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

Common Terns, Ospreys and Golden-moustached Fly Fox

   
Terns at Glaxo and Ferryden, mostly Common, a few Arctic and the noisy bunch the Sandwich. At the west end of Montrose Basin three fishing Ospreys, and a influx of Canada Geese alongside an increasing number of Greylags.  Videos at the links below>>>

Gannets at Lunan Bay, wait for the plunge        after the baitball was decimated        Riband Wave Moth, spot the movement

Common Tern adult fishing near Ferryden

One of this years juveniles from Glaxo or the SWT raft

This Osprey was fishing over the Slunks at Montrose Basin, just too far away, but by chance it's darvic ring, blue KU5 was lit up by the sunlight. I'll publish it's history once I get it

This Osprey and another, both without any jewelry, were fishing with the ringed bird and interacting with each other

Linnet on the Lurgies path

Guillemot at Ferryden

Victoria Park beach in Arbroath, as the tide ebbed a large shoal of baitfish were partly stranded amongst the weed, and the gulls were making the most of an easy meal

Juvenile Black-headed Gull

Herring Gull with Lesser black-backed Gull, both adults

Riband Wave Moth on my kitchen door

I love one of the names given to this wasp, Golden-moustached Fly Fox Ectemnius cavifrons. Found in Olive's garden along with the Leafwalker below

as above

Orange-belted Leafwalker Xylota segnis

Pied Plumethorn predated by Candy Stripe Spider

   
Another "garden safari" with a small spider and its large prey. The larvae of the Pied Plumethorn are scavengers and larval predators in the nests of social wasps.

Another post in the making will have a Golden-moustached Fly Fox Ectemnius cavifrons, which looks to be scarce here?

Candy Stripe Spider with prey, a Pied Plumethorn Volucella pellucens in my garden. In this photo the spider has already killed the fly, and it's seen near the tail

I moved them to get this photo where it looks like the spider is feeding through a hole in the abdomen

Green-veined White Butterflies mating, they remained in contact as they flew around the garden

Yet another Painted Lady

Willughby's Leaf-cutter Bee, or similar?

Common Drone Fly Eristalis tenax

Red-sided Parasite Fly Eriothrix rufomaculata