Tuesday, February 13, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Belated Update 13/02/24

It's been a while since my last update and I've been a little lazy when it comes to keeping my reader up to speed on my field trips. My 2nd hobby is Flight Simulator and this has taken priority as I get to know the new features in the latest Microsoft version MSFS. A few health issues have also caused several days on the sideline when for some unknown reason I developed a tear in one of my retinas. A trip to Specsavers revealed the tear and I was immediately referred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where within two hours I had received laser surgery and was on my way home. Thankfully the surgery worked and my retina is now secured with what they tell me is a perfect weld!

View of the Cairngorms from a recent Logan Air flight from Birmingham.

I'll begin by discussing the weather, which has been a combination of snow, ice, rain, and a few very windy nights, so nothing unusual there! However, there was an exception earlier in the month when the temperature reached the balmy heights of 15.1C. Dazza took some incredible photos of the Cairngorms in snow during a recent flight, one of which I have included above.

Delighted to see my first Scottish Bittern 

To the birding and I've enjoyed a few days out with David Leslie, his father Rob and Mark Sullivan, committee members of our RSPB Local Group. Highlights included a trip out of county to Monikie Country Park in Angus where we managed some reasonable views of my first Scottish Bittern. The last one I saw was at Brandon Marsh before moving north.

Iceland Gull at Fraserburgh.

A morning along the coast at Fraserburgh on February 2nd produced a nice adult Iceland Gull and indeed the first Gannets of the year. Later in the week, an afternoon walk at Buchanhaven produced some good views of the many Purple Sandpipers

Purple Sandpiper at Buchanhaven

The garden feeders have remained very busy with at least four Brambling hanging around and double-figure Siskin, along with the occasional Lesser Redpoll. On Saturday morning a stunning Sparrowhawk spent a short time on the fence directly under the feeders! Dazza and I watched in amazement from the living room window. 

Sparrowhawk on the garden fence (through the window photo)

A Few More Recent Images...

Fieldfare

Brambling in the Garden

Iceland Gull

Curlew

Common Gull

Sparrowhawk

Monday, January 15, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Comfort Birding!

 πŸ΄σ §σ ’󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Monday 15th January 2024  πŸ₯ΆπŸŒ¨️ -2C ~ Wind NNW @ 18MPH ~ Yesterday evening, the heavy snow showers began and have not stopped since. As of now, I estimate that approximately 8 inches have accumulated.

The view this morning.

This Fieldfare takes immediate advantage and fends off all comers to protect his find!

I was well prepared with the feeders topped up, the apples strategically placed and the ground saturated with seeds. As the saying goes, "Build it and they will come." I've had an enjoyable day 'comfort birding' mostly from the bedroom window and it looks like more of the same for the next few days.

Sikins on the sunflower hearts, along with a single Lesser Redpoll.

Always good to see Brambling in the garden.

Another Brambling taking advantage of the sunflower hearts!

Siskin through the bedroom window.

A Lesser Redpoll sheltering from the latest snow flurry.


A bit of a stern-looking chap!

Not sure who was actually 'comfort-birding' but I think these Red Squirrels are well able to handle the conditions.

Saturday, January 13, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 YEAR-LIST 2024

January is typically my least favourite month, largely due to the short days and dark, dismal weather that is common here in northeast Scotland during January. However, there is always a silver lining as we begin a new year of birding. Even local species, such as Blackbird and Robin, are quickly sought after as the new "year-list" begins to take shape. 

Red-necked Grebe ~ A record shot in dire conditions at Sand Loch Forvie NNR on January 3rd. 

Green-winged Teal at Cotehill Loch ~ Thanks to Mark Sullivan for the image.

My year started off well by adding Firecrest at Drumoak, a rare species to Aberdeenshire and Short-eared Owls at Kings Links golf course in Aberdeen during a day out with my wife Dazza on the 2nd. I've also managed several local outings since including Cotehill Loch Collieston where I recorded Green-winged Teal and the the Sand Loch at Forvie for a Red-necked Grebe

Drake Long-tailed Duck ~ At least 10 birds sheltering within the harbour walls at Cairnbulg.

On January 5th I stopped off on route to Strathbeg at Cruden Bay Harbour where a Meditteranean Gull had been reported and connected immediately as the bird flew along the shoreline on the opposite bank. I reached Strathbeg a short time later in torrential rain, taking cover in the visitor centre where I was able to view the many wintering Whooper Swans, also noted while here Tree Sparrows and of course Pink-footed Geese. My final stop was at Cainbulg Harbour, still in the pouring rain but from the car Common Scoter and the usual good numbers of Long-tailed Duck.

Grey Seal haulout at Forvie Sands

A deceased Minke Whale on Forvie Sands ~ David gives a perspective of size!

David Leslie and I had an enjoyable day out on the 10th, taking a circular walk along the Ythan Estuary and Forvie Beach. We spotted a variety of wader species, including three Grey Plovers which are a rare sight in this area, but their frequency seems to be on the rise. The highlight of the visit was witnessing a ringtail Hen Harrier being harassed by the local corvids.

A few walks around my local village sites of Dalmadilly Ponds and Fetternear Woodlands, the latter producing a nice surprise when I came across a group of 13 Hawfinches. We did manage Hawfinch during an RSPB walk I guided back in November but I imagined those birds were just passing through, obviously not the case. Indeed, during a visit yesterday, the flock has now increased exponentially with 49 birds reported by other birders on site. Worth a mention too is a large flock of around 100 Brambling, regular here most winters feeding off the mast of the many Beech Trees at Fetternear.


Hawfinch at Fetternear on January 9th.

At home, the garden feeders have been busy with the huge House Sparrow population that resides here being constantly usurped by some very fiesty Siskin. Lesser Redpoll are also regular visitors and on the 8th a brief visit from a Mealy/Common Redpoll, which unfortunately didn't stay long. 

Greenland White-fronted Goose on the fields at Kemnay January 12th ~ 102 for the year.

As of January 12th, my species count stands at 102, an excellent start to my birding year and all within my home county of Aberdeenshire/Aberdeen.

Brambling

Hawfinch at Fetternear

Just a few of the many Hawfinch

Siskin/Lesser Redpoll ~ From the Kitchen Window

Siskin

Tuesday, January 02, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 2023 REVIEW ~ PART TWO

 2023 REVIEW PART TWO.. I spent a few days in England in mid-March before my trip to Spain. During my time there, I visited my old patch at Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve in Warwickshire catching up with a few old birding buddies before heading off for a few days in Norfolk. In total, I managed 84 species.

Highlights included a stop at Eldernell in Cambridgeshire en route to Norfolk to catch up with Long-eared Owls and Short-eared Owls and a very showy Long-billed Dowitcher at the wonderful Cley Reserve in Norfolk.


Long-billed Dowitcher at Cley in Norfolk on March 17th.

Short-eared Owl at Eldernell on the Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire on March 16th

One of three Long-eared Owls at Eldernell on March 16th.

Two trips to Andalusia Spain took place in 2023 recording 170 bird species. The first trip was from April 20th until May 5th, and the second trip was from October 21st to November 2nd. Last year Spain experienced its worst drought in years and during our spring visit temperatures reached highs of 35C, unprecedented for the time of year! A very different story for our autumn visit with rain & wind but unfortunately not enough rain for the lagoons and reservoirs to recover. 

A Western Olivaceous Warber at Zapata an area I visit regularly when in Andalusia.

During our trips to Spain, Dazza and I came across an +Olivaceous Warbler at Zapata on April 30th, which was a first for us in Andalusia. We also saw Red-necked Nightjars mating earlier that morning. Our other highlights included a magnificent Black-winged Kite at La Janda, Little Bustards at HuΓ©tor-TΓ‘jar in Granada Province, and a Bonelli's Eagle that drifted over the villa while we were having morning coffee. There were also many other colourful species that we saw during our stay, but it would take too long to mention them all.

Black-winged Kite ~ Always on my wishlist when visiting La Janda.

On a beautiful early morning in April, I spent an incredible few hours simply sitting discreetly under a tree near a water font in The Sierra de las Nieves National Park near Marbella watching Firecrests, Bonelli's Warblers, Crested Tits, Cirl Buntings and Western Subalpine Warblers visiting the font for a drink & occasional bath, a simply incredible experience!

A Crested Tit visits the water font at The Sierra de las Nieves

Western Subalpine Warbler at the Water font.

A Western Bonelli's Warbler having a bathe.

In 2023, I also added a new butterfly and dragonfly to my lists. It's not just about birds, after all. +Desert Orange Tip is a species of butterfly originally from North Africa that was once considered rare and sought-after. However, it has now established a small colony in the far south of Spain, although it is still a rare sight.

A rare +Desert Orange Tip found at Guadalhorce near Malaga

My Dragonfly addition was an +Epaulet Skimmer which I came across during my regular walk at Zapata on October 24th. 

+Epaulet Skimmer at Zapata

Looking back at the year always fills me with nostalgia and excitement, but it's never easy to select the best photos to showcase when there are so many to choose from. This is why I've been blogging since 2009. It allows me to reminisce about the past and cherish the memories. Hopefully, 2024 will continue to bring many more memorable moments to brighten my days in a world that seems to be getting gloomier by the day.

Monday, January 01, 2024

πŸ“– 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 2023 REVIEW ~ PART ONE


Firstly, apologies to my reader for the complete lack of updates during December but family commitments and the Christmas period have given me little time for outings. 

However today, New Year's Day, Dazza and I got 2024 off to a good start by watching a very confiding Firecrest at Drumoak Sewage Works Aberdeenshire. Then shortly after over to Kings Links Golf Course in Aberdeen where we were entertained by a couple of Short-eared Owls.

Firecrest at Drumoak, Aberdeenshire.


Short-eared Owls at Kings Links Golf Course Aberdeen.

2023 REVIEW PART ONE.. As a birder my birding year in 2023 ended with a Scottish Year List of 218 species. The highlights of my year included a +Dark-eyed Junco on May 9th at Rattray, a +White-crowned Sparrow on June 10th at Girdleness, and a +Sharp-tailed Sandpiper on September 11th at the Slunks, Montrose. All three sightings were British firsts for me and were located within a radius of less than 100 miles from my home. Other notable species included a Red-backed Shrike at Longhaven on August 25th, Ross's Gull at Fraserburgh on March 3rd and a self-found Lesser Yellowlegs at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg on August 24th. 

+Dark-eyed Junco ~ Rattray May 9th

A couple of other species are also worth mentioning and include a juvenile Bewick's Swan at Strathbeg on February 6th, quite the rarity up here and a King Eider along the Ythan Estuary on June 14th. 


A singing +White-crowned Sparrow in the allotments at Girdleness on June 10th.

Red-backed Shrike ~ Longhaven Aberdeenshire.

Self-Found Lesser Yellowlegs at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg Aberdeenshire.

King Eider ~ Ythan Estuary on June 14th a 2nd-summer drake & not the beloved 'Elvis' who's visited over several years!

Away from the mainland, my 3rd autumn visit to Shetland since moving north produced the usual host of highlights and a British first for me with a +Veery at Luna. Other species of note included a 1st-year Citrine Wagtail, Siberian Stonechat, Olive-backed Pipit, Western Subalpine Warbler, Red-breasted flycatcher, Bluethroat and Barred Warbler.

+Veery ~ A British 1st for me at Luna, Shetland.

Citrine Wagtail at Lerwick, Shetland.

Siberian Stonechat at Hamnavoe, Shetland.

Barred Warbler at Hoswick.

PART TWO to follow... Which includes two trips to Andalusia Spain and a brief visit in April back to my old birding grounds at Brandon Marsh, Warwickshire.