Spring around the corner

Winter has retreated and we are just awaiting the first clear signs of spring migration. There has been no sign of the American Wigeon for 2 weeks or so, but over in Aberdeen the Harlequin has been seen again in Seaton park today.
A few pictures from a few weeks ago shown below.

Today at Cransdale saw 15 Red-throated Divers just offshore, and plenty of Auks lurking around.There were at least 5 Purple Sandpipers to be seen on the rocks. Late afternoon there was a dapper adult Little Gull passing south past the point.There was a Redwing this morning down the track towards Old Slains, and another 12 Red-throated Diver and a single Common Scoter seen there.
Meanwhile on the Ythan one of the now almost usual Little Egrets was still present at the Snub. Presumably the same bird was seen last week beyond Inchgeck Island.

Harlequin Duck, Feb, Aberdeen

Collieston , 1.3.15

Cransdale 8.3.15

Redwing, Mains of Slains, 8.3.15

February update...

A few scraps of news to catch up on from the last month or so. Highlight for us has been the (re-)appearance of the drake American Wigeon on the Ythan Estuary. He showed well last week for a few days from the bridge at Waterside, with a small flock of his Old World cousins.

Spot the alien!

Other overwinterers on the estuary include up to three Greenshank, a handful of Black-tailed Godwits and two Ruff, all of which add up to more of an August feel than a midwinter one!

On the fresh water, a fine drake Goosander was on Sand Loch today, with presumably the same one having also visited Cotehill Loch intermittently over the last few weeks.

A walk along the north braes up to the Slains old castle recently provided a minor surprise in the way of a pair of Ravens; a magnificent Peregrine was also showing well perched on the clifftop fence.

Keep yer heads down, pigeons.

Closer to home, we took part in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch lately, with 51 House Sparrows unsurprisingly making up the bulk of the numbers. However, twelve Tree Sparrows were most welcome, and a Yellowhammer which dropped in was an absolute hellfire garden tick! We've had them as fly-overs before, but never on the deck until now. Good signs that the garden is getting a bit more bird-friendly. As a result of all this passerine activity, we received a Sparrowhawk visit on Sunday, and are now minus one House Sparrow. Sorry RSPB, correction, there's only 50 now!

A dapper little Tree Sparrow.

The dullest Yellowhammer you'll ever see. Hellfire, innit?

This afternoon I was encouraged to see a pair of Grey Partridge between home and the Forvie Centre; it's nice to know they're still around. Finally, at dusk tonight we were delighted to see two Short-eared Owls from the garden - they've been very scarce this winter up to now.

River sprites

Good numbers Wigeon and Teal on Meikle Loch today with a resumed freeze forcing birds off the smaller local pools.Among other species were 2 drake Pintail and a single Scaup. Meanwhile various roving flocks of Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch and Reed Bunting can be seen on field margins. The total Tree Sparrow count today on the patch was at least 80.There are also still around 500 Pink-footed Geese staying locally to the Collieston and Slains area during the daytime, though with the local shooting they were more scattered today. Up to 3 Greenshank can be seen at the Sanub on the Ythan just now.

Further afield the 1st year drake Harlequin Duck is worth a look in Seaton Park, on the Don. It showed very closely today late afternoon, so despite the fading light the photos still reflect the birds character well.

Little Grebe, River Don 17.1.15

Long-tailed Duck, Ythan 17.1.15

Harlequin Duck, Seaton Park, 17.1.15

Happy New Year!

Well overdue an update.

Drake American Wigeon, Meikle Loch 13.12.14

The year signed off with a small flourish with a dapper Drake American Wigeon for a week or so (from 13th Dec) at Meikle Loch initially and a week later in the Slains area. Not seen since that later sighting I believe. ID (hybrids always a problem) confirmed with good views plumage features  including white auxillaries and the bill pattern was pure American.
Some weeks before this there was a very late Whinchat (again) at Meikle from the 16th November, with it still present till the 7th December though the first real cold snap seems to have moved it on.

On Slain Pools

Sam and Rosie's Bean Geese were still present until just before Christmas, with one reported today.

Today otherwise saw less of immediate interest on the patch, though a fine sight on Meikle with most of it frozen ,under blue skies,  and groups of wildfowl trying to ice skate intermittently.

Further afield  in the region I see a Harlequin has been found in Seaton park, Aberdeen, though news did not emerge until after dark today. Hopefully still present in the days to come as this is the first record for North-east Scotland.

Whooper Swans 24.12.14

Whinchat, Meikle Loch Dec 2014

14 Bean Geese, nr Collieston

Meikle Loch 4.1.15

Hard weather birding

The continuing cold spell produced a couple of nice sightings today, the best of which was a beautiful little flock of nine Tundra Bean Geese. These were feeding in the potato field by the crossroads at around 2pm this afternoon, before flying off southwards. Here's hoping that this marks the start of another influx of these handsome geese.

Of local interest was a Kingfisher on the Ythan Estuary; also there were a pair of Pintail among swollen numbers of Mallard, which have presumably been frozen off their usual freshwater haunts. A fine day to be in the field.

Another white-winged encounter

Another all-too-brief sighting of a 'white' gull at Collieston harbour this afternoon, apparently a different individual to the one seen at the end of November.

Photos reproduced below, courtesy of Rosie. Once again, comments are welcome. Enjoy!

 

Waifs and strays

A few oddities around today, with the first being a Greenland White-fronted Goose in the Cotehill Loch area this morning. This bird, an adult, was with a party of five Greylags and was last seen alighting in fields just north of the Collieston crossroads; sadly they landed out of view from where I was watching.

Shortly afterwards, three Crossbills flying south over the Forvie Centre just before midday were somewhat unexpected, and the first ones I've seen on the patch for some time.

Finally, Rosie and I very nearly ran over a Jack Snipe(!) in the road at Little Collieston at dusk - thankfully it took off just in time and flew through the beam of the car headlights, heading over the Smiddy bushes before disappearing into the dark. Would have been a very unfortunate addition to the 'roadkill list'.