Andrew Whitehouse
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anthrobirder.bsky.social
Andrew Whitehouse
@anthrobirder.bsky.social
Anthropologist at the University of Aberdeen. Likes birds. A lot. Does stuff on environmental anthropology, landscape, conservation, human-bird relations, sound, perceptions of ecological change.
https://andrewjwhitehouse.wordpress.com/
Foggy arrivals at Girdle Ness today: Short-eared Owl (primarily), the NS Iona (emergently), the sun (diffusely).
#Birds #BirdingScotland #weather #UKWildlife
November 7, 2025 at 3:22 PM
An immaculate juvenile Great Northern Diver in Aberdeen Harbour today.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife
November 7, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Proper #patchgold today in St Fittick's Park with this drake Gadwall on the main marsh. It's only my fourth ever record here and the first for five years.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife
November 2, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Grey cold at Girdle Ness today, but the wind had eased from yesterday. A late morning flurry of 40 Little Auks was enjoyable. Other birds moving included 2 Sooty Shearwaters, a Great Northern Diver, 3 Little Gulls, a Merlin, and 26 Long-tailed Ducks.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife #PatchBirding
October 26, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Arduous conditions at Girdle Ness this morning, with showers more on than off and a biting north-westerly. Relatively slow going at sea, with three Little Auks the highlight. Also one Great Northern Diver and 32 Long-tailed Ducks.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
October 25, 2025 at 12:56 PM
A few tired looking Goldcrests arrived at Girdle Ness today. This one was gleaning insects in the willows but another had only got as far as a patch of thistles, before heading to the unlikely surrounds of the harbour breakwater.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
October 19, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Today brought the autumn's first real arrival of thrushes at Girdle Ness, mostly Redwings and Blackbirds but a few Fieldfares strutted the short grass too.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
October 18, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Pixels win prizes. This resplendent adult Pomarine Skua was the seawatching highlight at Girdle Ness today, picked out by @inchgarthbirding.bsky.social
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife
October 18, 2025 at 5:47 PM
A pale phase Arctic Skua directs aggro towards a Common Gull off Girdle Ness today. It then gets chased off by another Common Gull.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
October 17, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
Third helping of Winter Well on air soon.

(Just before The Archers for those who like to listen live to Radio 4!)

Episode 3 - ‘Get Out and Notice’ shares light-filled ideas and activities in the open air.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

@hesterparr.bsky.social @alecfinlay.bsky.social
Winter Well - Episode 3 - Get Out and Notice - BBC Sounds
A guide to thriving in winter, offering advice on how to get through the darker months.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 15, 2025 at 12:12 PM
My first Long-tailed Ducks of the autumn arrived in to the harbour mouth at Girdle Ness today, encouraged by a light northwest wind. Interesting to see their feet.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
October 14, 2025 at 4:40 PM
The 2nd calendar year Glaucous Gull reappeared at Girdle Ness today, sweeping across the bay before settling on the south breakwater.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
October 14, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Terns seem to be staying later at Girdle Ness these days. This adult and juvenile Arctic Tern wandered between Greyhope Bay and Aberdeen Bay this afternoon.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
October 13, 2025 at 7:33 PM
An unusual view of a group of Long-tailed Tits that forayed along the north side of Girdle Ness today. There were eleven in the flock and they circled out over the harbour for a short time. Like other tits, they seem to be wandering more widely than usual this autumn.
#Birds #BirdingScotland
October 13, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
& sudden fall of temperature soon as sun goes, sky shocks indigo in aftermath & last weekend's stormwaters driven overground
October 12, 2025 at 6:14 PM
A flat-screen TV sea at Girdle Ness today, stitched by lines of auks, gulls, Shags and rolling Harbour Porpoises. A Great Northern Diver blended the seasons in its plumage.
#Birds #Cetaceans #BirdingScotland
October 12, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Regular Moorhen appreciation post. St Fittick's Park, Aberdeen, today.
#Birds #BirdingScotland
October 11, 2025 at 8:48 PM
It was warm, calm and muggy at Girdle Ness today, feeling rather between seasons. Birds included a few Grey Wagtails, my first Little Grebe here this year, lots of Long-tailed Tits and three Stonechats.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding
October 11, 2025 at 8:42 PM
I was delighted to find this Twite in the field by Girdle Ness lighthouse today. It's my first here for 13 years. They used to be almost annual but have become much less frequent, in common with their decline nationally.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding
October 6, 2025 at 5:41 PM
A strong Icelandic feeling to the birds at Girdle Ness today:
Juvenile Pomarine Skua
Brent Goose (Pale-bellied!)
2 Great Northern Divers
25 Whooper Swans
33 Red-breasted Mergansers
5 Greylag Geese
440 Pink-footed Geese
2 Little Gulls
3 Golden Plovers
Bar-tailed Godwit
#Birds #BirdingScotland
October 5, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
A freshly stranded By-The-Wind Sailor, one of many pushed ashore by strong winds on the west coast of Barra today. Lots of obvious specimens of 6-8cm scattered over the beaches but also masses of tiny ones down to 5mm in length spread along the strandline. #Beachcombing
October 5, 2025 at 5:27 PM
The two Brent Geese were along the shore at Girdle Ness this morning but then headed off high to the south. A mea culpa that these are actually Dark-bellied Brents, which are much rarer here. I should have waited to see them out of the water!
#Birds #BirdingScotland
October 4, 2025 at 3:58 PM
This Glaucous Gull appeared on the breakwater at Girdle Ness today, perhaps the same bird that was present earlier in the year. Other birds in the wake of Storm Amy included my first Mediterranean Gull of the year and a lovely pale juvenile Long-tailed Skua.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding
October 4, 2025 at 3:50 PM
This Merlin skimmed through Greyhope Bay today, just ahead of Storm Amy. Autumn is the peak time for them here.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding
October 3, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Some closer photos of the two Pale-bellied Brent Geese from Girdle Ness today. They seem to be finding some tasty seaweed in the harbour waters. Such delicate geese.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
October 3, 2025 at 5:46 PM