Despite the record-breaking temperatures in some parts of Scotland today my morning visit to the Ythan Estuary was draped in cloud. Add to this a strong northwesterly and it was quite a dreary mornings birding with temperatures struggling to reach 14C.
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| A party group f 14 Ruff from the 'Snub' layby |
That said there's always plenty to see and point the camera at around the Ythan! Having parked up at the 'Snub' layby I managed a count of seven
Little Egret all hunkered up along the opposite bank. A record for the area I'm led to believe. As I counted the Egrets a party group of fourteen
Ruff passed by, thankfully my camera was primed and ready.
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| A single Knot just below the layby during a very brief sunny interlude. |
My normal commute between here and the Waulkmill Hide produced a good selection of waders:
Redshank,
Greenshank,
Ringed Plover,
Knot,
Dunlin,
Black-tailed Godwit,
Bar-tailed Godwit,
Oystercatcher,
Lapwing and
Curlew, some of which are photographed below. A single
Osprey was also noted from the Waulkmill Hide.
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| Greenshank |
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| Curlew |
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| Dunlin |
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| Ringed Plover |
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| 1st Wheatear of the Autumn at Cransdale car park. |
A short drive to Collieston for a brief sea watch away from the Ythan produced my first autumn
Wheatear along the rocks from the Cransdale car park. Also while here at least three
Rock Pipits and a passing
Kestrel.
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| Red-throated Diver |
Out to sea four
Red-throated Divers among the many
Razorbill and
Guillemots. Several fish shoales were being bombarded by
Gannets,
Kittiwakes and a selection of
Gulls, plus three
Great Skuas. At one stage a single
Manx Shearwater passed through and while following with the scope a large Cetacea breached briefly, possibly a
Minke Whale but it was away off and unfortunately, I didn't connect again.
