I grew up in Banchory, Kincardineshire in NE Scotland. This pages summarises a few of the bird observations I made locally, including some ongoing studies and links to more detailed information.
A Kincardineshire garden Annotated species list Log (Local map, Regional map)
I have kept a garden bird list for species seen in or from my parent's garden in Banchory, Royal Deeside, Scotland, since about 1984, with most observations between 1985 and 1990. The list stands at 63 species and includes 4 migrant geese and duck species, 4 migrant waders and 9 finches/buntings (including Brambling, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting). A stray Pheasant was a long way from adjacent farmland, as was a Cuckoo. Other interesting passerines included Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher and breeding Goldcrest, whilst Waxwing was a regular winter visitor and we even watched a flock perched outside our kitchen window drinking from the roof gutter.
Waxwings in NE Banchory, Kincardineshire, Scotland Detailed information.
I recently made an analysis of our Waxwing records in NE Banchory between 1985 and 2005 (birds also occured in earlier years but I made no systematic records). A total of about 550 birds-days were recorded distributed over 14 out of the 21 years.
Strong regional correlation is shown with over 10 birds logged in Banchory in every year when peak flock size exceeded 100 in the NESBR region, whilst in every year with regional peak flock size <10 no birds were seen. The ratio of local to regional peak flock size is fairly consistent at around 15%. Most birds occur in Banchory in December with a fairly linear decrease through to April.
Birds have most often been found feeding on cotoneaster berries (frequency 65%), with gean, rowan, apples, hawthorn and rosehip visited in decreasing frequency. Amongst the cotoneaster varieties, Cot. bullatus seems to be most favoured, followed by the taller Cot. simondsii and the hedge-forming Cot. horizontalis.
Colour-ringed birds were seen in 1987 and total of 8 amongst a flock of 36 birds in late January 2005 as shown here, and above:
All were ringed locally in previous weeks by the Grampian Ringing Group, in Aberdeen (4), Aboyne (3) and Inverurie (1). All of the Aberdeen-ringed birds had also been seen subsequently in other places on Deeside, i.e. Aboyne (3) and Westhill (1).
A more detailed description of Banchory Waxwings is now included in this linked document and the study data is summarised in this linked spreadsheet.
Loch of Leys, Banchory, Kincardineshire, Scotland Map Annotated species list
Whilst in Banchory, my local patch was the Loch of Leys only a short cycle ride from our house in the north of the village. This is more a bog than an loch and it is now almost possible to walk to the old crannog in the middle. Open water is virtually eliminated by scrub.
The characteristic birds at this site are the Water Rails and Common Buzzards. The former can be heard throughout the summer but almost impossible to see whilst the latter are present year round and very visible. I once made a concerted effort to count the squealing Water Rails (April 1990) and concluded that there were at least 15 individuals calling. Reed Buntings also breed in some numbers and I found 18 males together in a neighbouring field the same week. Willow Warblers are also common breeders along with Redpolls and Siskin. Long-tailed Tits and Jays are often seen along the south shore and Common Crossbills and Green Woodpecker occasionally in the wood to the north. Reedbed roosts of Swallow and Starling once numbered over 1000 birds each but I've not been able to count them recently. Gulls gather in nearby fields after visiting the local dump (next section) and can be seen moving to and from the Loch of Skene roost at the ends of the day. There was formerly a Black-headed Gull colony at the site. My best find here was a Fulmar on 5 June 1987 which was somewhat lost nearly 20 miles up the Dee valley from the sea at Aberdeen, and over 10 miles from the nearest coast at Stonehaven; what may well have been the same bird had been seen previously at Milltimber 10 miles east down the Dee valley on 30 May and was subsequently reported about 35 miles further west up the valley at the Linn of Dee, near the heart of the Cairngorms, on 20 June!
Crow's Nest amenity site, Banchory, Kincardineshire, Scotland Map Detailed information
I have watched the gulls at this site for the last 20 years or so since my first interest in birds as a teenager. When I first counted the Herring Gulls on 7/1/88 there were over 4000 present but these days around 1000 is more normal for mid-winter. Great Blackback numbers seem to have shown the opposite trend, with very few in the mid-80's but about 150 present in winter 98/99. Lesser Blackbacks are present in smaller numbers, rarely in mid-winter, and I observed a presumed hybrid LBBxHG on 26/12/98. Only once did I find a white-winged bird amongst them, this being a 2nd-win. Iceland in the nearby dayroost at Maryfield.
In December 2003 numbers had fallen to less than 1000 birds and the manager informed me that "bird scaring" (with falcons) is now used on a daily basis to satisfy demands of SEPA. These birds included only 7% 1st-winters, much lower than averages for the early 1990's of 26% and perhaps to do with the scaring? Also, less than 1% were argentatus-race birds, including the adult and 4th-win individuals shown below - quite a low number, cf the paper of study of Coulson et al. 135 Carrion Crows were accompanied by 5 Hooded-Carrion hybrids and 3 pure-bred Hoodies - high counts for NE Scotland.
A more detailed description of the trends in large gulls numbers in this area is now included in this linked document.
Updated 29/07/05
