Yo llegué un día tarde y solo pude ver uno, aunque siempre es una alegría disfrutar de un bicho como este.
La mar estaba muy agitada y las aves buscaban refugio en puertos y bahías. Los piratas como este págalo parasito también se acercaron a la costa para aprovecharse de ello.
Las olas rugían con fuerza contra los espigones.
Ya pasado el temporal llegan días de frío pero de calma, así que decidimos hacer una visita al estuario del Ythan.
Los protagonistas, como siempre, son los eiders, que ya están en pleno cortejo con las hormonas revolucionadas.
A lo largo de la mañana pudimos ver también un esmerejón, 2 becadas y, como más interesante, 3 porrones bastardos, 2 hembras y un macho.
Muchas limícolas invernan en el estuario; correlimos comunes, gordos y tridácticlos, archibebes comunes, ostreros,etc. Entre ellas también estaba una de las aves con la migración más larga del mundo, la aguja colipinta.
De un ave migratoria a tres residentes. Primero un ave de presa, el ratonero, que es abundante pero no se suele ver mucho por el estuario.
Por último, el verderón o, en este caso, verderona que se alimentaba de semillas del suelo.
Translation of the text:
EIDERS, LITTLE AUKS AND OTHER NORTHERN BIRDS
I’m now back in Scotland after the Christmas holidays and it
seems some cold weather has arrived at last. One week before I got back a
tremendous storm swept Scotland from coast to coast, flooding many areas and
blowing in many birds. The easterlies brought the Little Auks in close to the
coast or even inland. More than 1000 an hour were streaming past Aberdeen, a
stunning sight, and some even turned up in gardens and on roads.
I got back a day too late to see this spectacle but I did
manage to see one of these incredible birds.
The sea was still rough and birds were seeking shelter in
ports and harbours. The pirate species like the Arctic Skua also came in to the
coast on the lookout for easy pickings.
The waves were lashing against the sea walls.
After the storm there were a few calm, cold days, so we
decided to visit Ythan estuary.
The star turns as usual were the Eiders, now in full
breeding plumage and in flat-out wooing mood, as you can see from the photos
and see and hear in the video.
Throughout the morning we also saw a Merlin, 2 Woodcocks
and, most notably, 3 Scaups, 2 ducks and a drake.
Many waders are wintering in the estuary; Dunlins, Knots,
Sanderlings, Redshanks, Redshanks, Oystercatchers, etc. They also included the
bird with the longest recorded nonstop migration journey, the Bar-Tailed Godwit,
here shown in flight.
From a migratory bird to three year-round residents. First
of all a Buzzard, an abundant bird but seldom seen in the estuary.
The second resident bird is the sadly underestimated
Starling. Close up they’re stonkers.
Lastly a Greenfinch, gleaning seeds from the ground.
