After my last update, we experienced a brief spell of north-westerly winds. These quickly shifted to easterlies for a number of days, a change that often increases the likelihood of more interesting occurrences along the Aberdeenshire coast. This change resulted in a significant influx of Yellow-browed Warblers, which breed in Siberia and make their way here annually as they head south-west.
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| Collieston - A real hotspot on occasions. |
My regular birding areas have been abuzz with numerous sightings of
Yellow-browed Warblers, including three spotted in the lighthouse cottage gardens at Rattray on the 21st, and additional sightings at Longhaven and Collieston. Regrettably, I missed the peak of these sightings, and my subsequent visits to Collieston, first with David Leslie on the 20th and then alone on the 21st, were unsuccessful, despite a thorough search.
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| One of the dozen or so Rock Pipits at Collieston. |
Nonetheless, I did spot at least a dozen
Rock Pipits at Collieston foraging on the seaweed and observed several large skeins of
Pink-footed Geese arriving from the sea, which is always an impressive spectacle. Additionally, I enjoyed some spectacular
Peregrine Falcon activity along the Ythan after David headed off early on the 20th.
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| Pink-footed Geese now arriving in large numbers. |
On Sunday after having lunch at friends in Collieston, Dazza and I stopped at the 'Snub car park,' which offers great views of the Ythan River, just as a heavy rain shower had passed. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a
Spotted Redshank right below the parking area. I quietly moved to the boot to grab my camera and managed to capture an image of the bird just before it took flight, its call echoing as it soared away.
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| Spotted Redshank at Snub car park |
On the morning of the 24th, I returned to Rattray, focusing on the lighthouse cottage garden. No sign of
Yellow-browed Warbler but I was compensated by the sightings of a
Lesser Whitethroat &
Pied Flycatcher before the onset of rain. I then spent the rest of the morning at the RSPB Loch of Strathbeg nature centre, taking shelter. Despite the torrential rain, the birdwatching was quite rewarding, with sightings of two
Marsh Harriers, a
Great White Egret, two
Little Egrets, three
Ruff, a number of
Snipe, and numerous
Swallows grounded by the heavy rain before my departure. A quick stop at the Waulkmill Hide (Ythan River) on route home held all the regular waders, plus a nice year-tick in the form of three
Dark-bellied Brent Geese.
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| Local Cranes heading south. |
Finally on Wednesday 25th our latest RSPB Aberdeen & Local Group outing was to the Ythan. A full report by Mark Sullivan can be found
HERE on the groups website but one of the highlights for me was when we spotted a couple of adult
Cranes slowly circling and drifting southwards. Likely a local breeding pair which had either not bred of failed.
A few more images from my recent outings...
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| Golden Plover over the Ythan |
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| Grey Heron in gorgeous autumnal sunshine - Ythan |
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| Peregrine Falcon - Hunting over the Ythan. |
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| Peregrine |
🍂Easterlies - 27/09/2024
