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/
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
“As a medical anthropologist, I’m fascinated by the political, economic, and social networks that have transformed humble bird’s nests into one of the most expensive animal products in the world.”

Read more: www.sapiens.org/culture/edib...
November 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
Hard agree. Incredible that you can routinely drive in winter from Grantham to Norwich now and not see a single flock. It is increasingly becoming a bird of reserves and not the wider countryside, even in winter #UKBirding
Things have come to a pretty pass when it takes until mid-November to see my first Lapwing of the year at Girdle Ness. This one was in Greyhope Bay this morning. Maybe the bird that's undergone the most perceptible loss in British avifauna in my lifetime.
#Birds #BIrdingScotland #UKWildlife
November 16, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Purple Sandpipers gathering on the rocks at Greyhope Bay, Girdle Ness today, their busy twittering cutting through the rolling surf. Their numbers are building up for the winter but changes in roosting habits make it harder to accurately assess the numbers these days.
#Birds #BirdingScotland
November 16, 2025 at 4:04 PM
The young Great Northern Diver is still in Aberdeen Harbour, today ploughing head-first through the waters and pulling out fish.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
November 16, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
You make a fair point about the disappearance of breeding Lapwing, Andrew. The thinning out of the breeding distribution has meant that they have ceased to be a 'local' bird for many.
This was a sad blog to write:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/11/30/2...
#ornithology
November 16, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Things have come to a pretty pass when it takes until mid-November to see my first Lapwing of the year at Girdle Ness. This one was in Greyhope Bay this morning. Maybe the bird that's undergone the most perceptible loss in British avifauna in my lifetime.
#Birds #BIrdingScotland #UKWildlife
November 15, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Seawatching below grey skies and an easterly at Girdle Ness. After yesterday's late Sooty Shearwater, 2 more passed today. Also, 2 Little Auks, 3 Bonxies, a Manx Shearwater and a Little Gull. The highlight was my first Slavonian Grebe here for several years, heading north.
#Birds #BirdingScotland
November 15, 2025 at 3:35 PM
My latest ever Sooty Shearwater headed north over some iridescent seas at Girdle Ness this afternoon. Bunched parties of Kittiwakes were heading the same way, looking for a route out to the Atlantic.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
November 14, 2025 at 5:08 PM
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