Ythan Estuary
Newburgh beach seal haul out.
Location: Ythan Estuary & Newburgh Beach, Aberdeenshire
Date: July 7th, 2025
Conditions: Overcast, tidal ebb
Habitat: River estuary, sand beach, mud & gravel flats, dune margins
Headline Observations
• Estuary Orientation: Long, narrow, running N–S; enters North Sea ~18 km north of Aberdeen
• Tidal Landscape: Extensive mudflats and gravel beds at river mouth; flanked by large dune systems
• Seal Haul-Out: Mouth of Ythan hosts mainland Scotland’s fastest-growing grey seal colony
• Best Viewing Point: South bank near Beach Road car park, Newburgh
Mammals
Seals on Newburgh beach
Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus)
• Largest UK seal species; up to 2.5m, 300kg
• Flat head, dog-like muzzle, mottled coat
• Lie flat on sandbanks; white-coated pups confirm species
• Hundreds hauled out opposite bank—sunbathing, resting, some swimming inquisitively in channel
Common Seals / Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina), smaller; 120–160cm, 40–100kg
• Short muzzle, V-shaped nostrils, sunken eyes
• Lie in “banana” posture, variable coat pattern.
• Mixed among greys—distinguishing features noted in close view
⚠️ Forvie designated haul-out site—disturbance is a legal offence. Observed respectfully from distance.
Seals on Newburgh beach
Birds
Common Eider
• Large population feeding on mussel beds at low tide
• Females: brown-barred plumage, pale bill tip
Female Eider
• Males (eclipse): dark, unbarred plumage, white upper wing tips & tertial feathers.
• Chicks present—broods trailing through shallows
• Vocalisation: classic “Oooooh!”—Frankie Howerd-esque
Male Eider in eclipse plumage
Terns (4 species)
• Common, Arctic, Little, Sandwich—active over estuary and beach margins
• Agile, vocal, diving for fish in tidal channels
Other Sightings
• Oystercatchers, Black-headed Gulls (juveniles hard to ID), Curlew, Lapwing
• Herring Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Yellowhammers—noted in dune scrub and margins
Oystercatcher
Route & Notes
Walked north along riverbank to Newburgh beach. Seals visible across channel- Hundreds, grey and common hauled out, sunlit and still. Some lifted their heads to watch, others swam inquisitively in the channel separating us.
Among the mussel beds, the eiders fed. Females in barred brown, pale-tipped bills dipping and diving. Males in eclipse—dark, unbarred, with white wing flashes like torn paper against the tide. Their call, that unmistakable “Oooooh!”—half-comic, half-haunting—echoed across the flats.