The HARLEQUIN DUCK & KING EIDER in Aberdeenshire

As a staunch socialist I had feared the worst about todays General Election result for weeks. I had a terrible feeling that those slimy, fox hunt supporting, badger culling, anti 'green crap' Tories would sneak into power for another five, long years. With that in mind, Nadia and I decided to escape the millions of avaricious, self-centred English for a few days and join our more forward thinking brothers and sisters north of the border.

The River Don - complete with Nadia and the Harlequin Duck.
Photo by Adam Archer

We took turns at driving through the night and finally arrived in the granite city of Aberdeen just after 6.30am. Our first port of call was the wonderful Seaton Park in the north of the city where hopefully we would find the long staying first-winter drake HARLEQUIN DUCK. This particular bird had initially been located along this stretch of the River Don back on the 4th January 2015 and since this time had slowly moulted into a handsome looking bird. 

Unfortunately one of our pals Jules Allen had dipped the bird twice in recent days so we prepared ourselves for a long, thorough search despite our tiredness following the long drive north. After an unsuccessful scan of the white water off the old toilet block, we decided to head downstream as far we could and then slowly make our way back. Incredibly though, within minutes of setting off for the hike, our main target was flying upstream towards us. We enjoyed a close pass but then lost the bird as it continued at pace around the corner and out of sight. 

HARLEQUIN DUCK (first-winter male)
River Don, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire.
Photo by Adam Archer

We then headed back up river towards the recently developed housing estate around Papermill Grove. Despite the construction work going on in the area, most of the riverbank was still accessible and it was not too long until we were watching the bird once again. The HARLEQUIN DUCK then continued to perform like a dream as it dived for food beneath the surface of this fast-flowing river just yards away. The energy it must use whilst swimming against the force of the water must be huge but the morsels of food it was finding were obviously well worth the effort. 

Nadia looks on in amazement!
Photo by Adam Archer

After a thirty minute feeding frenzy the bird had obviously eaten enough for breakfast and started to meander downstream a short distance. It then began to preen in order to ensure its plumage was in tip-top condition for the next strenuous search for food. At this stage the bird just loafed around a short distance away before resting up on the riverbank, completely oblivious to Nadia and I standing there with huge smiles of satisfaction beaming across our faces. We soaked up the views for a short while before taking the decision to let it rest undisturbed.

Other birds along the river included a Dipper feeding nearby, a couple of Common Sandpiper and a Kingfisher flying downstream. In the park itself there were a couple of pairs of Oystercatcher, a single Stock Dove, the odd singing Blackcap and a Treecreeper was also spotted.   

HARLEQUIN DUCK (first-winter male)
River Don, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire.
Photo by Adam Archer

HARLEQUIN DUCK (first-winter male)
River Don, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire.
Photo by Adam Archer

After a celebratory breakfast we then continued north to the village of Newburgh for our next main target of the day. Despite the glorious sunshine there was a strong north-westerly breeze to contend whilst I scanned the Ythan Estuary from the end of Inch Road. There were plenty of Common Eider feeding as the water drained from the estuary on the ebbing tide, as well as the odd group of Red-breasted Merganser. Shorebirds included a couple of Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit along with larger numbers of Oystercatcher, Redshank and Curlew. In addition there was a large gathering of Arctic Tern towards the inlet with smaller quantities of Common Tern amongst them.

I was just about to throw in the towel and head over to an alternative viewpoint when I finally spotted the species we were both hoping for, a stunning, summer-plumaged drake KING EIDER. This species of the Arctic coastline of Europe, Asia and North America has been making regular appearances in this particular area of Aberdeenshire since 1967. I have called in to see this very same bird before during previous trips to Scotland but never had I enjoyed such fantastic views. Usually it just seems to sit there asleep on a distant sandbank but on this occasion it showed just fifty yards away feeding well on small crustaceans.

KING EIDER (summer-plumaged adult male)
Ythan Estuary, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire.
Photo by Adam Archer

Whilst soaking up the rare sea duck from further north, a trio of Long-tailed Duck flew in to feed at the waters edge. Upon closer inspection the group consisted of two, full summer plumaged males, complete with their flamboyant tail plumes and a single female. To be quite honest I could have stood there watching the constantly changing scene for the rest of the day but with the winds getting stronger we decided to continue our journey further north once more.

  

A view looking north from Portsoy harbour.
Photo by Adam Archer

After a short journey towards the northern coast of Aberdeenshire we arrived in the former fishing village of Portsoy around lunchtime. After a quick nap on the quayside we braved the blustery conditions to scan for our final rarity of the day. This location has been a regular spot for WHITE-BILLED DIVERS over the past few years and only last month, numbers reached double figures. It is usually best to view the birds from one of the boat trips that are organised occasionally but there was no way any small boat was leaving the harbour today. Despite a few hours meticulously scanning the rolling swell I failed in my quest to find a single bird. The only divers I saw was an extremely distant Great Northern Diver and the odd Red-throated Diver flying past. 

Common Eider (summer-plumaged adult male)
Portsoy, Aberdeenshire.
Photo by Adam Archer

Seabirds offshore included many Gannet and Fulmar, Shag and Cormorant. There were also small numbers of Common Eider, Guillemot, Razorbill and three Sandwich Terns flew west. There were also a couple of pairs of Rock Pipit singing their hearts out and showing well around the harbour. The only wader species noted was a mobile flock of Turnstone. With the conditions refusing to settle down and with Nadia threatening to spend a fortune in a local pottery shop it was time to make a move.

Sea Thrift along the harbour walls.
Portsoy, Aberdeenshire.
Photo by Adam Archer

Around tea time we eventually arrived at our cosy bed & breakfast in Grantown-on-Spey. Despite us both being pretty exhausted, we decided to take advantage of the long, spring days and after guzzling a quick brew, we headed out into the nearby Anagach Woods. It is always a privilege to take a relaxing stroll through such pristine ancient woodland with its incredible sights, sounds and smells. Sometimes actually pinning down a few birds to see comes second to just absorbing the atmosphere of such wonderful surroundings. 

After a bite to eat in Grantown, the day ended with our final species of the day, three fantastic Woodcock spotted displaying from our bedroom window as we prepared for a well deserved night of slumber. It was to be another early start for us the following day.

The Hebridean Harlequin Duck Affair!

Over nine years have passed since I made a trip over to the Western Isles of Scotland with Steve Richards and the late Jon Taylor for my first HARLEQUIN DUCK in Britain.  That particular bird was a rather uninspiring female that spent around four months on the Isle of Lewis. A handsome male bird would have been far more desirable but in birding you need to be eternally grateful for whatever rarity you are lucky enough to be presented with.

On the 18th February though, a day after I had returned back from Shetland, news came through of a male HARLEQUIN DUCK up on on the Western Isles. Initially I failed to consider another trip to Scotland so no immediate plans were made. As the weeks passed by however, I started to get all twitchy and as more and more photographs appeared online and in the birding press those twitches eventually developed into full blown delirium tremens!  At last a date was set to satisfy my duck desires, however those original plans were scuppered by the appalling weather that hit Britain last weekend. There was no way we wanted to risk travelling up through snow drifts and be blown off Balranald beach by icy, gale force gusts.

So that left this weekend, the Easter holiday break. The weather conditions looked much more favourable and after sorting out the logistics of ferry times, accommodation and car hire it was time to put the plan into action. At around 9.00pm on Thursday evening the gang consisting of Jules Allen, Steve Dunn, Mike Feely and I left Tibshelf, Derbyshire and it's impressive snow drifts to head the five hundred miles north-west. With some pretty ideal driving conditions, except for the odd roadside Red Deer and the bitterly cold minus 8 degree temperatures, we finally made it onto the Isle of Skye at around 7.00am on Friday morning.

Me at the Aros Centre at Portree, Isle of Skye.

One of our first stops was the Aros Centre just south of Portree. It was a little too early in the day for eagles to be flapping around, however a pair of nest building Hooded Crows was nice to see amongst the more common woodland species including a single Treecreeper and a few flyover Siskin.  It was then onwards to Uig to catch the ferry. Around the village we failed to find any Twite which can usually be found behind the CalMac offices but a few other common passerines were picked up for the trip list including a singing Hebridean Song Thrush. In the bay there were the usual scattering of Common Eider and Shag with a single Great Northern Diver and Common Guillemot amongst them. Near the pier a Rock Pipit was spotted feeding along the shoreline with small groups of Redshank and Turnstone.

Smooth sailing.... It's not very often you can scope from onboard a boat! 

The silky ferry crossing over to North Uist was a pretty uneventful affair on the birding front. There were however several Great Northern Divers as well as the odd Black Guillemot with larger numbers of both Razorbill and Common Guillemot. With the sun shining and the backdrop of the stunning Hebridean scenery to enjoy, none of us were complaining. Within ninety minutes we had arrived at Lochmaddy and what a welcome we received. As we approached the bay an adult Golden Eagle was picked up soaring over Greineasgor and within seconds not one but two White-tailed Eagles had been logged. One of the gigantic raptors flew north across the bay and landed on the clifftop at Rubha an Fhigheadair and there it perched surveying us as we drifted by. Other interesting sightings included a Great Northern Diver, a pair of Black-throated Diver and a single Black Guillemot.       

Arriving at a place like the Western Isles helps to restore your faith in human nature. As we disembarked the ferry there in the car park was a shiny hire car awaiting us. The doors were open and the keys were in the ignition with a note in the windscreen with my name on it. If only such trust like this existed in all areas of our Country. Without delay we headed west towards the RSPB reserve at Balranald and parked up amongst the dunes near to the famous skua watching site of Aird an Runair.

A view of Traigh Iar with Steve & Mike already hard at work scanning.

Despite the glorious sunshine there was still a penetrating nip in the air. After wrapping up warm we made our way to Traigh Iar to scan offshore for the rare sea duck that originated from the same direction as the biting Arctic breeze. With a low tide to contend with we had a real challenge on our hands due to the quantity of exposed offshore rock. There were plenty of hiding places for a bird as diminutive as a HARLEQUIN DUCK to take refuge amongst. To make matters even worse the mobile kelp forests of seaweed protruded the surface of the sea with each wave giving the impression of a resurfacing water bird.

At least three Great Northern Diver were spotted offshore but despite scouring the area from all different angles none of us could locate our target species. A trio of Raven twisted by in flight and several species of shorebird were in evidence as we made our way along the beach. Oystercatcher and Ringed Plover were the most numerous with several Redshank, the odd Curlew and a few Grey Plover too. 

A view south east from Rubha Port Scolpaig.

At this stage we bumped into Brian Rabbits, the original finder of the bird as well as a multitude of other Uist rarities over the years. Unfortunately he too had not managed to locate the HARLEQUIN DUCK during a thorough search that day. Our confidence was beginning to wane.  We decided to head further down the coast and search Port Scolpaig, the next bay south. Again there was no sign of the elusive rarity. A few new species for the trip were collected though including 2 Common Shelduck, a stunning male Long-tailed Duck, a female Red-breasted Merganser and 8 Bar-tailed Godwit. We had been searching for three long hours and combination of this and the long overnight drive was starting to take its toll on my stamina. I decided to take a quick nap on the rocks at Hanglam.

Recharging my birding batteries at Hanglam.

Within a few minutes I was out for the count. As anyone who knows me will testify I can sleep just about anywhere. Both Mike and Jules decided to leave me and ventured north again however Steve had the decency to head back and wake me up before I fell victim of the incoming tide. Feeling revitalised, I was determined to find the bird before the end of the day and followed the guys back up to Traigh Iar. As we headed around the point at Rubha Port Scolpaig, my naked eye picked up a small dark duck flying rapidly towards us from the direction of Holaisgeir. As I lifted my bins it disappeared behind the nearby rocks appearing to land amongst them. I ran around to gain a better vantage point alerting the other lads as I went. As I took a deep breath and lifted my bins, I heard Jules shout "It's a Harlequin!" There perched up on a sunlit rock was a stunning first winter male HARLEQUIN DUCK! Oh what joy and what a sense a relief.

   

HARLEQUIN DUCK (1st winter male)
Rubha Port Scolpaig, Balranald, North Uist.
Photo by Adam Archer

We all carefully scampered across the rocks for a better viewing position in an attempt to get the sun behind us a little more. Whilst we ventured slightly closer, the rarity did not seem too concerned by our presence.  It seemed much more preoccupied with being washed back off the rocks with the incoming tide than a bunch of nutjobs from the Midlands ogling it. After a while preening the bird eventually went with the flow and entered the water where it fed close offshore. We all soaked up the occasion and enjoyed the spectacle to the maximum.  After the initial frustration and dejection we were now thrilled with how the day had eventually turned out. As a bonus Steve picked up 8 Purple Sandpipers amongst the Turnstone flock as we strutted back to the car.

Jules Allen, Mike Feely & Steve Dunn admire the HARLEQUIN!

As we drove away from the reserve there were a dozen or so Rock Dove around the visitor centre. We then checked out the lochs on either side of the road. Over on Loch nam Feithean there was a pair of Whooper Swans and as Steve scrutinised the many Greylag Geese in the area he managed to pick up a pair of Greenland White-fronted Geese lurking amongst the long grass with a small number of Barnacle Geese. On the opposite side of the road he also picked out a distant female Ring-necked Duck amongst 20 or so Tufted Duck.  As we headed around to the Loch Paible area we bumped into Essex birder Dave Bradnum and his crew driving in the opposite direction. After a quick exchange of gen we were armed with some hot, off the press news regarding our next target bird of the trip.

After a taking a wrong turn we chanced upon a flock of 89 noisy Twite perched along the wires at Sidhean Tuath. A few minutes later we had located the correct lane to the south of Loch Paible where we found around 2,000 Barnacle Geese in the area of Paiblesgearraidh.  After a few minutes scanning through the two separate flocks I eventually picked up another Nearctic rarity, a RICHARDSON'S CACKLING GOOSE. Although split from Canada Goose as a separate species by the British Ornithologist's Union way back in 2005 we are still awaiting acceptance of our first British records of Cackling Goose. The subspecies, hutchinsii breeds on the Canadian Arctic tundra from southern Baffin Island out west to the north and western regions of Hudson Bay and winters mainly in Texas and northern Mexico. For a in depth article covering this complex please click on the following link.

After studying the bird for a while we then headed around to our Bed and Breakfast at Middlequarter. On our way there we ended an amazing day of birding with two Short-eared Owls hunting close along the roadside at Cladach Bhalaigh.

HARLEQUIN DUCK at Balranald, North Uist
Photo by Steve Duffield

Please click HERE for the latest Western Isles wildlife news!

After a quick shower and another brief nap in my room I ventured upstairs to meet the other lads for dinner. What I stumbled upon can only be described as rowdy boozing session. Instead of them scanning the area outside their bedroom window for Snowy Owls they were busy downing bottles of celebratory wine. In the bay window sat Jules Allen superficially resembling Father Jack Hackett from the comedy series Father Ted and slumped over his bed was a ruddy-faced Mike Feely looking like a cross between Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne and Penfold from the cartoon Danger Mouse. In the background attempting to secure incriminating photographic evidence of the whole debacle was an impish Steve Dunn. I had visions of being evicted from our accommodation before the night was through.

As the only sober birder it was then left up to me to transport us over to Lochmaddy for the evening. After a screeched halt outside the Co-op for yet more wine we eventually made it to the Lochmaddy Hotel for a well deserved meal and the odd drink. At around 8.15pm the second ferry of the day pulled into the harbour and with it brought a second batch of Midland birders to the island. We spent the next enjoyable few hours laughing, joking and reliving past epic trips with our birding brethren Tony Barter, Tom Cattell, Jase Oliver and Rob Gilbert.  Our fingers were crossed that they would connect with the HARLEQUIN DUCK the following day. Hopefully the bird would be easier to locate for them than it was for us.