White-winged Scoter - Blackdog

Blackdog 

Sunday 23 June 2024

Before a nesting session at Girdleness with Raymond Duncan, we went to Blackdog beach, near the outskirts of Aberdeen to look for a White-winged Scoter that had been associating with the local Common and Velvet Scoters. We woke up at 5:45 and left to Blackdog to see the bird. When we arrived, at 6:10 we saw many rabbits running across the road and car park. We heard a Sedge Warbler from the car park and walked towards the beach. We saw a few Meadow Pipits and soon noticed hundreds of Common Scoters only a hundred metres from the shore. I started scanning through the flock, not finding much. It soon was almost 7 and we didn't want to be late for Girdlenesting so we gave up (for now!) and walked through the dunes once more. We met another man scanning the flock but he didn't see them. We found a few fledgeling Stonechats in the gorse near the car park. We thought we might try later in the day. 

A sunrise on Blackdog beach

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Please note: Common Scoter is usually a sensitive bird in summer, however the birds at Blackdog are mostly non-breeding so birds are not as affected by people but eBird still hides them as sensitive. 

Potarch Bridge

Saturday 22 June 2024

During my sister's final show at the ISA we went to Potarch Bridge, between Banchory and Aboyne. The bridge is a very scenic sight and was even nicer in the evening sun. Unfortunately when we arrived, a family were having a big barbecue on the rocks, even though it was not allowed. We soon heard and got views a few flyover Grey Wagtails and one landed on a rock in the sunlight. Later, my dad found a Common Sandpiper feeding on the opposite bank and I soon found its mate. The two were feeding - although at quite a distance - on a rock by the water's edge. We had to go by then and finished off with a heard-only Sedge Warbler singing from deep in the bushes.

Underneath Potarch Bridge

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Girdleness & St Fittick's Comunity Park

Girdleness + St Fittick's Park

Tuesday 18 June 2024

After school, one of my sisters had to go for her highland dancing show so my Mum, my Dad, my other sister and I all went to Girdleness since it was warm and sunny. When we neared Girdleness we had to take St Fittick's Road since the gates had closed for the other road. We parked the carpark nearest the lighthouse. We got out the car and it was very windy! The others were too cold so the stayed in the car while I stayed outside. Many Gannets were quite close to shore (<300m). There was also a huge auk movement with flocks of around 100 Guillemots passing almost constantly. A few dolphins were also around and many Kittiwakes were also flying around. We soon realised it was too windy so we went to the nearby Saint Fittick's Park, a community park with a playground, a wetland and a mixed forest. When we parked, we very quickly found a whitethroat that was flight displaying and singing from a hedge near the old churchyard. We started walking towards the wetlands hearing a Blackcap singing from deep in a tree and a few Mallards on some of the pools. We then walked into the coniferous part of the forest, where we heard two Song Thrushes and another Blackcap. Once we got out of the forest we saw two more Whitethroats and a beautiful summer male Linnet on a fence. We thought it was a nice way to end the outing since we were near the car anyways. 

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A beautiful rainbow scene over the North Sea

Allan Park + Inchgarth Reservoir

Sunday 16 June 2024

On Sunday, while one of my sisters was at the ISA for a dance show rehearsal, my dad, my other sister and I, went to walk along the Old Deeside Railway, towards Allan park. On the way we found a family of Blue tits with a few young. We heard a Greenfinch and a Chaffinch that we then found singing on a birch tree. On the road down to Allan Park we heard a Goldcrest singing from a conifer in someone's garden. In the park, we saw and heard many Robins, Blackbirds, and something we thought was a Long-tailed tit but we could no be sure. After Allan Park, we went towards Inchgarth Reservoir, hearing a Blackcap deep in the trees. We then had a flyover of four Goosanders over the horizon and had a very close encounter with a Whitethroat which soon flew but landed again in a willow not too far from us. It was joined by a flock of Goldfinches but soon flew off. We kept walking towards Inchgarth, seeing a Great Spotted Woodpecker on the way. We also found a cat that kept following us, wherever we went. With the cat in our wake, we arrived at Inchgarth Reservoir for a quick scan. We saw a Great black-back Gull with the Herring gulls and got great views of a male Blackcap. We bumped into Ian Broadbent, who told us about a White-winged Scoter at Blackdog. We had a little chat and his dog got crazy about the cat the was following us. We started going back to the car with the cat still following us. We heard a single Chiffchaff and had another Greenfinch, this time a flyover. We went back to the car and went home after a nice, but rainy session of birding.

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Belhelvie Bee-eaters

Belhelvie Church

Tuesday 11 June 2024

On Monday evening we got news of 8 Bee-eaters near Balmedie. It was already late though, so we left it to the next day. On Tuesday we saw some reports from the morning, under further investigation, we found that the reports stopped to not disturb the birds from uncaring photographers/birders since there were sightings of some of the birds mating. Knowing to be extra careful we left our house and drove to the Belhelvie Church where they had been seen previously. We saw two birders on the road saying the birds have been seen 2 minutes ago flying SW towards the sand quarry (where they will hopefully be nesting). We got to the car park and saw a quite a few House martins flying to their nests under the eaves of the houses. A few Swallows were also around, flying acrobatically around the houses, catching insects in the air. We checked the telephone wires, since the birds were often seen perched on the wires. Apart from a few Carrion crows and Woodpigeon there wasn't anything of interest perched up. After bumping into a few other birders who hadn't seen them we decided to give up and maybe try another day. On the drive back we did see what we thought was a bee-eater but turned out to be a Kestrel, still a pretty cool bird for the city. Please note: the birds are at their most sensitive now, since they haven't laid yet. Please do not disturb these birds and do not report on any services, if you do see them. 

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Aviemore Trip with RSPB Aberdeen & District Local Group (Day 2)

Aviemore Trip (Day 2)

Sunday 09 June 2024

Tomatin 

Today we went to a few places near Tomatin. One of which, and the first of them, is a private residence in the outskirts of Tomatin, towards Kyllachy Estate. We came looking for Wood warbler. After a little trouble finding the farm, we arrived after all the others, hearing a Wood warbler almost immediately after getting out of the car. I ran as fast as I could (which turned out to be not that fast after all!) to get my lifer. When I arrived it was singing clearly in the dense canopy of the birch trees. I soon got eyes on it, although not very good views. I ran back to the car to get my sound recording kit and the camera. When I came back I started taking a recording of the bird, that is, until the card filled up! So my intensions turned to photographing this beautiful species. Twenty minuets later I still had no photos of the bird. Soon however, our great guide, Craig, who has been helping us find new species all weekend (big shoutout for him), found the bird in the canopy flitting about. Not too long after, the bird perched up on a branch singing its heart out. Luckily, it stayed long enough for me to take a few pictures. A few others in the group heard and found a Cuckoo but I was too focussed on the Wood warbler to hear it.

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Wood Warbler singing in a birch tree

©Edgar Joly

Findhorn Valley 

Afterwards, we went south, to Kyllachy Estate in the Findhorn Valley. My family and I, however could not stay as long as the others since we were going to meet a friend and then drive back home to Aberdeen. But we still had a little wander around to see what we could find. At first there was not much apart from a few buzzard soaring the hills and many, many meadow pipits. As we kept walking we saw what we thought was a golden eagle but turned out to be just a buzzard. We also got eyes on a Tree pipit singing in some trees. Two Grey herons flying past the River Findhorn. My family then had to leave so we said our goodbyes to the group and started driving home. On the way to our meeting site, however there were still a few birds to see. These included: a Kestrel, a family of Stonechats, a Mistle thrush, Great Spotted woodpecker and a single Red-legged Partridge. We met up with my father's friend, who has been cycling on his bike around the whole of Scotland, from Loch Lomond to Skye and Thurso, with all the equipment on his bike. He even had to camp outside for all the cold nights this spring. We decided that it would be a shame not to meet him since he was just passing Aviemore so we had a sandwich near the bridge. It was a great day to end an amazing weekend of birding in Aviemore!  

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Herd of Red Deer 

©Edit Joly

Aviemore Trip with RSPB Aberdeen & District Local Group (Day 1)

Aviemore Trip (Day 1)

Saturday 08 June 2024

Loch Inch 

Today is the first day of outings with the local RSPB group - who are also staying for the weekend. My dad, Olivier, and I woke up at 5am to see what we could find at Loch Inch this morning. Unlike last night, there was much more bird activity this morning. We took the RSPB's Loch Insh Wood trail, down the east side of the loch. We soon saw two female Goldeneyes and a Grey wagtail on the water's edge and heard a few Treecreepers. Further on, we found some more common species, like Blue tit, Robin and many Willow warblers. Not too long later we were very happy to see a male Pied flycatcher in the birch trees near the trail! The bird had food in its beak so we left it at peace to feed its young. We walked further until we bumped into a lovely flock of Siskins, which were feeding in the conifers, as well as the Siskins we heard a Goldcrest and a Great Spotted Woodpecker before turning back to head off to meet to RSPB Group at Craigellachie NNR, where were hoping to see Wood warbler and Pied flycatcher - even though we already saw the flycatcher.

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Craigellachie NNR 

When we joined the others at Craigellachie NNR, it was a chilly 10°C and we all felt it. We got a flyover Lesser redpoll from the car park while we were waiting for everyone to arrive. Not long after we split up and crossed the A9 to the reserve, we heard a male Pied Flycatcher singing in the trees. Unfortunately we were unable to get any views on this bird. We continued along, scanning the cliffs for any nesting Peregrines - since they have been know to nest on the cliffs in the past. Apart from some droppings we didn't see any Peregrines. Soon, we passed the Old reservoir where we finally got eyes on a Tree pipit that was singing away at the top of a birch tree. Further on we went, finding a Spotted flycatcher on the way, while checking the nest boxes, although many were occupied by Blue tits. We went further, until we arrived at the active Pied flycatcher nest box, were we waited for the adults to come. After a 10-minute wait in the rain we saw the female fly out and deeper into the forest. Luckily the rain stopped so we kept going finding a Jay, a Goldcrest and another Spotted flycatcher to end our visit to the site. 

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Tree pipit singing from a birch tree

RSPB Loch Garten

We left Craigellachie on to RSPB Loch Garten to try and find Crested tit, Redstart and Osprey. We walked through the woods hearing another Tree pipit. We then went a little off the trail to find a male Redstart singing in the tall conifers. After a long wait the Redstart finally showed itself and sung from branches giving great views. Soon enough, we found the female too, in the trees behind the male. We knew they were trying to enter a nest so we left them at peace. A little bit later a member of the group found a Spotted flycatcher in the trees and a Crested tit in the tops of the trees, but unfortunately, I didn't see it. Later on we found a young Mistle Thrush and not long after, I found a Crested tit (a lifer!!!), sadly if flew away within seconds and not many people had a chance to see it. Back near the car park we saw a single Crossbill and a female Goldeneye on the loch. We quickly moved to the Loch Garten Nature Centre which was only a few hundred metres away. We didn't find much but we did see the male Osprey perched on a dead tree. 

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A male Redstart

©Edgar Joly

Boat of Garten Pools

After Loch Garten, we took a short drive a road-side pool for Slavonian Grebe. The pools were very active when we visited with Redshank, Wigeon, Little Grebe, Pink-footed Goose, Teal, Shoveler, Coot and Tufted Duck. After a bit of scanning we found 2 Slavonian Grebes (also a lifer)! Slavonian grebes are quite rare in the UK with only 20 pairs (as of 2021). This bird's UK population was at a peak in the 1970s, from the first nesting pair in 1909, but its population is now on a rapid decline. The Slavonian Grebe is a specially protected species and therefore the site-specific information is not given - for the well-being of the birds. Once we got drenched in the rain, we left to find Black-throated Diver at the next site: Loch Morlich.

Loch Morlich

It was freezing wen we arrived at Loch Morlich but we almost immediately found a diver, it turned out to be the more common Red-throated diver, but still a nice find. Two female Goldeneyes were also nearby, resting on a rock. Later we found a  single Common sandpiper in the distance. Not many birds were here but there were a decent amount of Mallard all of which, quite tame and hungry for bread. A few ducklings of differing ages were also about. Unfortunately, we didn't find any Black-throated Divers and it was getting late so most of us decided to go back to their accommodation while the few others tried the Cairngorm ski centre for Ring Ouzel. The choice to not go to Cairngorm was fatal; the others got great views of both a male and female Ring Ouzel.

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A Red-throated diver in summer plumage

La Taverna

Finishing a great day of birding, the whole group came for a huge feast at the Italian restaurant, La Taverna. We even saw a Blackbird with a fledgling as well as a Song Thrush from the restaurant!