The summer lull in birdwatching, coupled with the less-than-stellar weather, has led to a hiatus in my postings. Nevertheless, Dazza and I have managed to enjoy several excursions, including ventures into the Cairngorms and visits to a number of local reserves.
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| A young Sandwich Tern |
Today, we participated in the RSPB Aberdeen & Local Group trip to Cairnbulg & Inverallochy along the Aberdeenshire coast. The weather was glorious, featuring clear skies, gentle breezes, and a comfortable 19°C. Our start at Cairnbulg presented us with numerous
Sandwich Terns perched and fishing from the rocks, many of them juveniles. Amidst them, a few
Common Terns, and further offshore, at least thirty
Gannets were actively diving—a spectacular sight indeed. A brief stroll down the path west yielded a lone
Teal in one of the channels and a rare sighting for Aberdeenshire: a pure
Hooded Crow, not a hybrid! Although its impossible to be 100%.
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| Dark Phase Arctic Skua |
Just before we set off for our walk towards Inverallochy, a dark-phase
Arctic Skua flew directly overhead, fortunately observed by most of the group, one of five seen today.
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| The view from Cairnbulg, the foreground normally awash with waders! |
Initially, there was a noticeable scarcity of wading birds, with only
Curlews and
Oystercatchers present. Cairnbulg is infamous for its large seaweed deposits and the accompanying strong odor. However, following complaints from residents, the council has cleared the seaweed. I believe this is the reason for the reduced number of waders at this particular spot, as they typically feed on the abundant resources provided by the seaweed.
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| Cairnbulg Beacon and the wreck of the Sovereign, which ran aground on 19th April 2018. |
Stopping at the wreck, there was a small haul-out of
Grey Seals and several
Swallows flying in and out, possibly nesting, though it seemed a bit precarious. On the water, a group of
Eider Ducks was also noted.
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| A Whimbrel poses on the rocks for a photo. |
A leisurely walk to Inverallochy, punctuated by frequent stops, began to increase our day list with sightings of
Whimbrel,
Redshank, and
Turnstone, alongside many more
Gannets and passing
Sandwich Terns.
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| Arctic Skua harrasing a Sandwich Tern. |
Perhaps the highlight prior to reaching the beach was witnessing a light-phase
Arctic Skua aggressively pursuing a
Sandwich Tern to pry the fish from its bill in a display of typical skua behavior – it made for my best photo of the day!
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| The group enjoying lunch while sea watching - Photo by Dazza |
Upon reaching Inverallochy beach, we took a break for lunch and observed a sizeable flock of Gannets plunging into the sea to fish. Additionally, two dark-phase Arctic Skuas flew southward, and we spotted a variety of waders along the shore, including Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Whimbrels, Sanderlings, Dunlins, Turnstones, and a lone Golden Plover. Among the many Sandwich Terns a single Arctic Tern was also noted.
A few images of some recent outings...
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| A stunning Red Deer stag during a walk in the Cairngorms |
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| A newly fledged Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Osprey fishing - A common sight on the the Ythan during the summer months |
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| Black Darter dragonfly at Muir of Dinnet |
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| A juvenile Robin feeding on Rowan berries. |
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| August is a great month to see the gorgeous Scotch Argus |
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| Sexton Bettle |
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| A Roe Deer while walking locally at Fetternear. |
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| Great White Egret at Loch of Strathbeg |
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| Common Darter |
