Thursday 26 July 2018

Sooty Tern, Ythan Estuary, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire 25/7/2018

Surely the most unusual visitor and most reported locally and beyond for some time, a Sooty Tern a bird usually found in the tropics and mentioned in the culture of Easter Island. Also seen at Newburgh, Spoonbill, Osprey, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, Knot, Dunlin and more.
While up north I went to Cairnbulg near Fraserburgh where a Black Tern had been reported but despite hanging around another birder and I couldn't locate it.

Sooty Tern on the roost near the Inches, click here for video  taken with a Canon SX60 at an extreme zoom setting. Will play on YouTube in HD if selected in the settings

Corn Bunting waking up to find it was being filmed, click here for video also in HD from a distance



Sooty Tern underwing, in good light it's very much a black and white looking bird


Sooty Tern upperwing


I've posted what I got as I'll never likely see this species again. Unless I get a passport








Calling, it was replying to a call being played by photographers which didn't go down well with many of the birders watching the bird


Sharing a roost with Sandwich Terns


Little Tern, also at the Ythan Estuary along with Sandwich, Arctic and Common Terns


Little Tern



Corn Bunting, taken into the light with my Canon SX60. I think this is the female of a pair I surveyed today, it looks freshly moulted especially when compared to the males I saw



Skylark, seen while carrying out my last Corn Bunting survey for 2018



Mediterranean Gull - Arbroath

I've decided to post a separate post for the Sooty Tern currently drawing many birders to the Ythan Estuary.

It was later this year before we got a Mediterranean Gull in Arbroath, or maybe I just wasn't looking hard or often enough! I couldn't see it behind the old bathing pool but correctly guessed it would be at Victoria Park,  but didn't expect it to be sleeping on the beach with walkers passing by. Also some other photos mostly from nearby.



Mediterranean Gull, adult just starting to moult the black hood. Victoria Park, Arbroath














Herring Gull, West Links, Arbroath


Don't mess with me!


Sandwich Tern with blue ring "ETS". Waiting info from the ringers. Inchcape Park, Arbroath


Juvenile Sandwich Tern


Common Gull


Black-headed Gull, photo taken to show differences between the Med Gull and the Black-headed Gull





Common Blue Butterfly, female at Boddin Point, Lunan area


Small White Butterfly, also at Boddin

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