Hawfinch and Peacocks - I wonder where?

I'd always thought that the Hawfinches which visit Scone Palace grounds every winter would probably arrive before most of the reports which tend to be in January and February, and a single bird today proved at least one does. I wonder if the reports are more to do with the grounds being closed to the public from mid December until early February? One photo below of the Hawfinch which was taken at the enclosed courtyard to the north east of the palace having been seen flying from the Lime avenue.

Hawfinch, was flying around with a Mistle Thrush! As high up the largest tree it could find

Peacock

White Peacock!

Sparrowhawk, which brought about Packham style thigh rubbing!!

Still cold out and the predators are active, the photo below from the Lurgies was a lucky shot when I spotted the Sparrowhawk coming straight towards me along the path.

Sparrowhawk on the Lurgies path, it got quite close before it noticed me clicking away

Goldeneye drake

Goldeneye duck

Some of the Linnet flock at Arbroath Cliffs which was around 400 birds

Say farewell to the seed the Linnets were feeding on, little wonder farmland bird numbers have crashed. The late sun has given this photo a very orange feel.

I haven't seen a Collared Dove in my garden for years but this young one is coming in to feed on the seed the messy sparrows drop. Photo through the double glazing.

Not much news, I'm selling a house and it's hindering my birding

Just a few from the last week or so, I've been busy with the marketing of my parents house.

The boys are back in town, Tree Sparrow numbers up to eight now in my garden due to the cold spell recently

A female Crossbill at Lintrathen

Peregrine, sitting near a round bale which had the remains of a feral pigeon it had eaten

Rock Pipit at Arbroath Cliffs where a very large, perhaps 400 strong flock of Linnets, Pipits, Twite and Skylark are feeding in a stubble field. I haven't been able to find any Snow Buntings amongst them but there could be?

Spotted Redshank re-visited, in the sun

I arrived just a bit too late as the tide was covering the areas where the Spotted Redshank feeds, I did manage a couple of photos before it and its pal the Greenshank flew further into the basin. The sequence showing the hunting seal was further upstream of the Slunks and drew an audience, me watching the Kingfisher watching the seal!

Two Pochard drakes at Lintrathen, for video click here,

Spotted Redshank

Just about to fly off as the tide covered the channel it was feeding in

Common Redshank for comparison. This one favours the patch of mud at the Old Harbour

Common Seal with a late salmon which shows some disease on its tail and head

You can see the dog like teeth in this one

The salmon is still trying to escape in this photo

All the while this Kingfisher was watching the seal intently so didn't notice me standing on the other bank of the South Esk

Little Grebe, they are getting a bit more accepting of people walking up the path and don't automatically swim away

This young Buzzard was sheltering from the strong winds in the orchard at Sunnyside Hospital, it and a few Coal Tits were the only birds I saw there

Olive wanted a second look at the Waxwings in Montrose so I felt obliged to take a photo. There were approximately fifty in the roosting tree and the nearby single Rowan is getting bare, the other three Rowans are now getting more attention

American Wigeon at Lintrathen Loch

A lucky break at Lintrathen today when the American Wigeon stayed in view just long enough for a couple of quick photos before it swan out of view at the top of the loch. The Pochards were closer and I got them in some sunlight before they drifted away as well. The final and terrible photo of a Spotted Redshank was grabbed before going on the ADBC Club Outing on Sunday when we had a lucky sighting of the elusive Great White Egret at St Cyrus.

Spotted Redshank video clip, click here,

American Wigeon drake at Lintrathen, just before it vanished behind trees at the top end of the loch as viewed from the Old Hide

Pochard drakes, also Lintrathen, the first I've seen this winter

Distant photo taken at 0830 on a dull morning of this Spotted Redshank at the Lurgies. (SX60)

Hen Harrier(s) in Angus

Not one but two Hen Harrier males today in Angus and together briefly as they hunted at the same site.

The Fieldfare and Redwing were both in a flock of over 100 coming into berries near the hide at Balgavies Loch. The edit has made for an unnatural sky as the birds were both silhouetted in the poor light during rain.

Male Hen Harrier

The same Hen Harrier

Fieldfare

Redwing

A Great Crested Grebe, apparently it's been at Balgavies since it had juvenile plumage I was told by a frequent visitor today

Waxwings in Montrose (eventually)

At last two Waxwings turned up in Montrose after it seemed Angus was being avoided by this species of colourful migrant and later once I'd gone of course another ten appeared at the same site, a small play park in Lower Craigo Street. Today was a recce visit for a club trip next Sunday and as well as these birds we saw, Pintail, Bar-tailed Godwit, Magpie and most of the wader species and ducks.

The two Waxwings weren't 100% happy when people were around so these taken from a distance will do just now rather than getting too close and scaring them away before others get a chance to see these stunning birds

Taken into the sun so not as natural as I'd hoped but the classic berry shot

A very upright stance, always on the lookout for predators and not far from a Peregrine perch at the steeple

Long-tailed Duck still at the Lurgies, just upstream from the concrete seat

A slightly better photo of the Velvet Scoter which is still in the North Esk just upstream of the beach at St Cyrus

Great White Egret still around

The Great White Egret was still at the Lurgies this morning with a few other birds of interest and I finish off with another rant, talking sh**e

Great White Egret watching me watching it from the Lurgies path

One of two Greenshanks still foraging at the Basin

A solo Whooper Swan and later a group of eight adults flew upstream towards Brechin. It's a shame this had to be shrunk from 6000 by 4000 pixels.

There were twenty-four Little Grebes today, the highest count I've had so far this winter at the Old Harbour

All birders know what this is and like many of them this one is waiting for "The Dog Poo Fairies" to collect and dispose of it. Thing was, I watched five dog walkers walk past it, some with a bag of their own (yes I meant it to read like that). We need peer pressure from the majority good dog owners put on the minority. Note, the wooden walkway had more and not in bags, I despair.

Another puzzling gull......at least for me

Today I was hanging around the Carnoustie area waiting to help unload a van so these photos are all from within a few miles of there. The Lesser Black-backed Gull is late or staying, and the odd gull could just be an odd Herring Gull or is it? You'll notice my continuing love affair with Stonechats.......

A shaky clip taken on a heavy hand held DSLR of the Velvet Scoter from a previous post, click here,

The Island Pond at Monikie Country Park, photographed into a strong and low morning sun

A late or perhaps over-wintering Lesser Black-backed Gull at Monikie, also into the sun

One of the pairs of Mute Swans on the Buddon Course at Carnoustie Golf Links is still around

A strangely proportioned gull, standing tall, neck extended and a small head in relation to its body. These features could describe a juvenile Caspian Gull but a photo of its profile would help and someone wise to comment?

One of perhaps six Stonechats between West Haven and East Haven

Wren as above

Velvet Scoter slightly inland on the North Esk Estuary

In search of something rare I walked along the beach from the Glaxo area in Montrose to the mouth of the North Esk hoping a Pied Wheatear posted as missing at Donmouth had moved south to one of the Esk estuaries, of course it hadn't!

The Velvet Scoter below I'm assuming is the same one I saw fly up the estuary at St Cyrus last week. Today it cruised slowly upstream with the tide to feed near to the north bank, unusual but not unknown for these sea ducks to venture inland.

Adult female Velvet Scoter on the estuary of the North Esk upstream of the St Cyrus Hide. Other photos and views showed the white wing bars on this confident duck which tolerated me getting closer than I'd expected

One of a small group of Rooks picking on scraps left in the car parking near Kinnaber sewage works

Grey Heron at the "Curlie" in Montrose, pity about the reeds being in the way

One of a number of Robins on the rock armour at Montrose Beach along with Rock Pipits, one of which was ringed

A female Kestrel at Arbroath Cliffs, a return visit when the sun is better positioned is on the cards