Easthaven north this time

Some more from Easthaven but going north this time. Less waders and fewer species, really a month or more too early to expect the bulk of returning waders and even later for the juveniles. I wonder if breeding was delayed across the Arctic, I read a report from NE Greenland where the birds had arrived to find a metre of snow on their nesting grounds. Many were under weight and apparently abandoned any breeding attempts.

Blog describing Greenland Breeding, click here

Not a species I expected to find, but I had gone looking and found 2 Snipe together on one of the scrapes in the grazing along the coastal path

There are 4 Common Sandpipers in this photo, the head of the fourth is on the extreme left. They are very wary and I don't think I got closer than 80 metres. Mind you there's no place to hide on a beach which can be busy with walkers

A 2 year old Kittiwake, a species I seldom see at Easthaven

The only Sandwich Tern around, I wonder how many are along at Westhaven and Carnoustie though. Note, at Arbroath there is maintenance work on the West Breakwater which may disturb and prevent some birds from roosting on it at high tide. Hope the work is finished soon before the majority of the terns arrive

Although distant the good light let me capture some of these Black-headed Gulls feeding in the shoreline waves

More juvenile Black-headed Gulls this time, this one was on one of the small scrapes

Often dogs don't react well to me if I'm sitting on the ground, maybe they're not used to seeing people sitting down. I wasn't sure about this one but as you can see it's got a rabbit keeping its focus. The smaller and also apparently unaccompanied alsatian type with it thought about giving me a hard time before moving on

Another Meadow Brown photo, taken so I could identify the flower, Field Scabious – Knautia arvensis, again the ID from Anne