A bad week
30/10/2009
A mental week with my younger siblings resulted in not very much happening on the bird front. Although I did go to get the Glossy Ibis that had been at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB for over a fortnight. Unfortunately, the day I went was the day it left. So both my life and year lists remain unchanged...
Instead, I grabbed Mistle Thrush and Song Thrush at the cottage in Banchory that my family were staying in. Then I picked up Snipe at Strathbeg. The only other sighting of note was a Buzzard that was mobbed by Crows over Donmouth.
If I don't pick up a new bird for the year soon, I'm never going to be able to make it to the 200 mark. If something turns up I'll update again, and I'll try to throw in a bit of humour too... If I can.
Thom
Building up to an important week
26/10/2009
Severe weather warning, ha! My Geology trip got cancelled because of a period of 30 minutes where the wind reached 50mph. Pffft... I was at the beach when those gales struck, it was nothing. Well, it messed my hair up good and proper... But still! They were minor.
I didn't see anything of interest though, aside from the Common Seal family (2 adults, 2 pups) basking on a sand bank near the Bridge of Don. It took until I got home and got so bored of my climate change essay that I decided staring out of the window was a better option, that I got some reward. The trees visible from my window were unusually busy, and it was in amongst this hustle and bustle that I got Coal Tit for my uni list.
Hopefully something should be found this week, while I have temporary use of a car and a better scope. If I find nothing, then the year is effectively over and my hopes of breaking the 200 mark would be rendered virtually impossible...
Thom
Aberdeen gets Scotland's "best" weather
22/10/2009
The weather has been shocking of late. The one day this week that I did get out (Tuesday), the wind was so strong that it blew sand into my face with such ferocity that it left me with grazes on both cheeks. It also managed to blind me at the crucial moment going down some stairs at the beach... Yeah, basically I fell down them. I twisted my knee. I had to walk on it for the 3 miles back home.
I didn’t see anything worthwhile either. Well, that’s a lie. I spent that day getting to know a few individuals. These were Seaton Park’s Dipper and Common Seal, and Aberdeen’s solitary Hooded Crow, which had returned to Donmouth over a week after I had first seen it.
Hopefully, something surprises me at Stonehaven on Saturday to brighten up what is set to be a miserable Geology fieldtrip in the rain. Unless anything does show, then it’ll probably be a week til my next post.
Not that this should put you off visiting the site until then. Come and leave a message in the comments box if nothing else!
Thom
Nigel Leaves on a high, Thom stays in and cries
19/10/2009
It's not like having the bus cancel on me wasn't a big enough kick in the gonads. So to have Nigel phone up the following morning to tell me how lovely Staines Reservoir was while I was sitting over my grim excuse for a fry up really riled me. Partly because he got a trip out but mostly because I know he saw the Brown Shrike.
I was fortunate enough to have some space in my day between recovering from the grease-fest that was brunch and the Grand Prix for a cheeky trip up to Donmouth.
It turned out to be a pointless exercise, as the tide was in and there was nothing new or interesting on show. Although in Seaton Park, I got a close encounter with a Dipper and further along the Don I spent considerable time watching a rather obliging Common Seal, which allowed me to sit right at the rivers edge and wasn't at all bothered by my presence.
Despite the fact that Nigel got a lifer and I didn't this weekend, I know that Nigel is off to the Far East for a while so I just have to make up ground when he is away. It's a bit of an underhand tactic, but the battle to the best year list is worth winning whatever your methods!
Thom
Public Transport, To Hell With It
17/10/2009
Today I was supposed to be going to Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, to see the Glossy Ibis, which has been obligingly sitting in a field for over a week now. Notice how that sentence contained the phrase: "supposed to be". I got up at the crack of dawn and went to Aberdeen bus station, only to find out that the bus to Crimond wasn't running today. Road maintenance was the reason stated, but this bus runs along the A90! How can the only major road in the county be so disrupted that a bus can't pass through it!?
Fortunately, with the Ibis looking like its settled down for a longer stay, I could shift my attention to picking off as many easy birds as I possibly could in the north of Aberdeen.
I started in Seaton Park, where I stumbled upon another Grey Wagtail, as well as a number of Chaffinches and a Moorhen. I then pushed on through the park and found myself at the opposite end of Brig O' Balgownie. It was here, standing on the bridge that I had my outing interupted somewhat by a phone call from Nigel. Nevertheless, I had the luck to see a group of young Goosander as well as having two Red-Breasted Mergansers fly over my head.
A while later, with the call at an end, I was able to refocus as I reached the mouth of the Don. It was here that I got the last highlight of the morning. A female Goldeneye flew in from of the sea and landed in the river, but didn't stay too long presumably because of the highly active and playful Common Seals that had occupied the channel.
Walking along the beach I saw both Red-Throated and Black-Throated Divers, as well as what I thought were a handful of Long-Tailed Ducks but I couldn't confirm these as they were rather distant and the sun wasn't overly helpful either.
Anyway, bus fiasco aside I still had a worthwhile morning...
Thom