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📖 ❄Mediterranean Gull 8/03/25

Saturday 8th March 2025 🌤️ 13C ~ S @ 12MPH ~ With Dazza spending the weekend with her mum, I took the opportunity to visit Loch of Strathbeg on Saturday morning. This will be my last visit before heading off to Spain on Tuesday for a few weeks. I started my trip at St. Mary's Chapel in Rattray, where I took a look across the southern end of the loch. As I was setting up my camera, a group of Whooper Swans flew over the ruins, and I just managed to take a snapshot as they passed by.

Whooper Swans over the chapel ruins.

As usual, the loch was bustling with waterfowl, and I counted 22 Pochard during my visit. Many Goldeneye were displaying toward the center of the loch, and Whooper Swan, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, and Teal were all well represented. Additionally, two drake Pintail were notable sightings, and a Corn Bunting was singing on a fencepost nearby.

A Corn Bunting keeps me company while I scan the loch

In the fields behind the chapel ruins, about a thousand Pink-footed Geese were grazing. A careful scan revealed a single Russian White-fronted Goose and three Barnacle Geese.

White-fronted Goose behind the chapel.

Two of three Barnacle Geese seen today.

Next, I drove around to the Visitor Centre, stopping briefly to look over the small pool before the access road where the recent Glossy Ibis liked to linger, but there was no sign of it.

Around the car park, a Song Thrush was singing from the copse, and the resident Tree Sparrow colony were dotted around the feeders. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were also chasing each other around. I spent my time sitting on the benches overlooking Starnafin Pools. It was actually quite pleasant, with the sun now offering a bit of warmth.

There were many gulls to search through, but one stood out immediately: A stunning summer-plumage Mediterranean Gull, which just a short time ago would have instigated a local twitch! I was fortunate because just as I raised the camera, the bird flew off to the west.

Adult Meditteranean Gull on Starnafin Pools.

Meditteranean Gull heading off!

There were many Black-headed Gulls present, most transitioning to summer plumage, alongside Common & Herring Gulls. I still haven't spotted any Lesser Black-backed Gulls, which do not winter in the northeast, but two were recorded here yesterday and two at Girdleness, so they are returning slowly.

Strathbeg is always a wealth of sights and sounds, with its expansive sky providing the perfect backdrop for birdwatching. During my visit, I spotted my first Ruff of the year when three dropped onto the low ground. Skylarks singing overhead and the constant movement of Pink-footed Geese and Whooper Swans, whose departure is approaching, contributed to a lively atmosphere, accompanied by the eerie cries of Curlews, spring is definitely in the air. Many Lapwings are currently defending their territories, while Oystercatchers are noisily competing for mates. A flock of about twenty Dunlin was always on the move. Nowadays, a visit to Strathbeg almost ensures that you will see both the Little Egret and the Great White Egret, which was previously unimaginable. In fact, there were two of each present today. It is worth noting, too, that the Great White Egret nested here for the first time in Scotland last year.

Buzzard

Unusually, just a single raptor species today with a couple of Buzzards and the similar wildfowl noted earlier at St. Mary's along with three Gadwall.

📖 ❄RSPB Loch of Strathbeg 27/02/25

Once again, the aurora graced our skies on Monday evening allowing me to take these hand-held iPhone images from home.

Aurora looking across towards the Bennachie Hills.

Thursday 27th February 2025 🌤️ 7C ~ NNW @ 15MPH ~ It was a beautiful spring-like day, and its always good fun to spend time with David, Mark, and Rob. A few notable rarities had been reported further along the coast in the past few days, so we initially headed to Peterhead in search of Tundra Bean Geese. Two had been reported among a flock of Pink-footed Geese. When we arrived at the designated area of the report, unfortunately, there was no sign of any geese at all, so after a short drive around we decided to continue on to Peterhead Marina.

Aerial view of Peterhead Marina & Bay

Upon arrival, it didn't take long for us to spot the Black-throated Diver, which had been frequenting the area for the last few days. We managed decent scoped views, and after it had been diving for food for what seemed like an age, it finally paused on the surface for a while preening. We had a short walk along the footpath and managed to gain slightly better views allowing us a few record shots. Long-tailed Duck, Guillemot, Eider and Razorbill were also noted during our stay.

Black-throated Diver - Peterhead Bay

We then drove a little further around the coast to St. Fergus where there's usually a good flock of geese to be found. We weren't disappointed with literally thousands to look through. No sign of any Bean Geese during our exhaustive search but the sight and sounds of thousands of Pink-footed Geese is always spectacular!

Just a fraction of the Pink-footed Geese on show.

From here we drove on to the south end of the Loch of Strathbeg for a quick look across the loch from St. Mary's Chapel. Almost immediately I spotted the drake Ring-necked Duck hanging around with a number of Tufted Duck. There's somewhat of a mystery regarding this bird as there's also a Ring-necked Duck often reported at Loch of Skene, which David and I saw on February 13th. Is it the same bird commuting? Interestingly both birds have never been reported on the same day! Plenty of Pochard, Wigeon, Teal and Goldeneye, plus a couple of Long-tailed Ducks, as well as Little Egret, Great White Egret and a single Shoveler. The latter a little scarce at the moment and a year first for me.

Our Final stop was Strathbeg VC to look for the Glossy Ibis first spotted yesterday. With the access road being resurfaced and closed we walked down to the centre negotiating the construction works and skirting around the newly laid concrete. The centre was locked so we scanned from the benched area looking across Starnafin Pools. Four Little Egrets as well as a Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and Sparrowhawk, with both causing the usual havoc. Also Gadwall and hundreds of Teal and Wigeon along with a few fly by Whooper Swans and more Pink-footed Geese. There was also a couple of Roe Deer actually in the fenced perimeter, looking quite desperate to get out, goodness knows how they actually got in!

Whooper Swans

A movement in the reeds turned out to be a Common Crane, for such a large bird amazing how they can blend in. This is a really early record for Strathbeg, although it was first spotted on Saturday.

Luckily as we were about to leave the Glossy Ibis flew in right over our heads and landed on the pool in front of us - at one point David had the Crane and Ibis in the same scope view - something that would have never even been considered up here a few years ago. Delighted with our day out, David needed to get back for the school run so we headed south for home. Thanks to Mark Sullivan, David Leslie and his Dad Rob for the company and especially to Rob for driving - Hope you get the car cleaned soon 😉

Black-throated Diver at Peterhead

📖 ❄Upstream Encounter! 17/02/2025

Monday 17th February 2025 ☁️4C ~ Wind S @ 11mph ~ The last time I walked upstream along the River Don from home everything around the floodplain and marshland areas was frozen. However, today there was plenty of wet areas to explore, with my main target being Jack Snipe. The river was flowing slightly faster than normal after recent rains so I decided to begin around the floodplain and stroll back along the river bank. I don't possess a thermal imager and so I was going to do things the old fashioned way by walking around the perimeter of the wet areas and see what came out.

The floodplain and marsh areas with Bennachie Hills in the distance.

It didn't take long before I spotted my first Common Snipe, and by the end of my observation, I had recorded eleven in total. The highlight, however, was when I nearly stepped on a Jack Snipe before realising its presence! I barely managed to capture an image before the bird flew, descending back into the marsh just a short distance away. With the job done I left him in peace. At least four Reed Buntings were also present.

Record shot of Jack Snipe.

As spring approaches, activity is increasing with a large flock of approximately forty Curlews in the surrounding fields, along with a couple of Oystercatchers and a singing Skylark. Around the lagoon, an area of water that accumulates along the normal flow of the river, at least thirty Common Gulls and a similar number of Herring Gulls were washing off. Eight Teal, a couple of Mute Swans, Little Grebe, Cormorant and the usual congregation of Mallards were also present.

'The Lagoon' An area of water that backs up from the rivers flow.

It was an enjoyable walk back along the river with a few skeins of noisy Pink-footed Geese passing overhead. For me, the highlight came when a slight movement along the river's edge ahead turned out be dog Otter. He suddenly popped up, looking straight at me before dashing back into the river and disappearing. I never saw him again. It was of those magical, unforgettable moments, and I'm not sure who was more surprised during the encounter me or the Otter!

📖 ❄Early February 13/02/25

February thus far in Aberdeenshire can be described in three words: dank, cold, and miserable. I had hoped that the persistent easterly winds would at least attract some Waxwings to our shores, but it appears that, unlike the winter of 2023/2024, this winter will not be an invasive one.

Despite the uninspiring weather, I have managed a few outings. Tuesday the 4th, I spent the morning in Aberdeen with David Leslie on the hunt for Kingfisher, classed as an uncommon resident up here. A visit to Johnston Gardens, a regular haunt for them failed to produce, but undeterred, we then headed to Walker Dam. On arrival we immediately heard a bird calling and spotted it perched just above the water, but it was flushed by a passing dog walker and unfortunately we didn't see it again, but job done.

Drake Ring-necked Duck - Record shot. It's in the middle of the two Wigeon. You may need to zoom in!

We retreated, as one does for coffee and cake, anticipating the predicted rain. However, the rain did not materialise, so we decided to head to Loch of Skene in the hope of spotting a reported drake Ring-necked Duck. Skene is a rather large, lowland freshwater loch situated 9 miles west of Aberdeen and for me only 15 minutes from home. We parked at the east end of the loch for a scan. There were hundreds of wildfowl on the water. Goldeneye, Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Coot were plentiful, as well as a few Mute Swans and Cormorant. It was David who picked out the Ring-necked Duck after a short while and we watched the bird preening before it flew off to the far side of the loch.

Great Northern Diver just off Phingask.

On Sunday the 9th, Dazza and I spent the day with the RSPB Aberdeen & District Local Group on the North Aberdeenshire coast around the Fraserburgh area. It was another excellent turn out to the extent that we had to split the group. Mark Sullivan & Rob Leslie leading one and David White and I leading the other. Our group began at Phingask, a good place for 'white-winger' gulls but the tide wasn't right at this stage but we still managed a good selection of species. Great Northern Diver and Red-throated Divers were just down in front and a little further out a few Long-tailed Ducks. Purple Sandpipers, Redshanks, Curlews, and Oystercatchers were observed on the rocks. However, what truly excited most people were the scoped views of a winter plumage Puffin, which many in the group had never seen before, and indeed, were unaware that a few do winter off the Aberdeenshire coastline.

Iceland Gull which I took at Sandhaven in January and likely the same bird seen today by the group.

Stops at Sandhaven and Rosehearty produced more waders including Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Sanderling but the best from the groups perspective was an adult Iceland Gull back at Phingask. Which I'm happy to say was seen by both groups and a lifer for those members just starting out!

After finding last years huge influx of Hawfinch at Fetternear, smaller numbers this winter.

Locally I took a walk around the Fetternear Estate on Wednesday 12th which produced at least nine Hawfinch at Bishop's Palace. Also of interest along my route a number of Redwing in the leaf litter, along with Great-spotted Woodpecker, fifteen Brambling and a Red Squirrel is always nice to see.

A Few More Images...

Ring-necked Duck - Loch of Skene - The 'white-spur' showing well on the flank.

Red Squirrel

📖 ❄RSPB Loch of Strathbeg 30/01/25

Thursday 30th January 2025 🌤️ 5C ~ WNW @ 25MPH ~ A visit to Loch of Strathbeg today with Mark Sullivan and David & Rob Leslie. Although the weather was dry and bright, the wind from the WNW, blowing at around 25 MPH, did cause a few issues.

We began the day at St. Mary's Chapel, which overlooks the southern end of the loch, in the hope of catching up with a couple of rarer ducks to the area, Smew and Ring-necked Duck. We managed to shelter alongside David's camper van in a vain attempt to keep the scopes steady. One bonus is that there were no 'wildfowlers' blasting away today and so most of the wildfowl was to be found in the southern corner of the loch as normal.

Drake Smew

Initially, we were surprised by the number of Pochard on site, in excess of 27 drakes and Mark informed me that such numbers have not been seen here in the north-east in over a decade. Three Scaup including one drake were also observed before we finally spotted the Smew, a lovely drake in midstream bouncing around in the waves. A good variety of wildfowl today and as well as the above there were Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Coot, Wigeon and Teal. Unfortunately we dipped on the Ring-necked Duck.

Drake Pochard

We then drove around and across the old airfield to the Fen and Bay hides. As we walked the short distance to the Bay Hide, we observed a few raptors circling one of which turned out to be a Goshawk (the others were Buzzards). A real bonus bird and likely a juvenile female that has been lingering in the area for a while. There wasn’t much else from the Bay hide, so we nipped round to the Fen hide, which was pretty quiet, but a Marsh Harrier put in an appearance, and two Great Egrets were seen flying in the distance.

We finished with a stop at the visitor centre, where we added Gadwall, Pintail, Lapwing, Little Egret and plenty of other common species. A few Golden Plover were on the low ground, and a flock of Dunlin were in the distance. Just as we were leaving a Peregrine flew across, landing on the mud for a while, giving good scope views. After seeing Kestrel on the way up, it was actually our fifth raptor for the day.

White-fronted Goose

As we started the journey home a report of some White-fronted Geese at Meikle Loch came through. We took a diversion on the way home and luckily managed to see a small flock of 11 at the far side of the Loch. Just as another birder arrived, we turned away to tell them where the birds were, and when we turned back they’d disappeared! No idea where they went to, but showed how lucky our timing was.

As ever good company and a good selection of species and thanks of course to David for driving. Unfortunately it wasn't a day for photography and so all the above images are taken from my personal UK birding photo albums.

📖 ❄Girdleness & St. Fittick's 26/01/25

Sunday 26th January 2025 🌤️ 3C ~ S @ 9MPH ~ We eventually felt the full force of Storm Éowyn on Friday evening when we were battered until the early hours of Saturday. Thankfully, after several light flickers the power remained on but I do feel for those who suffered the brunt!

Just a single Goldfinch during our BGBW but nice to see this male Blackcap.

I am quite certain the storm significantly impacted our performance during the BGBW. Just a day prior, the garden was bustling with Chaffinches, Goldfinches, House Sparrows and the occasional Siskin and Brambling. We ended up with a lone Goldfinch, two Chaffinches, no sign of Siskin or Brambling, and only ten House Sparrows during the hour. Only nine species in total, but I am pleased to report that our wintering male and female Blackcaps have stayed with us.

Sunday 26th January 2025 🌤️ 3C ~ S @ 9MPH ~ The calm after the storm for today's RSPB local group outing, with an amazing 45 members meeting at Greyhope Bay, Girdleness in blustery but dry conditions. With this number of attendees we decided to split into two groups, and headed off in opposite directions. Tony Hilton leading a group round towards the harbour, and David Leslie taking our group towards the lighthouse.

Purple Sandpiper - A common sight during the winter months.

From the car park, a Stonechat and we watched Turnstones, Oystercatchers, and several Purple Sandpipers on the rocks in the bay, along with numerous Herring Gulls, and Cormorants and Shags feeding offshore. After finding some shelter from the wind near the foghorn we scanned out to sea and were rewarded with a good variety of species. Eiders were bobbing around close in, with large numbers of Guillemots diving for food beyond them. A few Razorbills were also in the vicinity still in winter plumage and appearing much whiter than the Guillemots.

A few Gannets were feeding with the gulls and diving occasionally, giving good views, and a single Red-throated Diver was briefly seen, as well as quite a few Kittiwakes flying past. The bitterly cold wind was blowing a bit, so the walk along the road past the new south harbour was fairly quiet, with a flock of Linnets about the only thing spotted. We re-grouped at St Fittick’s Community Park and circled the marshy areas whilst Rob Leslie went searching for Snipe – no luck today. Mallard and Moorhen were plentiful and several Teal were seen flying along the Tullos Burn. At one time a Sparrowhawk flew through, threatening a group of Goldfinch which dispersed immediately.

Water Rail at St, Fittick's

The highlight of the day was the entire group obtaining unprecedented views of two Water Rails, a scarce bird in Aberdeenshire, when they happily fed right in front of group.

Water Rail putting on a show at St. Fittick's.

After tearing ourselves away from the Water Rails we headed back through the park, with Goldfinch and Long-tailed Tits seen, and making our way down towards the harbour, we added House Sparrow, Starling and Blackbird, all feeding in a garden near the road. The harbour inlet was really quiet, but along the shore we had very good views of Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper feeding on the rocks, and a few Ringed Plover were on the breakwater, with dozens of Cormorants and Shags.

Try as I might to photograph the occasional breaching Dolphin I only ended up with a few tails & dorsal fins.

A pod of Bottlenose Dolphins were feeding at the harbour mouth, and we finished with a flock of about seventy Purple Sandpipers on the rocks in Greyhope Bay – a nice end to a superb morning.

📖 ❄Aberdeenshire North-Coast 21/01/25

Tuesday 21st January 2025 ☀️12C ~ NW @ 3MPH ~ Today, it was my turn to drive, and I traveled a little further north to Fraserburgh and the nearby coastline with David Leslie and Mark Sullivan to search for winter gulls and to see what else was around.

A good place to start was Phingask Bay where a regular Iceland Gull normally hangs out. There was a good number of gulls to go through when we arrived but after a good trawl through there was no sign just Herring, Black-headed and Great Black-backed. There was plenty of waders and wildfowl about and these included Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Redshank, Curlew and Oystercatcher. Good numbers of Teal and Wigeon were feeding along the rocky shore, and Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck and Eider were seen a bit further out. After scanning for a while, we decided to move on, but just before we left we noted a Grey Wagtail down on the rocks, there was also a Stonechat at the roadside.

Grey Wagtail, another year first.

Our next stop was Sandhaven harbour but it was pretty quiet. To the west of the village, we did see a couple of Gannets fly past, my first of the year and a Guillemot was on the water, with a Black Guillemot sporting its greyish, white winter plumage nearby. At the west of Pitulie there were quite a few gulls on the rocks, and Mark did really well to pick out a Mediterranean Gull in amongst the dozens of Black-headed Gulls. It was half hidden to start with but soon moved out into the open so we could get a better view, and then flew down onto the water where you could see the structural differences between it and the Black-headed Gulls. We also spotted a winter plumage Puffin just offshore and a number of Red-throated Divers, along with plenty of Cormorants and Shags.

Marks photo of Mediterranean Gull (in foreground)

Next stop was Rosehearty. Another couple of Puffins were seen, as well as another Black Guillemot, and there were a lot of waders on the sheltered beach. Dunlin, Sanderling and Ringed Plover were all new for the day, as were a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits and a Common Scoter. The sun and lack of wind meant the day actually felt pretty warm by now, so we sat and had lunch overlooking the beach, watching the many Rock Pipits, Pied Wagtails and a Robin picking through the seaweed in search of insects. A small flock of Linnets was also feeding nearby.

Marks excellent image of a Bar-tailed Godwit during lunch

After lunch we nipped back to Phingask, but still no sign of the Iceland Gull, so we continued on to Kinnaird Head, which was quite quiet overall, but a scan of the calm sea saw us spot a couple of Little Auks fairly close in to shore. A real bonus of a bird and one I've only seen a couple of times actually on the water. As we were packing up to leave, a message came through to say that the Iceland Gull had been spotted in Sandhaven Harbour so we raced back there in time to see it perched up on the rocks. A head-on view meant the white wings weren't immediately noticeable, but we soon moved round and got a better view, and a few photos. After a really successful day in great company, we headed back home, adding a few more species as we drove, including Buzzard, Fieldfare and Golden Plover.

Iceland Gull at Sandhaven

Iceland Gull at Sandhaven - A real white-winger.

Iceland Gull - Cute face & bubblegum pink legs!

📖 ❄Strathbeg/Cairnbulg 15/01/25

Thursday 15th January 2025 🌤️10C ~ S @ 8MPH ~An early start at the south end of Loch of Strathbeg to try and observe the drake Smew and Ring-necked Duck reported here yesterday. Unfortunately when I arrived just prior to sunrise the 'wildfowlers' had already scuppered my plans! I find it heart-breaking to witness species such as the red-listed Pochard and Goldeneye being targeted by these gun-toting morons, but sadly this area does not form part of the RSPB reserve! Needless to say, there was no sign of either bird, so I proceeded to the sanctuary of the RSPB Nature Centre for a quick look over Starnafin Pools.

Pink-footed Geese

I was greeted by the familiar sight and sound of Whooper Swans and several large skeins of Pink-footed Geese passing overhead, which brightened my mood almost immediately. Also noted were Great Egret, Little Egret and small groups of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Dunlin. Wildfowl included Teal and Wigeon.

Great Egret - Now a regular sight at Strathbeg after last years successful breeding.

After visiting Strathbeg, I headed to Cairnbulg Harbour, where I enjoyed an excellent few hours in the sunshine. Despite my leg issue, I even managed to take a brief walk along the shoreline too. The warmer temperatures attracted an abundance of flies, and a group of Purple Sandpipers were energetically feeding on them along the harbour wall.

Purple Sandpiper

Just offshore around forty or so Long-tailed Ducks. At this time of year Cairnbulg seems to be a good wintering ground for these birds which are always actively taking off and flying agilely low over the water in short pursuit flights. I sat and watched them for a good while before moving on. Other species included Oystercatcher, Curlew, Dunlin, Turnstone, and Sanderling, with occasional fly-by Red-throated Diver. Gulls included Common, Herring, Great Black-backed, and Black-headed.