Kingfisher, Great Egret, Little Gull and scarce Ducks

   

Lots of videos due to the lack of light, it was 16/1/2026 when I last used my DSLR, and the wind and rain made it difficult to film video even on a tripod, and cold fingers didn't help. The ducks were distant and some were screen grabs from video.

From the Kingfisher Hide at SWT Montrose Basin I managed to film the Kingfisher and Egrets using my Z8 at 8K handheld, the trouble was I found my editing software would only save files at 4K. That was probably a good thing as most PC's wouldn't be powerful enough to display the results.

Kingfisher, SWT Montrose Basin      Great and Little Egrets      Great Egret fishing      Little Gull 1st winter, East Haven      Little Gull, another one

Ring-necked, Scaup and Pochard drakes, Forfar Loch        Pochard drake        Ring-necked drake        Signal Tower waves, Arbroath Harbour      

Arbroath Harbour entrance         Vixen and egg         

Kingfisher at the newly named Kingfisher Hide (was the Bank of Scotland Hide). Photos in mid to late afternoon during intermittent light rain

Great Egret and Little Egret catching shrimps in the salt pans

Pochard drake at the east end of Forfar Loch (P1000 photos)

Scaup drake

Ring-necked drake and Tufted Duck

Pochard, Ring-necked and Scaup

Ring-necked and Scaup

Murton Nature Reserve, Wetlands from car park hide, the first time in years that the pool is full

Buddy's Loch, Murton also full

Shag, Little Gull and Sparrowhawk

   
I ventured out of the house in a small break in the dreich weather to see what was going through at West Links, Arbroath. Not much as I dodged the showers, but I found a Shag trying to feed on the tideline of rocks, and a single Little Gull.

As I sit looking out a window at home I can see the largest count of Tree Sparrows in my garden this winter, over 20. I might try to get some video, but they may not stay if the Sparrowhawk in the last photo below keeps patrolling.

Shag, very close inshore where there was less motion and turbulent waves

I've never seen a Shag do this before, as it worked its way along the tideline

The only Little Gull seen during a 30 minute search

It has something in its beak which was taken off the sea without landing

Not that uncommon to see Robins on the beach and rock armour in winter

Cormorants were very mobile and clearly finding fishing difficult

Despite the cold windy conditions this surfer was always in control on messy waves

The latest re-sighting of a male Sparrowhawk in my garden, it allowed me to walk within 8 metres before deciding to fly off

East Haven Webs Survey - January 2026

   
Birds from my Webs (Wetland Bird Survey) seen on Monday when the beach was less busy than weekends are. It was a bit dull and gloomy, but perhaps better than it would have been on the preferred date, Sunday.

The video below from Forfar Loch was filmed in mist but I've managed to adjust the gamma, which has improved the original. A drake Pochard was still at Rescobie on the same day (Monday).

Ring-necked drake and Scaup both males at Forfar Loch - together , click for video

Grey Plover

Redshank, Grey Plover and Turnstone

Dunlin

Redshanks

Wigeon drake left, duck to the right

Sanderlings

Meadow Pipit

Stonechat male

Carrion Crow