Blood Moon Eclipse 28/9/2015

The next Blood Moon Eclipse being in 2033 I thought I'd better try and get photos of this one as I'll be an old fella by then sitting at home drinking McEwans and Port!

The views at the start of the night, or I should say early morning at 0110 were pretty good although not perfect with just a wee bit of haze in the air but as you'll see below the moisture in the air made good photos impossble. I gave up after driving inland through some patches of mist where it was even worse.

The start of the Penumbral at 0110

The totality near 0310

The phases from 0110 to 0320

And one with a Whimbrel flying through, I know it's a Whimbrel as I pasted it in just like all of those on the web with planes, UFO's etc

Temporary photos so I could link to them at 1200 pixels wide. Must sort this out.

Monikie Goldcrests

A visit to Monikie Country park looking for early winter ducks proved somewhat fruitless with only Mallards, Tufties and 8 Little Grebes on the North Pond. On the Island Pond a scattering of ducks, 2 Mute Swans and a Grey Wagtail, and as the angling is still going on the Kingfishers were not seen. Other than singing Robins and Chaffinches feeding on the main road these Goldcrests stayed still just enough for a few photo attempts.

Autumn Butterflies

It's amazing just how effective buying a couple of Boudlea plants has been at attracting the autumn butterflies who do like the sun and disappear when it goes. I hope these aren't the last I'll see in my garden this season but the forecast isn't stunning for the week ahead.

I think most of not all of these were from the Canon SX50 with its macro and macro zoom function, should have used a tripod though but they don't stay still long.

Painted Lady video
Red Admiral video
Small Tortoiseshell video

Painted Lady left, Small Tortoiseshell right

Painted Lady

Painted Lady, underwing

Red Admiral, underwing

Red Admiral

Swallows going south

Tough enough you'd think that soon after fledging you have to fly to Africa but these guys can't even feed themselves yet! Followed by a collection from St Cyrus, Brechin, Arbroath and my garden.

I'm grumpy, and hungry!

The adult looks a bit daunted

Gimme, gimme

Is that all

Feed me

No peace for this Kestrel at St Cyrus

Brief relief

Little Egret at the Lurgies

Ruff still at East Pitforthie

Young Stonechat, St Cyrus

Dad

Arctic Tern, Inchcape, Arbroath

Rock Pipit, Inchcape

Dunnock, St Cyrus

One of the 40-50 House Sparrows in my garden

Immature Robin, my garden

Adult Robin at St Cyrus

Long-eared Owl and Pale-bellied Brent Goose

I was pleased to be rewarded again for doing my Webs count at Easthaven with an out of season Pale Bellied Brent Goose but worried that a Long-eared Owl at Montrose Basin SWT Centre might have gone or become totally hidden. As you can see not totally hidden, just enough for ID and a record photo.

Long-eared Owl

Pale bellied Brent Goose

A graceful Bar-tailed Godwit

Bean Goose and Purple Sandpiper

Starting off with one I'd missed, I took a photos of some Pink-footed Geese at Montrose Basin and originally had missed the Bean Goose below, I had noticed it was different and forgot to check, note to self pay more attention.

The second photo is another bird returning to our shores for the winter (Saturday I believe), it's a Purple Sandpiper seen at Inchcape Park, Arbroath.

The remaining photos are from a recce I did at Carnoustie Golf Links and some from Carnoustie Beach mostly taken into the sun at high tide.

Bean Goose at Miss Erskine's Bank, Montrose Basin

Purple Sandpiper, Inchcape Park Arbroath

Carrion Crow, Carnoustie Golf Links ( and the photos following)

Lily

Closer........

Meadow Pipit

Peacock Butterfly

Red Admiral Butterfly

Teal

Tufted Duck

Bar-tailed Godwit, Carnoustie Beach, (and all below this)

Grey Wagtail

Knot

Pied Wagtail

Ringed Plover

Rock Pipit

Sanderling

Sanderling

Wheatear, going south