Week 41
8 - 14 October 2025
During my big year, I will update my blog most weeks. This is the forty-first week's recap. The number next to the day indicates my Scottish year list at the end of that day. Birds written in italics indicate year ticks.
October 9 - Day 282: 199
Today, while checking Rare Bird Alert at school, my heart skipped a beat when I noticed a bright red spot nearly overlapping with my location. A red spot on the map means a MEGA or a "legendary" bird, as my classmates like to say. It turned out to be a White-throated Needletail, a bird that, I believe, is the first record for the region. One of these birds was seen the previous day in Yorkshire, which marked the first time the species had been seen in England in over 30 years. Coincidentally, the next day, the bird was back in Yorkshire. Could there be 2 different birds? This species is the fastest bird in level flight, reaching speeds of up to 105mph. This also makes it the 3rd fastest animal in the world. Hugh Adlesee, the finder, also had 4 Ring-necked Ducks that morning.
After school, my dad and I went to Skene to try to find of these rarities, which would bring me to 200. Within seconds of arriving at the water's edge, I found (what I thought was) the Ring-necked Duck, with some Goldeneye. Sadly, there was no sign of the Needletail, which had not been seen since the original find. Unfortunately, after getting a new field guide, the Macmillan guide to bird ID, I found out the bird was just a regular Tufted Duck, but moulting out of eclipse plumage.
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