Bearded Tits and a late Osprey

An unexpected Osprey flew over the Slunks today at Montrose Basin, a late bird but not unknown at this time. 

Only minutes before the sighting I'd found the two reported Bearded Tits in the reedbeds, they appeared quite close to my viewpoint, sat on the reeds very briefly and flew off and disappeared into the reeds. Of course they did. I did see them another two times as they relocated, both around 50 meters away and just for a few seconds.   

Osprey with a dark blue darvic ring on its left leg, 8H2 or BH2, seen at the Slunks on Montrose Basin. I'll post the birds history when I get the information from the ringer, probably the Roy Dennis Foundation

Whooper and Mute Swans at the Lurgies

The first of the seasons Goosanders at Keptie Pond, Arbroath

Heron sitting in front of this years successful nest which is sited only a few feet above the water

The first Wigeon has also arrived, photographed through a lot of vegetation

Mallard drake, some showing half-hearted courtship

The long-staying Pintail/Mallard drake hybrid

High Tide Basin Birds

Photos from a windy, dull Montrose Basin, taken at the Lurgies in poor light and mostly at distance during high tide. The tide was still high when I had a look at Victoria Park beach in Arbroath, the sea was stormy with gulls and a few Turnstones the only birds around. At the harbour the Purple Sandpiper numbers had increased to six sitting out high tide in some shelter. Photos in alphabetical order, cos it's easier...

 

I was asked this week by Olive's daughter why there were "100's" of pheasants running around in one of the glens. I found this online and it seemed to explain it, her reply was "That’s just absolutely shocking!!"

"Pheasants. Between 50 and 62 million non-native pheasants and red-legged partridges are reared in, and also imported into Britain each year. They are treated in cages with drugs and antibiotics then released into the countryside on shooting estates, and fed to keep them from wandering. Because they are tame, and stupid, beaters are employed to chase them up into the air with white flags and whistles so mostly rich people shoot them with lead shot. Only about 30% of the released birds are killed, the rest die on roads and are very easy prey for foxes, that's why fox numbers are artificially high. The estates shoot, snare and poison thousands of foxes each year. There isn't a market for  shot birds and many are dumped, some go to supermarkets and have been found to have highly toxic lead fragments in their flesh. During the time the birds are in the wild they out-compete native birds, eat small native fauna including frogs,  lizards and insects. And it's all so toffs, tories and psychos can have fun."

Common Gull with Herring Gull in the background

Little Grebe

Canada Geese, looks like a family group with two 1st winters on the left

Pale-bellied Brent Geese, although the lower bird is very dark-bellied, I assume it's a 1st winter age group

Red-breasted Merganser

Wigeon

Great black-backed Gull 1st winter, Victoria Park

Same gull

Pied Wagtail at Victoria Park, Arbroath

Pintails, Godwits and Geese

An unsuccessful trip to Tayock at Montrose Basin where I'd gone to find two Pale-bellied Brent Geese and a single Barnacle Goose which had been reported a few times there. I was a bit late in getting there and the tide was further in than I like. In consolation, I did count 12 Pintails, and a few Black-tailed Godwits flew in to feed on the fast shrinking mud. The long-staying Great Egret appeared to be with a number of Herons between the Wigeon Hide and Miss Erskine's Bank.

Pintail drake, getting close to full winter plumage

Pintail ducks, lit up by the harsh sunlight

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit synchronicity

Just a few of the many Pink-footed Geese

These came closer