📖 Visitors, Heat & New Horizons 26/06/26

I have to admit I’ve been a bit tardy on my posts lately! With visitors up from the south and family over from Spain, life has been beautifully busy—but I’ve still managed to sneak out on the odd occasion into the field.

When we have guests, it’s always a treat to take them to the Bullers of Buchan to see the Puffins. Everyone’s absolute favourite, and they certainly didn't disappoint! Living up here on the north-east coast of Aberdeenshire has plenty of perks, and recently, the European heatwave has been one of them. Apart from a blistering 29°C on the 23rd, unlike further south and west, we’ve enjoyed a spell of ideal weather ranging from 18–24°C with a gentle breeze, so for this I'm grateful!

One of several breeding Puffins at Buller's of Buchan

Exploring New Horizons: A Visit to Pitfichie

On Wednesday the 17th, I took a short drive to Pitfichie to meet up with a few other members of the local RSPB committee. Our mission was to explore the hillside and assess opportunities to boost biodiversity as part of a potential upcoming project. Though heavy showers dominated the earlier part of the day, the weather cleared into a warm, humid afternoon—perfect for bringing out the local wildlife. We enjoyed a fantastic array of sightings, including Roe Deer and Dark-green Fritillary butterfly. The birdlife certainly didn't disappoint either; our checklist for the walk included Osprey, Common Buzzard, Cuckoo, and Red Kite, alongside wonderful smaller species such as Stonechat, Tree Pipit, Yellowhammer, Siskin, Redpoll, and Common Whitethroat.

Yellowhammer

Dark Green Fritillary - Seen during my 2nd visit on Tuesday

Painted Lady - Seen during my 2nd visit on Tuesday

Discovering this beautiful spot—which lies just five miles from my front door—was an absolute revelation, and I have promptly added it to my regular patch birding walks. In fact, I couldn't resist a second visit just a few days later on the 23rd! This time, the weather played a completely different role, with the temperature soaring to a blistering 29°C, making for a much sweatier but equally rewarding trek.

📖 Unsettled Week 12/06/26

It has been an extremely unsettled and chilly week for June, delivering everything from sudden thunderstorms to heavy hail showers. That said, I managed to pick the absolute best morning on Tuesday for an early high-tide visit to the Ythan Estuary.

Ythan Estuary looking across towards the ternary.

The main goal for the morning was to meet up with Ruth Howie, a fellow RSPB Aberdeen committee member. We were hoping to spot a first-summer Bonaparte’s Gull that had been hanging around for the past few days, mostly visible from the 'Tin Hut'.

A Lively Walk to the Water

Even before reaching the estuary, the short walk down from the car park past the gorse bushes was absolutely alive with birdsong. Keeping me company along the path were Willow Warbler, Wren, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Yellowhammer, and Meadow Pipit.

Meadow Pipit

The tide hadn’t yet reached its peak, leaving a stretch of exposed shingle that attracted a few waders. I spotted plenty of Ringed Plovers, a handful of Dunlin, and four Red Knots. The highlight was a lone Curlew Sandpiper, just beginning to take on its summer plumage.

Scanning from the Tin Hut

I met up with Ruth at the Tin Hut, and we settled in for a solid ninety minutes of intense optics work. We meticulously scanned the hundreds of Black-headed Gulls and Sandwich Terns lined up along the opposite shoreline.

The usual Eiders, some with young and sporting a mix of plumages, and Grey Seals lounged midstream, while across the water at the Forvie ternary, the air buzzed with activity. Arctic Terns, Sandwich Terns, Common Terns, and at least four Little Terns, the rarer of the four, were endlessly diving into the estuary, fishing for food to bring back to their siblings.

Little Tern on the prowl.

Our concentration was abruptly broken at one point when an Osprey glided overhead. It caused absolute mayhem, flushing everything in sight and temporarily putting an end to our careful scanning!

The Verdict

Suffice it to say, luck wasn't on our side with the Bonaparte's Gull—it managed to elude us completely and hasn't been reported since. However, the Ythan rarely leaves you empty-handed. We were well compensated for our efforts by picking out four Little Gulls.

An excellent morning on the extended patch with great company!

Braving the Elements at RSPB Fowlsheugh: Seabirds and Fish and Chips

This past Wednesday, the 10th, I joined our RSPB Aberdeen & District Local Group for what was supposed to be a leisurely evening stroll along the spectacular Fowlsheugh cliffs. The plan? Take in the incredible sights and sounds of the bustling seabird colonies, and top it all off with a well-deserved fish and chip supper in Stonehaven.

Nature, however, had other ideas! It turned out to be a rather wet and wild encounter, but a little rain wasn't enough to dampen our spirits (or spoil the views).

You can catch the full write-up of our soggy adventure over on the group's webpage here, but in the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of the evening in photos:

Heavy Hail in Inverurie - Taken by a group member who didn't quite make it to the outing!

Kittiwake collecting nesting material.

Razorbills

Puffin feeling a little sleepy.

📖 From Big Sits to Rare Vagrants 03/06/26

It’s been a bit quiet on the blog lately—life has a habit of getting in the way of birding exploits! But as spring officially rolls into summer, I’ve finally managed to get back out into the field and catch up with some absolutely cracking birds.

Here is a quick whistle-stop tour of where I've been and what I've seen over the last couple of weeks.

The Strathbeg "Big Sit" (Sunday, May 24th)

Typically, our RSPB group outings are frantic and fast-paced "Big Days." This time, we flipped the script and tried a Big Sit at the Loch of Strathbeg visitor centre, anything seen from the windows from 7 AM to 7 PM. I clocked in for the first half (7 AM – 1 PM), and the rewards from just looking out the windows were spectacular.

The Highlights: Garganey - Wood Sandpiper - Green Sandpiper - Ruff - Cuckoo - Common Crane - Spoonbill - Marsh Harrier.

Drake Garganey at Strathbeg

Curious about the final tally? You can check out the full report and final species count on our group website [HERE].

Mountain Air & Local Patches (Late May)

May 25th – Glen Callater: Dazza and I headed into our "happy place" in the Cairngorms. While the Ring Ouzels successfully evaded us today, we were treated to nesting Curlews, plus Wheatear, Stonechat, Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Raven, and Cuckoo. The absolute highlight, though, was watching a gorgeous family of Dippers.

Cuckoo

May 27th – Dalmadilly Ponds: A brilliant, sunny morning with David, Rob, and Mark on my local patch. It was a proper baby boom! We saw a Treecreeper bringing food to a nest, a Robin feeding its young, and the ultimate crowd-pleaser: a Little Grebe carrying young on her back. Throw in Sedge, Garden, and Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat and Blackcap, and it was a perfect morning. Also of note, a couple of Ravens, which I suspect are nesting at the local quarry!

Garden Warbler

A June 3rd Double-Whammy!

I wrapped up my recent run today with an incredible double-header of scarce and rare birds:

1. Marsh Warbler (Longhaven): Reported singing first thing from the SWT car park, this beauty showed well on occasion and sang nearly the whole time I was there.

2. Baird's Sandpiper (Meikle Loch): First identified via a photograph yesterday evening along the Ythan, this mega visitor seemed to have relocated to Meikle Loch, where I was lucky enough to catch up with it this afternoon.