Hotting up

More movement birdwise locally over the last couple of weeks. With even some Willow Warblers seen around the village over the weekend,  perhaps dropped in after the thunder storms moved through the area. Almost like early Autumn!
Mainly evident are the building wader numbers on the estuary and on Meikle Loch. One observer  (PAAB) had a count in excess of 30 Common Sandpipers on the Ythan on Sunday for example. Lapwing numbers on Meikle are giving some counts of around 50 birds which is unusual. The main other highlights are a bright , adult Little Stint that was first seen on Saturday 19th, and it was seen again on Monday. Very poor images of it shown. There was two Green Sandpipers there as well that day.
A short seawatch on Sunday yielded a single Sooty Shearwater going north late afternoon, 30 plus Manx Sheawaters and a single Great Skua.

Little Stint, Meikle Loch

Lazy summer days

A well overdue update for the area. Wader numbers are gradually increasing again on the Estuary with a Little Ringed Plover reported this evening. Dunlin and Ringed Plover numbers have been gradually increasing over the last week or two. This has been reflected on Meikle Loch where Dunlin, Common Sandpipers and Greenshanks have all been seen in small numbers in the last week. This evening a Water Rail was associating closely with a Greenshank there, somewhat bizarrely.Some warm and still days see good numbers of Ringlets, Common Blues and Meadow Brown butterflies in the meadows around Meikle Loch.

Water Rail and Geenshank, Meikle Loch

Ringlet, Meikle Loch

On the fields the Slains area has done very well this season for breeding Lapwing, with multiple pairs being successful. This probably reflects the failed drainage attempts this winter.

Fulmar

On the sea the main impression is the constant stream of Common, Arctic and Sandwich Tern shuttling back and forth. On the bright days especially an impressive sight. Only the occasional skua just now to stir them up.

Ythan Seals

Unexpected Guests

There has been a Great White Egret on the Ythan ranging from just north of Newburgh up to at least Inchgeck Island. Reported yesterday by Raymond Duncan, it has  been in the area for a few days before that as a local resident  had noted it previously near Inchgeck in fact. The bird is in fine breeding plumage.
Off the blog area, but also worth a look was the Hoopoe that took up residence in a farm house garden near Mintlaw. Thanks to the hosting family who made visitors feel so welcome.
These pictures taken later evening once the bird was more interested preening in the trees, than in the lawn that it had favoured during the day.

Of some interest was the arrival of more swifts last Sunday. CG reported a few hundred going past Drums area, and by the evening numbers had risen at Meikle Loch from a measly 8 or so , to closer to 100 birds. Numbers have dropped again somewhat, but still more than had been present previously.

Great White Egret, Ythan

Hoopoe, near Mintlaw

Feels like summer

Two days of balmy sunshine seemed to spur the region into action and give it a continental feel, if not the local area, birding wise.
 A Savi's Warbler is singing at Strathbeg reserve, a Blyth's Reed  Warbler and Marsh Warbler likewise at Girdleness. There has been a Female Red-backed Shrike just north of Hackley Bay, near the coastal path, last seen yesterday.


Last weekend a late inspection of photographs confirmed the presence of a Grey-headed Wagtail with the UK race Yellow Wagtail at Cotehill. Like last years, appears to be a first year bird. Only seen in flight after being flushed by a car, I didn't notice it preceding this on the post in the corner of the view as I focused on the flavissima! Could have been worse though...

Cotehill wagtail experience

1st Year Grey-headed Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Weekend promise

Weather looks good for the weekend, with easterlies and rain. Things have remained relatively quiet in terms of migration , though there appeared to be an increase in hirundine numbers over Meikle this pm. The Wood Sandpiper has been intermittently on the Feu pool (PS) ( which looks critically threatened by farmland drainage activity). There was a Black Redstart in High Town mid week, along with a new Chiffchaff (Samwise). Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers continue to be in good song, and in higher numbers than last year.

Another Wood Sandpiper

There was a Wood Sandpiper on Meikle Loch this evening.

Drifting In

Bit belated, but an update for the last week for the area. A Little Ringed Plover was seen earlier in the period but no sign more recently.
Various migrants arrived en masse including the main bulk of Sedge Warblers at Meikle Loch, Whitethroat's into the village and, late by about a week, Swifts.

Yesterday saw 2 Manx Shearwaters going north during an early evening seawatch, as well as a Great Skua and 4 Arctic Skuas pirating the local seabirds. Good numbers of Common and Arctic Terns were feeding offshore. 6 Barnacle Geese flew north.

Further afield, in the Logie Buchan area, a Wood Sandpiper was joined by a fine drake Garganey, on a small pool in the fields.

Wood Sandpiper

Garganey