Andrew Whitehouse

Great to read this report about the rarest bird ever at one of my old patches.

This Firecrest was along the north bank at Girdle Ness late afternoon today. Found by @hughad.bsky.social and only my fourth record here. It's also species 152 for the patch year list, which is a record for me. Still a couple of months to extend it! #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

A Great Spotted Woodpecker enjoying the aerial prospects. It was one of two males busy squabbling in an unlikely location today: a patch of small trees surrounded by new buildings and Aberdeen Harbour. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

This Red-breasted Merganser did well to catch a large fish in Aberdeen Harbour today, but then a Goosander bubbled over for some kleptoparasitic manoeuvres. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife #Ducks

Both sides of a Jack Snipe, from St Fittick's Park earlier today. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife #ThermalBirding

Mute Swans and Little Grebes both have a tendency to wander down the River Dee to Aberdeen Harbour, but it was curious to see the way this grebe stuck very closely to the swans, as if there was some symbiosis or companionship involved. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

The new muddy pools at St Fittick's drew out a Jack Snipe this evening, my first of the autumn. I must have happened upon it as it was feeding, but inevitably it saw me first and froze still. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife #ThermalBirding

A Merlin, perhaps the same bird as yesterday, ploughing the wave troughs off Girdle Ness this afternoon. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife #Falcons #Raptors

A few Redwings were diving into the hawthorns and rowans at Girdle Ness today, although the highlight was a Merlin, perhaps following them, that flew in off the sea. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

A fun fact I discovered today is that William Sykes, after whom the warbler is named, was MP for Aberdeen and Lord Rector of Marischal College in the city. Maybe the bird was paying homage? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...

Here we go. DNA from poop of Sykes's Warbler from Girdleness last week ('IR04') is to no one's surprise exactly that. Iduna rama with 100% statistical support, to exclusion of all other species. #scottishbirding @birdguides.bsky.social @britishbirds.bsky.social

Large numbers of Pink-footed Geese were sortieing over Aberdeen yesterday morning in the bright clear autumn light. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

A quiet place for Teal. They're starting to gather for the winter on the new pools at St Fittick's, which are quite open to give clear views. The males haven't moved to their bright plumage yet but the flash of emerald speculum still breaks the grey-brown. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

A lone Golden Plover crouching furtively on the golf course at Girdle Ness today. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

Part of a flock of 70 Barnacle Geese that flew south through Girdle Ness this afternoon, accompanied by a small group of Wigeon. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

Delighted to get good views of the Sykes's Warbler at Girdle Ness today. I saw it only briefly yesterday morning, realised it was something significant but was unable to pin it down. Later, I scoped the bushes from home and got it on the house list🙃 #Birds #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK #PatchBirding

Another Yellow-browed Warbler from Girdle Ness today. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

My morning trudge round Girdle Ness wasn't a total waste of time, as I found this lovely Rustic Bunting near the Battery. My first record here. #Birds #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

A classic view of Knot is of huge flocks swirling over mudflats but at Girdle Ness we enjoy them in smaller numbers, often perching on shoreline rock outcrops that set off the juveniles' scalloped, peach-tinted charm. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

It's the time of year when Yellow-browed Warblers find their way to lonely coastal sycamores. This was one of two along the north side of Girdle Ness today. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife #SixStripedSprite

All Godwits together, with a Bar-tailed Godwit joining a group of three Black-tailed Godwits as they flew south through Girdle Ness today. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

Ducks are moving through Girdle Ness at the moment, with this small group of Teal dropping in for a short time before continuing south. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

The highlight of seawatching at Girdle Ness today was my first Black Tern of the year, but this 'close enough for record shots' Sooty Shearwater was just as enjoyable. Also, 2 Little Gulls, 4 Arctic Skuas, 2 Manx Shearwaters and a Great Skua. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

A nice mix at Girdle Ness today: two Pale-bellied Brent Geese along the harbour shore, a juvenile Little Gull in the same area, a Lesser Whitethroat peering from the hawthorn, and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull in the south harbour. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

The Gannets were really close in at Girdle Ness today. Always a pleasure. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife #Seabirds #SuperSeabirdSunday

I wasn't really trying for migrants today so was pleased to find this Spotted Flycatcher lurking in a sheltered spot at St Fittick's Park. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

The wind ran through Girdle Ness today and birds were seeking respite. A Whimbrel hunkered with Curlews on the rocks. A Ruff, my first of the year, and a Bar-tailed Godwit found the golf course meadow facsimile appealing. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

This juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit dropped into Greyhope Bay, Girdle Ness this evening. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

I was pleased to see this male Stonechat on the wall of St Fittick's Church today, my first in the area for a while. Seasonal shifts were demonstrated by a few skeins of Pink-footed Geese overhead, while a late Swift flew south. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife #PatchBirding

It felt like the first day of autumn at Girdle Ness in a strong southerly wind. Two Great Shearwaters went through, the second lingering to feed for 20 minutes. Also, 15 Sooty Shearwaters, 42 Manx Shearwaters, 11 Arctic Skuas, 5 Great Skuas. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #Seabirds

There seemed to be a few Buzzards wandering about today, including this juvenile over St Fittick's Park. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

A Common Blue butterfly today at St Fittick's Park. This is one of the only butterflies that seems to have declined locally in recent years. Interestingly, this week I saw my first ever Holly Blue in the area, a species spreading north. #Butterflies #UKWildlife

My colleague Nimisha Thakur and I wrote a piece for the Society for Cultural Anthropology website. Check it out if you've ever been curious about using digital apps like iNaturalist or Merlin Bird ID in the classroom. We have lesson plans for you! www.culanth.org/fieldsights/...

My old friend Caspian Gull Y-OT was back on the breakwater at Girdle Ness this afternoon, having gone missing for a few weeks. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

Kittiwakes are gathering in good numbers on the harbour breakwater at Girdle Ness. A Redstart in the allotments lingered from the weekend's migrant arrivals. #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife

There were a few migrants at Girdle Ness today, including a briefly seen Barred Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, and a Spotted Flycatcher. This Pied Flycatcher was the only one that I got half decent photos of though. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding

A stripy juvenile Great Crested Grebe was a surprise on the sea off Girdle Ness this afternoon. A less than annual species here these days. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding

Probably the best photos of Marsh Harrier ever taken at Girdle Ness, not because they're any good but because this seems to be the first record for the area. It flew south along the coast this morning. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

What seems to be a hybrid Lesser Black-backed x Herring Gull this evening in Aberdeen Harbour. My second of the year after a subadult a few months ago. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

In Aberdeen, an overcast silvery luminescence at maximum and then two minutes later, a clouded crescent emerged through dark. #Eclipse

This apparent juvenile Caspian Gull was on the south breakwater, Girdle Ness today. It was ringed as a chick in Lelystad, the Netherlands in May but we're still unclear if one of the parents was a hybrid. As such, it may only be 75% Caspian. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

Another (or perhaps the same) juvenile Mediterranean Gull at Girdle Ness today, resting on the south harbour breakwater. #Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

Here's an AHRC-funded PhD project I'm involved with on 'Walking the Energy Transition'. Come and work with me, Jo Vergunst and Jen Clarke in Aberdeen and investigate walking, heritage, art and landscape on the North Sea coast. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...