Buff-breasted Sandpiper

There was a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in with Golden Plover opposite Waulkmill hide yesterday morning(CNG)-an early record for the region. Meanwhile Meikle Loch continues to host a good variety of waders with at least 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers, 5 Ruff and 10 plus Dunlin visible first thing this morning.
The Collieston area is full of the new crop of the local breeding birds, with Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Stonechats all in good numbers round the village. A surprise yesterday was a Garden Warbler in the roadside willows, my earliest record for the Autumn season in Collieston.
Giving me a bit of a shock first thing yesterday were a few glimpses of a very worn, adult Sedge Warbler which appeared completely unstreaked in the field.
Better views yesterday evening resolved things, as shown in the rather poor image below.

Adult Sedge Warbler

The Terning of the Seasons

With post-breeding dispersal well under way, now's probably a good time to summarise the Forvie ternery's season. Just the one word required - fabulous. All breeding species have had an incredibly productive season, as evidenced by the huge numbers of fledged Arctic, Common and Sandwich Terns currently littering the lower estuary.

Of course, such a gathering does attract the occasional passing scarcity, such as yesterday morning when a juvenile Black Tern and two adult Roseate Terns were present among their commoner cousins. Well worth a look from the Tin Hut on the golf course at the moment.

Roseate Tern among juvenile Sandwich Terns - photo courtesy LMS

 

Same again, with adult Sandwich Tern for comparison 

Also lots of passage waders on the go, including Knot, Dunlin and Sanderling in an assortment of plumages, plus Curlew, Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper going through. Finally, an unseasonable Long-tailed Duck and two redhead Goosanders completed the picture on a decidedly autumnal Ythan Estuary.

Another Pec Sand

There was another Pectoral Sandpiper on Meikle Loch today, along with a good selection of other waders, including 6 Ruff. There was also at least 4 Ruff in the "Main" Slains pool area, which is also attracting good numbers of Lapwing to it. A few short sea-watches over the weekend failed to yield much variety, though there was a fair breeze blowing at times. Lower pictures show a Rock Pipit doing some climbing at Cransdale yesterday.

Adult Pectoral Sandpiper, Meikle Loch

Rock Pipit, Cransdale Head

Rich shorelines

3 Green Sandpipers spent all today on Meikle at the far edge. Up to 20 Dunlin and 2 Greenshank as well.
A female Marsh Harrier flew through this morning in heavy moult, putting up a good 50 Lapwing.
Over the weekend the Ythan Mouth had 3 Roseate Terns, a Juvenile Black Tern (per CG and PAAB) and steadily increasing Dunlin and Knot numbers.
A Cuckoo flying through the Collieston-Mains of Slains area yesterday was in fact the first I have seen off the reserve for some years.

Wader surge

Up to 30 Dunlin at times at Meikle loch now, with varying counts of other waders. Up to 3 Greenshank, 3 plus Common Sandpipers, 30 plus Lapwing and still the small group of Ringed Plover. All bodes well for the coming weeks.
Caught up with the Wood Warbler and was fortunate enough to get it in the warm evening sun on Friday. Always good to see.

Wood Warbler

This was a lovely surprise while heading into work this morning! It was frequenting gardens in High Town, and was still present early evening. My first one on the patch for nearly five years.

 

 

Rosie took this photo in this morning's fog. Watch this space for more photos from Collieston Birder...

Overdue Update

Post holidays time to catch up with the local birds. Plenty of activity down on the estuary now, with wader numbers significantly up including Whimbrel, Golden Plover and higher numbers of Dunlin.
A Little Egret has been appearing in various locations and a Roseate Tern has been the main highlight viewable sometimes at the mouth.
In Collieston a Whinchat was seen at the weekend unusually and also some juvenile Wheatears indicating fairly local breeding. Plenty of other newly fledged birds to be seen and the mown fields are full of activity as a result.
Today, a highlight was a badger seen mid-morning drinking at Meikle Loch, though it disappeared fairly rapidly once spotted. Meikle otherwise has a steadily building flock of Lapwing in attendance and is hosting a Greenshank currently, and at least 2 Common sandpipers as well as 6 Dunlin and a number of Ringer Plovers.
Seawatching from Collieston this afternoon yielded about 10 Arctic Skuas, a couple of Bonxie and 20 plus Manx Shearwater.

Worth mentioning elsewhere in Aberdeenshire the amazing record of a Rock Thrush at Scotston near St Fergus. This 1st year bird has now been in residence for some days and is the 1st mainland record for Scotland.

Juvenile Lapwing

Badger, Meikle Loch

Little Egret, Ythan Estuary

Rock Thrush, near St Fergus, Aberdeenshire