Saturday 25 December 2010

Christmas Day in Arbroath

Well, we've still got the snow and the birds are almost permanently on the feeders in the garden. The only new-comer I've seen is a Brambling amongst the Chaffinches and the feathery imprint of either a pigeon or sparrowhawk on my kitchen window!
Most people are getting fed up of the constant cold and ice an I notice we should have +5 C on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, hooray.

Had to have a Robin picture at Xmas

Xmas Day Brambling

Sunday 21 November 2010

Arbroath Long Tailed Duck

The duck below, which species I can't remember seeing before, was diving in the outer harbour at Arbroath only 15 metres from the old fish market and less than 50 metres from the working dredger. Perhaps the dredger was stirring up food items for the duck which was just far enough away from the black silty water the dredger was creating.

Long Tailed Duck, Arbroath Harbour

Arbroath Outer Harbour being dredged by the Shearwater

Monday 26 July 2010

Murton Nature Reserve July 2010

A series of photos, mostly of insects, and especially for Finn, Robyn and Lauren who continue to be interested in "Bugs" and "Mini-Beasts.

I did spend time identifying each of the species and am confident I've got them correct. If I'm wrong let me know.

They include the Common Red Darter Dragonfly, Common Blue, Emerald and Blue Tailed Damselflies, Grasshoppers and Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar.

Murton Wildflower Meadow, near Sand Martin Bank

Blue Tailed Damselfly (Male)

Emerald Damselfly (Male)

Emerald Damselfly (Female)

Common Darter Dragonfly (Male)

Fox and Cubs Flower

Garden Spider in Murton Hide

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar and Red Tailed Bumblebee

Common Green Grasshopper

Common Field Grasshopper

Small Tortoise Shell Butterfly

Common Blue Damselfly (Paired)

Common Blue Damselfly (Male)

Common Blue Damselfly (Male)

Wednesday 14 July 2010

First Summer Holiday Hillwalk

Mount Keen Hillwalk.
We started at the car park at Invermark at the top of Glenesk and followed the well marked and easy to navigate path to the summit of Mount Keen which is the easternmost Scottish Munro at 939 metres. The walk takes an hour to the start of the climb, two hours to the summit, around an hour back down again and a further hour back to the car.
As well as the wildlife shown here below, we also saw for the first time in a long while a female Adder which slinked into the heather from the track close to the Queens Well. Also Meadow or Rock Pipits, Lapwing, Rabbits, and even a one pound brown trout in the river at the measuring station at Invermark.

Juvenile Mistle Thrush near the Queens Well

Wheatear feeding on the road kill near the Queens Well

Fox Moth Caterpillar, especially for Fin

Tuesday 13 July 2010

Olive summits out at Mount Keen

Stags in velvet at Invermark

I've got to come clean about these Stag pictures. Although they are not enclosed behind deer fences they are in a field they could easily escape from but don't appear to want to. I can only assume they have been hand reared and fed since then and given their size must have passed at least one rut season. The yellow marker tags in their ears were air brushed out. They can easily be seen in a small field from the path to Queens Well.

Invermark Stag

Invermark Stag 2

Thistle like plant at Invermark

Olive feeding the local Chaffinches

Late Robin fledgling at Invermark

Bunnies, added for Olive

More than just mackerel

Wednesday 12 May 2010

Balgavies Reed Bunting

Balgavies Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Balgavies Yellowhammer

Tree Nesting Greylag Geese

At Balgavies Loch when the Osprey returned on March 27th the nest built the previous year but never used was already occupied by a pair of Greylag Geese. I've never known of this before but apparently they do nest in trees in Europe. The Osprey did try and get the goose to leave but she was sitting on eggs and stayed until the Osprey gave up.

Tree Nesting Greylag Geese

Sunday 7 March 2010

Spring on it's way?

I've seen the return of Coal Tit and Blue Tit this week and more arguements between the blackbirds, a sure sign spring is close despite the current and past cold weather. The ground has thawed today and the rate at which the bird food is being eaten has decreased. I wonder if they are finding more food, or someone else with a bird table and feeders.

Siskins are back

Chaffinch

Sunday 21 February 2010

Arbroath to Carnoustie Coastal Path

The pictures below show a Stoat still in Ermine which was hunting amongst the land behind the sand dunes. He was at a big disadvantage and the rabbits seemed to ignore him to an extent, obviously they could see him very easily.
The pictures were taken from about 90 metres away and I had difficulty getting a good focus through the thin brush and grasses.

A Stoat in Ermine at Dowrie near Arbroath - 1

A Stoat in Ermine at Dowrie near Arbroath - 2

A Stoat in Ermine at Dowrie near Arbroath - 3

A Stoat in Ermine at Dowrie near Arbroath - 4

A Stoat in Ermine at Dowrie near Arbroath - 5

A Stoat in Ermine at Dowrie near Arbroath - 6

Elliot Beach in February 2010

Friday 8 January 2010

Hard frost and many hungry birds

We had around 60 birds of various species today feeding on the mixture of food in the tree and the spillage. Brambling, Sparrow, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Starling, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon and a possible Fieldfare. Also on the rooftops were Crow, Jackdaw, Herring Gull and a rare visitor, Black Headed Gulls. Strangely none of Blue, Coal or Great Tits were there today and good news for most of them is a Sparrowhawk was found dead in the park nearby.

Brambling

January Greenfinch

january Sparrow

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