I have been trying.
The Loch of Strathbeg holds a resident population of Bearded Tits. I have been to find them a couple of times but with no success.
There have been reports of a Mediterranean Gull at Sandhaven. My birding and fellow photographer John even took pictures of it in Sandhaven Harbour on the same day I went to the Ythan to find the Kingfisher. I spent one afternoon walking from Fraserburgh to Sandhaven along Phingask Shore and back (about 5 miles) but did not see it. I have also driven to the harbour a couple of times but to no avail. It must have moved on.
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| Johns photo of a Mediterranean Gull at Sandhaven |
John also found a Great Northern Diver about four miles up the road at St Combs. But the divers I saw were too for away to Identify.
I have been looking for the King Eider as well. But it was only seen the once and not by me.
Barren patches like this are bound to happen. The three birds I feel confident will get added to the list later in the year. There is likely to be a boat trip out into the Moray Firth to find Divers, and Mediterranean Gulls are not that difficult to find. Of course I will have to rely on Elvis the King Eider to take up his normal spot on the Ythan to get that tick.
And it is not as if the birding has been without interest. Admittedly there has no been a lot going on at Strathbeg although there seems to have been more Buzzards than usual. Trying to identify the birds far out to sea is always interesting and Phingask Shore has a huge amount of Gulls and Ducks to see.
As for the 2017 list I am confident that it will get longer this weekend. My plan is to go to Mar Lodge estate in the Cairngorms. There's bound to be new birds for the list there. The guide books say that it is possible to find three kinds of Crossbill - Common, Parrot and Scottish. If I find Crossbills I only hope I can tell which I am looking at.
Total for the list still 105
You can do it. x
ReplyDeleteOf course it will then I can do more paintings.
ReplyDeleteI am sure you will.
ReplyDelete