Three More For The List

Friday there were howling gales, Saturday there was snow, today it was calm, misty and decidedly damp.  Three days and nearly every sort of weather you could think of.

Today I went in search of an Iceland Gull.  There had been reports of one in Fraserburgh but with no details about exactly where it was.  There has also been reports of Iceland Gulls in Aberdeen at Girdleness and Donmouth.  So I decided to go to Peterhead.  My thinking was if they were North and South of Europe's biggest fish port they must be in the port itself.

Driving down the A90 to Peterhead I saw that there were large flocks of Pink-footed Geese in the fields.  Normally I would have stopped to see if there were any other types of geese with them but the lack of visibility and damp conditions meant that to o so would not have been safe.  Who knows what I missed!

Looking for Gulls in Peterhead means looking in three key places.  The first I stopped at was the Ugie estuary by the golf course, its the first of the three you get to.  All the usual gulls were there.  In order of size:-

              Great Black Backed Gull

Herring Gull

                Common Gull                                                                   Black-headed Gull

  In case you are getting confused the Black-headed Gull has a white head with that black ear smudge in the winter.  In the summer it has a brown head, but it looks black from a distance.  Although we are in the middle of winter some Black-headed Gulls are already developing their summer plumage.  These two were on the Ugie estuary today.

There were Redshanks, Mallards, one Lapwing and surprisingly no Mute swans.  The bridge over the river to the golf course is a favourite place for the people of the town to feed the Gulls, Ducks and much more often than not the Swans.

So I went on the the next stop along Gadle Braes and Skene Street these look out over the North Sea.  Today you couldn't sea very far out to sea so I made do with the shore birds at Buchanhaven, Turnstones, Purple Sandpipers and Redshank.

The third place is the harbour itself.  There were very few birds about.  Perhaps because it was Sunday and the fish market wasn't open and no boats were landing the catch.  Perhaps it was because I was there in the afternoon.  There was a Guillemot swimming about among the plastic bottles - first year tick of the day.

Guillemot in winter plumage

Then just to see I went out to the Lido to see if there was anything in the bay.  Alas the visibility was too bad to know.  Just so you know what it was like here is a picture I took of an Oil Supply Ship.  Can you see it?

By this time the light was begining to fade but on the way out of the town I went to the golf club car park for another look at the Ugie estuary.  Its a good job I did.  What was turning out to be a 'day of disapointment' turned into 'mission accomplished'.   There on the other side of the river with the roosting Common and Black-headed Gulls was the Iceland Gull I had gone to find.

As a bit of a bonus there was the third year list tick of the day a Greylag Goose as well

So I took a really bad photo of it.

Total on List 98

Coots

Just a thought.  What has happened to the Coots at the Loch of Strathbeg?  I remember that in the past the main Loch in particular has been full of Coots.  In 2017 I have been there three times now and not seen one.  Answers in the comments please.

A Morning at the Loch of Strathbeg

Today was going to be a trip to Moray with Brian.  We planned to meet Jimmy at Cullen who was going to take us round the birding spots on that stretch of the Moray Firth.  I was looking forward to seeing Divers and Scoters and hopefully catching up with some others I need for my year list like Stonechat, Merlin and Greylag Geese.  And getting my year list to over 100.  The weather put paid to all those plans.  Snow overnight and more forecast meant that it would be unwise to travel too far.

Plan B was put into action.  I live only a few miles from the Loch of Strathbeg a major RSPB reserve that contains Britain's largest dune loch. So that is where I went.  I arrived at 10:00 and was surprised to see that no other cars had been up the access road since the snow had started to fall.
From the visitors centre you look out over Starnafin Pool and beyond that to the 'Low Ground'.  Both areas held a lot more water than usual so there was little exposed mud that is loved by waders.  Much of the standing water was frozen over so there was not much in the way of ducks and other water birds.  As I am new to this blogging lark I did not have the forethought to take picture to show what Strathbeg is like so here a couple I took last year that shows the sort of habitat at the reserve.

In the last photo there are five Konik ponies.  They are primitive horses from Poland and have been introduced into the reserve in a semi wild state to help with the management.  Apparently the enjoy eating the rank vegetation that would otherwise take over the area.

The Visitors Centre has recently had a significant makeover and one of the new attractions is a picture window overlooking a feeding station.  The viewing area has been supplied with comfy chairs and it is very easy to sit down a watch the comings and goings of the finches and LBJ's that take advantage of the free food.  But that sort of comfortable bird watching is not what I came to Strathbeg for, I could do that at home.  I went to the Tower Pool Hide.  From there you look over the 'Low Ground' where many of the Ducks and Gulls congregate.  It was most enjoyable checking through the hundreds of Wigeon, Mallards and Teal to see if there were any other species lurking in there.  The same went for the Gulls and Waders.  Every so often a family of Mute or Whooper Swans would take off and you could hear the wind whistling in there wings or the Gulls or Waders would take to the air en mass disturbed by something that more times than not remained undetected by me.

Today the highlight was a Peregrine fly past.  I first saw it as rising up from behind a ridge as it was pursuing a Wood pigeon. Its attempt failed so it turned and flew past me again.

On this fly past I was able to get some photos.

 On the way to and from the hide loads of small birds were commuting between the stubble and the hedges.  Most were Yellowhammers but there were Corn Buntings, Redd Buntings and Tree Sparrows there as well.

So it was a great morning, although rather cold.  Only one bird was added to the year list, a Pheasant, but that doesn't matter.  Even though you have given yourself a target that should not dominate your birding.  The outdoors and the wild life it contains, and for me specially the birds are there to be enjoyed whether you have targets or not.

Total on List 95

11th January - A great day in Aberdeen

Today I joined the Aberdeen and District RSPB Members Grout on a walk in Aberdeen.  Lead by Mark twenty or so members walked from Hazel Head Park to Walkers Dam to see what birds were about.  Before we left Mark said that those  interested in see in Waxwings should talk to one of the group who had seen them in Cults An Aberdeen suburb).  That it turned our was not necessary.  We found plenty of Waxwings on our walk.

 Waxwing

In fact we found over thirty species in just a couple of hours.  Here is a selection.
 

                         Goldfinch

Waxwing

 

                                                                                  Redwing

                              Treecreeper

Little Grebe

                                                                                              Moorhen

 

Mistle Thrush

We managed to see the Mandarin Duck that spends its winters in the area.  It summers in Norway!.  I was able to provide the bread that coaxed it, and lots of Mallards out of their hiding place in the tangle of branches and weeds at the far side of Walkers Dam.  Its a good job I learnt my lesson from my trip to Speyside and took my lunch with me.  donating a few crusts was a small price to pay to see such a spectacular bird.  This photo of the same bird was taken in November last year at Johnson's Gardens because we only got a brief glimpse of it today.

Manderain Duck

 From Hazelhead, where we got a good cup of coffee and a piece we went to Den Burn Nature reserve.  There was not a lot at see but a buzzard and a Roe Deer

Roe Deer

Which makes a better picture than the other mammal we saw, a Brown Rat.

On the way home I called in at Inch Road, Newburgh to see if I could find the Kingfisher that  is often there.  No Kingfisher but there was a Snipe to add to the list.

Total on list 94

10th January Fraserburgh Harbour

I didn't go far today or stay out for long.  Domestic chores got in the way.

Fraserburgh Harbour is a fishing port.  There are small inshore boats that do line fishing and lobster and crab creels on the season.  There are bigger sea going boats that trawl for white fish and shellfish.  Then there are the big ones, the pelagic fleet that hunt for mackerel
and herring.  It is a busy fishing port second only in the UK to Peterhead a few miles down the coast.  As a result it is full of seabirds.  At this time of year Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls predominate.  There are a few Black-headed Gulls and occasionally, especially in the winter some arctic gulls.  But not today.  There is only one bird to add to the year list, Gannet.  They don't come into the harbour but can often be seen out at sea rounding Kinnaird Head.

Gannet

The harbour also has its resident Grey Seals.  Each with its own territory which it has to fight to maintain.

 Grey Seal

 Here are a couple of photos the other birds of the harbour

Turnstone

Black-headed Gull

Total on list 81

9th January 2017 Cairnbulg Harbour

A quick trip to Cairnbulg Harbour this afternoon. One of my favourite spots probably because it is the nearest sea to where I live, about 3 miles away, and the nearest shop.

I caught up with two of my favotite birds for the first time this year - Corn Bunting and Purple Sandpiper.  Why are they favourites?  Well I have to say that although not rare they do take some effort to find.  I also empathise with them.  Like me both are on the portly side and like me there singing leaves a lot to be desired.

Corn Bunting

 Purple Sandpiper

  

The main cause of great panic and excitement among the waders at the harbour was not me wandering round the foreshore with my camera but a Sparrowhawk looking for a meal.

Sparrowhawk

There were a couple of other 'good' birds at the harbour.  I saw a Red-throated Diver but missed the Sandwich Tern that was found my my birding mate John.

Total on list 80

8th January A Big Day Out Grantown on Spey

Up bright and early to make a packed lunch and leave before daybreak.  I was travelling west some eighty miles to Grantown on Spey with a magnificent sunrise in the rear view mirror.

My target was some Hawfinches that have taken up winter residence tin the trees on the banks of the river Spey.  Approaching the town on the A95 from Aberlour you turn right at the roundabout where it meets the A939.  You are now in Speybridge.  The car park is immediately on the left.  From there you walk into Speybridge, a small collection of quite big houses to the river.  Access to the river is down some wooden steps and you follow it down stream for about a mile ( Grid Ref: NJ045112 26623).  The Hawfinches are in the larches on your left (if you are lucky) because they have been known to go further down stream or to cross to the other side of the river.

This is the route I took but no Hawfinches.  So I crossed the river and explored the other bank.  There were lots of Chaffinches trying to confuse me.  But no Hawfinch.  Back I went to the North bank to try my luck again.  This time I met a fellow birdwatchers on the same mission.  He had seen a Hawfinch consorting with Redwing and Fieldfare about a mile further down stream.  So off I went.  I met a birdwatching couple who had travelled up from Stonehaven to stay a few days.  They had seen the finches yesterday but not today.

Not to be put off I continued my walk and met another couple of birdwatchers.  Yes they had seen the Redwings and Fieldfares.  No they had not seen a Hawfinch.  I decided to carry on.

Now all this walking and not seeing Hawfinches was not without its compensations.  The river held quite a few Dipper, Mallard, Goosander and Goldeneye.  I missed getting a clear shot of one Dipper with a large grub of some sort.  I did get some other Dipper photos.

Dipper

 Dipper (this one was seeing of rival from its territory)

On the South side of the river I came across a Siskin.  Back on the North bank I also found a small flock of Long-tailed Tits that spent most of their time with me hiding in the twigs and branches, but another bird to tick. There was however no sign of the Redwing or Fieldfare.  It was about then I decided to turn back I was tired and hungry.  Now there is a lesson learnt.  I had left my packed lunch in the car expecting I would be back before midday.  I should have taken it with me. I will next time.

Long-tailed Tit

Back to the Larches scanning the trees all the time with nothing more than Chaffinches and a Great Spotted Woodpecker (another year tick).  There I sat on a rock still scanning the trees and yes finally I saw at least two Hawfinches.

So mission accomplished I went back to the car and a late lunch.  Before heading home I went into Grantown on Spey for petrol and provisions.  Looking up from the car park I saw a Sparrowhawk soaring effortlessly above my head.  Suddenly a flock of up to fifty jackdaws rose up from trees all around and mobbed the poor Sparrowhawk until it left town.  A dramatic end to a good days birdwatching.

By the way the sunset in the rear view mirror on the way home was every bit as spectacular as the mornings sunrise.

Total on the list  78