Since coming back from Shetland last month, the weather has stayed largely the same, and our lackluster summer continues. Daytime temperatures have been consistently hovering between 13°C and 17°C, accompanied by frequent heavy downpours, which scarcely indicate that it's summer. As I write, another 'yellow warning' for rain has been announced for tomorrow, Wednesday 10th, which is particularly disheartening as an RSPB outing to Glen Girnock in the Cairngorms has now been cancelled.
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| Puffin at Longhaven. |
Shortly after my return from Shetland, I was able to participate in an RSPB Local Group trip to Longhaven Cliffs on June 20th. The complete report is available on the group's website HERE, but the standout moments for me included a Short-eared Owl, Peregrine and the formations of Auks heading north, which seemed endless. The Fulmars are also a delight, seemingly taking joy in gliding along the cliff face. And naturally, spotting Puffins is always a treat.
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| Fulmar |
On the morning of July 3rd, David Leslie and I met at Murcar Golf Course and took a short walk to the sand dunes. I had already attempted twice to spot a White-winged Scoter, known to frequent the area with a small group of Velvet Scoters, but had been unsuccessful on both attempts. Our first stroke of misfortune was the emergence of the sun as we reached the dunes, which caused a glare on the sea that hindered our viewing. The second unfortunate event was the presence of hundreds of Common Scoters far offshore, in contrast to their previous proximity to Blackdog, a little further up the coast. As we began scanning the area, we observed numerous other species, including Guillemots, Razorbills, Eiders, Red-breasted Mergansers and Red-throated Divers. Eventually, David spotted a small group of five scoters closer to the shore, one sporting a white patch on its wing, raising our hopes that these were the Velvet Scoters previously sighted with the White-winged Scoter. As the sun disappeared behind a cloud bank, we secured a clear view through the scope, confirming the identity of our target bird—a personal first for me in Scotland. While observing the scoters, we also noticed a significant number of Bottlenosed Dolphins feeding offshore. They frequently breached and came close to shore chasing fish, with scores of Gannets and Gulls partaking in the feeding frenzy—a genuine spectacle of nature. We celebrated with coffee and cake at the nearby Marks.
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| Bottlenose Dolphins |
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| A Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary butterfly - Muir of Dinnet NNR |
Typically, this season is ideal for observing butterflies and dragonflies, but the unfavourable weather has negatively impacted these pursuits, resulting in fewer opportunities to venture out and spot them. Nevertheless, I was able to avoid the rain showers during a recent trip to Muir of Dinnet NNR and was pleased to spot several Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterflies. There were a few other species on the wing and these included Ringlet, Meadow Brown and Small Heath. The only odanata I saw were a few Common Blue Damselflies.
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| Small Heath |
At home, I'm quite concerned about the local Swifts nesting in the house opposite mine. Their numbers seem to be dwindling, with no signs of activity at the nest site, possibly due to the poor summer we're having. In contrast, the local Peregrines seem to be doing better, with an adult and a youngster often seen and heard over the house. Lastly, Dazza and I went to Girdleness on Sunday afternoon to observe a group of nine Orcas, including two bulls which spent the afternoon feeding near the lighthouse. We enjoyed some excellent views through the scope, but sadly, they never came close enough to shore.
NEW Scottish Life-List Since Relocating Permanently to Aberdeenshire in October 2020
