News

Saturday, 4 October 2008

What You Missed January - June 2008

What You Missed
January - June 2008

The first six months of 2008 was every bit as good as the last half of 2007. We had some fine birds to ogle including a first for mainland Scotland and a lifer for me. The landscaping at Strathbeg paid off after only nine months with breeding Garganey and a good show of water birds.

JANUARY
The over-wintering Little Egret at Strathbeg did
not disappoint and stayed around until June.Strathbeg's annual Bittern was seen three times between the 5th and April the 4th.
Little Egret
Last autumn's Bonaparte's Gull - a North American vagrant - was still hanging around Ugie mouth until the 3rd of February and, if it was the same bird, turned up at Strathbeg on the 16th of March.

A King Eider was off Girdleness from the 6th until the 27th of March. Iceland and Glaucous Gulls were at their usual haunts until the 13th of April and one splendid, white Glaucous Gull was still in Fraserburgh harbour at the end of June. Waxwings stayed until the 7th April in about the same number as last year with a count of fifty on the 31st. A Green-winged Teal, another North American species, was seen at Strathbeg on the 25th and again on the 16th of March. It is probable that this species is at Strathbeg all winter but is difficult to spot amongst the hundreds of Common Teal.

FEBRUARY
Firecrests were at Strathbeg on the 6th and another was spotted at Collieston on the 24th of March. An intermediate-phase Snow Goose was around the Slains/Fetterangus area from the 7th until the 12th of March. It was difficult to find as it was usually in a flock of about 2,000 pinkies. However it was seen with a Bean Goose at Slains in the 13th. Also at Slains were five Common Cranes on the 23rd.

MARCH
The month kicked of with another vagrant from North America - a difficult-to-identify Kumlein's Gull at Fraserburgh harbour from the 2nd to the 23rd. Then a short-stay Ring-necked Duck appeared at Meikle Loch on the 9th. A White-fronted Goose was at Rattray on the 19th and again on the 13th of April. A Ross's Goose found at Cove on the 28th was probably the same as that found near Rattray on the 29th. It stayed until the 30th. A very obliging Bewick's Swan was at and around Cotehill Loch from the 21st until the 14th of April and showed well for one of our group outings.

APRIL
Garganey turned up early this year with a bird being in the Ugie area from the 9th, arriving at Strathbeg on the 13th and breeding for the first time. At least two broods were seen. A Water Pipit was at Meikle Loch on the 14th and a White Wagtail was seen at Blackdog on the 20th. Strathbeg hosted a Great White Egret on the 21st and this was joined by a second on the 22nd. They remained until the 24th. A Spoonbill was seen flying over Forvie on its way to Strathbeg on the 29th. It stayed until the 30th. Also at Strathbeg was a Little Ringed Plover on the 22nd. Ring Ouzels were seen at Rattray on the 24th and at Forvie on the 30th and a Stone Curlew at Don Mouth on the 29th.

MAY
This month started with a cracker, the first mainland sighting in Scotland for a rather peculiar American species, the Upland Sandpiper. It was found at St Combs on the 5th, just on the reserve at Strathbeg. It stayed only until the 6th but was seen by lots of birders. Those who could drag their gaze way from the Sandpiper would have had another pleasant surprise, the four Dotterels in the same field.

Also at Strathbeg was a White Stork on the 7th, a fly-over by a white-phase Snow Goose on the 15th and two Temminck's Stints on the 26th. Red Kites were seen over Ellon and Aberdeen on the 8th and 9th whilst Surf Scoters were off Murcar golf course from the 10th until the 27th of June.
White Stork

Three Yellow-legged Gulls showed up at Donmouth on the 14th and a Bluethroat was at Girdleness on the 16th and 17th. Red-backed Shrikes were noted from Aberdeen to Longhaven between the 21st and 30th and a Common Rosefinch was at Rattray on the 23rd. Two Avocets were on the Ythan on the 24th but decamped to Strathbeg by the 25th. A Red- breasted Flycatcher was at Troup head on the 27th and another was seen at Rattray on the 1st and 2nd of June. We had quite a fall of Marsh Warblers along the coast this month and into early June but I didn't catch up with any. The month ended with a Hobby at Maryculter.

JUNE
A Whiskered Tern was at Strathbeg from the 5th until the 8th and a Corncrake was at the same location on the 15th. These were was followed by a Quail and a Little Ringed Plover on the 29th. An elusive Rosy Starling frequented gardens in Newburgh from the 19th until the 28th. Sea-watching produced two Cory's Shearwaters this month, both off Fraserburgh,
on the 15th and on the 21st.

Yes: all told a very interesting first half of 2008.
Dave Gill