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| Starling |
 |
| Waxwings (Top bird ringed in Aberdeen) |
 |
| Waxwing |
 |
| Waxwing |
 |
| Cormorant - Sinensis race |
 |
| Red Breasted Merganser |
 |
| Red Throated Diver |
 |
| Little Grebe |
 |
| Cormorant - Sinensis race |
Unlike yesterday's long walk in Fife, today's outing involved a lot less walking and a far smaller total list of species seen, but instead of quantity today consisted more of quality. Only managed to see 21 species, but a couple were new to my City Centre sightings and a few others gave really good photo opportunities.
Left the house around 10am and headed for City Quay to see if there were any birds sheltering from the rather stormy seas and very high tides from yesterday. En route, I saw a single Dunnock and a Blackbird, as well as a few Herring Gulls but little else.
Arriving at City Quay, I walked along the back of the centre to the Clock Tower flats and scanned from near the submariners memorial. A few Cormorants and Red Breasted Mergansers plus Black Headed Gulls were in the easternmost part of the quay. Walked back to the bridge to check for "Dave" the resident Red Throated Diver with the damaged wing which has been in residence since at least 25/12/12, but there was no sign. Spotted a bit of a commotion over towards the City Centre and was a bit surprised to see a Buzzard being harassed by a couple of Carrion Crows. Then spotted a small bird in the water towards the North Carr light ship. Was rather surprised (again) to see it was a Little Grebe. I attempted to get closer but the bird kept diving close into the wall, and I lost sight of it, but found it swimming by the Marigot. Got caught up photographing a couple of very accommodating Starlings that were feeding on small grubs or worms in the mossy cobblestones. Headed back to the bridge to see if I could find Dave. Bumped into another birder and his young son who were also hoping to see the Diver, so we wandered eastwards past the Unicorn.
In the eastern quay we spotted Dave quite quickly and the young boy spotted a roosting Grey Heron. Quite a few Red Breasted Mergansers were in attendance as well as Cormorants. We had passed a few Cormorants and Herring Gulls at the dry dock area with a few of the Cormorants drying their wings in the weak sunshine and strong winds. We walked round to check the river but there was nothing of note. Heading back towards the dock area we heard and then saw a small flock of Starlings and House Sparrows in by the flats.
I said cheerio to the others as they headed across the bridge to head for the town centre, and had a slow wander around past the light ship where I managed a few photos of Black Headed Gulls on the water. My plan was to pop into the Overgate to buy a bottle of juice and catch a bus to Riverside Nature Park, but as I walked out the side door by the City Churches I heard a familiar trilling call, and spotted Waxwings feeding low down on Rowan berries opposite the door. A year tick for me. I pulled out the camera and fired off a few shots. The birds fed for a minute or so before flying to the top of a tall tree at the eastern end of the churches where they perched. I counted 11 birds and sent a text to the local grapevine as Waxwings have been in short supply this winter compared to last year.
Stood around for a while and managed a few more decent shots as they came down to feed, but spent most of the time in the tall tree. Got a phone call from my pal, Gus Guthrie, who had received the text notification wondering just where they were. Gave him directions and a short while later he turned up and added Waxwings to his yearlist too. There was only one other birder who I know from the Nature Park showed up to see them which was a bit of a surprise for such easily accessible birds. We managed a few more photos when the birds came down to feed, then Gus headed off. In addition to the Waxwings, there were 2 Redwings which joined the flock in the tall tree. Six Blackbirds had also visited the berries for a few minutes and a flock of around 50 or so Goldfinches had briefly overflown the Overgate Centre andf City Churches before reversing direction and disappearing again.
At 2.15pm the Old Steeple clock chimed ad the Waxwings flew off westwards. I decided to head back to City Quay to try for closer views of Dave and the Mergansers etc. There was only a single drake Merganser by the bridge with something tangled round its bill which looked like wet string but may have been something else. I walked along towards the eastern quay passing a roosting Grey Heron near the back of the frigate Unicorn and 5 or 6 Cormorants, of which at least two were Sinensis subspecies birds. There was another Grey Heron roosting on the wall by the eastern quay, and at least 11 Red Breasted Mergansers and around 30 Black Headed Gulls in the water, as well as Dave the Diver, who was much closer than he had been in the morning. His damaged primaries are definitely growing back this year, but are pointing in a strange direction, so he may be around for some time yet.
I heard a Little Grebe call and turned to look for it, and spotted two together. Again, I tried to sneak closer using parked cars to hide my approach but the birds dived and headed for the far side of the quay. As I reached the fence I spooked a drake red Breasted Merganser which turned out to be the one with the "string" on its bill, and it swam away from me but allowing me to get my best ever shots of this species as it did so. I managed to get Red Breasted Merganser, Red Throated Diver and Little Grebe in one (rather poor) photo. I heard a Pied Wagtail and a few minutes later, a Linnet, but saw neither. As the birds were quite distant I decided to head for home. I took a few photos of a Sinensis Cormorant in the water and managed to see a flyover Pied Wagtail near the Apex Hotel as well as a drake Eider out on the river in company with a pair of Mergansers.
I had seen 19 species by this point, so was hoping to add a 20th on the walk home. Realising I hadn't yet seen Woodpigeon, I thought this would be the most likely addition and so it proved with 3 flying in to roost by the same tenement block on Dens Road where I saw a Magpie yesterday. I caught sight of a bird perched in a tree by a footpath into the housing scheme off Dens Road. Walking closer I could see it was a male Bullfinch. I then saw a second male and a female further into the main part of the tree branches. So rather than managing 20 species I had stumbled on number 21 too.
Left the house around 10am and headed for City Quay to see if there were any birds sheltering from the rather stormy seas and very high tides from yesterday. En route, I saw a single Dunnock and a Blackbird, as well as a few Herring Gulls but little else.
Arriving at City Quay, I walked along the back of the centre to the Clock Tower flats and scanned from near the submariners memorial. A few Cormorants and Red Breasted Mergansers plus Black Headed Gulls were in the easternmost part of the quay. Walked back to the bridge to check for "Dave" the resident Red Throated Diver with the damaged wing which has been in residence since at least 25/12/12, but there was no sign. Spotted a bit of a commotion over towards the City Centre and was a bit surprised to see a Buzzard being harassed by a couple of Carrion Crows. Then spotted a small bird in the water towards the North Carr light ship. Was rather surprised (again) to see it was a Little Grebe. I attempted to get closer but the bird kept diving close into the wall, and I lost sight of it, but found it swimming by the Marigot. Got caught up photographing a couple of very accommodating Starlings that were feeding on small grubs or worms in the mossy cobblestones. Headed back to the bridge to see if I could find Dave. Bumped into another birder and his young son who were also hoping to see the Diver, so we wandered eastwards past the Unicorn.
In the eastern quay we spotted Dave quite quickly and the young boy spotted a roosting Grey Heron. Quite a few Red Breasted Mergansers were in attendance as well as Cormorants. We had passed a few Cormorants and Herring Gulls at the dry dock area with a few of the Cormorants drying their wings in the weak sunshine and strong winds. We walked round to check the river but there was nothing of note. Heading back towards the dock area we heard and then saw a small flock of Starlings and House Sparrows in by the flats.
I said cheerio to the others as they headed across the bridge to head for the town centre, and had a slow wander around past the light ship where I managed a few photos of Black Headed Gulls on the water. My plan was to pop into the Overgate to buy a bottle of juice and catch a bus to Riverside Nature Park, but as I walked out the side door by the City Churches I heard a familiar trilling call, and spotted Waxwings feeding low down on Rowan berries opposite the door. A year tick for me. I pulled out the camera and fired off a few shots. The birds fed for a minute or so before flying to the top of a tall tree at the eastern end of the churches where they perched. I counted 11 birds and sent a text to the local grapevine as Waxwings have been in short supply this winter compared to last year.
Stood around for a while and managed a few more decent shots as they came down to feed, but spent most of the time in the tall tree. Got a phone call from my pal, Gus Guthrie, who had received the text notification wondering just where they were. Gave him directions and a short while later he turned up and added Waxwings to his yearlist too. There was only one other birder who I know from the Nature Park showed up to see them which was a bit of a surprise for such easily accessible birds. We managed a few more photos when the birds came down to feed, then Gus headed off. In addition to the Waxwings, there were 2 Redwings which joined the flock in the tall tree. Six Blackbirds had also visited the berries for a few minutes and a flock of around 50 or so Goldfinches had briefly overflown the Overgate Centre andf City Churches before reversing direction and disappearing again.
At 2.15pm the Old Steeple clock chimed ad the Waxwings flew off westwards. I decided to head back to City Quay to try for closer views of Dave and the Mergansers etc. There was only a single drake Merganser by the bridge with something tangled round its bill which looked like wet string but may have been something else. I walked along towards the eastern quay passing a roosting Grey Heron near the back of the frigate Unicorn and 5 or 6 Cormorants, of which at least two were Sinensis subspecies birds. There was another Grey Heron roosting on the wall by the eastern quay, and at least 11 Red Breasted Mergansers and around 30 Black Headed Gulls in the water, as well as Dave the Diver, who was much closer than he had been in the morning. His damaged primaries are definitely growing back this year, but are pointing in a strange direction, so he may be around for some time yet.
I heard a Little Grebe call and turned to look for it, and spotted two together. Again, I tried to sneak closer using parked cars to hide my approach but the birds dived and headed for the far side of the quay. As I reached the fence I spooked a drake red Breasted Merganser which turned out to be the one with the "string" on its bill, and it swam away from me but allowing me to get my best ever shots of this species as it did so. I managed to get Red Breasted Merganser, Red Throated Diver and Little Grebe in one (rather poor) photo. I heard a Pied Wagtail and a few minutes later, a Linnet, but saw neither. As the birds were quite distant I decided to head for home. I took a few photos of a Sinensis Cormorant in the water and managed to see a flyover Pied Wagtail near the Apex Hotel as well as a drake Eider out on the river in company with a pair of Mergansers.
I had seen 19 species by this point, so was hoping to add a 20th on the walk home. Realising I hadn't yet seen Woodpigeon, I thought this would be the most likely addition and so it proved with 3 flying in to roost by the same tenement block on Dens Road where I saw a Magpie yesterday. I caught sight of a bird perched in a tree by a footpath into the housing scheme off Dens Road. Walking closer I could see it was a male Bullfinch. I then saw a second male and a female further into the main part of the tree branches. So rather than managing 20 species I had stumbled on number 21 too.
Before I got home I saw a few more Woodpigeons and 4 Goldfinches flew out of a tree round the corner from home. All in all a very good day's birding without having to go too far and 1 year tick.
21 species (year tick in bold) - Blackbird, Black Headed gull, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Cormorant, Dunnock, Eider, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Little Grebe, Pied Wagtail, Red Breasted Merganser, Red Throated Diver, Redwing, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Waxwing, Woodpigeon
21 species (year tick in bold) - Blackbird, Black Headed gull, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Cormorant, Dunnock, Eider, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Little Grebe, Pied Wagtail, Red Breasted Merganser, Red Throated Diver, Redwing, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Waxwing, Woodpigeon