Week 29

16 – 22 July 2025

During my big year, I will update my blog most weeks. This is the twenty-ninth week's recap. Next week, we will take some more time of my big year to go to Oxford. The number next to the day indicates my year list at the end of that day. Birds written in italics indicate Scottish year ticks.

July 20 - Day 201: 186

Today, after going to Aberdeen Harbour to see the Tall Ships, my dad and I went to Angus for my Nightjar survey. We arrived at Arbroath slightly after 8pm, to search for the Pomarine skua that had been seen there recently. Unfortunately, we didn't find many birds other than a high count of 9 Grey Herons, all within 100 metres of each other!

After that, we went to my survey location, an area of woodland near Brechin. After an hour, we didn't hear or see Nightjars, although, we did see a Tawny Owl fly across the path in front of us.

July 22/23 - Day 203/4: 187

Tonight, with conditions looking good, we went up to Collieston a 22:30, for a session of Storm Petrel ringing. We met up with Phil Bloor and set up the nets. Eventually, Phil Crockett and Daryl Short also joined us. A few minutes after midnight, we caught our first Storm-Petrel. After taking some photos and releasing the birds, the other left, having got their “patch tick” for the year. Eventually, we caught a bird that was already ringing. We stayed, catching a total of 6 birds before 1:30AM, when we decided to give up waiting for a Leach's.

Day 201:https://ebird.org/checklist/S262153638 ;

https://ebird.org/checklist/S261606000

Day 203/4: https://ebird.org/checklist/S262101049 ;

https://ebird.org/checklist/S262101380