Week 26
25 June – 1 July 2025
During my big year, I will update my blog most weeks. This is the twenty-sixth week's recap. Next weekend - 3rd-6th -, we will be on the Isles of Lewis & Harris, on the west coast of Scotland. The number next to the day indicates my year list at the end of that day. Birds written in italics indicate Scottish year ticks.
June 27 - Day 178: 182
Today, since my school's term has already ended, I was dropped off by my dad at Girdleness for a couple of hours. I walked down towards the allotments, from Torry Battery, spotted many common species, such as Kittiwake, Guillemot, and Sandwich Tern. I back towards Torry Battery, this time, down by the rocks below, where I heard some Sedge Warblers and saw a couple of Rock Pipits. I spent some time looking for the Meadow pipit nest we had been searching for the week before, although, while walking through the grass, a fledgling flew out and onto the rocks, to join its parent. I kept going, until I reached Greyhope Bay, where I scanned the rocks, spotting some, non-breeding Turnstones, a Curlew, a few Redshanks and some alarming Ringed Plovers. I quickly left the Ringed Plovers in peace and walked until the foghorn. A quick seawatch from the foghorn got me a couple Fulmars, and several Gannets. I walked around Nigg Bay, spotting only a few Black-headed Gulls and a couple of Feral Pigeons. I walked past a water treatment plant, where a colony of Common and Herring Gulls had made their home. I didn't see many birds at Greg Ness, where I was headed, so I turned back and walked through St Fittick's instead. I heard a Song Thrush and a Goldcrest, before seeing a juvenile Whitethroat, which had given me a scare, thinking I had found an Asian Desert Warbler!
June 28 - Day 179: 182
Today, since the weather was so nice, we went to Potarch Bridge to have a picnic, after a brief stop at Girdleness, where we saw a Dark-Green Fritillary. At Potarch, I was playing in the water, when I heard a Common Sandpiper. Sadly I didn't see it, but I did see a Dipper and a few Grey Wagtails. We then made the short drive to Dinnet Oakwoods. We didn't see the Nuthatches, although, we did see a Pearl-bordered Fritillary, two more Dark-Green Fritillaries and a Golden-ringed Dragonfly.
July 1 - Day 182: 182
Today, dad and I went to Girdleness to see what was about. I started by scanning South Pier, which was covered in gulls. I quickly re-found the young Glaucous Gull, that had gone missing for a while, a great bird to see in July. We walked towards the foghorn, via Greyhope Bay, but the Ringed Plovers weren't alarming any more. I stayed for a seawatch at the foghorn, while dad went back to the car. I spotted a distant feeding frenzy, with Gannets, gulls, and auks. No unusual species, however. I then noticed, out of the corner of my eye, a flock of four, black and white sea ducks, I thought they were Eider, but as they came closer they turned out to be Velvet Scoters! A very good species to get here. I managed to get a few photos, where the white wing panel can be seen.
Day 178: https://ebird.org/checklist/S255510534
Day 179: hhttps://ebird.org/checklist/S255512005 ;
