Thursday 4 August 2016

A Massive Thank You to the Birders of Aberdeen

Hello!

I am feeling so good today . . .  must be the lack of sleep.

I want to say a massive thank you to the birders of Aberdeen that have helped over the last few days.

Ian and Penny, thank you. It was great to meet you Tuesday and last night. Ian I hope you get to see the American white-winged scoter.

Paul and Nick, thanks you. The combination of the both of you yesterday gave me not only a fabulous new bird for the year, the fore-mentioned scoter sp. but also a lifer.

After almost seven hours looking for the mega rare duck without a telescope I returned to Aberdeen Youth Hostel. Within half an hour of getting there, The Oracle - Phil Andrews phoned. "Get back there!" Twenty two minutes later I found that Paul was waiting for me just off the A90 along the road that leads down to Murcar Golf Course. We swopped valuable items, he had my bike and I had his Swarowski telescope. Good swop. Paul then left to go and play football having seen the AWW scoter. I walked down to the road, declining his kind offer of a carbon lift, and crossed the greens to the sand quarry that he had recommended. A phone call from Nick and a wave from a very distant figure further south. Nick had the scoter in front of him and so a trek down the beach was required. A very small seal cub was on the beach, which was a bit worrying. Nick's scope gave the lifer and year tick whilst he chatted and gave a running commentary of the duck's movement among velvet and common scoter, red-breasted mergansers and eider.
Thanks Nick

Two wonderful birders that alleviated the problem of no scope searching for a mega. Bird number 270 secured.
Paul & I celebrating the duck.

Paul returned at 8.31pm, a minute late (Monty Python fans will know what I mean). Items swopped back and a chat, a cycle back to youth hostel to prepare for the night. Lights on the bike, masses of flouresence and a ride through Aberdeen centre to a lighthouse where Will and Mark arranged a petrel ringing session. Eight birders comfortable on folding chairs, midnight darkness, stars and satellites, Will walked back from the large mist net with the first of three storm petrels in his hand. Bird number 271. Ian and Penny were there as well, Paul and two birders who's names I didn't jot down. (sorry)


3.00am - back at the hostel and bed.

Now waiting for the afternoon ferry to Orkney! Yo Ho Rinny!!!

2 comments:

  1. Good luck up north Gary, I'll be following this blog for the rest of the autumn now! Great to meet you last night and glad you got your stormies. Enjoy your rest day...

    ReplyDelete
  2. You found it! We did wonder how you were doing. Well done. Good luck for the rest of your searches. Hope finding a charger for the laptop wasn't such a big search.
    Great to meet you. All the very best for safe adventures. Mick, Meredith and the girls.

    ReplyDelete

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