Next Generation Kittiwakes

   
Photos from Arbroath Cliffs and Keptie Pond. Only a few butterflies along the cliff path, but two of them were Graylings. The videos are from my garden.

Peacock Butterfly        Painted Ladies, filmed too close        Large Whites

I was surprised at how many Kittiwakes were still on nests, with many juveniles stretching their wings, and more flying circuits around the Mariners Grave and out to sea.

Previous Kittiwakes video     

Grayling Butterfly, I couldn't get a position for a good photo without risking falling over the cliff edge, then it was flushed by walkers. Photo from an 800mm lens, not ideal...

Juvenile Kittiwakes at Arbroath Cliffs

Fulmar at Arbroath Cliffs

Common Terns

Keptie Pond Brown Rat

Heron

Jackdaw

Lesser black-backed Gull

From Gemini search.

"The turtle you are seeing is a known local resident of Keptie Pond, Arbroath. Identified by ecologists as a Chinese softshell turtle (or a similar non-native softshell variant), this predatory reptile is approximately 18 inches long and is widely understood to have been an illegally abandoned exotic pet. Because it has successfully survived for several years by brumating (hibernating) in the pond's winter mud, it has adapted to the local environment, frequently basking on the central island during warmer spells".

Green Sandpipers, Murton NR

Two Green Sandpipers at Murton, both in front of the Gladstone Hide which is a good place at this time of year to find the scarce species.

Two UHD videos at these links, handheld and between 2400-3000mm, the 3000 being 125 zoom

Green Sandpiper feeding on a muddy edge        Green Sandpiper feeding amongst a stony margin

Green Sandpiper at Murton NR, near Forfar. A deep crop from the photo below

Speckled Wood Butterfly, just two seen in one of the few spots where they could find shelter

Roe Deer buck (male)

Dunnock with a growth, Mandarin Duck, and Mediterranean Gull

   
A strange juvenile Dunnock with a growth of a type I've never seen before, usually growths would be grey wart like and near the eyes, and sometimes feet. I haven't been feeding in the garden for months, and would say most neighbours I'm aware of have also stopped. Maybe the young Dunnock, recently fledged was just unlucky.

Through a local BTO contact and BTO scientists, the Dunnock was deemed to have Avian Pox. For anyone interested, this link explains which birds are affected and more;  Avian Pox in Garden Birds

Keptie Pond currently has a female Mandarin Duck, and when I was there on Thursday a Mediterranean Gull was bathing and two Pond or Yellow Bellied Sliders, a type of aquatic turtle were sunbathing.

Click the links below for video 

Dunnock with growth 1        Dunnock 2        

Juvenile Dunnock with a growth on its face, it looks healthy and is feeding in my garden now for a few days. Its beak is normal and the videos show it can see past the growth to see food

I've passed photos and video on to the BTO, and when I get an answer I'll add it here and perhaps in a new post on its own

Male Sparrowhawk, sitting above a feeder that's been empty for at least two months, not far from where the Dunnock was seen....

Large Yellow Underwing Moth, saved from the strimmer

Marbled Beauty Moth, phone photo

Mediterranean Gull, an unusual visitor at Keptie Pond in Arbroath

The Mandarin Duck (female) that's been at Keptie Pond for for nearly a week

Standing on one of the plastic pipes which carry water pumped from an old well, it works well to stop weed taking over

Pond or Yellow Bellied Sliders

Juvenile Razorbill at West Links, appeared to be on its own

One of three Mediterranean Gulls at West Links