I went on a morning walk at Crathes Castle in Banchory with the RSPB Aberdeen & District Local Group today. A good turnout with some 28 members attending. The temperature had dropped from a pleasant 18°C the day before to a more typical 9°C for this time of year. However, there was little wind and occasional breaks in the clouds, so it still felt pleasant enough when the sun shone.
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| Nuthatch ~ A first for me in Aberdeenshire |
Today we were on the lookout for a Nuthatch. It's not often seen in the northeast, and there have been very few reports in Aberdeenshire over the years. To my knowledge, this is the only location Nuthatch has been reported this year. It took us a couple of tries to find the bird at its known location, but eventually, we spotted it singing from the top of a large pine tree. Its silhouette was unmistakable against the cloudy sky. It was quite surreal to see a Nuthatch, my first for Aberdeenshire, especially since they used to be a regular nesting species at Brandon Marsh in Warwickshire, where I volunteered before moving to Scotland.
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| Red Squirrel |
The usual woodland birds were noted, along with two Fieldfare, a Sparrowhawk and a couple of Buzzards but still little in the way of summer arrivals apart from Chiffchaff. A Red Squirrel is always great to see and a single individual was seen near the cafe where we ended the morning with lunch.
