Thursday, October 21st 🌦 6C ~ With the strong northwesterly winds and high tides over the next 36 hours, I headed over to Peterhead for a Seawatch and then on to Rattray where I'd hoped for some spectacular seas and I wasn't disappointed with either.
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| Eiders coping with a strong headwind |
Peterhead produced of note two Sooty Shearwaters and a single Pomarine Skua but the highlight was my first Little Auks for Scotland, with a group of five of these tiny bullets shooting past in the strong wind. Just about the size of a Starling there fast whirring wingbeats as they pass low over the sea is fascinating to watch, although you don't tend to see them for very long! I was also surprised to see a Puffin today bouncing around on the waves, although I've been told this is not unusual at this time of year.
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| Rattray Head lighthouse was built in 1895 and engineered by David Alan Stevenson. |
Rattray was as I'd expected, although I've never seen the tide this close in before. Roaring seas and very high tide line with lots of
Shags,
Gulls and
Cormorants battling the elements. While at the shoreline two Drake
Long-tailed Duck and several small flocks of
Wigeon,
Teal,
Goldeneye and
Eider Ducks flew north.
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| Black Redstart around the parking area. |
Back at the parking area a good scout around the old hotel grounds, along with the house, now looking unoccupied and a little derelict. Here there was sheltering
Redwings and
Blackbirds, plus
Linnet and a single
Brambling.
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| Black Redstart |
However, it wasn't until I returned to the car that I connected with a
Black Redstart that had been reported here the day before.
More Images of the Day...
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| Group of Shags |
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| Common Gull heading into the strong breeze |
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| A Wren in the old hotel grounds |
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| A Pied Wagtail shelters in the dunes |
NEW Scottish Life-List Since Relocating Permanently to Aberdeenshire in October 2020
