Red-throated Divers and a host of others

Two or is it three days of photos, starting with a totally unexpected pair of divers found on a long excursion in the hills. Many of the other photos were taken nearby as I searched out flat ground to ease off my stiff legs and joints. They say, "old age disnae come its sel"

On Carnoustie Golf Links today I met a group of golfers who asked, what are you looking for? "birds" I replied. Quick as a flash one said, " are you Frank McAvennie", brilliant!

Red-throated Diver on a hill lochan which I doubt could support a nesting attempt unless the adults fly elsewhere to fish

I can't be sure, but I believe the pair were flushed from cover on an island by a Golden Eagle which flew over but quickly banked at away. The birds could see me but as I was at a distance they didn't seem bothered and I found a suitable large rock to disappear behind

Kestrel, brightened from a dark original to prove it was just a Kestrel and not a Merlin

An unusually confiding Red Deer, originally it hid behind a peat hag only 30 metres away

Female Blackcap, I suppose nowadays it might have to be renamed a Browncap in the interests of equality

The male of the pair in Craigmill Den

Not often a Carrion Crow sits still and with the sun lighting it up

Purple Sandpiper on the beach near Craigmill burn. There were two there along with around 30 Sanderlings, Turnstones and Ringed Plover

One of the Craigmill Den Rooks, their rookery is expanding to the north bank and upstream

Inconveniently this Sedge Warbler and another have set up home surrounded by gorse bushes on the small loch at Carnoustie Golf Links

The drake of a pair of Sheducks that Olive didn't see when she flushed them from the burn at Craigmill

One of many Skylarks in the fields between Easthaven and Craigmill

A new parent on the golf links with a maggot, worm and Hawthorn Fly, yummy

Starling at Barry Halt where a helpful security guard confirmed that access is still available to the links, probably up until July 2nd. To be confirmed

Swallow on the beach at Craigmill

Turnstone

This is one of a pair of Wheatear which look to be considering nesting in a tattie field at Easthaven. I'll check again on my Webs at the weekend

A little bird but with a big character, I like Whitethroats

Two of eight to ten Bottlenose Dolphins just north of Whiting Ness at Arbroath Cliffs

Jackdaw. It's the kind of look only a wife could produce, that's why I don't have one

Kittiwake at the Mariners Grave, Arbroath Cliffs

The "odd couple", the same Mallard drake paired with the Tufted duck at Keptie Pond as before. Two other female Mallards have four and five ducklings each, the four are getting close to being to big for the gulls to swallow