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Andrew Whitehouse

@anthrobirder

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/

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30.09.2023
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Latest posts by Andrew Whitehouse @anthrobirder

To do it properly, they should appoint someone who's already manager of a Scottish club. They would then manage both that club and Spurs at the same time. The union of the managers.

11.03.2026 09:58 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

There's a good chance it'll be the highlight of my year.

09.03.2026 21:27 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A Bottlenose Dolphin is surfacing from a blue sea.

A Bottlenose Dolphin is surfacing from a blue sea.

Three Bottlenose Dolphins are surfacing from a blue sea.

Three Bottlenose Dolphins are surfacing from a blue sea.

A Bottlenose Dolphin is surfacing vertically from a blue sea.

A Bottlenose Dolphin is surfacing vertically from a blue sea.

A Bottlenose Dolphin is flipping backwards while jumping from a blue sea.

A Bottlenose Dolphin is flipping backwards while jumping from a blue sea.

Lots of Bottlenose Dolphin activity at Girdle Ness today. Spring is always a good time for them. It's striking how much scarring they have them.
#UKWildlife #Dolphins #Cetaceans

08.03.2026 18:00 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

That's good to hear. I wonder if this one came down from up your way.

08.03.2026 17:01 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A Chiffchaff is perched on some twigs, slightly obscured behind several stems.

A Chiffchaff is perched on some twigs, slightly obscured behind several stems.

A returning Chiffchaff in the bushes at St Fittick's Park today. It's exactly the same date as my first last year.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

08.03.2026 16:56 πŸ‘ 20 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A Coot is feeding in a marshy pool among lots of brownish rushy vegetation.

A Coot is feeding in a marshy pool among lots of brownish rushy vegetation.

A Coot is feeding in a marshy pool among lots of brownish rushy vegetation.

A Coot is feeding in a marshy pool among lots of brownish rushy vegetation.

A Coot is feeding in a marshy pool among lots of brownish rushy vegetation.

A Coot is feeding in a marshy pool among lots of brownish rushy vegetation.

Yeah, Glaucous Gulls are great but the real #patchgold today at Girdle Ness was this Coot on the St Fittick's wetlands. Only my second ever record here and perhaps only the fourth or fifth ever daytime record.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

08.03.2026 16:24 πŸ‘ 32 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
A Glaucous Gull is standing on a seaweed covered rocky shore. The pale eye and bill tip age it as a 3rd calendar year.

A Glaucous Gull is standing on a seaweed covered rocky shore. The pale eye and bill tip age it as a 3rd calendar year.

A Glaucous Gull is standing on a seaweed covered rocky shore with a mussel in its bill. The pale eye and bill tip age it as a 3rd calendar year.

A Glaucous Gull is standing on a seaweed covered rocky shore with a mussel in its bill. The pale eye and bill tip age it as a 3rd calendar year.

A Glaucous Gull is standing on a seaweed covered rocky shore. The pale eye and bill tip age it as a 3rd calendar year. An Oystercatcher is in the background.

A Glaucous Gull is standing on a seaweed covered rocky shore. The pale eye and bill tip age it as a 3rd calendar year. An Oystercatcher is in the background.

A Glaucous Gull is swimming in some dark water with a mussel in its open bill.

A Glaucous Gull is swimming in some dark water with a mussel in its open bill.

The 3rd calendar year Glaucous Gull was back in Aberdeen Harbour this morning, demolishing mussels along the shore below the Girdle Ness allotments.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife

08.03.2026 16:11 πŸ‘ 29 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The system is better in Scotland than England, with students usually doing four subjects in first year and narrowing down as they go along. Our students don't commit to a degree until they go into third year, and it's often a joint degree. We even have a liberal arts degree at Aberdeen now.

06.03.2026 16:02 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

Another 'dropped out of A Levels and now a university lecturer' here. Probably the best thing I ever did.

06.03.2026 12:53 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Quite literally an absolute unit of a Wordle.

05.03.2026 09:50 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Multispecies Mutualisms - Join Our Research Team! We’re hiring 4 Postdoctoral Research Associates (PDRAs) In this video, members of the team share insights into four exciting PDRA opportunities currently available. If you are ready to take the next s...

1/ Calling all ECRS - we have 4x 3 year post docs on Multispecies Mutualisms working with us at Sheffield. Don't want to read through all the stuff to work out if its right for you? Here is a short video explainer πŸŽ₯
digitalmedia.sheffield.ac.uk/media/Multis...

03.03.2026 12:47 πŸ‘ 38 πŸ” 27 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 5

Rhinos have their own charm but I agree on Parakeet's cuteness.

02.03.2026 18:04 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Lovely photo. Did you mean Parakeet Auklet.?

02.03.2026 16:49 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
A Glaucous Gull is sitting down on top of a harbour wall, with some Herring Gulls behind it.

A Glaucous Gull is sitting down on top of a harbour wall, with some Herring Gulls behind it.

A Glaucous Gull is standing on a rocky, seaweed covered shore with some Herring Gulls.

A Glaucous Gull is standing on a rocky, seaweed covered shore with some Herring Gulls.

A Glaucous Gull from Aberdeen Harbour this afternoon. Seems to be a 3rd calendar year and a different bird to the one I saw a few weeks back.
#SuperSeabirdSunday #Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife #PatchBirding

01.03.2026 18:29 πŸ‘ 33 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A Long-tailed Skua is flying right to left over a blue sea.

A Long-tailed Skua is flying right to left over a blue sea.

A Long-tailed Skua is flying right to left over a blue sea.

A Long-tailed Skua is flying right to left over a blue sea.

Skuas don't look their best on their South Atlantic wintering grounds. Long-tailed Skua was the commonest species, like this one off the Argentinian coast in January.
#SuperSeabirdSunday #Birds

01.03.2026 10:45 πŸ‘ 33 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A Sooty Albatross is flying right to left against a blue sea. It's a slender, brown albatross that's a bit darker on the face.

A Sooty Albatross is flying right to left against a blue sea. It's a slender, brown albatross that's a bit darker on the face.

A Grey Petrel is flying right to left against a blue sea. This shows the grey upper side and slightly darker face.

A Grey Petrel is flying right to left against a blue sea. This shows the grey upper side and slightly darker face.

A Grey Petrel is flying right to left over a blue sea. This shows the white underside and dark greyish underwings.

A Grey Petrel is flying right to left over a blue sea. This shows the white underside and dark greyish underwings.

Acutely bad photos of a couple of rarer South Atlantic seabirds that were seen north of the Falklands in January. First, an immature Sooty Albatross and second a distinctively plain Grey Petrel.
#SuperSeabirdSunday #Birds

01.03.2026 10:27 πŸ‘ 17 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A Chilean Seaside Cinclodes is standing on a rock facing slightly forward. Behind is a frothing sea and there's a small sprig of seaweed on the rock.

A Chilean Seaside Cinclodes is standing on a rock facing slightly forward. Behind is a frothing sea and there's a small sprig of seaweed on the rock.

A Chilean Seaside Cinclodes is perched on a seaweed covered rock facing right. It's a dark brown songbird with some white on the throat, a white eyebrow and some white streaking on the breast.

A Chilean Seaside Cinclodes is perched on a seaweed covered rock facing right. It's a dark brown songbird with some white on the throat, a white eyebrow and some white streaking on the breast.

A rare passerine entry for #SuperSeabirdSunday, a Chilean Seaside Cinclodes exploring its favoured habitat in Algarrobo in January.
#Birds

01.03.2026 10:10 πŸ‘ 25 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
A group of gulls are standing around on some warehouse rooftops. A Lesser Black-backed Gull is second on the right. The others are all Herring Gulls.

A group of gulls are standing around on some warehouse rooftops. A Lesser Black-backed Gull is second on the right. The others are all Herring Gulls.

A mildly exciting annual event in Aberdeen is my first sighting of Lesser Black-backed Gull in the spring. This year the day arrived earlier than usual, with this bird on the rooftops in Torry today.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding

26.02.2026 18:18 πŸ‘ 30 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I like the eyepiece cover on the ATB a lot more than the ATX one, as it's much sturdier and fits more snugly. If you do ever use it on a shoulder strap, I'd recommend using something other than the supplied one.

26.02.2026 18:07 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Looks like Allister agrees with you.

26.02.2026 17:54 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

There appear to be some birding applications for the Allister Heath headline generator. #UKBirding

26.02.2026 14:33 πŸ‘ 30 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 0

I actually prefer the zoom range on the ATB to my ATX85 because I like the lower end at 18x with a very wide angle for scanning. The upper end on my ATX doesn't get used much due to wind/ atmospheric distortion effects so I'm not losing anything useful in most conditions I bird in.

26.02.2026 12:56 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I have the angled version. It's absolutely great in wind and makes a massive difference on a tripod in those conditions. Even in light winds, it's still a better view on a tripod with the stabilisation on, particularly when panning. The best scope I've ever used.

26.02.2026 12:46 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
An Atlantic Petrel is flying right to left against a blue sea, showing its upper side.

An Atlantic Petrel is flying right to left against a blue sea, showing its upper side.

An Atlantic Petrel is flying right to left against a blue sea, showing its under side.

An Atlantic Petrel is flying right to left against a blue sea, showing its under side.

An Atlantic Petrel is flying right to left against a blue sea, showing its under side.

An Atlantic Petrel is flying right to left against a blue sea, showing its under side.

Atlantic Petrels were quite frequent along the continental shelf east of Buenos Aires province last month. A large, skua-like Pterodroma, most were in heavy wing moult like this bird.
#Birds #SuperSeabirdSunday

22.02.2026 17:52 πŸ‘ 35 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A Soft-plumaged Petrel is flying left to right over a bright blue sea, showing its underside.

A Soft-plumaged Petrel is flying left to right over a bright blue sea, showing its underside.

A Soft-plumaged Petrel is flying left to right over a bright blue sea, showing its upperside.

A Soft-plumaged Petrel is flying left to right over a bright blue sea, showing its upperside.

A Soft-plumaged Petrel is flying left to right over a bright blue sea, showing its underside.

A Soft-plumaged Petrel is flying left to right over a bright blue sea, showing its underside.

Welcome to the Pterodromas. Soft-plumaged Petrel is a classic small Pterodroma and was numerous in the South Atlantic last month, particularly north and south of the Falklands.
#Birds #SuperSeabirdSunday

22.02.2026 17:02 πŸ‘ 32 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A Wandering Albatross is flying left to right against a blue-grey sea. It has mostly black wings, a black tail, white upperparts and a pink bill.

A Wandering Albatross is flying left to right against a blue-grey sea. It has mostly black wings, a black tail, white upperparts and a pink bill.

A young Wandering (Snowy) Albatross cruising the South Atlantic north of the Falklands last month.
#Birds #SuperSeabirdSunday

22.02.2026 16:51 πŸ‘ 41 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Thanks! They're very characterful.

16.02.2026 17:21 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It looks as though things may improve by the weekend. I should probably start wearing wellies to go to work!

09.02.2026 08:49 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Looking at the forecast, we should get to three weeks with rain every day in Aberdeen. And basically no sun at all in that time. It's the longest spell of bad weather I've ever known.

09.02.2026 08:44 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
A superb Austral Pygmy Owl is sitting on a tree branch facing towards us but slightly up. In the background are green leaves and blue skies.

A superb Austral Pygmy Owl is sitting on a tree branch facing towards us but slightly up. In the background are green leaves and blue skies.

A superb Austral Pygmy Owl is sitting on a tree branch facing towards us. In the background are green leaves and blue skies.

A superb Austral Pygmy Owl is sitting on a tree branch facing towards us. In the background are green leaves and blue skies.

Here's a superb Austral Pygmy Owl from Algarobbo in central Chile last month.
#SuperbOwl #Birds

08.02.2026 21:44 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0