No frigate birds here

A short seawatch this evening after 8.00pm gave 30 Manx Shearwaters, an Arctic Skua and a probable Pomarine Skua...though this was already well past before I picked it up unfortunately.
Not bad for less than half an hour, but as the title suggests not a patch on Islay and the Ascension Frigatebird seen there yesterday.

Summer lulling

Well overdue a post, but that is just reflective of the relative calm just now. Plenty of breeding birds to look through, though no rarities among them as yet. The edge on Meikle continues to attract a variety of local waders and some days see good gatherings of hirundines.
One unusual sighting from the immediate Collieston patch area was a Mistle Thursh earlier in the week in the Cotehill area. Normally these are seen in spring and Atumn only. Slightly more curious at the weekend was a White Wagtail apparently interacting closely with some juveniles. Maybe not really surprising given the large numbers passing through in the spring.

White Wagtail, Feu farm area

Lapwing, Slains pools

Arctic Tern, Ythan

Temminck's Stint at Meikle Loch

A Temminck's stint yesterday on Meikle Loch was the star bird. Often elusive , it was first seen in the afternoon and was still present until later evening. This is the first record of this species for a few years, previous records were often around Slains.
As no pictures of this, a few summer highlights-

Swallow

 


 

Reed Bunting

 

Guillemot and Razorbill, Cransdale Head

Pectoral Sandpiper

A balmy weekend, at least in spells, which actually had a quieter summer feel to it. Periods of easterlies and rain so far during this next week have resulted so far in a Pectoral Sandpiper paying visits to Meikle Loch (maybe the same one seen end of the week in the Logie Buchan area in truth) and what looks to be a 1st Summer male Grey-headed (thunbergi) Wagtail on Meikle as well. I think first summer as the throat looks a little paler than I would expect and there appear to be brown tones extensively in the wing feathers.

Grey-headed Wagtail and Pectoral Sandpiper, Meikle Loch

 

 



Pectoral Sandpiper

 

 

The past week had us in Raptors

A few unexpected delights in the last week with a summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper on Meikle Loch on the 4th, with a single Dunlin. The next day a ringtail harrier was seen very briefly across Cotehill, flying in from high level back onto the moor. Could possibly have been Sundays bird.This was followed by a Marsh Harrier lurking around Cotehill later afternoon.
The highlight was the late appearance yesterday of a Honey Buzzard, again near Cotehill, which appeared to be keen to go to roost though mobbed much of the time by the local corvids.
Meanwhile, as commented on, Long-tailed Skuas have continued to be sighted along the coast, including from Collieston.

Curlew Sandpiper, Meikle Loch

Montagu's Harrier

A brief sighting of a 'ring-tailed' Montagu's harrier this morning flying north over Cotehill Loch.  This a very rare bird for North-east Scotland with less than 10 sightings ever in the region.  Surprisingly though, the last two records in the region (one on 2010 and another in 2011) have all been around Cotehill and the reserve.  So this is the place to see them, albeit rather infrequently.  However, the previous two sightings have hung around for a short while and so hopefully this one will as well.

Long-tailed Skuas again

Another 2 Long-tailed Skuas went past Cransdale early evening yesterday, very little else of note so they came as a surprise.