This is the second of three blogs from last weekend – taken from Sunday 3rd June 2012.
Another bright sunny morning and another hunt to monitor Rock Pipits, however, this time we headed north to Quarryhead, on the north coast of Aberdeenshire. Here the first broods had already fledged and we were on the look out for the fledglings and where the adults were setting up home for their second broods. Not being the most experienced at this and also being in a new area, it was so easy to be distracted by other sights and sounds.
The distractions began soon after our arrival, when looking out over the sea and the attention was caught by the magnificent sights of Fulmars that were gliding round the cliffs on the thermals, as though they were on wires. Swooping, banking and playing with the coastal breezes.
Looking East from Quarryhead towards Poukburn, Aberdeenshire – 03 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)
Quarryhead is situated on an area of coast line that is formed from a series of low rocky cliffs, interspersed with slumping grassy slopes. The cliffs here erode into regular rectangle blocks, that were highlighted with large patches of a bright yellow lichen, and look almost as though someone has been splashing around the rocks with a tin of yellow paint.
Lichen Encrusted Rocks – 03 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)
The vegetation on top of the cliffs is dominated mainly by coastal grassland, with the occasional patch of heath, where Crowberry formed distinctive patches. Colour was added from large splashes of blue, formed by flowering Spring Squill, which was sprinkled with the yellow of Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil flowers. Then the edges of the cliff were highlighted with carpets of pink from the Wild Thrift and patches of white Sea Campion.
Spring Squill Carpet – 03 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)
Moving slightly further west, we then made a stop at Aberdour Bay. Here the rocks have changed from rectangular and blocky to a rich warm orange sandstone, where the different sized particles are so easy to see, and have been differentiated into different size layers by the action of wind or water. The rich warm orange colour almost made me think that this part of Aberdeenshire may be rusting away, soon to disappear into the sea.
Aberdour Bay – 03 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)
We had come here to look at the amazing sight of House Martins nesting on the coastal cliffs, wedging their nests along various outcrops of rock, hopefully well clear of the waves and any summer storms. Using the various crevices formed on the eroding rock faces to support their nests. Currently the birds where busy, collecting more mud from a spring seepage high on the cliff face and them coming back to add another new nest to the several already present on this rock face.
House Martin Nests – 03 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)
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