2nd January River Ythan

I had decided that in order to reach my target of 200 birds for 2017 I would have to get out and do a lot more birding.  Every year on the 2nd January that RSPB Aberdeen And District Local Group go on a birding ramble to the River Ythan.  This was advertised as an opportunity to get your year list off to a flying start.  Well I had to go didn't I.  I got to the Ythan, about 20 miles away,  ten minutes after the advertised start time of 10.00.  I thought that I would have problems catching up with the group.  There was no such problem.  I wasn't the last to arrive and in any case the group was some thirty strong and impossible to miss                                                                                                             

Now I knew why there were so few people at Strathbeg the day before.  They had not stinted their Hogmany celebrations to get out on New Years Day.  They were saving their efforts until the 2nd. The ramble, or wander as they called it was led by my mate Dave.  Mark was there and a few other familiar faces.  There were lots of new faces as well.  Just as many men as women were there, good to see in a pastime that is considered to be male dominated. And a good few young people as well.  But the most striking division was not male/female, young/old, it was photographers /non photographers.  I was there with my camera and big lens and binoculars, others had a big telescope and binoculars.  I don't recall anyone with both big 'scope and camera.  But no problem.  the 'scope set were quite happy for anyone to look through their optic and the happy snappers were more than willing to share the LCD screen of their latest capture.  The day started well weather wise.  The tide was out so there was a lot of mud and a lot of wading birds.  I was quite pleased with myself for being the first to see the Peregrine rise up from the mud and shingle to fly rapidly up river.

Sanderlings and an Oystercatcher

 

The other interest at the Ythan is the seals

Grey Seal

The event was well advertised as I added several new birds to my year list.
For lunch we went on the the Snub car park.  I had my sandwich to be followed, quite unexpectedly by some Christmas cake that one of the birders had brought for everyone. At the Snub everyone got into a state of great excitement.  Someone had spotted a bird he could not identify at the other side of the river.  The 'experts' like Mark had not stopped for lunch so the rest of the group were floundering.  At first it was thought that the bird was a Phalarope because of the way it was moving.  The bird books were brought out and consulted,  could you see the dark patch at the back of the eye?  was its bill as long and pointed as the books suggested  was sported by a Wilson's Phalarope? It was difficulty too big a bird to be a Red- necked Phalarope..... so the debate went on.  In the end it flew off and the marking on it's back revealed its true identity an Greenshank much more common than any of the Phalaropes but nevertheless a new bird for my year list

Greenshank

But the excitement for the day was not yet over.  Kenny and Alex had not stopped at the Snub for long.  They had a call that there were Iceland Gulls at Cruden Bay ten miles up the road and had gone off to find them.  Cruden Bay was my next port of call.  At the harbour Kenny and Alex were still looking for the Gull.  I was able to add four more birds to my list, but not Iceland Gull.  Three were distant views but the Razorbill came close enough to photograph.

Razorbill

Total on list 54