Something I haven't yet had the opportunity to attempt is a proper 24-hour bird race type birding day and it is probably unlikely to happen anytime soon. However, a discussion late last week with Jacqui ended up with a decision to head north to Aberdeenshire to try for White Billed Diver off the coast around Portsoy and then to Troup Head where Jacqui has been wanting to visit for a while. I suggested we then head back down the road via Loch of Strathbeg and the Ythan estuary. I thought we would likely be home for around 1700 after a 12-hour trip. Things didn't quite work out that way however....
 |
| Little Tern |
I was meeting Jacqui at 0515 and was out the door around 0510 to the sound of a Blue Tit near its nest opposite. Starling and Herring Gull were seen on the short walk to the car. With the sun barely up over the horizon we were on our way towards Aberdeen and from there northwest to Portsoy. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Blackbird were seen before we left Dundee. There were very few additions on the way up the A90 to Aberdeen with only Oystercatcher, Rook, Jackdaw, Magpie and Feral Pigeon (and also a Rabbit) seen.
Collared Dove and House Sparrow were seen as we passed through a very quiet Aberdeen. A brief stop somewhere near Kintore added a singing Willow Warbler. Swallow and Yellowhammer were seen as we left the blue skies behind and found some low cloud and greyness as we neared Portsoy. Brown Hare was seen in a field. Linnet, Chaffinch and a Pheasant were all seen before we arrived in the town. We headed first to the harbour to scan out over the sea. I was hoping for a Black Guillemot as well as a White Billed Diver, but had to settle for Guillemot and Red Throated Diver. In addition there were Cormorants, Eider, Great Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Shag, Kittiwake and Fulmar either on the sea or passing by above it. A Rock Pipit displayed over the rocky shore.
We headed next a little further west to Sandend to scan over the next bay. Another 2 Red Throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver, Razorbills, Guillemots, Gannets, Oystercatchers, a single Sandwich Tern and small flocks of Kittiwakes (and a Grey Heron seen by Jacqui) were spotted before we set off for Findlater Castle where the recent sightings of White Billed Divers had been had. House Martins, Corn Buntings, Skylark and Linnets were spotted as we drove along the single track road to the parking before discovering the sea was still a few hundred metres away. I had taken my Leica scope and tripod with me to help with our search for the Diver, and persuaded Jacqui to carry hers too down to the viewpoint over the sea.
I set up my scope and began scanning over the sea, but the majority of birds were close in below us. Eventually I found a distant Diver on the sea, though it was difficult to give Jacqui directions to get onto the bird with no reference points. Looking through the scope the bird appeared to have a paler bill than the Great Northern Diver we'd seen earlier but I wanted a photo to confirm. I set Jacqui's scope onto the bird and Jacqui agreed that the bill looked pale. Using directions from Jacqui I managed to finally get photos of the bird which confirmed that Jacqui had a lifer and me a year-tick, a nice summer plumaged
White Billed Diver.
Mallard was seen in the mouth of the river at Banff before a quick stop at Macduff harbour failed to give us a Black Guillemot, though a Pied Wagtail was added to the growing list. We managed to navigate to the car park for Troup Head which appeared to be far better sign-posted than it had been on my previous attempt to find the reserve. It was rather cold on the walk to the cliff edge, though Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were seen on the way. Our first view seemed rather disappointing with only a few Gannets to be seen though with plenty of auks including Puffins way below us on the water.
We walked up and over the path along the fence-line to where it appears most photos are taken from. A constant stream of Gannets circled round giving us plenty of chances for aerial photos from above. Although seabird colonies are way down the list of my preferred birding destinations it was good to see the reserve. The sun re-appeared as we walked back to the car, stopping to try and see a Raven we heard calling, and succeeding with a pair flying away along the cliffs to the east. Our next planned stop was Loch of Strathbeg and it didn't take us too long to get there with a Sparrowhawk being mobbed by a crow being the only en route add. Roe Deer were also seen.
Swallows zipped around at the car park and we headed into the visitor centre where a few folk were scoping out over the reserve. We asked what was around and were rather bombarded with a list of good birds including 6 Cranes, which had chosen to disappear a short while before. Jacqui had views through various scopes of Little and Great White Egret (I missed the Little but got the Great White), Green Winged Teal (I got that one too). Spoonbill was reckoned to still be on the reserve, having been seen the day before. New additions to the list were Shelduck, Black Headed Gull,
Common Tern, Grey Heron, Common Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Curlew, Teal, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Gadwall, Wigeon and Shoveler.
We headed round to the hide overlooking the "low ground" adding Wren, Tree Sparrow, Whitethroat and Reed Bunting on the way. Bearded Tit was heard but not seen from the hide before I had a walk down to the new hide which is closer to the birds but only managed to add Buzzard to the list. When I wandered back up to the other hide Jacqui spotted a Wheatear on a fence-post and a distant Lapwing was added along with a Lesser Black Backed Gull.
When we made it back to the visitor centre I discovered Jimmy Mair inside and we had a chat. Jacqui watched the birds at the feeders which gave us Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Coal Tit for the list. A Moorhen was seen out front on the water and a very distant blob in a field was much discussed before it took flight. It seemed to fit Peregrine best but not exactly, with Goshawk suggested as an alternative. My photos seem to tally with a young Peregrine I've seen at Guardbridge before so I recorded the bird as a Peregrine.
With the time around 1500 we set off for the Ythan estuary at Newburgh. A brief stop north of the bridge added a distant Whimbrel. Another was seen at Inches Point much closer and a summer plumaged Long Tailed Duck was in among the Eiders. As expected the main car park near the golf course was very busy but we found 1 of the few remaining spaces and headed to the beach. There were plenty Eiders strung out sleeping along the far shore but despite scanning through them all I failed to find 'Elvis' the King Eider. I did find a single Bar Tailed Godwit and also a Knot. Common,
Arctic Terns and
Little Terns called loudly as they fished nearby, while Grey and Common Seals swam close to see the people on the shore.
A single pale-bellied Brent Goose was on the water and a mixed flock of Dunlin (of several races) and Ringed Plover were on the mud. A few pairs of Red Breasted Merganser were seen upriver but with the time now around 1700 we decided to give up on our search for Elvis and head down the road. Jacqui had yawned a few times between Strathbeg and the Ythan so it seemed that the early start was beginning to tell. However, after a 10 minute stop at her daughter's home near Aberdeen, she decided that she could do some more birding on our way back home. Montrose Basin was discussed as an option but the list of possible additions seemed rather low.
Loch of Kinnordy came up as an option and we decided that we would try and beat my previous best day total of 86 species. We arrived at our 3rd RSPB reserve of the day at around 1850 and had quickly added a few more species - Coot, Redshank and Greylag Goose followed by a Common sandpiper on the bogbean islands. Shortly afterwards I glanced over the Loch and spotted a hovering Osprey. Sand Martins hawked over the Loch. The male Marsh Harrier put in an appearance giving us yet another species. An unexpected skein of late Pink Footed Geese flew over towards the fields behind the reserve.
With my total for the day on 89 species we tried the other hides to attempt to get a nice round figure of 90 species seen. We failed to see Great Spotted Woodpecker or Great Tit or even a Blackcap but eventually I spotted a pair of displaying Snipe from the Swamp Hide taking my own total to 90. Jacqui's Little Egret gave us a joint total of 91, and when we worked out how many 'heard-only' species we'd had we found that we had a nice round figure of 100 species for the day (seen or heard). Jacqui dropped me off at around 2040 after not far short of 15 hours birding time for me, and taking into account the additional time for Jacqui to get home, 15 hours for her.
A really good day's birding despite the missed birds (Black Guillemot, King Eider, Crane, Spoonbill) with some really good birds seen including 4 year-ticks for me (in bold) and a lifer for Jacqui. Although neither of us is likely to do a 15 hour birding shift again anytime soon, it is good to know that we are capable of it, even if it does take a few days to recover afterwards.
 |
| White Billed Diver |
 |
| White Billed Diver |
 |
| White Billed Diver |
 |
| Gannet |
 |
| Gannet |
 |
| Gannet |
 |
| Gannet |
 |
| Gannet |
 |
| Gannet |
 |
| Gannet |
 |
| Gannet |
 |
| Skylark |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
 |
| Common Tern & Black Headed Gull |
 |
| Peregrine |
 |
| Whimbrel |
 |
| Little Tern |
 |
| Little Tern |
 |
| Brent Goose |
 |
| Dunlin |
 |
| Common Tern |
 |
| Common Tern |
 |
| Common Tern |
 |
| Common Tern |
 |
| Common Sandpiper |
 |
| Greylag Goose |
 |
| Lapwing & Osprey |
 |
| Shoveler |
 |
| Marsh Harrier |
 |
| Marsh Harrier |
Species seen -
Arctic Tern, Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Brent Goose, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Common Scoter,
Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Fulmar, Gadwall, Gannet, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Northern Diver, Great White Egret, Greenfinch, Green Winged Teal, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, (Little Egret - seen by Jacqui),
Little Tern, Long Tailed Duck, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Puffin, Raven, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Shelduck, Shoveler, Skylark, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Wheatear, Whimbrel,
White Billed Diver, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Species heard only - Bearded Tit, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Goldcrest, (Great Spotted Woodpecker - Jacqui only), Robin, Sedge Warbler, Water Rail.
Mammals seen - Brown Hare, Common Seal, Grey Seal, Rabbit, Roe Deer
