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Aberdeenshire Bird Tours, Aberdeen (2024)

29/11/2024

Quite a busy week here, with quite a mix of weather as well. Last week’s cold and snow has given way to slightly milder weather this week.

I managed a couple of walks last week in the frosty conditions. On Thursday I walked near the Don at Danestone with my dad. A couple of Dippers on the Don gave good views and there were plenty of small birds feeding in the trees. The highlight was a Tawny Owl looking out of a hole in a tree, albeit briefly!

On Friday I walked at Fetternear with Keith. Conditions were pretty cold, but quite still. No Hawfinches were seen, but I did spot my first Brambling of the winter, as well as good flocks of Redwing and Fieldfare. Treecreeper, Goldcrest and Goldfinches were all spotted, and plenty of Pink-footed Geese were in the area as well.

On Wednesday we had the latest RSPB local group to Strathbeg. I took a group out to the Tower Pool and Dunbar hides, with the sound of Whooper Swans ever present. Wigeon and Teal were plentiful, as were Lapwing. We saw Shoveler and Gadwall on the pools and a Marsh Harrier was hunting over the reeds. One of the main highlights, and something unthinkable even a few years ago, was that we spotted 3 species of egrets, with at least four Little Egrets, 3 Great Egrets and a Cattle Egret all seen by the group. A flock of at least 75 Tree Sparrows was feeding near the seed crops, and Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer were also seen. Plenty of species seen and a good day out.

Finally I had a couple of walks yesterday, with varying success. A quick trip out in the morning with Ruth looking for Little Auk at Girdleness was not fruitful, but Red-throated Diver and Long-tailed Ducks were passing, and a few Eiders were on the sea. We also failed to see the Tawny Owl at Danestone - sorry Ruth!

Then I walked at Dyce in the afternoon. Goldeneye and Goosander were feeding on the river, and at least seven Mute Swans were near the AWPR bridge, with a couple of white geese - presumably feral birds. The highlight was definitely a Barn Owl which took flight from near the river and landed in a tree, where I was able to see it. A double owl week!

Hopefully will be able to fit in some more walks next week.

18/11/2024

I had a very early start yesterday, with a trip to Loch of Skene with the local RSPB group. We were meeting at 7am to be there in good time to see the Pink-footed Geese fly off for the day. At this time of year there are about 25,000 geese that roost on the loch at night, departing each morning to feed.

It was a lovely, but cold morning, and I could hear the geese as soon as I arrived. We had got access to the boathouse roof, so had an excellent view across the loch. As the light increased, we were able to start picking out the detail on the birds, and soon after the lone Snow Goose was spotted, at the far side of the flock. Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Coot, Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Mute Swan and Greylag Geese were all spotted as well.

The geese seemed failrly happy remaining on the loch as the sun came up, with only a few smaller flocks heading off to feed. The cold eventually got the better of us, and we headed for a quick walk through the woods, spotting Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Siskin, Coal Tit and Treecreeper, with Crossbills heard in the pines.

It’s perhaps a tough thought to get out of a nice warm bed early enough to see the geese, but it’s well worth doing to see the spectacle they create.

13/11/2024

Ages since the last report as I’ve been on holiday and then lots of non-birding things to keep me busy for the last few weeks. Hopefully coming to an end for a while (just as the winter weather looks to be arriving!)

A couple of weeks back I was delighted to be asked to present to the Deeside Camera Club, giving a talk about a birding year in NE Scotland. The talk seemed to be well received and the cake afterwards was delicious!

I’ve also had a couple of attempts spotting the American Golden Plover that’s been seen a few times with the huge European Golden Plover flock at the Ythan. Likely 2-3000 birds (maybe more) so picking one different one out is proving tricky, especially when they all end up looking in the opposite direction. I’ll see if there’s another opportunity soon to have another look as hopefully it will hang about. On the latest attempt I did spot my first Whooper Swans of the season, as well as plenty of waders and other wildfowl. It was a lovely day to be out anyway.

Also enjoyed a nice walk round the local area today, with my first Fieldfares and Redwings of the season spotted. Plenty of Skylarks calling and I also heard a few Crossbill at a local wood, so might need to nip back to see if I can spot them.

This weekend I’m out with the RSPB group to Loch of Skene, so will see what that brings.

13/10/2024

I’ve had a busy couple of weeks away from birding, but have still managed to fit in a couple of trips out and about.

Last week I had a quick cycle out to the Ythan to look for the Snow Goose which had been seen around Waulkmill. When I arrived the tide was right in and there were no geese on the estuary, but plenty were in the surrounding fields. Another birder was scanning through the flocks, and as a huge flock of 1000+ Pink-footed Geese flew in he spotted the Snow Goose with them. It continued on north, landing in a field in the distance, although I did manage to get a record shot of it.

Later that week I headed to the Donmouth with Keith Yates to see if anything was about. The answer was “no”! Very quiet indeed, with just a few Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and a few Goldcrests and Coal T**s in the trees. No sign of any Yellow-browed Warblers, unfortunately.

Then today we had a RSPB outing to Balmedie. Around the car park there were a few small birds, including Blackcap, Coal Tit, Chaffinch and Goldfinch. Plenty of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, and as we reached the coast a few Swallows flew over. Scanning the sea I spotted a small flock of Common Scoters, and luckily saw a Velvet Scoter fly in to join them, with its white wing patches visible as it landed. A Red-throated Diver was also seen nearby.

A Kestrel was being mobbed by a Rook over the dunes as I headed back towards the car park. There was a huge flock of Pink-footed Geese to the north, and I managed to spot a couple of Barnacle Geese in amongst them. There were also quite a few Curlew around and lots of Skylarks flying about.

Hopefully this week might bring some more Autumn migrants!

27/09/2024

I headed out with the local RSPB group on Wednesday, this time to the Ythan Estuary. We got very lucky with the weather, given that it had been wet and windy the day before, and again the following day - we had light winds and sunshine.

We started with a walk along the new boardwalk towards the river mouth, where we had good views of hundreds of Grey Seals on the opposite bank. Eiders and Goosanders were on the water, and dozens of Cormorants were near the mouth.

As we walked upstream we had excellent views of a host of waders. Dunlin, Sanderling, Turnstone, Oystercatcher and Redshank were all seen up close, with Ringed Plover and Knot in the same area.

We reached the tin hut and scanned the mudflats, where we were treated to the spectacle of 1000+ Golden Plover being very restless, constantly taking off and doing loops around the area before settling back on the ground. Eventually they seemed to be happy with their spot and became a bit more settled. Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit and Greenshank were seen, as well as Wigeon, Teal and Mallard.

As we turned to head alongside the Foveran Burn we got a great bonus - a couple of the group members spotted two Common Cranes circling overhead, which proceeded to drift south, seemingly without ever flapping their wings. An unexpected bonus for the day. At the same time a couple of Little Egrets flew out from the channel and off upstream - we didn’t know where to look!

Up to 7 Buzzards were circling over Forvie, and a Kestrel and a couple of Sparrowhawks were also spotted.

After completing the loop of the golf course, we had lunch up at the Snub car park. Lapwing were plentiful, and we saw good numbers of Greenshank, a few Shelduck and another Little Egret, as well as Grey Herons.

There were a few hundred Pink-footed Geese on the mud, probably newly arrived, and we picked out a couple of Ruff and a few Black-tailed Godwits to increase our wader list for the day.

It was a cracking day out, and great to see so many species in such good light.

19/09/2024

After the excitement of the Greenish Warbler a few weeks back, it’s been really quiet in terms of Autumn arrivals recently. Pink-footed Geese have started to return to the area, but we still have Swallows and House Martins near the house, and a Chiffchaff was calling the other day.

Last week I headed up to Strathbeg to take part in a work party at the reserve. We were clearing the island in front of the visitor centre of weeds, after the nesting terns and gulls have all left. When we arrived the Great White Egrets were evident in the distance, and we heard some Cranes bugling, although they were obscured by the bushes. However as we were heading for the island they took off from the low ground and headed towards the Loch - seven were seen, which was great, and my first record of the year.

Today I headed to the Ythan and Collieston with Keith, hoping for migrants. We started at Inch Road in Newburgh, where a Little Egret was on the Foveran Burn, and there were plenty of waders along the river. Hundreds of Golden Plover were downstream on the mussel beds, with Dunlin, Greenshank, Redshank, Curlew, Knot, Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing and Oystercatcher also seen. Goosander, Red-breasted Mergnser and Eiders were on the river, and a Buzzard was over Forvie Moor.

We moved up to the Snub, where there were hundreds of Lapwing and Redshank. Another Little Egret was on the rocks, with Shelduck, Mallard, Wigeon and Cormorant added, as well as plenty of Grey Herons.

We then went to Collieston. A brief seawatch was fairly quiet, although there were good numbers of Red-throated Divers offshore. A Raven flew past and three Buzzards were over the cliffs, presumably a family party.

We then walked a circuit round Collieston, with Stonechat, Linnet, Meadow Pipit and Skylark evident.

It felt like a really quiet morning but totalling up what we’d seen took me to about 58 species, so not a bad couple of hours out and about. Thanks to Keith for his company today.

05/09/2024

After my Sunday update I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so soon before I added my first autumn migrant (and a lifer at that!) to my list, but on Monday a report of a Greenish Warbler at Rattray Head was circulated, so I headed up to see if I could spot it.

The garden at Rattray was fairly quiet, but I soon saw the bird, feeding in amongst the leaves of a sycamore. A very similar appearance to a lot of other warblers, but the colour and the faint wing-bar are good differentiators. Also in the garden were a couple of very active Lesser Whitethroats and a Pied Flycatcher, as well as dozens of Swallows.

Yesterday I headed to Balmedie with Keith and Dad to see if there were any other migrants about, but things were very quiet. Plenty of Swallows, House and Sand Martins landing on the beach, and a nice pair of Kestrel hunting over the dunes, but not a lot else. Some birds were distantly passing out at sea, and at least 6 Red-throated Divers were just offshore.

Then last night a few of the local RSPB group joined the Grampian Ringing group to visit Loch of Leys. It was interesting to see the birds in the hand, including Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Swallow and Chaffinch. Thanks to Raymond and the other ringers there for being so welcoming and informative.

Thanks to Keith Yates for the photos of the Rattray species.

01/09/2024

I had a really enjoyable outing on Friday with James and Tessa Scorer, regular visitors to Aberdeenshire, but who have recently started birdwatching and were keen to see what the area could offer.

August can be a quiet time of year for birds, but we decided to head initially for Strathbeg to see what was about. The answer at the visitor centre was not very much! A Gadwall and a few Mallards on the pools was about all we saw from the centre, so we headed for the Tower Pool hide. A Marsh Harrier was seen over the reeds, and there were 5 Great White Egrets on the low ground, the adults and 3 young - the first youngsters ever born in Scotland for this species. Good numbers of Lapwing were evident, but other waders were occasionally seen flying but then disappeared into the longer grass, although a couple of Greenshank were out in the open.

Back near the VC we saw the male Marsh Harrier, and a few smaller species, before heading south for the Ythan. A quick stop at the flooded pool near Slains didn’t hold much aside from a couple of Teal and Wigeon, with a few Pied Wagtails.

The Snub Car park on the Ythan was our next location, with a pair of Kestrel seen over the nearby fields a good sighting. Lapwing, Dunlin, Sanderling, Knot, Curlew, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Greenshank were spotted, with large numbers of Canada Geese on the far bank. At least three Little Egrets were on Inch Geck, and a few Goosander and Grey Heron were opposite the lay-by.

We stopped at Inch Point for a quick look, adding Sandwich Tern, Red-breasted Merganser and Eider, before we parked in the village and walked the loop of the golf course.

The Foveran Burn held Teal, Mallard and a selection of gulls, and the river itself had great numbers of Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Turnstone, Curlew and a few Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits. Lots of Sandwich Terns were near the Tin Hut, with a few Kittiwake, and large numbers of Eiders were on the shore near the Grey Seals, with a few more Goosander and a couple of Mallard. The seals put on a good show, and we also spotted Great Black-backed Gulls, Cormorants and a solitary Common Tern in the distance.

We walked back along the new boardwalk to the car park, and back through to the village, in time to get James and Tessa back to their car and off to a concert.

Thanks to James and Tessa for their great company - we saw quite a list of species in the end, after a quiet start.

September has arrived, hopefully bringing a few Autumn migrants - in time for the next update - fingers crossed!

23/08/2024

A while since an update, but now the school holidays are over I should maybe get back to a bit more of a routine.

This week I was leading the local RSPB outing where we were trying something different and heading to Ullapool to take the ferry to Stornoway and back in search of seabirds. However plans ended up changing due to the weather!

We left on Wednesday morning with the first stop being Loch Spynie near Elgin. The area beside the car park was full of small birds passing through, with Crossbill, Chiffchaff, Long-tailed T**s, Siskin, Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpecker all seen, as well as quite a few other species. We walked down to the hide where we saw the Common Terns nesting on the raft, along with Tufted Duck, Coot, Wigeon and Little Grebe. Back on the road we stopped at a flooded field where we had great views of Snipe, before a detour past Lossiemouth where the pig farm was covered in gulls - thousands of them were on the ground.

After lunch we stopped at Fort George for a quick look, but the brisk wind meant there wasn’t much to be seen, aside from a Bar-tailed Godwit feeding on the playing fields alongside the Oystercatchers.

We reached Ullapool and had a nice dinner with some other group members and discussed the plans for Thursday.

Unfortunately the forecast for Thursday was accurate! 50+mph winds meant viewing from the boat would have been almost impossible so we had to come up with some alternatives. We had a walk round Ullapool shore and riverside, where a few species such as Gannet, Cormorant and Goldfinch were seen, but most stuff was keeping sheltered from the wind. A walk at Inverlael afterwards was slightly more sheltered, and allowed us to add Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Siskin, Redpoll and a distant Kestrel. Some of the group were remaining in Ullapool for the night, but I was heading back, as were a few others, so we decided to stop at Spey Bay on the way back, in search of the White-rumped Sandpiper that had been seen. On route we saw Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and Red Kite, and once at Spey Bay we added a lot.

The end of the golf course was covered in gulls, but also had dozens of Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit. With a little local help we managed to get to a good spot to view the river channel, with two Arctic Skuas seen offshore as we approached. A small flock of Twite flew from the shingle, and 50+ Goosander were lounging on the riverbank. We started to scan the waders, with lots of Dunlin and Ringed Plover to look through. Just as we spotted the Little Stint we were also looking for, a commotion amongst the gulls drew our attention to a Short-eared Owl gliding across the marshy ground. We were able to watch it for quite a while before it landed further along the shore. We didn’t see the White-rumped Sandpiper but did add Common Sandpiper, Pink-footed Goose and Sandwich and Common Terns before heading for home.

Even though we needed to change plans, it was still a good few days away. Thanks to Dad and David W for the company and to the local group members who were understanding about the change of plans!

03/08/2024

Absolutely ages since my last update as I’ve been away doing non-birding things, but always with an eye out to see what’s about.

After a trip to England a few weeks ago, I was across in the Hebrides last week for a cycle, but managed to see a few things whilst there, including plenty of Manx Shearwaters from the ferry, a White-tailed Eagle up near the Butt of Lewis and also a Merlin in the same area. Missed out on the Alpine Swift which was seen the day after I left.

The main reason for the post is to share some of the images one of my clients took during our trip last month. Thanks to Paul Anderson for all the photos - far better quality than my efforts!

03/07/2024

A quick trip out this morning turned into a really good outing, again managing to avoid the rain, even if it didn’t quite feel like July weather.

I headed out with Keith for the first time in a few weeks, in search of the White-winged Scoter that has been hanging around near Murcar for the last couple of weeks. Keith had been to try to see it a couple of times with no luck, so we hoped for some good fortune today.

Our first bit of luck (bad!) was that the sun came out as we got to the dunes - meaning the glare on the sea was making viewing a bit more difficult. The second bit of luck (also bad) was that there were hundreds of Common Scoters quite far out, whereas previously they’d been up near Blackdog. We started to look through the birds, with lots of other species such as Guillemot, Razorbill, Eider and Red-throated Diver also present.

Eventually I spotted a small group of five scoters closer to shore, with one showing a white patch on the wing - the Velvet Scoters the White-winged Scoter had been associating with. The sun went away, and we were eventually able to get suitably good views to pick out the target bird - a first for Keith in Scotland.

Whilst watching the scoters we also spotted a large number of dolphins feeding offshore, with individuals leaping clear of the water on numerous occasions and also coming close in to chase fish, with dozens of Gannets and gulls joining in the feeding frenzy - a true nature spectacle.

After a celebratory coffee I headed home via Lochgreens pools. Things were relatively quiet, with Mute Swan and Coot families seen, and dozens of Sand Martins over the water. Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting and Whitethroat were all singing as well.

Finally on the way home I spotted a Roe Deer family in a roadside field, and a Brown Hare near my house. An all round nature filled morning.

01/07/2024

Another week with a few outings, and even managed to avoid the rain!

On Wednesday I was up super early to go and do my BTO Beeeding bird survey near Newmachar. Lots of the normal species about (Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Skylark, Yellowhammer) but did add Bullfinch to the species list for the square, the first time I’ve seen them in the 7 years I’ve been visiting to do the survey.

Later on Wednesday I had a walk at Inchgarth reservoir with Hywel Maggs from the local RSPB office, just catching up on some of the RSPB group activities. It was relatively quiet, but there were good numbers of Sand Martins visiting their nests along the banks of the Dee and a couple of Common Terns landed on the reservoir as we were leaving.

On Sunday I had my main trip of the week, with Paul and Diane Anderson, visitors from Washington State in the USA. We started with a walk at the Ythan Estuary, with waders and terns the target. Eiders were on the river and we walked out to the mouth to view the seals hauled out on the far bank. Sandwich, Arctic and Common terns were all feeding, with Oystercatchers beside the dunes.

A small flock of waders near the boat wreck had Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Sanderling, and we continued to the tin hut where we added
Little Tern and Curlew to the list. A surprise was a large flock of Knot wheeling around in front of the tern colony, which eventually landed on the far bank.

Things were fairly quiet near the Foveran burn, with a Grey Heron the main addition, but House Martin, Dunnock and Collared Dove were around the village.

At the Snub we saw Shelduck (with young), dozens of Goosanders, Lapwing and Redshank, and we then moved to Waulkmill where Pintail, Shelduck, Goldeneye, Wigeon and Teal were present. An Osprey was a nice sighting as it landed on the mud.

After a stop to grab lunch we visited Bullers of Buchan. The seabirds were in good voice and we saw all the usual suspects, including Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittiwake, Fulmar, S**g, Gannet, Cormorant, etc. We also got excellent close views of Puffins, with at least 20 seen - the most I’ve seen there this year.

The final stop was Strathbeg where the Marsh Harriers were seen over the reeds, a Little Egret was on the low ground, and we got good views of Lapwing, Teal, Gadwall and Wigeon. Sparrowhawk and Buzzard were spotted, and Stonechat and Reed Bunting were seen as we left.

Thanks to Paul and Diane for a really enjoyable day out.

Into a bit of a quieter period now, with a lot of our birds having bred already, so will see what the next few weeks bring.

21/06/2024

Another couple of trips out over the last few days, and some more photo-taking failures! Clearly enjoying myself too much.

On Wednesday I headed to Longhaven SWT reserve with the RSPB group. I’d not visited before, and came away suitably impressed with the variety of birds we saw, and the scenery. We started well with a view of Short-eared Owl hunting over the rough grassland. Willow Warbler and Yellowhammer were seen, and there were plenty of Skylarks singing.

We made our way to the cliffs and immediately saw hundreds of seabirds, both on the cliffs and over the sea. There was a constant stream of Guillemots and Razorbills flying north, as well as lots on the cliffs, and plenty of Kittiwakes, Fulmars and Gannets as well. After one of the group spotted Puffins on the water, I managed to see a Manx Shearwater passing north offshore, my first for the year. The rest of the trip focused on the seabird cliffs, with more Puffins seen, a few S**gs and Great Black-backed Gulls amongst other species. It was a lovely day and great to visit a new location.

Today I was out with Dan Burton and Rachel Baum, who were visiting from Massachusetts, en-route to Shetland.

We started off by heading out to the west of Aberdeen to look for Red Kites. After a few brief long distance views, we eventually got good views of 2 near the road, and Dan and Rachel got some photos. We saw Sparrowhawk and Buzzard nearby, and a stop at Cullerlie Pools had Coot, Moorhen, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Teal and Common Sandpiper - a really good place to check.

We then drove up to Strathbeg, with Corn Bunting seen on the way there. At the visitor centre we saw Tree Sparrow, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Blue and Great t**s near the feeders and on the pools we saw Wigeon, Common Tern, Gadwall, Teal and lots of Lapwing. We got great views of both male and female Marsh Harrier, before walking round to the Tower Pool hide. A pair of Little Egrets were seen, my first on the reserve for ages, and a Great Egret was in the area as well.

On the access track, we had good views of Stonechat, Reed Bunting and Sedge Warbler.

We started heading south, with the tide too high at the Ugie estuary for much to be about. We stopped on the main road overlooking Longhaven and viewed all the seabirds, and were amazed to spot 4 Puffins viewable from the main road. A Peregrine was flying over the cliffs, and lines of Auks and Gannets were passing offshore.

Waulkmill hide at the Ythan didn’t have much as the tide was high, but we stopped at Inches Point in Newburgh where we saw all 4 Tern species, as well as Eider, Dunlin and Cormorant.

Blackdog was next for Common Scoter, and we finished with a quick stop at Diamond Bridge on the River Don, where Grey Wagtail was spotted near the hydro plant, and we also saw Robin and heard Chiffchaff and Blackbird.

Thanks to Dan and Rachel for their company. I’ll hopefully be able to share some of their photos once they’re back home.

Another trip booked in for next weekend, so more updates then.

17/06/2024

Another week and another few trips out and about in Aberdeenshire - although I failed to take any photos at a couple of them!

On Friday I had a walk around the grounds of Haddo house with the staff from the Haddo Woodland Kindergarten. We started at their site where Song Thrush and Wren were singing and Blue T**s were heading in and out of the nestboxes. We walked through the grounds towards the lake, hearing Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, and seeing Coal T**s and then plenty of Mallards and a couple of Moorhens with a chick. There were good numbers of Greylag Geese with goslings and then on the lake itself we saw Tufted Duck and Grey Heron, with plenty of Swallows and Swifts over the water. We walked back through to the kindergarten, adding a few species to take the total to 28 for the short walk. Thanks to Nicola for inviting me along and I’m hoping to do a walk with some of the older kids later in the year.

Then on Sunday I had a walk at Fowlsheugh with Judith and Kirsty who I met at one of the walks I’d done earlier in the year with ADA at Hazlehead. The morning had been pretty wet but we were lucky with the weather as it was dry with light winds. The cliffs and sea were covered in birds, with huge numbers of Guillemots and Kittiwakes on the cliffs and plenty of Razorbills, Fulmars and Herring Gulls. We spotted a few Gannets flying along the coast, and then about half way up the reserve we managed to see a few Puffins on a ledge, looking like they were looking at nesting locations. It was good to see 5 at once in that area, and then we continued up to the end of the reserve, spotting another 6 from near the hide. Looking north you could see the huge number of Kittiwakes going to and from the cliffs, which was a spectacle in itself. We ended up spending about 2 hours at the reserve, with the sheer number of birds the main highlight. Thanks to Judith and Kirsty for getting in touch.

Then finally I stopped at Blackdog on the way home to see the White-winged Scoter that had been spotted the day before. Only the second time I’ve seen one, and the first since 2016. Also hundreds of Common Scoters and a couple of Velvet Scoters were spotted, meaning a good end to the day.

This week I have a RSPB outing on Wednesday and a trip out with clients on Friday, so should have an update after that.

10/06/2024

I think I’ve had perhaps the busiest birding weekend I’ve had for quite a while, so this might be a long update!

On Thursday I started with a trip to Glenbervie School to accept a cheque on behalf of the RSPB. The children had done a sponsored walk and donated the proceeds so I was delighted to accept the cheque and also enjoyed taking P1-3 out for a walk in the local area. We managed about 18 species on birds in about 45 minutes and it was great to see the kids enjoying themselves and being so enthusiastic.

On Friday I then had a trip out with a couple of visitors from Mexico. They had requested a trip to see Puffins, so we headed out to Collieston, where we saw at least 50 birds on the water, along with Razorbill and Guillemot, before we headed to Bullers of Buchan where we got a bit closer to some Puffins, as well as seeing the spectacular numbers of Kittiwakes, Fulmars and other seabird species in the area.

On Friday evening I headed across to Aviemore to join the Aberdeen RSPB group for a weekend trip. We started bright and early on Saturday at Craigellachie NNR where the highlight was Pied Flycatcher, but we also saw Jay, Spotted Flycatcher and various other woodland birds. We then split the group in two, and I lead half whilst the others did the same route in reverse. We started at Loch Morlich where large numbers of Swift and House Martin were over the water, as well as a couple of Goldeneye. A couple of Mallard chicks won the cutest bird award though!

We headed up to Cairngorm ski centre where we didn’t see much, but retreated from the cold wind into the cafe for a drink. We then stopped at Loch Mallachie where a Redstart put on a great show and we eventually saw a couple of Crested T**s, a weekend target for a lot of people. Four Crossbills flew over as we returned to the cars, and we also saw Tree Pipit, Raven and Mistle Thrush.

A quick stop to see the Osprey at Loch Garten was followed by a visit to Boat of Garten where we added Slavonian Grebe along with Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Lapwing and a couple of Pink-footed Geese. Then it was back to Aviemore for a well deserved dinner.

On Sunday we started at the Findhorn Valley. Wood Warbler was our first target, which we ticked off straight away. A singing male was seen by all in the group, with Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher and Cuckoo all nearby. At the end of the valley things were pretty cold and windy - definitely not June weather. We didn’t see too much, aside from Buzzard and we heard a Peregrine, with only one of the group spotting it. Red Kite were seen on the way along the Glen, and a Kestrel was also spotted, as well as a few Common Sandpipers.

Heading for Lochindorb we were incredibly lucky that one of the members spotted a magnificent White-tailed Eagle being harassed by a tiny looking Red Kite!! We watched it for quite a while, before heading towards the choppy loch. On the way we added Hen Harrier to the list as one flew across the road in front of us. We dipped on the Black-throated Divers at Lochindorb but that didn’t put a dampener on the great weekend we had. Thanks to all the RSPB members who came along.

Finally, today started with an unexpected bonus. A report of a couple of Bee-eaters at Belhelvie (no location given) was a surprise, so I headed across to have a look. I was lucky enough to spot the birds whilst I was driving round, so put the word out to the local birding group and then realised that one was actually four birds, then seven and finally eight! Lots of birders managed to get across to see them, which was great.

And then this afternoon I had a trip out with Renee Countryman, Andrea Overbay, Patrick Kozey and Anna Irwin, visitors from Texas. They had a limited time available, with Puffins the main target so we headed to Bullers of Buchan and managed to see a few birds nice and close on the cliffs. They also mentioned they were keen birders in general, so we managed to add in a few stops at the Ythan (shorebirds and Terns) and aome other spots for some new additions to their lists. Thanks to them for their company this afternoon. It was great to have such enthusiastic guests!

More trips planned this weekend so another update then.