Corunna Moor

This website is an attempt to create a more systematic record of birds on the Corunna Moor. The quality of pictures is not always good. I replace them with better ones whenever I can. I try to include pictures of juveniles or feeding birds which could be a proof of breeding.

Status refers to how common is the species in North-East Scotland. I indicated birds which are Red or Amber listed according to Birds of Conservations Concerns 5: the population status of birds in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man 2021.

Jump to: barn swallow, blackbird, blackcap, black headed gull, black redstart, blue tit, bullfinch, buzzard, carrion crow, chaffinch, chiffchaff, coal tit, collared dove, common gull, common tern, cormorant, crossbill, curlew, dunnock, feral pigeon, fieldfare, goldcrest, goldfinch, great black-backed gull, great tit, greenfinch, grey heron, grey wagtail, herring gull, house sparrow, jackdaw, kestrel, lapwing, lesser black-backed gull, lesser whitethroat, linnet, long-tailed tit, magpie, meadow pipit, mistle thrush, oystercatcher, pheasant, pied/white wagtail, pink footed goose, red-backed shrike, red kite, redwing, reed bunting, robin, rook, sand martin, sandwich tern, siskin, song thrush, sparrowhawk, spotted flycatcher, starling, stock dove, stonechat, swift, treecreeper, tree sparrow, water rail, waxwing, whitethroat, whooper swan, willow warbler, woodpecker, woodpigeon, wren, yellowhammer.
Count: 72.

Barn swallow
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: Summer
Where: Sky.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Yes. In the building of the Royal Golf Club.

Blackbird
Status: Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Hedges, gardens (picking up worms from a lawn), cotoneaster, buddleia and alder, gorse.
Frequency: Several seen every day. The leucistic one seen just once (Dec 3, 2022).
Breeding: Summer.

Blackcap
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: Summer.
Where: Cotoneaster, woodland.
Frequency: Rare visitor
Breeding: Not observed

Black headed gull Amber listed
Status: Common resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.
When: All year.
Where: Golf course, sky.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Summer.

Black redstart Amber listed

Status: Uncommon passage migrant, rare in summer and winter.
When: Seen in May 2025.
Where: The north corner of the moor, on the street.
Frequency: Very rare.
Breeding: No.

Blue tit
Status: Common resident and rare passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Gardens, cotoneaster, whitebeam (border with the golf course), alder, buddleia.
Frequency: Rarely seen in winter, almost every day in summer.
Breeding: Summer.

Bullfinch Amber listed
Status: Locally common resident and rare passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Woodland, buddleia.
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: Not observed.

Buzzard
Status: Widespread resident.
When: All year.
Where: On the skies above, sometimes on the top of the spruces.
Frequency: Very rare.
Breeding: Not on the moor; in the woodland between the golf course and the old conference centre.

Carrion crow
Status: Common resident and winter visitor.
When: All year.
Where: On the grass or trees.
Frequency: Nearly every day.
Breeding: Possibly summer.

Chaffinch
Status: Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Mostly woodland, on spruces and whitebeam.
Frequency: Every day, except winter when it is quite rare.
Breeding: Summer.

Coal tit
Status: Common resident and rare passage migrant.
When: Spring.
Where: Trees, hedges, buddleia, cotoneaster.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Summer.

Collared dove
Status: Common resident.
When: All year
Where: Woodland
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: Not observed.

Common gull
When: Spring.
Where: Sky
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: No.

Common tern Amber listed
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: Spring, summer.
Where: Sky.
Frequency: Rare. They are normally on the beach and sometimes fly inland and can be seen or heard over the moor. The pictures below were taken on the beach.
Breeding: No.

Cormorant
Status: Common resident.
When: Summer.
Where: Sky.
Frequency: Seen once on August 10, 2023.
Breeding: No.

Chiffchaff
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: Spring.
Where: Cotoneaster, gorse, hedges.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Spring, summer.
Comment: In the third picture below is a ringed male (RRE 007 - YES! Double O seven!). It was ringed in Bridge of Don on September 8, 2025 as a young bird. I read his ring on April 10, 2026. It means the bird returned close to his birthplace after his first migration. More details.

Crossbill
Status: Common resident and irruptive migrant.
When: Late summer.
Where: Top of a spruce.
Frequency: Common in late summer, otherwise rare.
Breeding: No.

Curlew Red listed
Status: Common resident and winter visitor.
When: All year.
Where: Sky, sometimes on the ground.
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: No.

Dunnock Amber listed
Status: Common resident and uncommon passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Hedges, cotoneaster, gorse.
Frequency: Irregular. Seen mostly in autumn and winter. Needs more observation.
Breeding: Spring, summer.

Feral pigeon / Rock dove
Status: Common resident.
When: All year.
Where: Mostly skies, often roofs, trees, grass.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Summer.

Fieldfare Red listed
Status: Common winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: Winter, e.g., Dec 2023 or Jan 2024.
Where: On the skies. They come from Norway in flocks. Sometimes stop on local trees.
Frequency: Every 15 minutes during the migration period of a few days.
Breeding: No.

Goldcrest
Status: Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Woodland, gorse, hedges.
Frequency: Every day, mostly in the woodland.
Breeding: Summer.

Goldfinch
Status: Common resident, uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: Mostly in summer and autumn.
Where: In the woodland. In September, flocks of goldfinches feed on the cones of the spruces.
Frequency: Every day (summer, autumn).
Breeding: Summer.

Great black-backed gull Red listed
Status: Common throughout the year.
When: All year.
Where: Sky, roofs.
Frequency: Relatively frequent in spring and summer. Rare in general.
Breeding: No.

Great tit
Status: Common resident and rare passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Hedges, cotoneaster, alder, buddleia, whitebeam.
Frequency: Every day in summer, seldom in winter. However, can be heard on warmer and sunnier days of January.
Breeding: Probably.

Greenfinch Red listed
Status: Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Cotoneaster, trees.
Frequency: Rare. Only visiting.
Breeding: Yes (2024).

Grey heron
When: All year.
Where: Sky.
Frequency: Occasionally flying over.
Breeding: No.

Grey wagtail Amber listed
Status: Common resident and passage migrant.
When: Autumn.
Where: Trees; flying over the moor.
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: No.

Herring gull Red listed
Status: Common resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.
When: All year.
Where: On the skies and the roofs of nearby buildings.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Spring, summer.

House sparrow Red listed
Status: Common resident.
When: All year.
Where: Hedges, cotoneaster.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Spring, summer.

Jackdaw
Status: Common resident, uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: On the grass.
Frequency: Almost every day.
Breeding: Probably.

Kestrel Amber listed
Status: Common resident and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: On the skies or on spruces.
Frequency: Rare. Once a month.
Breeding: No.

Lapwing Red listed
Status: Common resident and passage migrant.
When: All year
Where: Flying over
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: Not observed.

Lesser black-backed gull Amber listed
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: Spring summer.
Where: Flying over.
Frequency: Occasional.
Breeding: No.

Lesser whitethroat Amber listed
Status: Summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: Spring summer.
Where: Seen once on May 6, 2026 in the woodland.
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: No.

Linnet Red listed
Status: Common resident, scarce winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: Spring summer.
Where: Cotoneaster, gorse.
Frequency: Occasional.
Breeding: No.

Long-tailed tit
Status: Common resident.
When: First seen on February 9, 2023 (4 birds).
Where: Alders and buddleia adjacent to Corunna Road.
Frequency: Rare. One sighting so far.
Breeding: Not seen.

Magpie
Status: Common resident.
When: All year.
Where: On the spruces and the grassland nearby the woodland, all other trees and grass in the area.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Summer.

Meadow pipit Amber listed
Status: Common resident and passage migrant.
When: Spring, summer
Where: Gorse, buddleia.
Frequency: Rare. Seen once so far.
Breeding: Not observed.

Mistle thrush Red listed
Status: Fairly common resident and rare passage migrant.
When: Autumn
Where: Whitebeams
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: Not observed.

Oystercatcher
When: All year.
Where: Grass and sky.
Frequency: Most of the time in the area.
Breeding: No.

Pheasant
Status: Common resident.
When: All year.
Where: Woodland and the adjacent grass.
Frequency: Occasional visitor from the golf course.
Breeding: No.

Pied/white wagtail
Status: Common resident and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Golf course, sky.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Not on the moor.

Pink footed goose Amber listed
Status: Common winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: Spring and autumn.
Where: On the skies while they are migrating or preparing for the migration.
Frequency: Almost every day during their migration time.
Breeding: No.

Red-backed shrike Red listed
Status: Scarce passage migrant.
When: Seen once on May 19, 2024
Where: Snowdrop, cotoneaster, gorse
Frequency: Very rare.
Breeding: No.

Red kite
Status: Increasingly common resident.
When: Seen once on March 31, 2024
Where: Flying over.
Frequency: Very rare.
Breeding: No.

Redwing Amber listed
Status: Common winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: Winter. Large flocks come from Norway in December.
Where: Woodland, grass and nearby trees.
Frequency: When they visit the moor, they are seen in large numbers every day.
Breeding: No.

Reed bunting Amber listed
Status: Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: Winter
Where: Gorse and trees.
Frequency: Seen once on March 16, 2025.
Breeding: No.

Robin
Status: Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Gorse and all nearby bushes and hedges.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Likely but not seen.

Rook Amber listed
Status: Common resident.
When: All year.
Where: Woodland, other trees and grasses.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Late spring.

Sand martin
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: Spring, summer.
Where: Sky.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: No.
Comment: They nest in the dunes and fly inland to feed on insects. From individual birds to flocks of about 30 can be seen and heard over the moor. The second picture was taken on the beach.

Sandwich tern Amber listed
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: Spring, summer.
Where: Sky.
Frequency: Almost every day.
Breeding: No.
Comment: They are normally on the beach or in the Don estuary, sometimes flying inland and can be seen or heard over the moor. The pictures below were taken in the Don estuary. On the second picture there is a ringed bird.

Siskin
Status: Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: On the alder (autumn, winter) and spruces (summer).
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: ?

Song Thrush Amber listed
Status: Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Cotoneaster, hedges, alder, buddleia, grass.
Frequency: Almost every day.
Breeding: Probably, but not seen.

Sparrowhawk Amber listed
Status: Common resident and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Sky, gardens, trees.
Frequency: Almost every day.
Breeding: Yes (2024). See the full story.

Spotted flycatcher Red listed
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: September.
Where: Woodland.
Frequency: Rare. Passing migrant.
Breeding: No.

Starling Red listed
Status: Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Lawns (when they have young), gardens, cotoneaster.
Frequency: Occasional visitor from nearby residential areas.
Breeding: No.

Stock dove Amber listed
Status: Locally common resident.
When: Spring.
Where: Barren floor near woodland
Frequency: Seen once on June 11, 2024.
Breeding: No.

Stonechat
Status: Common resident and scarce passage migrant.
When: October.
Where: Gorse.
Frequency: Seen on October 18, 2022 and once in August 2023.
Breeding: No.

Swift Red listed
Status: Common summer visitor.
When: Late spring, summer.
Where: Sky.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: No.

Tern Arctic, Common, Sandwich, Amber listed
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: Spring, summer.
Where: Sky.
Frequency: Almost every day. They are normally on the beach but some of them fly inland and can be seen over the moor. The pictures below were taken on the beach and on the Don estuary.
Breeding: No.

Treecreeper
Status: Common resident and rare passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Woodland.
Frequency: Rare. Not so easy to spot as the bird is relatively quiet.
Breeding: ?

Tree sparrow Red listed
Status: Locally common resident.
When: All year.
Where: Gorse, buddleia, woodland.
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: Not observed.

Water rail
When: Autumn.
Where: Gorse.
Frequency: Seen once on November 26, 2022.
Breeding: No.

Waxwing
Status: Winter visitor.
When: Autumn.
Where: Trees.
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: No.

Whitethroat Amber listed
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: May.
Where: Gorse.
Frequency: Everyday.
Breeding: Late spring.

Whooper swan Amber listed
Status: Common winter visitor.
When: Autumn, winter.
Where: Flying over.
Frequency: Rare.
Breeding: No.

Willow Warbler Amber listed
Status: Common summer visitor and passage migrant.
When: Spring, summer.
Where: Buddleia, hedge, trees
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Summer.
Comment: On the third picture below is a ringed male (REE 459). It was ringed in Bridge of Don on July 26, 2025 as a young bird. I read his ring on April 27, 2026. It means that after his first migration to southern Africa, he returned to its birthplace.

Woodpecker (great spotted)
Status: Common resident.
When: All year.
Where: Spruces, whitebeams.
Frequency: Very rare.
Breeding: Not observed.

Woodpigeon Amber listed
Status: Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Spruces, nearby grass and the skies.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Yes.

Wren Amber listed
Status: Common resident and uncommon passage migrant.
When: All year.
Where: Gorse.
Frequency: Every day.
Breeding: Spring, summer.

Yellowhammer Red listed
Status: Common resident.
When: Spring, summer.
Where: Cotoneaster.
Frequency: Rare. Frequent in the early spring.
Breeding: Not seen.

Birds of the Corunna Moor