Tuesday 30 October 2018

Forfar Loch Otter

Otter at Forfar Loch, first seen at the west end and then from one of the seats by the track to the sailing club, 29/10/2018 and apparently for at least a second day.

Otter video, click here (trying out Flickr as a store, we'll see)


Dunnock at Forfar Loch, near the small feeding table at the west end


Magpie from the small shelter at the west end. This one was caching acorns, making small holes in the grass and stuffing them in


Too windy later on at Elliot for hunting Short-eared Owls so I was entertained by the ever mobile Sanderlings on the high tide line. The only problem is it was near dusk and the tide isn't favourable for a quick return visit







Friday 26 October 2018

Spotted Redshank 26/10/2018

Found by Graham this morning, and as my plan was to visit later I set off to the Lurgies at Montrose Basin a bit earlier than I had intended. I got a good view through my scope and a quick video from the Old Harbour before the rain started again. I then waited in the car till it stopped but the tide had covered a fair bit of the mud and I couldn't re-locate it, it rained again anyway. Maybe on Saturday if it's still there it might perform a bit closer.

Spotted Redshank well out on the mud, click here for at least 130 times zoomed video

Thursday 25 October 2018

Green Sandpiper still at Murton 25/10/2018

I couldn't decide which of these to use so there's some "doublers".

This video was filmed from the track to the Gladstone Hide through some of the scrub. The bird then flew to the small pool closest to the viewpoint on the track to the Stewart Hide, by then the reserve was closing, and it was dark!

Green Sandpiper at Murton 25/10/208 and a bit closer in dull conditions at 1630, click here for HD video


Wednesday's sunset from my house, and for the first time ever a photo from a mobile phone on this blog


Blackbird at Balgavies, had hoped for one of the elusive Redwings



Another Crow photo from near the paddling pool in Arbroath


I had a few in different poses and settled for this one of a Redshank on the ramp at West Links, Arbroath


One of the Redshanks feeding against the rock armour, temporarily spooked by a Crow


I like these difficult to photo Rock Pipits, they never stand still and survive the winter on the foreshore, maybe they think they're waders. We get a Scandinavian variant so I'll go and check them out in case any appear on the northerly forecast for the weekend


Rock Pipit again


Always plenty of Starlings feeding on the seaweed washed up along the rock armour and elsewhere along the coast


Tuesday 23 October 2018

White-fronted Goose and Montreathmont Forest

It's my rota at our hide this week so I'll try to get photos of all species currently visiting. One or two below for starters along with a Greenland White-fronted Goose seen with Greylags at Balgavies. I was in some doubt about the ID as there appears to be considerable cross breeding at nearby Murton between wild and escaped geese, but I'll go with it unless told otherwise.

Also still around is a Green Sandpiper at Murton, seen again on the car park pond from the hide and often at the far end. I suspect it gets spooked when people look from the viewing gap on route to the Stewart Hide.

I struggled enough trying to film over the overgrown willows and with the distance, and now I see the videos are degraded from the originals after uploading. I'll try and sort that or find an alternative. Best set YouTube to 1080 HD or use an extension to set YouTube to permanently show in HD.

Greenland White-fronted Goose video, click here and choose 1080 HD in settings

Greenland White-fronted Goose, again you'll need 1080 HD selected

Greenland White-fronted Goose (Google Drive version)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (for quality testing)



White-fronted Goose, seen from the hide at Balgavies


Smaller and more brown than the Greylag and of course the white front and more orange than pink bill



Crossbill, one of two at the start of the Montreathmont track


Just a bit high in the trees for my unsteady hand holding a heavy lens


Great Spotted Woodpecker at the hide, needed some light on a very dull day


Always a difficult photo if the target is under the table in the shade, and this Robin is still a bit wary


The trick at the hide is to get a photo of the bird not on feeder and with no obvious man-made feature in the frame



The first Goosander I've seen this autumn at Keptie Pond in Arbroath


A few metres further on and the light was totally different



Wigeon in eclipse at Craigmill mouth, a photo fitted in on a 10 minute fly by as the sun was beginning to set



No waders at Victoria Park when another short visit ended a day out, so I took these two gulls siiting out the wind on the sea wall. Herring Gull, perhaps a descendant of my Grandads "pet" gull which he fed daily with scraps from my uncle's fish business. I used to watch the gull take food from his hand after it called to let him know it was there


This is the same Great Black-backed Gull which is very often found near the first shelter and is very approachable, so much so I can't get it all in the frame. No thanks to the guy with the boxer type dog who appeared to deliberately encourage his dog to chase it away



After finding some shelter in the rock armour at Inchcape Park, Arbroath, all I could see were Crows and distant Redshanks. I was surprised not to find any Purple Sandpipers but they do sit out the high tide on the seaward side of the breakwater and that was in the lee of the strong wind



Jackdaw at Keptie Pond where I tried to get the Collared Doves but some people think it's a laugh to watch their dog chase the birds, numpties!




Thursday 18 October 2018

No Flycatcher photo!

Latest or should it be late photos from nearby which I'll write about later today. Currently showing newest first. 

The post title refers to the Red-breasted Flycatcher at Mains of Usan which I briefly saw and never even came close to photographing, such is the nature of chasing warblers and in this case warbler like birds. 

Some video links below of birds too distant for photos which don't look as good as the original files. I'll try and find out what the blog is doing to them. Note, they will look best if you choose 1080HD in YouTube.

Barnacle Goose at Murton, click here for video       Green Sandpiper at Murton, click here for video

Hybrid Goose at Murton, click here for video       Snipe (5) at Murton, click here for video

Grey Plover at dawn near Craigmill, click here for video


Brambling along the Lurgies path on Thursday 18th


I only got two photos before a walker flushed them, around a dozen birds mixed in with some tits and chaffinches. This photo has foliage blowing across the bird and has been resurrected as well as possible!


Male Chaffinch for comparison



Photo of some of the 600+ Golden Plover at Tayock, taken from the footbridge at Montrose Station. They'd move further out on the mud by the time I got to Tayock. Canon SX60


Another of the Goldeneye at Mains of Usan, mucked up this time by my failure to adjust the settings, hey-ho


Yellowhammer at the Lurgies



Goldeneye, Mains of Usan


Hybrid Goose, Murton NR. I thought part Canada and part Greylag but not so sure now with a better photo


Murton NR, still no water which will affect the winter wildfowl. There is a Green Sandpiper somewhere in this photo. Canon SX60


Mute Swans on the back pond at Murton


Wigeon, flushed by loud noise, then by someone off the paths


Chiffchaff, Ferryden


Eider, Ferryden. Mock courtship appears to be going on with males displaying and females being chased


Look at me ladies


This one was on a mission


Rook, Mains of Usan. The Rooks were collecting these green cones from the conifers and caching them somewhere nearby


Small White Butterfly, Auchmithie. Taken on 10/10/2018, also in the same area were a Painted Lady and a Red Admiral


Dunlin, Arbroath. Apparently on 11/10/2018 when I recall it was gloomy, cold and windy


Rock Pipit, same day and place as the Dunlin, Victoria Park again. One of my default places to go when I've got half an hour left of the day



Turnstones, around 35 now 


Saturday 6 October 2018

Late Terns and White-fronted Goose

Another collection taken over a few days, photos of what I saw and not always what I was looking for.

Starting at Lintrathen, then Montrose Basin, next Barry Buddon, followed by Westhaven, Craigmill Den and my garden.


A confident estimate of Canada Geese numbers at Lintrathen last week was 1500, seen from either of the two hides


Occasionally one or two flew a bit closer to the new hide


At least 150 Lapwings were also at Lintrathen



Greenland White-fronted Goose centre, photo taken from 300-400 metres. I was convinced I'd glimpsed a White-front from the Lurgies path while scanning the Pink-footed Geese so I too a few photos as they re-oriented as the tide rose. The original photos showed the orange legs better and this photo its face


Still two Little Egrets at the Lurgies, sometimes together and mobile in the strong wind. I think that sitting in a bit of cover might give a better (lucky) closer view, or wait till they take residence on the salt pans like last year









Some late terns were hanging around on the beach at Buddon Ness. I didn't see the juvenile Black Tern in a somewhat rushed visit at low tide






Stonechats have returned to the beaches at Westhaven and Easthaven with a pair at each site at the weekend


Starling at Westhaven


One of around twelve Long-tailed Tits flitting around Craigmill Den near the burn


Tree Sparrow in my garden, one of four seen today and they've arrived almost on the same date as last year





Search Blog

Blog archive