Page 12 - Out Birding Feb 2025

minimum of 95 birds. Success! Some of the best views I have had of these o􏰀en elu- sive birds and no wild goose chasing this 􏰁me. Other birds included a flock of Pink- footed Geese over, Mistle Thrush, Raven and numerous Buzzards.
We then took a short drive east to North Couston Lakes, a site I had not been to be- fore. Our target was a drake Ring-necked Duck, an American species that had been seen here a week previously, and which we were happy to confirm was s􏰁ll there. It mostly kept close to a male Tu􏰀ed Duck, which I am sure was his new Sco􏰂sh part- ner!
There were decent numbers of Goldeneye and Goosander, plus Greylag Goose and Li􏰃le Grebe. A few late Lesser Black-backed Gulls were picked out in the gull roost and a small group of Fieldfare flew over. A flock of Pink-footed Geese landed nearby and a scan through them produced a Barnacle Goose, our fi􏰀h goose species of the day.
Our final stop was to scan some flooded fields for wintering waders but no new birds were added. Having seen our target and plenty more besides we called it a day. Not a bad ou􏰁ng for late November in a not-very-birdy part of Scotland.
Graeme
Loch of Strathbeg, Aberdeenshire 14/12/2024
Four of us made the journey up the RSPB wetland reserve. It was a reasonably mild and s􏰁ll day and soon we found the main visitor centre hide to be filled with the sound of wildfowl, par􏰁cularly a large, noisy herd of Whooper Swan. In the distance, we could see swarms of Eurasian Wigeon and Eurasian Teal interspersed with the odd Gadwall and Shoveler. Also in view were Pink-footed and Greylag Geese and even a male Marsh Harrier popped up and down from the reeds – this is a species that was a rare summer visitor to the region, but now breeds and even over-winters here. There were also Great White and Li􏰃le Egrets to see, likewise, not the rare visitor of the past.
We walked to the Tower Pool Hide past fields with Yellowhammer and Reed Bun􏰁ng and even a lone Brambling. The prize here was a single Ca􏰃le Egret that has spent most of the autumn and early winter here, normally associa􏰁ng with ca􏰃le, but today, it was running around the legs of the local Konik Ponies and a bit easier to watch than usual.
We skipped a visit to the rest of the loch and visited Peterhead, where a Surf Scoter was feeding in a sandy bay to the north of the town. Three Li􏰃le Auks flew past, plunging into the sea before flying north without res􏰁ng on the surface. We looked around the harbour and other likely spots for unusual gulls but found these hotspots to be very quiet.
Many thanks to Rik, Richard and George for making it a fun and successful event. Andy
12