Arrivals continue

The pace of new arrivals dropped over the weekend, but new birds continued to be sighted along with some birds hanging on for a few days. The count on Saturday included 6 Redstarts, 2 Whinchats, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Tree Pipits, 1 Lesser Whitethroat. Today an additional new Redstart (a strikingly bright male-thanks to Ruth and Craig) brought the total up to 7 for the weekend. All these were seen around Collieston and Slains-certainly record counts for spring in the area. Of other more regular migrants Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler are all around in reasonable numbers now.
Up on the north coast White-billed divers continue to be a sight worth seeing off Portsoy, with 7 birds seen on Saturday including those now in full summer plumage. Around 13 Great Northern Divers and 1 Black-throated Diver..thanks to Paul Baxter for sorting the trips with the Gemini Explorer; great for dolphin watching as well.
Of interest a single Corn bunting remains frequenting the garden feeders in High Town and down to Sand Loch -as it has through the winter. It now regularly sings from the middle of the houses favouring the top of a wall. A sorry reminder that once numbers could be counted into triple figures in and around the village at certain times of year.

Blackcap, Kirkton

Corn Bunting, Collieston, Hightown

Lesser Whitethroat, Kirkton, Collieston 9.5.15

Male Pied Flycatcher, Kirkton 9.5.15

Male Redstart, Mains of Slains, 9.5.15

White-billed Diver, off Portsoy, 9.5.15

White-billed Diver , off Portsoy 9.5.15

Day-tripping

The Ring-necked Duck was back today on Meikle, at least briefly, late morning. The 2nd Year Iceland gull continues to appear round local fields , and today was on Meikle as well late afternoon,  A White Wagtail was also there earlier in the day.

The highlight for birders in the region remains the unprecendented numbers of White-billed Divers currently favouring the waters near Portsoy, on the north coast of Aberdeenshire.
A trip out on the MV Gemini Explorer, booked for the purpose yesterday, yielded 13 White-billed Divers as well as 6 Great Northern. On the return just outside Buckie we had a close encounter with a pod of Bottlenose Dolphin just to round things off.
An excuse if nothing else to post some of the pictures here:

Adult, White-billed Diver

Different Adult

Bottlenose Dolphins, near Buckie