Attempt at in-flight photos today

Still testing and learning the new lens, today distant flying birds where I pushed the limit too far many times.

Curlew with muddy feet and beak

Redshank at Usan, underside lit by the low sun

Mute Swans, Montrose Basin

Rooks just asking to photographed, they look wise....

Test and learning curve for my new lens, did get Waxwings at least

Trial of a new lens and using my DSLR for a change, mixed results but more of me over expecting photos at full zoom from a handheld kit weighing more than 2 kg.

Waxwings at Longforgan, I couldn't get sun side of them

Collared Dove, same light issue

1st Winter Long-tailed Duck or one of the many moults?

Red-throated Diver, City Quay. A good test for distance as it was probably 150 metres away.

A Jack-up drilling rig, Dundee

Starling taken early morning through dirty windows

One of my 12 Tree Sparrows still on my feeders

An Angus Tour - Backwater Dam to Montrose Basin

An early start saw me at Backwater for around 0900 where I saw Blackcock, Crossbill, Raven, Fieldfare, Buzzard, Kestrel, and Teal. Next at Lintrathen there were Whooper Swan, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard, Goldeneye, Mute Swan and Goosander. On the road to Kinnordy near Purgavie twelve Mistle Thrush were feeding in a field and on the western edge of Kinnordy four Fieldfare and two Redwing.

Kinnordy hides had the usual birds but I was surprised to see a Barn Owl in the owl box for the first time in ages, calmly surveying its domain.

I moved on to Glen Lethnot where I saw a Red Kite at Burnfoot and maybe bird of the day a Hooded Crow at Blairno. Further up the glen were a few Red Grouse and two Buzzards but no more Kites or Ravens which I'd expected.

Finally a quick visit to Montrose Basin to see the Little Egret and as I took a video in the gloom a Kingfisher flew through the scene!!

Apologies for the rough and ready photos but everything was distant or the light or the bird had gone.

Fieldfare near Kinnordy

Kestrel in Glen Lethnot

Little Egret Montrose Basin

Red-legged Partridge Kinnaird sheltering from the wind

A Brambling at last (actually at least three)

Bramblings feeding on beech mast at Monikie today and the photo below was the best I could get. We did see the Kingfisher twice though and Olive found it on her own for the first time.

Youtube link to Brambling

Brambling, a wee bit burnt out!

A bit easier getting this one

Tales from an ice-bound Murton

All but one of Murton's pond were completely frozen over and only a small area was free of ice on the one where the birds were. There were 93 Coots, 36 Wigeon, 24 Gadwall and smaller numbers of other ducks an swans, I'm assuming as Rescobie is frozen over the Coots have flown west to Murton. I never saw a single song bird on a walk around the reserve perhaps there is no food available and the small birds have to feed in surrounding fields.

Goldeneye drake

Goldeneye duck

Gadwall duck with a Coot

Collared Dove

Chinese Goose, escaped from the childrens area??

A wander around Arbroath

Earlier this week I had time to waste while my car was being MOT'd so I walked around central Arbroath to see what the cold weather had brought in. I counted 180 Fieldfares flying south and one in a tree at the station, two Mistle Thrushes in a garden on Viewfield Road and little else of any note.

Taken at sunrise showing the Bellrock Lighthouse

Mistle Thrush

A mixed bag, sites and quality!

All photos taken with the Canon SX50 showing it works with good light, peers through tiny gaps in hedges and reaches across large distances. But will I buy the SX60??

Fulmars at Red Castle

Great Tit at Montrose Basin

Fieldfare taken through a dense hedge at Maryton Ditch

Kingfisher, 176 metres away! It's on Miss Erskines Bank, I'm on the Lurgies path.

Photos from my Webs Count and Carnoustie

My monthly Wetland Bird Survey today on the patch between Westhaven and Easthaven done near to high tide. Quite a good count today with Bar-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover and four Scaup a first for this patch since I've done it.

Below the Ringed Plover is one of three Stock Doves seen in the grounds of Woodlands School, Carnoustie and finally one of five Grey Squirrels which I'll be reporting to the Scottish Wildlife Trust at, http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/what-we-do/scotlands-red-squirrels/squirrel-sightings/

Two of four Bar-tailed Godwits

One of nine Ringed Plover

Stock Dove in Woodlands School grounds, Carnoustie

The alien Grey Squirrel, a local pest spreading squirrel pox to the native Red Squirrels

Corn Bunting, Buzzard and slightly weird clouds

A couple of Corn Buntings from Boghead near Arbroath, some unusual clouds seen from the Old Brewhouse, Arbroath and a Buzzard feeding on what looks like a Common Gull. I'm assuming the Buzzard didn't kill the gull?

Corn Bunting

Another Corn Bunting

The view from Danger Point, Arbroath

I doubt the Buzzard killed what might be a Common Gull but I'm sure it will eat it

Wind, rain, snow, sleet and two minutes of sun. All in Montrose during a Scottish winter, oh, and did I mention the gales.

I had an errand in Montrose so foolishly took the dslr for a walk in between the blizzards and found two very advanced Black-headed Gulls at the Curlie. The Black Redstart was still in the same area at the harbour and I also found two Kingfishers, one at the SWT the second at the Lurgies. While avoiding a shower in the gorse bushes a small group of Teal got unusually close for a brief photo above the Slunks.

Black Redstart, in a gloomy backyard hiding from the weather. Photo through the bars of a steel gate.

The one with showing the black head early was one of two, it must be spring!

To show Olive what they look like I've posted this distant shot. She is always looking the other way when we find one and usually misses it! Or more likely she's wise and stayed indoors today.

Teal heading upstream on the South Esk

Sparrowhawk junior and its prospective lunch!

Stuck at home due to the weather, I had hoped to go to the hills today. Not all lost though as while idling around taking photos through my dirty windows the young male Sparrowhawk below flew in and had a go at the songbirds, not successful this time.

Sparrowhawk, 1st winter male

Sparrowhawk

Tree Sparrow, one of around 12

One of the male Blackbirds

Starling

Buzzard just before it caught a vole, Montrose Basin

I was stalking a Kingfisher to no avail when I saw this fella near the old harbour at Montrose Basin and as I was trying to get a still in the fading light it dropped out of the tree onto a vole. The link below misses some of the kill but shows the demise of the vole very quickly.

Buzzard and Vole

Buzzard, always alert, and hungry

Golden Plover weathering the cold wind at Arbroath harbour

Girdle Ness Dolphins and two more of Purple Sandpipers

The remaining photos from yesterday's trip to see the Harlequin Duck in the previous post but not the duck instead the Dolphins at Girdle Ness which never got close but the sun allowed for long distance shots. The first three are a sequence, the fourth is showing off and the fifth is bird-watching like I was.

Added below the dolphins are two of a flock of Purple Sandpipers which numbered at least 48 birds, seen behind the sea wall near to Girdle Ness.