Saturday 28 July 2012

You don't have to go far to see wildlife, Keptie Pond

Just wasting an hour the last day with a quick walk around Keptie Pond where I found a Heron hunting, a Tufted Duck with one duckling, probably the only survivor of gull predation, juvenile Coots and a Yellowhammer which I didn't get a photo of.
The pond is suffering from low water level and quality but despite that I did spot a shoal of what looked like Roach. I believe there are plans to do something about the quality, and hopefully the level, hope it's soon.

Keptie Pond, Arbroath





Tuesday 17 July 2012

Kinnordy Loch 16/7/2012

Things were a bit quiet at Kinnordy on Monday but I did see the two new Marsh Harrier chicks flying with their mother and even got a photo of her passing food in the air but as they were on the far bank of the loch it wasn't the best.
I took a walk down to the Lily Pond looking for Red Damselflies but only found thousands of frogs and tadpoles along with a number of whitethroat and reed buntings.

Kinnordy Whitethroat, female?


Kinnordy Lily Pond

Looks good enough to eat!

Frogs and Tadpoles

The further from the water the more developed these frogs were, some in the water still appeared to be only tadpoles.
This giant frog hopped onto my shoe from the grass.

Juvenile Robin at Kinnordy

I've often seen solo young Robin's in the undergrowth at Kinnordy, both early on and later as now.

Tuesday 10 July 2012

Balgavies Osprey with chick


The nest is on the island which is 190 metres from the hide so you'll need binoculars to get a good view. Earlier both the male and female chased off two buzzards and the male made three trips to Rescobie to fish, this time returning with a pike.

Blue tailed Damselflies, male and female

Blue Tailed Damselfly female, rose coloured variant
Blue Tailed damselfly male

Common Blue Damselfly pairing

Conventional

Acrobatic











Of course I love you, with all of my heart

Little Nellie, Gyrocopter

I've seen this flying around Balgavies and Rescobie area a few times now, it must be part of a route used often. Flights are available to the public from Perth Airfield.

Red Squirrel

This one looks much better than the squirrels we saw earlier, perhaps because it has moulted?

Balgavies Hide Dunnock

One of a pair which appear to have a nest nearby

Friday 6 July 2012

Arbroath Cliffs on the first sunny day for weeks

A couple of hours wandering the cliff path from Arbroath towards Auchmithie, the birds, flowers and insects below were spotted and the sunny weather meant the first noiseless photos for a while.
As well as these, I also saw a shrew, skylarks, goldfinches, rock pipit, a male linnet (no photo) and two lads said I missed a pod of dolphins swimming past.
Gannets were flying north and while viewing through the camera one dived into the sea leaving a spout of water which looked almost whale like on the photo I took.

Latticed Heath Moth


6 Spot Burnet Moth on orchid


Linnet, female


Willow Warbler? with caterpillar


Kestrel, at distance


Green Veined White Butterfly


Bumble Bee Mimic, Volucella bombylans

Actually a Hoverfly
which mimics a bumble
bee, the eyes are the give-away

Meadow Brown Butterfly


Ringlet Butterfly


Common Blue Butterflies, Male and Female


Male, with perhaps
a Mason Wasp?











Female

Tortoise Shell Butterfly


Meadow Pipit and snail


Herring Gull chick with infertile egg


Foxglove with Bumble Bee


Orchids

Heath Spotted Orchid
Northern Marsh Orchid

Wednesday 4 July 2012

A misty cold day at high tide at Montrose Basin

Not the best day for photography but at least I did get a couple of shots of the Little Egret currently at the Basin. The two pictures below were taken from the path on the south bank of the river where it enters the basin at a distance of 170 metres with mist blowing in.
You can judge the size of the Egret by comparing it with the crow also sitting in the tree.


Other birds in evidence were, Goosanders, Mergansers, Shelduck, Mallard, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Song Thrush, Yellowhammer and Goldfinches amongst others. The Bumble Bee was taken in my garden when the sun came out for about an hour!

Little Egret, Montrose Basin



Bumble Bee


Reed Bunting


Female Mallard with hidden young


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