Birds fae Torry (4 Viewers)

[Mark Lew1s]

I managed to count the common gulls today...1800 was the final tally. Also good numbers of herring gulls in the harbour including quite a few large, dark mantled argentatus types.

The big surprise was a juv Pom skua that sauntered north past the foghorn...very nice. A little more frustrating were 6 buntings that bounded south out to sea. I'd have put my mortgage on the being laplands but they were just too far out.

Also 11 lapwing and 4 snipe in Nigg bay.

This will be my last Ness update of the year as I'm heading back offshore in a few days...so while I'm here, merry christmas to all readers of 'Birds fae Torry', and a happy new year!

 

[Ken Hall]

and festive greetings to you too Mark, and thanks for all your interesting and helpful observations from The Ness. All the best for 2011.

 

[delia todd]

Yes, Happy Christmas and New Year to you Mark.

Oh and I might as well include everyone else on this thread too.

D

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Have a splendid Christmas and New Year Mark - I hope 2011 is as productive a year in Torry!

 

[DMKSlater]

Merry Christmas and all the best for 2011 Mark.

Dave

 

[AL ...]

Happy Christmas Mark and hope to meet up again sometime in the newyear .. Grace says you bring the coffee this time!
Cheers
AL

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Really quite cold and snowy here in Torry. I braved the elements for a bit today but also did some gull watching from the relative warmth of the flat. There are very large numbers of gulls in the harbour at the moment, and there's certainly been a big influx since Thursday. The Glonk was again about in the usual area, and I managed quite a few pictures of it down by the quayside. There's been a suggestion elsewhere on BF that this might be a hybrid but I'm not really seeing it myself. If it is a hybrid then I have no idea how you would identify a pure Glaucous Gull. Anyway, I know she's pure and so, of course, is our relationship.

I briefly saw the 'interesting dark gull' but didn't get good views. I also saw a few other argentatus type things around the harbour, some of which looked a bit similar but were generally much bigger looking. Jane Reid told me she'd seen a Glaucous Gull on the breakwater, which perhaps suggests there's more than one about. It'll be worth having a good look through the gulls tomorrow I reckon.

One or two 'hard weather' birds were about. Seven Linnets were visiting gardens on Abbey Road and a Fieldfare and Woodcock were near the allotments. Otherwise it was a bit quiet around the Ness, although I didn't have the time to have a look around Nigg Bay, where I suspect the best birding might be at the moment.

Here are some Glonk and river ice shots for your viewing pleasure. You can look but you can't touch.

 

[amilne]

I took a photo of Mme Glonk earlier in the week, whilst hoping to photograph the "dark interesting gull".
However, by the time I got to Torry it really was dark outside, so the photograph may not help much to confirm identification, but here it is.
3
Merry Xmas everyone.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Nice shot Alec, and festive greetings to you too.

Here're a few more pictures from today.
1. Fieldfare
2-5. It's all a bit snowy

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A bit warmer today, but with regular flurries of snow flowing in off the sea. Still loads of gulls around the harbour, although I didn't see the Glaucous Gull until the afternoon when it briefly drifted over the warehouses. I also saw the 'interesting dark gull' again. It looks increasingly manky, which might be a factor in why it looks quite small. The feathers seem unusually abraded for the time of year and it looks to have some odd dark patches on the underwing, as if it's oiled slightly.

Two Fieldfares were in the garden and two Mistle Thrushes along Abbey Road this morning. Three Linnets were in the allotments. Not too much else of a 'hard weather' persuasion was around. Four Common Snipe were along the ditch in Nigg Bay but otherwise it was quiet around there. One Red-throated Diver and a juvenile Gannet were out to sea. A Kestrel was searching for food in the snow near the Battery and a Common Buzzard was bothering the gulls at Greg Ness.

Several hundred Common Gulls were in Nigg Bay and, as I walked along the road nearby, these all came up off the water as one. Looking around I noticed a juvenile skua was ploughing into them. It continued to do a circuit of the bay before drifting off to the south. I'm happy this was a juvenile Pomarine Skua - a bit of a pale one, but quite a bit bigger than the gulls and with a real 'pot belly'. I wonder if it's the same bird that Mark saw earlier in the week. It's not too unusual for these late skuas to linger around.

The day ended with a slightly unexpected patch tick. I was heading into town and had a quick look from the Victoria Bridge and noticed a Little Grebe along the edge of the river just a few metres downstream of the bridge. I've seen them much further up the river a few times but never so close to the sea.

There were some good photographic opportunities around the Ness.

 

[Joseph N]

A bit warmer today, but with regular flurries of snow flowing in off the sea. Still loads of gulls around the harbour, although I didn't see the Glaucous Gull until the afternoon when it briefly drifted over the warehouses. I also saw the 'interesting dark gull' again. It looks increasingly manky, which might be a factor in why it looks quite small. The feathers seem unusually abraded for the time of year and it looks to have some odd dark patches on the underwing, as if it's oiled slightly.

Two Fieldfares were in the garden and two Mistle Thrushes along Abbey Road this morning. Three Linnets were in the allotments. Not too much else of a 'hard weather' persuasion was around. Four Common Snipe were along the ditch in Nigg Bay but otherwise it was quiet around there. One Red-throated Diver and a juvenile Gannet were out to sea. A Kestrel was searching for food in the snow near the Battery and a Common Buzzard was bothering the gulls at Greg Ness.

Several hundred Common Gulls were in Nigg Bay and, as I walked along the road nearby, these all came up off the water as one. Looking around I noticed a juvenile skua was ploughing into them. It continued to do a circuit of the bay before drifting off to the south. I'm happy this was a juvenile Pomarine Skua - a bit of a pale one, but quite a bit bigger than the gulls and with a real 'pot belly'. I wonder if it's the same bird that Mark saw earlier in the week. It's not too unusual for these late skuas to linger around.

The day ended with a slightly unexpected patch tick. I was heading into town and had a quick look from the Victoria Bridge and noticed a Little Grebe along the edge of the river just a few metres downstream of the bridge. I've seen them much further up the river a few times but never so close to the sea.

There were some good photographic opportunities around the Ness.

Hi Andrew,

Well done on the Pom Skua, a great bird considering how late it is :t:. Will be interesting to hear if it is seen again - if so I will maybe have a go for it myself. Also congratulations on the Little Grebe, never had one in the Ness area myself, and some very nice shots of the Glauc.

All the Best,

Joseph

 

[Ken Hall]

Not a great deal of interest yesterday round the Ness. A few Lapwings and the big flock of Common Gulls in Nigg Bay. The gulls all flew up at one point but I couldn't see the cause of the disturbance. It was bitingly cold but beautifully sunny.

However, in keeping with the regular reporting of wierd and wonderful sights and strange goings-on at Girdleness, here is a photo of something quite bizarre on the beach at Nigg Bay.

In view of Council cutbacks, the venue for this year's Office Party has been changed. The idea was not well supported.

 

[Ian Bell]

However, in keeping with the regular reporting of wierd and wonderful sights and strange goings-on at Girdleness, here is a photo of something quite bizarre on the beach at Nigg Bay.

In view of Council cutbacks, the venue for this year's Office Party has been changed. The idea was not well supported.

Although I am Council Employee and a Torry Loon,I can guarantee,its not me in the photo Ken..!

 

[Dave Kennedy]

Season's Greetings

Compliments of the Season to the Torry Gang from sunny South Africa. Might come as a surprise, but I would kill to see some snow again.

Keep up the good work - I really enjoy your contributions.
Dave

 

[Ian Bell]

Strange Encounter

Sorry to move from the bird theme but I had an encounter with a Fox last night at 10pm,on Balnagask Road/Farquhar Road.It quite happily gave me a body swerve and continued to walk down Balnagask Road (a main road in Torry) and then head in the direction of the Mound,on North Balnagask Road.

I have seen them on the edges of The Ness and Gramps but never in the built up areas of Torry.Despite the recent cold snap,it looked in good condition.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Back in Torry for the final day of 2010. It was 'out like a lamb' as far as weather goes: quite mild and pleasant. I'm pleased to say that the Glonk has stayed loyal and was maintaining its usual rooftop vigil this afternoon. The best bird around the Ness was a Tufted Duck flying up the river. Also around the harbour mouth were a Goosander, a Harbour Porpoise and a Knot on the North Pier. A Common Scoter was with the Eiders off the Coo.

I've had rather a good year birding in Torry - 139 species in all, if my sums are correct. That's probably the best I've ever managed. Let's hope 2011 is even better. Happy New Year to all 'Birds fae Torry' fans.

 

[TwoDipsfromAmsterdam]

Happy NEW YEAR to all you Torryites - one of the best thread for us ex-pats!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The first day of the year didn't produce a huge number of species, but it was still very good from a patch year list perspective. I managed four species that are not at all guaranteed in a year, and one of them was a mighty patch tick. It doesn't get a lot better than that does it. Okay, maybe it does, but it was still quite nice all the same.

It took a while for the Glonk to surface - maybe a late night last night - but eventually it was back in the usual area. Good that we could renew our acquaintance in 2011. The weather was much colder than yesterday with a nasty northerly breeze and occasional sleet showers. It was definitely winter again. Another patch goody was sheltering in the allotments: a female Pheasant huddled under one of the bird feeders. Better was to come on the harbour. In amongst a flock of Eiders just off Footdee was no less a bird than a drake Pochard. Smashing - a patch tick for me and not one that gets recorded here very often at all.

The rest of the walk around was fairly quiet. A Sparrowhawk, proabably a male, dashed over the harbour and eight Linnets were on the allotments. Another very good local bird was in Nigg Bay though: a Great-crested Grebe lurking on the edge of the roosting flock of Common Gulls.

1. Pheasant, looking a bit cold
2. Pochard, showing all the key features. It's the one on the right, in case you're not sure.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Another rather raw and gloomy day here in Torry. The Glonk duly appeared late in the morning to sit on its usual rooftop. A drake Goosander was on the Dee and two or three Bottlenose Dolphins were in action. There was no sign of yesterday's Pochard but the Pheasant was in exactly the same place in the allotments, sheltering underneath a feeder. I suppose it's fairly easily twitchable, if anyone's interested. Importantly, we saw some movement on the All New 2011 Purple Sandpiper Totaliser:

220

What a cracking start to the year! Thanks to everyone for digging deep. Three Common Scoters were amongst the Eiders in Greyhope Bay and another flew north. Also on their way north were a Red-throated Diver and a drake Long-tailed Duck. Two more Red-throated Divers were on Nigg Bay, where there were also single Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser. The Great-crested Grebe was also still around. A Ringed Plover was on the beach and three Roe Deer were rather nonchalantly grazing the football pitches.

And here they are, being nonchalant.

 

[Helenelizabeth2]

I think the deer in the second pic looks far from nonchalant. Startled would be more accurate. Perhaps he's wondering how the heck the paparazzi tracked him down again.