Been a lot of interesting geese around over the last week or so. Taiga Bean is rare in North East Aberdeenshire so this one with pinks at Inverallochy was a welcome addition to the year list. #BirdingScotland #Geese
A bit of plastic fantastic in North East Aberdeenshire over last few days. Whilst a lot of birders will feel a bit ill looking at it, Egyptian Goose is a mega rare bird up here. In fact rare in Scotland. A county tick. I’m avin it! #BirdingScotland #Wildfowl
A few of the team scanning #RSPB Strathbeg
Curry and a pint
Common Crane back at Strathbeg. Spring is in the air? #Migration
The Carroll Ecology team had a great get together in and around Peterhead and Fraseburgh. A bird race on Thursday saw both teams score 103 and 98 respectively. Great totals for the time of year and some great birds too. A curry and a few beers added to a great few days. #Birds #RSPB #BirdSurveys
On the 3rd of November 2022 just over a year on from finding greater yellowlegs, I was lucky enough to find a lesser yellowlegs at #RSPB Strathbeg. It showed for a short period then flew onto the back pools where is stayed for a few days. I do terrible photos very well! #Rarebirds #BirdingScotland
#RSPB Strathbeg is a good place for spoonbill. I remember my first in Norfolk many years ago (too many to remember the year!). It spent most of the time asleep (a bit like me). They are superb birds and brighten any spring day when Rhys decide to wake up #BirdingScotland #Birds
On the 11th June 2023 a few days after returning from watching them on Shetland, I found this red necked phalarope at #RSPB Strathbeg. It’s a terrible video grab photo (as you can see) but this bird gave me a real buzz and I wondered if it would be on Shetland the next day. #BirdingScotland
This bird was joined by a lesser yellowlegs a few days later. Can’t be many records of the two together in the UK.
We moved to Aberdeenshire in June 2021. This greater yellowlegs at #RSPB Strathbeg on 28th September 2021 was the first bird I found after moving up. Thanks to Tim Marshall for the photo. I’ve been told there’s not been one in the UK since. #UKRareBirds #BirdingScotland
Superb mate. Still need it!
One of the things I love to do is get to #RSPB Strathbeg early. There’s a few good places to look from and it’s a magical place as the sun comes up. I’ve been lucky enough to find a few pectoral sandpipers. This is Andy Lawsons photo of the bird on 13th May 2022. #BirdingScotland #Birdwatching
#RSPB Strathbeg is fantastic for geese. It’s a fantastic spectacle as upwards of 10,000 geese roost on the loch. It’s always great to look for and find more unusual species like Snow and Greenland Whitefront #Wildfowl #BirdingScotland #Birdwatching #Geese
On 30th April 2022 I found a red rumped swallow at #RSPB strathbeg. It vanished for a time but then 2 appeared. The photo is by Mike Chandler. Someone asked me if I was sure if was a RRS - pretty sure 😉. The only one I’ve ever found. Spring at its best!
#BirdingScotland #RareBirds #birdwatching
#RSPB Loch of Strathbeg now has breeding Great Egret. Until relatively recently a rare bird in Scotland they bred at the reserve for the first time in 2024 and again in 2025. Pretty much a guarantee on a day list now, they are actually pretty cool in summer dress. #Strathbeg #Birds #BirdingScotland
What a handsome fella! Thanks for all your help during my visit. See you soon Mr Steel
I live very close to #RSPB Loch of Strathbeg. I’ve seen and found some great birds there. Like Rattray it forms part of my local patch. This ariel picture shows how appealing it must be for birds on the move. Bird pics to follow over next few weeks #BirdingScotland #Birdwatching #Strathbeg
The first Scottish Record was on Fair Isle in 1971 but was picked up dead so the Rattray bird is a first ‘live’ one for Scotland. #FairIsle #birdwatching #Rattray
So last Rattray one for now. On 20th October this year I found a nightingale at Rattray. Around an 8th for Aberdeenshire and first since 2007. Then as my photos hit the various channels it was identified as an Eastern Nightingale. 2nd for Scotland and 4th for Britain.
#BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK
Probably the penultimate of the Rattray series. Goshawk are more widespread than a lot of people realise. I’ve seen a few at Rattray. This is a terrible picture of a fairly distant juvenile female in January this year. #BirdingScotland #Raptors #Birdwatching
Yeah, I’m very lucky Colin. Yours ain’t three bad mate!
I’ve been lucky enough to find 2 Greenish Warblers at Rattray. The first on 2nd September 2024 and then a few months back on the 9th September 2025. The photos are of the 2025 bird. It’s a nice reward for getting there early. Also code for getting there before anyone else! #BirdingScotland #birds
I love the drive along the track to the gardens at Rattray. In April it’s a good place for migrant Wheatear. This cracking male was one of ten seen on a cold but sunny April morning in 2023 #BirdingScotland #migration #birdwatching #Rattray
Rattray can be a good place for some of the more common migrants. Pied and spotted fly are both regulars. Male pied flys are superb to watch. These 2 were present in spring 2023 #Scottishbirds #birdwatching #Rattray
Yeah thankfully when it showed again after its vanishing act, a few people were on hand to nail it!
Keith Yates Copyright
Harry Scott copyright
May 9th 2023 on a slight easterly I found this Dark Eyed Junco at Rattray. A first for mainland Aberdeenshire and around the 11th record for Scotland. This bird prompted me to buy a camera as it vanished for 45mins before anyone else saw it prior to reappearing and showing well. #BirdingScotland
#BirdingScotland
Never tire of seeing yellow browed warbler. This one at Rattray from autumn 2024. Not seen one in 2025!
Seems fitting to post a Pallas’s Warbler I found at Rattray on 17th October 2024. There’s a Pallas’s this morning at Rattray. Note to self - try getting out of bed before 10am on a Saturday!
Next Rattray bird was a find tick for me. On 21st August 2023 I had been along the track and searched the garden without much success. Then this icterine warbler flew across the car and showed well for about 20 seconds. Managed this dreadful photo with my phone. Still the only one I’ve found.
Decided to run a wee series of birds of Rattray. It forms part of my local patch and has been pretty good to me over the last 4 years. Here’s a lesser whitethroat - not common up here but a regular spring and autumn migrant. This was spring 2023 which was a good year at Rattray
