Trip reports
What You Missed: January - June 2009
Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Sunday, 1 November 2009
JANUARY
Waxwings stayed in their usual haunts from the beginning of the year until 26th of April, numbers were low with counts of only up to thirty being recorded. A pair of Snow Geese showed up at Strathbeg on the 3rd and were seen on and off until the 11th of April. The White-tailed Eagle, which frequented the St Fergus area last autumn, stayed around all winter moving up to Strathbeg on many occasions; it may be the same bird that showed up briefly around the Ythan in mid May. The bird was still at Strathbeg until the end of June. Iceland Gulls were at their usual locations from the beginning of the year until the 17th April and a fine example of the rare sub-species of yellow-legged gull, a Kumlien's Gull, a North American bird, showed up at Collieston and Inveruguie on the 18th and 21st respectively. Another rare gull, and a first for North-east Scotland, was a Caspian Gull. It was at Inverugie on the 10th but never seen again. Glaucous Gulls were along the coast from the 1st until the 3rd of March. Strathbeg's annual Bittern was spotted on the 23rd and again for the last time on the 11th of February. The Aberdeenshire Red Kite release has been very successful with twelve in the air over Echt on the 23rd.
FEBRUARY
Very little of note was seen this month but Strathbeg managed a Slavonian Grebe on the 5th and a Bean Goose showed up at Auchlossan on the 28th.
MARCH.
March was even slower than February, the only birds of note being a good passage of 180 Little Auks passing Black Dog on the 1st and Mediterranean Gulls at Strathbeg and at Ythan on the 10th and 17th respectively.
APRIL
A White Stork was reported in the press as being at Kemnay on the 4th and Pectoral Sandpipers
were at Strathbeg from the 11th until the 4th of May. Three Mandarin Ducks graced the river Dee on the 12th and again on the 1st of June. An American Wigeon showed well from the Snub car park on the Ythan between the 5th and the 17th. Strathbeg again stole the show with a Spoonbill on the 20th/21st and later, three Spoonbills from the 12th to the 19th June. Three Common Cranes were at Strathbeg on the 20th and the same species showed up again at Maud on the 18th & 19th of June. A Great White Egret, which was such an attraction at Strathbeg last year, did it again with a bird showing up on the 30th and staying until the 2nd of May. The same species returned on the 27th June and stayed until the 29th. Inland, two Ring-necked Ducks at Loch Kinord were reported on the 21st.
MAY
A Green-winged Teal showed up at Strathbeg between the 2nd and the 4th and a King Eider was reported on the sea just off the reserve also on the 4th. Surf Scoters were spotted off Black Dog almost on a daily basis from the 9th until the end of June. A tagged White-tailed Eagle was at the Dinnet lochs on the 11th whilst Temminck's Stint could be viewed at Strathbeg on the 12th and 21st and seven Dotterel were there on the 14th. Between the 16th and the 18th a large fall of migrants hit the coast with Tree Pipit, Redstart, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Whinchat, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Hobby being found in the plantation at Strathbeg, A Bluethroat reported at Rattray on the 16th and one at Forvie on the 17th. Forvie then sported a series of rare birds with a Thrush Nightingale and a Red-backed Shrike on the 17th and a Sub-alpine Warbler on the 18th. A Red-necked Phalarope was found at Tarland on the 25th and Anne Rigg and I found a Red-breasted Goose at Strathbeg on the 31st.
JUNE
A Reed warbler was singing in front of the tower hide from the 8th until the 19th, breeding possibly? It was suspected that they had bred last year. A Bee-eater was calling over Aberdeen on the 16th whilst a Hobby was seen at Strathbeg on the 19th and a Hobby and a Roseate Tern reported from Forvie on the 22nd. The last bird of note was a Corncrake at Culsamond on the 27th.
I hope the rest of the year turns out as good.
Dave Gill