Harlequin duck at Seaton Park Aberdeen

A few images of the Harlequin Duck at Seaton Park Aberdeen. Seen on our recent trip to Scotland

Harlequin Duck (1st winter drake)

Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Duck

Harlequin Ducks are usually found in North America, Iceland, Greenland and Western Russia
This bird is thought to be Britains 19th record although a 20th has also been present at Bora in the Highlands this winter.  The first recorded Harlequin Duck in Britain was back in 1862, this bird was found dead and is now in the Mansfield museum.

Scotland images

See the previous post for a brief summary trip report on our recent four day tour of Scotland.
This page is reserved just for some of the images from the visit.

Ardnamurchan

Glen Nevis (check out the people on the top)

Crested Tit

Dipper

Dolphins

White-tailed Sea Eagle

Sea Eagle being mobbed by a hawk

Eider Ducks

Harlequin Duck

Hooded Crow

Coal Tit

Black Grouse

Black Guillemot

Oystercatcher

Red Grouse

Red Deer

Distant but these are a pair of Golden Eagles

Raven

Scotland 2015 trip report

Day One 
We made the annual Scotland trip over the weekend, leaving Stansted Airport early Thursday we landed in Glasgow and were in the hire car by 10am. Two hours up the road and we're in Oban enjoying our first Eider Ducks of 2015 followed very quickly by Black Guillemot and Hooded Crow. Oh I forgot we had bagged a Golden Eagle on the drive up which was nice! A quick sandwich shared with the Hoodies on the beach and we headed on towards our accomodation at the Premier Inn Fort William followed by a short tour of the Glen Nevis range where we enjoyed watching a Dipper and of course some stunning scenery.

Hooded Crow

Day two and the weather was awful with grey skies and rain predicted all day. We headed to Loch Garten for the 5am Caper Watch but failed miserably to see any. The good news was that the female Osprey came back last night so we enjoyed watching her making the nest again as she flew back and forth with sticks.
Red Squirrel entertained outside the hide and back at the Car park we waited at the feeders and a couple of Crested Tit eventually dropped in for a brief appearance. We decided not to walk the woods after the rangers had given us a few horror stories about Caper disturbance etc and how crucial it is at this time of year that they are not disturbed. Prompted by the pager we decided to head across to Aberdeen in search of the Harlequin Duck. A long slow drive across the Highlands saw us arrive at lunch time to find the rain getting heavier and the sky greyer but we parked up and made the short walk to the "Old toilet block" in Seaton Park, from here it was just a 400 yard walk up stream where we found a couple of birders watching the duck.  We sat down and after a while enjoyed some cracking views of this rare visitor from Iceland along with Dipper and Goosander. A great bird that if you haven't been to see yet you should!

Harlequin Duck in Aberdeen

From Aberdeen we headed North West to Portsoy and pulled into the picturesque harbor where we scanned for the wintering White-billed Divers without any joy. We had several Great Northern Divers and large numbers of Long-tailed Ducks here. A Yellowhammer sang giving another year tick. We decided to head back to the cliff top and see if the higher vantage would help and after two hours of eye straining scanning we eventually found the target birds. The sea was calm but light was at a premium making the scanning of the distant birds very difficult but we had our target in the bag and moved off. On the journey south to Fort William we found three Black Grouse feeding and pulled over to watch for a minute or two.
We headed further south and pulled over to watch a Buzzard hunt and as we watched from the layby two Crossbill came flying in and sat right beside the car. They looked thick necked and large billed but who really knows when it comes to the Common/Scottish debate. Record shot posted for what it's worth but listed as Common.

Crested Tit

Day three saw us return to Loch Garten arriving a little later and again with no news of Capers. We had fantastic views of Cresties again from the car park but overcast conditions didn't help my ability to capture the moment that well. We moved on but not before catching a quick look at the Iceland Gull at Boat of Garten for another year tick. Our destination now was Lochindorb and as we arrived we passed the large Common Gull roost before the Red Grouse covered moors and then the Loch Itself. At the near end we found a pair of Red-throated Diver and at the far end two splendid Black-throated Diver. Red Squirrel ran out from the forest of Lochindord lodge and the Rough-legged Buzzard put in a short appearance too.
We then took the short drive up into the Findhorn Valley were we found a Sea Eagle as we got about half way down. We pulled in a layby and watched as the massive bird circled first with two Common Buzzard then a smaller hawk which showed real aggression as it attacked the Eagle (Gos was my first thought) Another Eagle came up this time a juvenile Golden Eagle and then they both drifted away but what an experience. At the car park we scanned again finding a Peregrine sitting and a Mountain Hare before another Sea Eagle came up over the ridge and showed quite well especially as it dropped below the sky line in better light. More Peregrine and a few Kestrels gave us something to watch and we enjoyed the Arsenal result with another group of "southeners" doing a similar tour for their year ticks etc. We now had a long drive home to look forward to which was broken up by more views of Black Grouse this time five birds by the roadside. (The following day we saw eight)

White-tailed Sea Eagle

Day four and our last day in the Highlands. The weather is fantastic so we decide on a drive down the Ardnamurchan peninsular. We flushed a Woodcock as we drove along and Red Deer were everywhere.
We also found our first Wheatear of the year followed quickly by 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th. Ravens were calling and displaying as we approached the lighthouse. Twite were seen at Kilchoan and several large Dolphin were playing in the harbour. Seals and a single Otter were noted.  At Ardnamurchan (Most Westerly tip of the UK) we scanned the sea to find Divers, Gannets and four passing Manx Shearwater for another year tick.

Wheatear

Despite some great close encounters on this trip probably the highlight of the tour was when we spotted a large raptor sitting up on top of a mountain ridge and as we pulled over to get the binoculars locked on it took to the air revealing itself as a sub adult White tailed Sea Eagle and it gives us our best ever views of Eagle in the highlands to date but this was to be matched later in the day when we pulled over to watch two Golden Eagle thermalling and drifting up and under the ridge giving fantastic scope views for half an hour or more.

So another Scotland trip over but back in May with my good lady for a wee break.

Year list boosted to 184 by this weekends birding and the life list now stands at 355

More boring bit for those interested in costs: 
FLIGHTS £71 each on Easyjet Stansted to Glasgow
CAR HIRE £90 each which Includes zero excess insurance and a full tank 
PREMIER INN FORT WILLIAM c£50 a night or less if sharing
FERRY CROSSING AT CURRAN £8 each way

add food, drink and another \£30 each for fuel and that's it to see all the above in four days.

The Crossbill ! Thick neck...large bill?    

 see here for more images 

Alpine Swift at the Virgin Atlantic building in Crawley

The Jims wanted to make the trip to Gatwick this morning hoping yesterdays Alpine Swift had roosted over night. We arrived at first light parking in the car park in front of the Virgin Atlantic building before being politely asked to move by their security guy. I duly moved the car and walked back to the building to join the small twitch which now included LRGE. We stood in the light rain for a couple of hours before deciding a local nature reserve was a better attraction. Ten miles away we pulled into the car park at Warnham LNR and paid the £1.50 entry donation. A Jack Snipe had been seen but despite very distant views of "a Snipe" we couldn't get enough on it to clinch ID. A Kingfisher called and then landed on the tern rail in front of the hide and a pair of Grey Wagtails visited. We moved on to the next hide and enjoyed views of Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Reed Bunting along with Tits and Finches. (A smart little reserve worth another visit when time permits)

Alpine Swift

Alpine Swift

Alpine Swift

Alpine Swift over the Virgin Atlantic building in Crawley

The local Brown Rats have made a tunnel network beneath the feeding station here and entertain as they come up and down to feed and a Mouse also visited to steal a cheap meal. Whilst enjoying the cover of this hide news came through on the pager that the Swift had been seen again leaving the VA building. We left and made the ten mile return trip in less than fifteen minutes to rejoin the small twitch. (ten to fifteen people)
The bird had vanished but within the next ten minutes we were treated to great views as it flew over the building and low across the road before landing on the side of the building to roost again. We managed to get a very quick record shot before the security guy asked us leave (but not before taking a look at the bird and extracting a little information to tell his employers what the strange group in their car park had come to see.) He very nicely said we could all take a quick look as we'd been waiting a while and then politely asked us to move back to the main road. (Good job by the guy who managed the situation well and although we'd all have liked a longer look at the roosting bird he at least allowed access for a quick view which was appreciated by all the cold wet birders on site)
My third Alpine Swift and not for the first time my year list has Alpine Swift before Common Swift.

Nuthatch

Brown Rat

Brown Rat

Now think this is a Bank Vole (Thanks Lucy for the correction)

Goldfinch

Year list now at 165

Another work trip brings it's birding rewards

Two days "up north" for a work related conference and as always I try to break the journey with a little birding on the way. My first stop was about half way up the M1 as I pulled into the small parking area by the signs for Kelham Bridge. I walked to the first hide and plotted up to watch the feeders. A Brown Rat took advantage as Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits enjoyed the fatballs provided. Dunnock, Reed Bunting, Wren, Chaffinch and Song Thrush visited before the target bird arrived. A single Willow Tit had it's fill then sat calling in the nearby tree which helped me nail the ID (I grabbed a poor record shot of the target but as the bird was directly between me and the bright sun the quality of the shot isn't great)

Willow Tit at Kelham Bridge

Long-tailed Tit

On the walk back a pair of Buzzard displayed noisily overhead allowing a couple of shots before I continued north towards Preston. I took the short detour to New Brighton to take a second look at the Laughing Gull and enjoyed a couple of hours watching it on the Marine Lake. The pontoon held nine roosting Purple Sandpipers, a single Dunlin with good numbers of Turnstone and Redshank.

Common Buzzard at Kelham Bridge

Laughing Gull

Pontoon Roost 

On the way into Preston I took a quick detour to the Moors where Red Grouse were present but in small numbers and stayed elusive. Again the Buzzards performed and the fields are now full of Curlew, Lapwing and Oystercatchers as they set up on breeding grounds.

Red Grouse Yorkshire

Common Buzzard

A visit to Bolton Abbey before this mornings meeting produced good views of a pair of Dippers as the went about building their nest. Grey Wagtails were nesting in the same tree and Mandarin and Goosander battled in the fast moving water.

Goosander at Bolton Abbey

Dipper and the nest they've built on the branch

Overall a good "work do" Oh and had a team talk from Mark Webber (Ex F1 Driver) too which was quite good. He flew in and out in his helicopter.....tough at the top!

As I approached home I stopped to let traffic pass in Englands Lane and with the window down heard my first Tawny Owl of the year as it Kivvick'd away in a tree by the road side.

Year list now 164

Lakenheath RSPB

An early start saw us looking at a drake Garganey from the washland viewpoint at Lakenheath before 7.15am this morning. As we walked the public footpath towards Joist Fen we spotted two Whooper Swans on the river with the Mutes and had good views as one decided to fly towards us to join it's mate.

Whooper Swan at Lakenheath

Whooper!

As we reached Joist Fen we noted five Marsh Harrier and two Common Buzzard soaring over the reserve and as we watched another smaller raptor came in to harass them but with the distance involved it was hard to pin down the ID. Then something incredible happened, rarer than the recent solar eclipse and this too had us out in the middle of nowhere looking at the sky in anticipation and then it happened.......the old fella called a bird and called it right!   Common Crane!!!  two coming in from the left and sure enough two Common Crane came flying over before landing at the far end of the fen.

Marsh Harrier

Behind Joist Fen hide we found the Fudge duck that's been hanging around here for a while (Thanks Steve for the tip off) and the walk back gave up a couple of Beardies and some noise from a couple of Bittern warming up for the season although you'd be hard pressed to call it "Booming" At the visitor centre a guy had just arrived having picked up a dead Barn Owl at the entrance which sadly appeared to be one of the reserves birds probably hit by passing traffic. The feeders were alive with Reed Bunting.  As we left we found a Great White Egret just over the border in Norfolk and pulled over to grab a couple of images from the car. On route to Santon Downham we found a Great Grey Shrike and enjoyed a fly over Goshawk too which was the real bonus of the day. I picked out a Woodlark in flight before we moved on but time had ran away as we enjoyed the Goshawk and we only had time for one final stop as we searched for new arrivals in the Brecks and managed to find a single Stone Curlew giving decent scope views to add the the days totals.

Great White Egret 

Year list now at 161