Peacock - a substitute for another guy

A ritual and yearly Scone Palace visit today and I did see two Hawfinches but didn't even manage to lift the camera to them, they were high in a tree and into the sun. A familiar story that and makes the visit a few years ago when I didn't have a camera with me more annoying, there were around six on the ground feeding then, and close!

I did photograph the Peacocks at Scone, making up for the one in Glenesk last week that I missed in a roadside field. Lastly, another Magpie shot which may make me go back to Forfar Loch and set up for a proper photo session. (probably not, I prefer wandering).

Also from Forfar Loch,  Goosander raft hunting sticklebacks, click here for Flickr video

With a 300mm lens and a 1.4 teleconverter, for the Hawfinches, I had to stand a mile away for such a wide subject. Yes, they did really look this bright in the noon sun

The white one with the palace in the background

Magpie near the sailing club at Forfar Loch

Wild Justice, and a tale of woe.......

Today I had great plans, then while checking a broken garden fence I was attacked by a twig which slid between my eye and eye-lid, man it was sore. That should have sent me back into the house but I persevered and went to Keptie Pond, it's near the Minor Injuries, and found all of the interesting birds had gone due to tree fellers on the island. I imagine it will be a real hatchet job instead of pruning to suit the wildlife, no doubt it will be like a bad haircut, but will need more than a fortnight to improve.

Chris Packham CBE, Mark Avery and Dr Ruth Tingay announce Wild Justice to fight for justice for wildlife. Click through on the links below, maybe even donate!

Wild Justice launches, Raptor Persecution UK           Wild Justice website  worth bookmarking

Black-headed Gull, Keptie Pond

Coot

Moorhen

Grey Squirrel, Ravenscraig Park, Kirkcaldy. Olive said she'd never seen so many dogs, now she knows what a birders life is like..............

Magpie, Ravenscraig Park

Just missed the Arbroath Lifeboat, "Inchcape" being launched on Tuesday. This is only a few metres off the slipway, too busy blethering to another birder!

Green Sandpiper, and nowt else!

I had some time to spend on Friday in the howling gales and frequent squally showers, I was passing time before collecting Olive. I made the decision to stay at Monikie and try for some photos of the Green Sandpiper I had hoped would still be there, it was, I got some, but the weather just wouldn't oblige.

Here's a variety, all dependent on the conditions at the time they were taken, and to demonstrate what conditions do to results, colours, grain and motion capturing. All taken with my D7200 and Tamron 150-600mm. (Shoulder hasn't recovered from a 10 mile walk in Tentsmuir while carrying the heavy lens)

During a brief spell when the sun got through. Here it was in the corner where the children feed the ducks, and the dogs chase them. I was standing in cover at the anglers pier

I included this one taken as it flew into the corner to show the under-wing and tail patterning

I suspect the camera had focused on the gull, but it worked in the awful light

Eventually a dog spooked it and it flew along to the other pier to the east of the anglers one. It didn't get peace there either and flew behind the island

This photo taken while it was raining and through the trees where the burn, dirty and in flood was flowing into the pond. I'd stalked the Sandpiper and waited for it to walk across the only gap I had to view it. If only the sun was out then as I was quite close