Monday, 22 July 2013

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

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