🍂Tuesday, September 28th ⛅️ 14C ~ A visit to RSPB Loch of Strathbeg this morning where unfortunately I failed to correctly identify a Greater Yellowlegs. Instead and despite having a few doubts when posting on birdguides early morning I decided it was more likely to be a Spotted Redshank. No excuses here though and well done to a chap called Andy Carroll who did identify the bird correctly later in the afternoon. Immediately after the word went out I knew it was the bird I'd photographed, so in a nutshell, I screwed up and we move on! Thankfully, lots of people got to see it and for me, it's a UK lifer, I've only ever seen them in Canada and the US in full summer plumage.
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| My first image of the Greater Yellowlegs |
It was actually a good day all around with thousands of
Pink-footed Geese at Strathbeg, along with
Whooper Swans, although the latter not in any large numbers yet.
Ruff,
Snipe,
Dunlin and
Greenshank were other waders, along with a single
Little Egret. A walk down to the hides and around the Farmland Loop in the strong breeze didn't throw up anything unusual but there was a large flock of
Linnet, lots of
Meadow Pipit movement and a dozen or so
Swallows passing through, plus a
Chiffchaff back at the centre, where there's also a healthy population of
Tree Sparrows. Despite the cool breeze, there was also plenty of
Common Darter dragonfly's to be found.
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| Tricky one but I've logged this a Pomarine Skua |
A stop for an hours sea watch at Peterhead proved to be well worth the effort with a huge flock of
Golden Plover on the rocks below Skene Road. In the strong southerlies a decent passage of
Red-throated Divers, I counted nineteen during my stay and what I've registered as a
Pomarine Skua was the best of the bunch. Plenty of
Gannets coming close in, including several juveniles and a single
Velvet Scoter, flew south. Going in the opposite direction was two adult drake
Long-tailed Ducks!
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| Sandwich Tern heading south |
Sandwich Terns were passing south occasionally too and a small group of
Common Scoter were seen at distance bouncing about in the waves. A good few
Guillemots and the odd
Razorbill were other notables, plus my first
Purple Sandpiper of the autumn.
Images of the Day...
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| Greater Yellowlegs |
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| Greater Yellowlegs |
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| Velvet Scoter → South |
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| One of nineteen Red-throated Divers → South |
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| Gannets → South |
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| Golden Plover at Peterhead |
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| Meadow Pipit ~ Strathbeg |
