Saturday 30 June 2018

A few fae Fowlsheugh

With the sun beating down I ventured to Fowlsheugh to fish for Mackerel which ended soon after arriving when my faulty reel (lack of maintenance) failed while casting with my beachcaster and I caught my "shutter finger" in the line meaning I couldn't cast anymore!

Plan B, which was always on the cards was to take a few photos of the sea birds flying along the cliffs was also affected as I had to try and use another finger to focus and press the shutter. It worked to a degree but not without some trouble and pain. Note, the use of a new and unusual excuse!

Razorbills video, click here   reminds me of a couple I know........


Guillemot (bridled)


Guillemot


Kittiwake looking vertically down the cliff


Kittiwake, flying south to fish


Razorbill


Razorbill


Wednesday 27 June 2018

Whimbrel returning, not long since they went north

The last first and the first last. Still not a lot happening so I'm continuing to photograph what I see at random places near to home. I often leave the house with a plan then turn in the opposite direction at the end of my road. Decisions, decisions.........  Some quality among the photos taken in my garden where I bribe the birds, most of the rest are long shots. Also seen at Montrose Basin today was a first returning Goldeneye drake, a Sparrowhawk, 6 Dunlin and 33 Redshanks which may indicate just how many nest attempts fail.


Another video of perhaps the same Corn Bunting as before, but closer, click here for video


An unexpected Whimbrel from the Lurgies, looking across to the Shelduck Hides


Just too far for my technology and skill


It took to flight as I was photographing a passing Osprey, it looked to have landed at the back of Miss Erskine's Bank


The passing Osprey, it didn't fish at almost high tide with a good going ripple on the surface of the water



While finishing my second Corn Bunting survey on a local farm I saw this Yellowhammer land on the sign and couldn't resist a photo with my Canon SX60 which I carry to help ID of birds seen into the early morning sunlight, at 0600hrs


A Mute Swan pair at Kinnordy with seven cygnets, in comparison to the Keptie Pond birds their breeding success is double or more the Keptie pair average and you'd think they'd have a food and predator advantage. Maybe all the bread affects fertility?


The House Martin nest on my neighbours gable


The adults were coming in about every two minutes to feed the three chicks


This Starling was having a good attempt to eat all of the fat balls


An unusual pose from one of those pesky pigeons


Now six adult Goldfinches have been seen at the same time in my garden but still no chicks and one pair keeps attending their apple tree nest


An adult Greenfinch, and now I've seen three chicks together under a feeder begging for food


Not only plastic (ish) pollution from McDonalds but another waste of precious Helium which surely has to be kept for important uses since we don't have an infinite supply. I recall a Horizon program saying all of our Helium comes, or came from space, and we waste it to sell happy meals.....


A close shot of a Lesser Black-backed Gull


And now the slightly weird and arty shot taken from my garden as was the ballon above. A neighbours grandchild was being entertained with soapy bubbles so my challenge was to get a photo however far away they were, or how small. Honest there is a bubble direct centre of the photo


Sunday 24 June 2018

"Mair Bairns"

Some more photos of this years chicks mixed in with a flower from St Cyrus where an Osprey was seen fishing, a short spell at Keptie Pond and some youngsters from my garden. The Lesser Black-backed Gull gets the top billing because it's a good photo and of course I'm a fan of gulls, especially this species.



There were only two Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Keptie and they, along with the Herring Gulls were hanging around waiting for some people feeding the ducks to move away before fighting over the spoils





A pair of these dainty Collared Doves although more timid than the gulls also take advantage of the nice people providing seed to the ducks, not bread I hasten to add


One of a brood of four Coot chicks which I believe is a second brood


The island on Keptie Pond appeared to be alive with Jackdaws and a few were confident enough to come closer


This Jackdaw in flight was taken at St Cyrus where I'd gone looking for a Quail reported earlier in the morning, it had stopped singing or had moved away from the noisy car park


Moorhen at Keptie, an often overlooked bird, the beak on it's own deserves a photo


A Cinnabar Moth caterpillar at St Cyrus where the adult moths were also in flight


Restharrow – Ononis repens at St Cyrus, we saw the same plant on the dunes at Carnoustie today, Monday. Correctly named by Anne, thanks


The St Cyrus Osprey which arrived at full tide, and might not have been the best time to fish, it flew off to the north along the beach


I've probably got up to fifty Starlings coming to my garden when the weather isn't so good so it was just a matter of time before one obliged with a take off in the open


Juvenile Greenfinch, good to see but so far it's the only one coming in with up to eight adults


Looking a bit puzzled


This nest unfortunately only gets light in the evening for a short period. There are three well developed House Martin  chicks begging food when the adults fly in, or could there be a fourth I can't see?


Juvenile Dunnock. Today it looked like the female was mating again and there's been a lot of singing again, so maybe more to look forward to


Tuesday 19 June 2018

Fowlsheugh from a different viewpoint

I don't know why I went to Fowlsheugh on such a cold and windy day, but as expected it was very busy with thousands of sea birds flying south to fish and back to feed their young. The light was very variable and has resulted in many different  exposures in the photos.
Rather than going north along the cliff path I went down to where the anglers fish to get photos from nearer water level. I had hoped I'd see an early Great Skua as once before at this time I had one sitting on the sea while I fished for mackerel.



The obligatory Puffin photo, I picked this one out of a flock of Guillemots as it took off going south, the only one I saw


An unusual pose on both Razorbills, both were flying with a slower wing beat than normal


You can just see some small sand eels in the Razorbills beak


Guillemot, not as black as you might think but probably over-exposed


Adult Kittiwake


1st summer Kittiwake, wing marking fading from black and beak turning yellow



Monday 18 June 2018

Redstart chick and missing Kites

I'd never seen a Redstart chick till today but quickly lost it in cover in Glenesk. Later I got a glimpse of it again as we returned the same way and a good view of its mother. Other birds were, Dipper with chicks, Mallard with ducklings, Common Sandpipers doing distraction displays, Grey and Pied Wagtails.
Again I only saw one Red Kite, most probably the one I'd seen before. Where have they all gone, only one in Glenesk and one in Glen Lethnot over around eight visits in spring and early summer. Have a look at the final photo in this post, very much a "not welcome" message.



Redstart chick in lower Glenesk


Dipper chick


The adult Dipper looks worn out. I'm sure I was told that many adults die after a strenuous breeding season


Chimney Sweeper Moth


We went for a coffee at the beach in Montrose and this Common Tern was fishing in the pool against the rock armour. I didn't have the camera and by the time I did it had caught a fish and decided to leave











I believe there are six Greenfinches coming to my feeders and have been able to confirm that Goldfinches are nesting in an apple tree in my front garden, less than ten feet from my window



Starling, one of around forty in my garden in company with the same or more House Sparrows, also Chaffinches, Blue Tits, Dunnock with chicks, Goldfinches and still just the one Tree Sparrow


Scarecrow at Cornescorn, the ninth scarecrow I've seen on the hills to the west of Edzell



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