the black plastic thing. We got crippling views of the footware too - top sighting. Do such items generally stick around for a while or do they get booted by over zealous observers with no field skills?

Oh and I don't think it at all strange that you are excited by your wader orgy getting top rating on Google (sounds like a perfectly natural rection to me - but please tell, what mentions did it pip to the top?).

Nick

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Thanks very much for getting us on to the lark this afternoon Andrew - cracking views as it shuffled on the black plastic thing. We got crippling views of the footware too - top sighting. Do such items generally stick around for a while or do they get booted by over zealous observers with no field skills?

Oh and I don't think it at all strange that you are excited by your wader orgy getting top rating on Google (sounds like a perfectly natural rection to me - but please tell, what mentions did it pip to the top?).

Nick

My pleasure Nick. Glad you connected with the boot too. Footwear disappears as mysteriously as it appears at Girdle Ness. I think we need to figure out if there's a pattern to the sightings. More work needs to be done.

You mean you didn't actually google 'Wader Orgy'? I hear it's 'trending' on twitter at the moment. Anyway, I did discover that some people apparently have a 'muddy wader fetish'. Those Redshanks, up to their tibias in thick, claggy mud...

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I did pop out again late afternoon and, as dusk began to fall, I had very good views of the Short-toed Lark again. It was in pretty much the same area as earlier, about midway along the side of the allotments nearest the road. It flipped from one plot to the another, where it pottered about quite contentedly before flying right down to the eastern end of the plots. I got some more pictures, for those who don't tire of looking at slightly gloomy and out of focus shots of rare larks in well-tended allotments.

It has to be said that otherwise the Ness was pretty quiet. There were almost no migrants anywhere. One Song Thrush was about it - not even any Wheatears. Offshore were a Common Scoter and two Red-throated Divers. The juvenile Grey Plover was again on Greyhope Bay but there was much less of a wader orgy there today - barely even a light fumble in the broom cupboard. A couple of Dunlin and a non-totaliser threatening number of Purple Sandpipers was your lot.

 

[Capercaillie71]

I had a wander in the sunshine along the golf course between the Battery and Allotments today. The Lapland Buntings (there were two of them) were very obliging, feeding on the short grass of the fairways. Not much going on in the allotments that I could see.

 

[Ken Hall]

I had a wander in the sunshine along the golf course between the Battery and Allotments today. The Lapland Buntings (there were two of them) were very obliging, feeding on the short grass of the fairways. Not much going on in the allotments that I could see.

I was there too this forenoon and also saw the Lapland Buntings although I couldn't get close enough to photograph them. I also had a quick glimpse of a female Redstart in the Allotments, but there were probably too many plotees at work. I had a nice chat with one of them who said he had seen the Short Toed Lark yesterday - on somebody's camera.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

A bit quiet at the ness this morning. Remnants of the fall included a goldcrest and blackcap at the battery, but little else. Andrews grey plover and velvet scoter were still present, and a flock of thirty something barnacle geese flew south. More easterlies forecast for the end of the week...

 

[Mark Lew1s]

A couple of migs at the ness today - literally - whinchats in Nigg bay and near the battery. Also 5 PB brents went south.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

So late morning today I was out in the garden hanging my washing out and heard a funny call: looked up and 18 Lapland Buntings were flying south. Nice house tick!

Also a few Bottlenose Dolphins around the harbour mouth. Forgot to mention some were around last Sunday too.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

18! Nice one! And I thought I was doing well with 7 back in September.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

18! Nice one! And I thought I was doing well with 7 back in September.

Cheers! Makes me wonder how many I'd have seen if I'd have been looking all morning.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

there are some photos of an interesting chiffchaff seen at the battery today, on my blog....(link below)

I think it's a tristis, but there are a few things that don't quite sit right. The call was certainly right, and many plumage features fit, but I think it's always wise to be cautious with such things!

Good numbers of thrushes and finches coming in this morning..including quite a few brambling. Also good numbers of goldcrests came in. There's probably something half decent out there....

 

[Ken Hall]

I didn't get to the Ness until three o'clock this afternoon. I haven't seen so many Goldcrests for a few years, and there were nearly as many Chiffchaffs. Good numbers of Pied Wagtails and thrushes, and a stonking male Grey Wagtail on the rocks along the north bank. As Mark says, there just has to be something decent there. The mist and drizzle was returning as I left at 5.30pm.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Oodles of birds at the ness this morning, getting a bit quieter by lunchtime but there are still birds out there to be found!!!!!

Things I saw a lot of:
Redwing, song thrush, Blackbird, brambling, siskin, blackcap, chiffchaff, goldcrest

Things I saw one of:
willow warb, redstart, black redstart, whinchat, pied fly, reed warbler, ring ouzel

Things I saw ten of:
Long tailed tits, at the sewage works

 

[Mark Lew1s]

You spend all morning trudging round girdle ness looking for migrants and then a yellow browed warbler pops up in your garden!

PM me if you're interested in where this bird is...

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Sadly I didn't connect with Mark's Yellow-browed, despite having a good look this afternoon. Thanks for the updates Mark, although judging by where the Birdguides birdmap put it, it seems like it was a bit further away than you suggested .

Some raw numbers on the day's proceedings: Blackcap (9), Chiffchaff (22), Fieldfare (1), Song Thrush (25), Redwing (22), Chaffinch (60+), Siskin (9), Goldcrest (50+), Redstart (3), Swallow (6), Reed Bunting (1), Wheatear (7), Pied Flycatcher (2 - one at the Battery, one at Provost Hogg), Brambling (5), Garden Warbler (1), Grey Wagtail (4). I think the counts for Chiffchaff and Chaffinch are certainly the highest I've ever had at Girdle Ness. Also a female Stonechat on the north side of the golf course, I think the first I've seen here this year. Wildfowl included three Teal, eight Red-breasted Mergansers, 120 Pink-footed Geese and the female Velvet Scoter, which was again off the Coo. Three or four Bottlenose Dolphins were around the river mouth and the Grey Plover was still on Greyhope Bay. That was also, rather unexpectedly, where my bird of the day was. Scanning across the rocks I noticed a small wader scuttling about, which then froze still. Hmm, looks like a Snipe; that's a bit weird, I thought. In fact it was a bit better than that: a cracking Jack Snipe that sat motionless on the rocks for several minutes. Probably the best 'on the deck' views I've ever had of this species.

 

[Jane Turner]

I know someone who lives near Scarborough who had a Jack Snipe crash in through an open skylight and then freeze on his desk, like a paperweight.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Still a few migrants around today, although fewer than yesterday. Scores on doors: Chiffchaff (14), Goldcrest (43), Song Thrush (17), Redwing (28), Swallow (1), Redstart (2), Siskin (6), Grey Wagtail (5), Wheatear (7), Blackcap (6), Garden Warbler (1), Chaffinch (17), Brambling (2). The bulk of the action was again probably in Torry rather than around Girdle Ness. The trees at Provost Hogg Court (opposite the bowling green on Victoria Road) were again very busy. This spot seems to be particularly good for Brambling.

A couple of flocks of Barnacle Geese flew south, one of 42 and another of 12. Also two Pink-feet north. Other stuff included both Grey Plover and Velvet Scoter again, one Purple Sandpiper, six Red-throated Divers, nine Red-breasted Mergansers and two Bottlenose Dolphins. Something big must have been out there but it seemed to elude me and everyone else this weekend.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Some good stuff at the ness this afternoon.

YBW on the north bank, favouring the area around the big pile of stones. It was showing well and calling occaisionally. I also flushed what had to be a water rail here...just didn't get enough on it.

At the battery, whinchat, redstart, and flushed a definite water rail! Made up for missing the earlier one, which I was a bit sore about!

A few other redstarts here and there and a very secretive acro on the south bank that unfortunately turned out to be a reed warbler. Not the first bit of warbler related disappointment of the day.....

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Very quiet for migs at the ness today...a couple of redstart in the allotments (and a Black redstart....but I didn't see that). Just a few chiffs and goldcrests dotted about. 4 redpoll went over, and by far and away the best of it, 2 tree sparrow with linnets and other finches at the torry end of the south bank (where the house used to be).

Also a black guillemot in greyhope bay. (north east scotlands premier black guillemot site).

Still decent numbers of migrants lingering in Torry. At the mound on baxter street, 3 or 4 chiffchaffs and a few goldcrest, and garden warbler and blackcap from the north facing branch of the Torry bird observatory.