A Surprise Sabine's

After yesterday's Little Stint I thought I would go back to Whiteness Bay for the early high tide. Still plenty of Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Sanderlings but just as I was leaving a small dark headed Gull caught my eye in the distance. I took a couple of shots with the P950 and was about to try and get some digiscope shots of it when it was off. However the photo's were conclusive. Dark hood, Dark legs and Bill, dark grey mantle and black primaries it was an adult Sabine's Gull. Very pleased to have got views of one on the ground and even happier that I had the long zoom of the P950 to help me prove it.

Autumn's Here

 

Little Stint, Whiteness Bay, 15/8/20

Checking out the returning waders at Whiteness on a lovely warm, quiet evening at Whiteness and among the multicoloured Dunlins, Sanderling and hundreds of Ringed Plovers was a Little Stint. Never a common bird in the highlands the last one I saw was a dot in the distance at Alturlie so it was nice to connect with one that let me get a bit closer.

Whiteness 09/06/20

Now that the lockdown restrictions have eased (a bit) I can get back to my main birding patches, Fort George, Whiteness and Castle Stuart.

I took a short trip down to Whiteness to see if there was much about. A group of Eider were in the deep water channel and nearby there were a couple of adult Shelduck with a creche of 18 chicks.

The above photo shows a few of the chicks as they were scattered far and wide, despite the adults attempts to keep them together and safe from the local gulls and crows.

Another highlight was a Wheatear. Normally I wouldn't think twice about Wheatears but this is one bird I haven't been able to pick up since lockdown so it was great to finally see one.