Summer Gulls and bad news for the Little Ringed Plovers

It's thought the Little Ringed Plovers in the previous post have failed again and it's possible that the eggs could have been accidentally broken by some of the very many Greylag Geese around the nest area. I've been told that elsewhere in Angus other Little Ringed Plovers have had success.

These below are from Arbroath, Montrose Basin and Murton, all taken this week

Little Gull at West links, Arbroath. Viewed from near to the paddling pool and play park. Note a green ring on the gull top of photo and one I'll try to get when I have a spare half hour

Mediterranean Gull, same site as above, both there at the same time

Black-headed Gull J4U3 returns again this year to the Old Harbour at Montrose Basin. Other photos showed the ring

A distant Whimbrel seen from Maryton Ditch, it was a bit closer when the black clouds came over

One of three Little Egrets at Miss Erskine's Bank one evening this week

Three Canada Geese amongst the Lapwings, from the Gladstone Hide at Murton

Female Green-veined White preparing to mate, the male flying in is cropped out and was out of focus

Six Spot Burnet Moth at Murton

More trouble t'mill - Little Ringed Plover drama continues

The Little Ringed Plovers whose first nest was predated are still sitting on their new nest but have been for 25 days now which is getting near to the limit. Let's hope they have a few wee fellas running around soon if they are spared from the Magpies and other risks where they are nesting.
Also a couple of a Heron fishing on Keptie Pond but as usual the peace was broken. Lastly a rare visitor to my garden, we used to see them often but now only when the weather is bad.

One of three Magpies bothering a pair of Little Ringed Plovers on an Angus site

Both Little Ringed Plovers were seen again after this chase

Flushed by a dog growling at me at Keptie Pond in Arbroath

Peacefully hunting roach just before the said dog arrived

Brought into my garden by the rainy weather on Wednesday

Glenesk - Spotted Flycatchers

The sun came out so I went on a long walk in various places up Glenesk, specifically looking for Spotted Flycatchers and wasn't disappointed as I found them in various sites. It was a bit windy which hampered the butterflies but when the wind dropped a variety became active. I covered a lot of ground over many hours and added Peregrine, Osprey, an Eagle which species I couldn't tell, Red Deer, an Adder and brought home another tick nymph for my troubles.

Spotted Flycatcher, one of two adults near Invermark

I couldn't identify the small moth this bird had

Spotted Flycatcher fledgling to the west of Lochlee

The first photo I've managed of a Common Hawker Dragonfly, usually they're permanently on the wing

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, also seen were; Common Blue, Ringlet, Red Admiral, Small Heath, Small Tortoiseshell and Green-veined White

Female Adder, with the long lens this was as much as I could get in the frame without being distant

One of this years young Red Grouse on the main road up the glen, only a few weeks to live perhaps!!

Male Siskin

Wheatear juvenile

The Falls of Unich from the bridge at the start of Glen Lee

Beach birds, no bikinis involved

Tales from my Westhaven to Easthaven Webs count, one from Inchcape Park in Arbroath and then another try for Kittiwakes at the cliffs before they all fledge. Needless to say it got dull again, or was it dull when I started. I've started off with some comparison photos of our Hirundines not in any specific order but all taken near to or at Easthaven on Friday.

House Martin, note the white rump and short fish tail

Sand Martin

The unmistakable Barn Swallow, the red cheeks aren't obvious but the long marked tail certainly is

A Swift, the shape and speed are a giveaway and the screeching sometimes heard when in a group

The first Wheatear juvenile I've seen on the beach this year, already on the move south perhaps. A second was seen at Arbroath Cliffs

Some of 37 returning Dunlin on the beach, a mixture of adult and juveniles were recorded

The Oystercatchers and other waders don't like dogs as is obvious from this. Why would anyone need to have five dogs? In the flock were Redshank, Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Gull, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher and a Whimbrel. Not all seen in this photo

Turnstones back at Inchcape in Arbroath, no Purple Sandpipers yet

Fulmar at the "Mariners Grave", Arbroath Cliffs

Kittiwake adult

Always calling and apparently playing in the wind but I'm sure it's a form of behaviour to do with communal nesting

Juvenile Kittiwake

Slightly younger and less confident juvenile

I said to Olive this reminded me of her and I until she pointed out what they were sitting on, failed again.......

Herring Gull, if it flies past photograph it

Maw, Paw and the Bairns

Nowhere to go on a dull showery day so I reverted to my fallback sites of Arbroath Harbour and Keptie Pond. Nothing of any note at the harbour but these photos below show some of the new life at Keptie, all of it showing an orange tinge due to the algal bloom on the water. No doubt there will be more questions in the local press about the water level and the weed but Angus Council doesn't seem to think it's a priority, maybe they could try "crowd-funding" a solution if one exists.

The duckling on the right is a Mallard and has been adopted by the Tufted Duck. I can't find a Mallard with ducklings that size so it's likely if it was one of a brood that they've been predated

This Mallard has done exceptionally well for Keptie Pond and she still has eight quite large ducklings with her which look to be too big for most gulls except perhaps the Great Blacked-backed

A male Mallard in eclipse plumage just lazing around near the popular feeding spot, the one nearest the road. In the water beside the duck were two large carp and I couldn't decide if they were showing mating behaviour or just being boisterous

One of two Moorhen chicks in a second brood

Mum or Dad not far away and keeping an eye on two youngsters

Just a single Coot chick with a pair, the Coots normally manage to avoid predation from the gulls but there is at least one large Terrapin in the pond and last seen nearby

The orange algae is obvious on this Coots chest and plumage

Gannets, passing not fishing

My last Corn Bunting survey today and to walk the stiffness out of my legs I went down to Scurdie Ness and sat on the rocks hoping something would fly by. The Gannets below were flying north and coming out of the sun so are all back-lit and with the exposure turned up in the camera. There were a few Sandwich Terns fishing offshore but no Common Terns today. A few Ringed Plover and returning Dunlin also made an appearance.

Adult Gannet

3rd year bird, (although I would have liked to have seen the upper wing)

Adult

Kittiwake

Sandwich Tern juvenile

Sedge Warbler fledgling