East Haven Webs Survey - December 2025

   
Mostly birds from my Webs (Wetland Bird Survey) seen on Saturday when I thought it was a bit dull and gloomy, but perhaps better than it would be on the preferred date on Sunday. That has been proved to be true and I've had lights on for most of today at home.

Little Gull at East Haven, it was catching flies blown upwards over the dune edge with another bird 

A bit stormy on Saturday when I did my Webs and most of the waders had congregated on the thin band of sand before the spring tide covered it. The Sanderlings weren't phased by the conditions

There were 98 Sanderlings and 2 Dunlin in this photo

Sanderlings and Dunlin just before they were flushed by a dog running freely on the beach

Bar-tailed Godwit

Turnstone

Not a common sight in winter at East Haven, four Meadow Pipits were feeding near the strand line in poor light

Rock Pipit

Male Stonechat, I haven't seen the female for some time

One of two Grey Herons present

This adult male Sparrowhawk was an infrequent visitor to my garden, the 1st winter male is seen most days but the wee birds appear to mock it from the bushes

A male Goosander on a dull afternoon at Keptie Pond in Arbroath

Black-headed Gull

Moorhen, a bit of colour on a winter day near dusk

Tufted Duck

A very short look in Arbroath Harbour on the same day as above didn't produce anything unusual other than two Cormorants. The sea was coming over the breakwater and I didn't want a soaking for the sake of another wader photo

Arbroath Harbour Birdlife

A short trip to Arbroath Harbour and surrounds looking for a Black Redstart, Long-tailed Duck, a Scoter or in my dreams a Desert Wheatear.... none of them were seen. 

The 95 Golden Plovers weren't unexpected, I thought they'd be hanging about on the tideline rocks, but where. I picked them out from Danger Point looking along to South Street, they didn't stay long as the tide rose.

Other photos are from Inchcape Park and the Curlie in Montrose.

Golden Plovers, South Street in Arbroath, moving on the incoming tide in front of "Hashie's Bench"

Great black-backed Gull 1st winter with darvic ring yellow 287:M. Photographed with a rainbow background from the Old Brewhouse car park at Danger Point

Starling

Rock Pipit

Human rubbish

Purple Sandpiper, Arbroath Harbour

Cormorant

Eider drake

Redshank

Turnstone feeding on the detritus where creels are cleaned

Greenfinch at Inchcape Park beach

Robin also

Moorhen at "The Curlie" in Montrose

Herring Gull with darvic ring yellow T:00X, ringed by a local ringer as an immature female on 9/5/21.  

(Hatched 2019)

Jackdaw

Oystercatcher

Peregrine, Carnoustie

   
Just a few photos from around Arbroath and Carnoustie, with a couple of AI constructs added showing the popular new cycle-way

Goosander fishing for Perch at Murton NR      Goldeneye drake, Monikie CP

Peregrine 1st winter seen flying over Carlogie Road in Carnoustie in heavy cloud and rain

I've still got this Sparrowhawk male visiting my garden but not as often, and I have never seen it make a kill

Dog sick slime mold, recently there were 8 small patches on my lawn. It doesn't appear to cause any problems and only occurs at this time of year when the ground and air is wet

The new cycle-way which bisects Arbroath which took 77 weeks to construct

This part is in front of Gayfield Park, home of the "Mighty Red Lichties"

Both photos by Gemini which couldn't seem to understand "two cars wide, ten cars deep"