Pied Flycatcher, East Seaton, Arbroath 29/8/2014

The first time I've managed a photo of a Pied Flycatcher and only the third I've ever seen. A poor photo taken in rubbish light in a bush!!

Pied Flycatcher, juvenile/immature female

Victoria Park, Arbroath - Waders, Gulls and a Pipit

A strong wind and near high tide when I took these photos, few birds around but at least intermittent good light. Later nearer dusk many more birds were either on the move or roosting as the tide went out including around 200 Little Gulls heading south to roost, where? Most but not all taken with my DSLR.

Common Gull juvenile

Red Knot with Turnstones

Red Knot

Redshanks, one on the right getting drooked

Redshanks roosting at high tide

Rock Pipit

Turnstone juvenile

Turnstone adult

Common Sandpiper

Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms National Park

A trip to Coire an Lochain in the Cairngorms with my niece who is studying the rocks in the corrie for her degree. The first photos are of some of the 18-20 Ptarmigan there but the most unexpected was the finding of two and maybe three Dippers at 915 metres in the larger of the lochans!

Female Ptarmigan

I just pointed the camera skywards as this one flew overhead and got lucky

This looks to be a juvenile male moulting into adult plumage

Two Dippers, maybe a third in the lochan at 915 metres!!

One of a few Meadow Pipits around at the corrie and on the walk in

Looking north from Coire an Lochain, the small lochan in the foreground

Two climbers ascending the corrie face

A Smoke Grenade used to show surface wind strength and direction for Rescue Helicopter landings and Mountain Rescue. It's been used.

Curlew Sandpiper, Water Rail and Little Ringed Plover

Three from Montrose Basin. I'd quickly taken the Little Ringed Plover photo and moved on without checking it thinking it would be a Ringed Plover. The Curlew Sandpiper was photographed into strong sunlight but it's a first sighting for me so it goes in. The Water Rail is the same one previously seen.

Curlew Sandpiper, the one with the curved beak!

Little Ringed Plover

Water Rail

Little and Large, and Larger...........

Three from Montrose today including an oil services ship accidentally caught looking as it has hit Scurdie Ness lighthouse. Just luck to see the Long-tailed Tits when I was trying to find a Marsh Harrier which eventually appeared. No photo but a video clip from hundreds of metres at 100 times zoom had to do.

A Long-tailed Tit

Canada Geese coming in to land

Deep Cygnus, I didn't mean to catch it quite like this

Olive's forest song birds

Some of the locals in an Angus forest selected by Olive and photographed in between the heavy showers.

Robin

Coal Tit

Dunnock

Great Tit

Chaffinch

Hercules Den, Arbroath and Murton NR

It was rare to see a Goldcrest at this time of year in Hercules Den but welcome still and some Sand Martins yet to fledge at Murton. Perhaps the cool weather was why I could only find two Common Darters at Murton but I haven't seen many Dragonflies at all this summer.

Goldcrest in Hercules Den

One of 100's of Lapwings at Murton

Still around 10 nests of Sand Martins to fledge

Only 2 Common Darter males seen today

Arbroath and Montrose birds, 19/8/2014

Birds from Montrose Basin, Victoria Park, Arbroath and my garden, there were around 340 Canada Geese.

Canada Geese, Montrose Basin

Greenshank, Basin

Lapwing, Basin

Little Grebe, Basin

Linnet, Victoria Park

Redshank, Victoria park

Feral Pigeon, my garden

House Sparrow youngster, my garden

Collared Dove and Sandwich Terns, Arbroath

The Collared Dove looks in perfect condition and the Sandwich Terns were squabbling as usual.

Easthaven, low tide on a spring tide, not promising

Originally when I saw these two male Linnets with two others one looked to have died and was lying in a position I've never seen a bird do before but as you can see all was well. The Sandwich Terns were at Victoria Park Arbroath and the Wheatear was one of three along the beach at Easthaven where the Linnets were.

Spotted Redshank and Ruff, tail end of Bertha!

On a very dull and rainy day at Montrose Basin and St Cyrus at least I found Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits amongst many other Waders and Terns. These are the best I could manage at distance and in the rain but good enough for records. Videos on the side-bar on the right.