Dog Otter

A Dog Otter fishing in a local river, photo taken from about 20 metres away before the noise of the camera zoom spooked it!

Harris Hawk, Kingfisher and Goldeneye

OK, the Harris Hawk was being trained on the site of the old Seaforth Hotel in Arbroath and the Kingfisher is 170 metres away but the camera still picked it out well enough for a record shot.

This young bird is only 16 weeks old.

Goldeneye females at Montrose Basin

Greenshank

There is a Kingfisher in this photo, it was 170 metres across the South Esk.

Male and female Teal in winter plumage.

Forfar Loch - Water Rail

A surprise today when a Water Rail appeared from the reeds at Forfar Loch.

I think this is a Goldeneye in eclipse plumage at Balgavies

The local Magpie at Forfar Loch

I felt like a Pied Piper as all of these followed Olive and I around.

Two male Pochards at Balgavies, there were a few others, Tufted Ducks, Wigeon and Goldeneye.

Easthaven

Westhaven to Easthaven along the beach.

First photo an Arctic Skua, below that a Bar-tailed Godwit.

Collared Dove, Common Gull, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail following.

Craigmill Den, first Fieldfare of the autumn

I nearly missed this single Fieldfare hiding in a sick looking tree in Craigmill, the Grey Wagtail on the cottage roof was much more obvious. A Dunnock, Wren and Yellowhammer also added below.

 Dunnock

Grey Wagtail

Wren, and below a Yellowhammer

Keptie Pond, Arbroath Teal and Wigeon a first?

Photos of two Teal and one of two Wigeon I found at Keptie Pond, I asked around and both don't appear to have been seen there before.

From the top, Teal, Wigeon, Coot, Black-headed Gull, finally Grey Heron

Arbroath Harbour

A few photos taken on a dull day at Arbroath Harbour and Fishtown of Usan for the Dunnock. The Shag in the first two photos is a very tame juvenile, the Oystercatcher appeared not to see me above it and the Purple Sandpiper amongst the Redshanks was on the breakwater at high tide. Some of the photos appear to have been "tweaked" in conversion by Google, not an improvement this time!

Glenesk Kites

I was pleasantly surprised to see a Red Kite near the Edzell end of Glenesk but better was to come with six kites in a group seen further up the glen. Mistle Thrush numbers are increasing and I counted 29 on a walk up the banks of the North Esk.

This Red Kite was a fair distance away but I can just see it has wing tags.

Late posts, some old photos I meant to post but lost!

A view at Elliot along one of the ponds formed where the Elliot Burn once flowed, a Wheatear at Easthaven and Little Grebes at Montrose Basin.

Winter Duck and Geese hunt (wild goose chase)

A trip from Backwater Dam back to Balgavies where I saw many ducks and geese, perhaps 1,000 Canada Geese at Lintrathen for example. From the top, two Whooper Swans at Lintrathen, Canada Geese which were spooked by lunatics in an open canoe, and a Pheasant running in front of the hide at Kinnordy. Also seen, Kestrels, Goosander, Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebes, Wigeon, Teal and Little Grebes.

Arbroath, Pleasureland and Victoria Park. Scaup at Montrose Basin.

Three photos from a quiet day, the first is a juvenile Sparrowhawk which had just failed to catch a Greenfinch near Pleasureland, Arbroath. Below that four Scaup and two Tufties at the Old Harbour, Montrose Basin. Lastly, a Curlew at Victoria Park, Arbroath, I liked the drop of water on its beak.

Inchcape Park, Arbroath coastal birds

The first Purple Sandpipers of the autumn, a Ringed Plover cos it's cute and a Tern I'm waiting help on, possibly a Roseate but I'm no expert on terns. Tagged on below a Chiffchaff at Montrose Basin.

Easthaven and Arbroath Harbour

Easthaven was very stormy on an incoming tide and the weather had affected a juvenile Gannet which appeared uninjured but not mobile on the beach. The stormy sea had also brought a Shag into the inner dock at Arbroath Harbour, as many Shags were ringed this year I'll go back at low water and see if it's still around and try to get sight of the rings if any.