Twite and others

Twite photos into the late sunlight taken from within the Wigeon Hide at Montrose Basin, They were in company with Goldfinches and feeding on the grasses on the salt marsh in front of the hide even as it flooded on the large high tide. Between the group at the hide and others on the track from the car park I'd say over 100 Twite would be a reasonable count.

Twite, click here for HD video 

Shelduck feeding at Tayock, click here for HD video

One of the very many Twite at the Wigeon Hide, Montrose Basin on Monday at high tide. Photographed out of the side window of the elevated hide back into the setting sun hence the golden glow

Just part of the larger group which also included many Goldfinches

Also from the Wigeon Hide but taken last Friday on a very different cold and dull day. Shows a mixture of Godwits with obvious black and barred tails, also the difference in underwing plumage

Far to far away but I took this one to count the Dunlin, but haven't, any guesses

Another from Friday showing one of a few Fieldfares with a larger number of flighty Redwings at Mains of Dun, a further group are on the old railway track on the way to the hides

This is what happens when a wildfowler just 200 metres away discharges his shotgun. It seemed too early in the day for the shooting to start, but for December 4th the allowed time was 1435

Not the best Wren photo from late in the day, caught when I was trying to get a Weasel in the leaf litter below it. The Wren and a Robin were both agitated and alarm calling letting the Weasel and everything else know it had been seen and where it was

I've had this Blue Tit photo for a while now, it landed directly above my head at Balgavies last week, close enough that I had to retreat to get it in focus

I couldn't see what was attracting this Crow and many gulls in a garden near Tayock until a Sparrowhawk flew off with what may have been a Starling

I normally wouldn't keep a photo like this but it was the best I could get of what might be a first sighting of a Little Egret at Monikie CP. The bird with another was in Denfind Pond behind the screen of trees making it very difficult even to see. It would have been easier if it had been at the other end but that was still frozen. The staff have cut a section of the willow screen near the hide which now lets everything see anyone approaching, not sure why that was done?

Murton Mute Swans from last week. The water levels in both the main ponds are still very low and seems to be affecting wildfowl numbers

Yet another Stonechat seen along the beach near Westhaven

Don't know why I took this photo, it's a Teasel which Goldfinches often feed on. I have a photo of a Teasel with a snail impaled on top of it but couldn't say whether a Shrike put it there or someone did