The Good, the Bad and the Dodgy, video time..........

I'll be taking a break from almost daily posting as the weather and will are weak at this time of year so I thought I'd post some of the more popular videos from my YouTube Channel. Some might be good quality others may be rarer species. All were recorded with a Canon Powershot SX50 or SX60 in full HD 1920 by 1080 but I've noticed lately that the conversion when uploaded doesn't seem so good and I'm looking into that. For best viewing I always use the YouTube app on my TV or cast the video from my phone or tablet choosing HD or 1080, have I lost some of you already!

My main YouTube page, click here,


Swans fighting at Keptie Pond, Arbroath

Male Hen Harrier hunting

Harlequin Drake at Seaton Park, Aberdeen

Spoonbill at Montrose Basin

Black Stork at Strathbeg RSPB Reserve

Glossy Ibis at Montrose Basin

Ring-necked Drake at the Cuilic, Pitochry still there 31/12/2016

Slavonian Grebe at Piper Dam, near Dundee

King Eider Drake at Ythan Estuary, Newburgh, usually back in June

Short-eared Owl, Elliot Golf Course, Arbroath 

Shore Lark, still at Tentsmuir 31/12/2016

Little Egret, Kinnaber, seen 30/12/2016

Year Review - December 2016

Short days, low sun, but it shone long enough to get photos of my first Shore Lark and that's why there are four photos below. The most important bird personally is the Little Egret as I mention below

Shore Lark currently at Tentsmuir, one of two on the lagoon 1.5 km north of the Kinshaldy car park and 200 metres south of the fence line on the beach

This photo shows the "horns" slightly raised

This Little Egret enabled me to reach the milestone of 200 species in Angus this year. I'd seen one at the Eden and another at the Ythan and had I not found this one I'd have been up a Munro on Hogmonay looking for a Ptarmigan!! (SX60 from afar)

Treecreeper at Balgavies

One of twenty or more Fulmars seen at Auchmithie this month which look to be on nesting ledges with partners

Goldfinch

Lesser Redpoll at Balgavies, one of a flock of thirty

Red-breasted Merganser seen at Kinnaber when searching for the Little Egret

Pink Footed Geese at sunset near East Haven

Perhaps the same three Geese seen earlier, I think the ISO on this one is 3200!

Red Squirrel at Balgavies

Drake Smew, this one never made last years review and was at Monikie in late December 2015

Year Review - November 2016

Raptors first (as always) water fowl next and then a mixture from November. Still working on December and have had to revert to video on a few days recently

Sparrowhawk at the Lurgies

Male Hen Harrier at Kinnordy Loch

Same Harrier

I liked the light in this photo of a Buzzard at the old Sunnyside Hospital near Montrose

Little Grebe also lit by the low sunlight

Long-tailed Duck at the Lurgies

Female Velvet Scoter on the North Esk at Kinnaber/St Cyrus

The best of many distant shots of the long staying Spotted Redshank at Montrose Basin

My first photo and sighting of Waxwings this year and I haven't felt I need to try for a better one

Wren at Craigmill Beach near East Haven

One of the Basin Seals with a late salmon which shows signs of disease

No birds at Monikie Country Park so I reverted to views

On a frosty day at Scone Palace I got a better photo of the Peacock than the Hawfinch I'd went for

Year Review - October 2016

Not passing through migrants in October but birds which will winter here along with some residents. The sun was now much lower in the sky and making life for photography more difficult, wait till December!

Great White Egret at the Lurgies, Montrose Basin, an unexpected treat and only seen when it was flushed by a shooting party

Drake Pintail at Kinnordy, it was still there recently I was told

One of the last sunny photos when the sun actually rose into the sky. A Purple Sandpiper at Inchcape, Arbroath. There were around 30 there today

Stonechat at Elliot Golf Course, Arbroath

Water Rail in front of the Bank of Scotland Hide at Montrose Basin

The second Whoopers I saw in the autumn, the first flew past Barry Buddon about a week earlier

Bar-tailed Godwit from the Tayock Hide at Montrose Basin, a good place to get close on an incoming tide

Curlew as above

Drake Gadwall at Forfar Loch in front of the Leisure Centre, a species which seems to be increasing in Angus

Year Review - September 2016

September was a good month with two lifetime birds and my first photo of a Long-tailed Skua, we also had an influx of Curlew Sandpipers and many other species moving south

Long-tailed Skua juvenile near Easthaven then Westhaven. At first I thought it was being chased by the Curlew but it seemed it was just being followed!

One of five Bar-headed Geese at Kinnordy Loch

Bar-tailed Godwit at Barry Buddon, north of the lighthouses

A female or newly emerged male Black Darter Dragonfly at Kinnordy Loch

The Brunnich's Guillemot at Anstruther which sadly died within a few day of its arrival

The Common Snipe is in the centre of this photo, seen at Carnoustie Golf Links

A Cormorant feeding on the many small Roach in Keptie Pond, Arbroath

Two of seven Curlew Sandpipers I saw on a few occasions at Montrose Basin

Dunlin at Arbroath Harbour

One of two young Gannets resting on the rocks near Easthaven

Knot in both plumage's at the Ythan Estuary

Painted Lady in Olive's garden

An often seen Peregrine hunting over Montrose Basin, this time flying towards Rossie Spit and the wader roost

Probably the latest Wheatear I saw in autumn, at Elliot near the end of the month