Seaton Cliffs, or Arbroath Cliffs, to me a native, "the cliffs"

After Corn Bunting surveying two days in a row, which included walking for over five hours each early morning, through wet cereals and sometimes chest high grass, I decided I needed a rest, so returned to sit at Arbroath Cliffs and watch the world go by. No new or rare species, but it was good to see a consistent number of nesting birds compared to previous years. 

This time I took a few videos.

Razorbill, appears to be tending a chick (unseen), click for video

More Razorbill action, click here

Fulmars, click here          Kittiwakes, click here

Razorbill

Something suddenly got their attention but I couldn't see what

Kittiwake

Immature Kittiwake

Aerial acrobatics required to get to an itch

Female Common Blue Butterfly, just a bit too windy for these guys

Painted Lady. This must be a "Painted Lady Year", I've been seeing lots of them, almost fifty on one of my corn bunting surveys, also a small number of Red Admirals. Also, the first time I can recall, I saw a pair of Painted Ladies mating in a barley field. (any comments on this will be vetted!)

You can see the tongue in both photos as the butterfly feeds on thie rape flowers

Sand Martin, when above the horizon with the sky behind it. These guys are just too fast, erratic and small, I took very many photos just to get these. Mind you it turned out to be later in the day than I thought, and less light too

Another with the sea as the background

Fulmars are demoted down the post today as they feature too often (I've been told). I do like these head-on shots though

You can see how soft the old red sandstone is, the Fulmar is marked by it

They are always curious, this one wanted to see what I was doing just at the start of the path, I was failing to get a good photo of Sand Martins

A friendly one-legged Herring Gull which favours a roosting spot where I've been sitting

Probably lost the leg tangled in fishing or angling gear

I was suddenly aware of it sitting very close, any nearer and the camera wouldn't have focused

"Itchy and Scratchy", certainly noisy. Two Herring Gull chicks across the gulley from where I was sitting

One of a few Shags nesting in caves at the cliffs but they never get close enough

Fox Cubs and Peregrines

Some fox cubs taken on a Canon SX60, I think there were three in total. Also video from one of my Corn Bunting surveys, I'm particularly pleased with the Corn Bunting one, the bird was unusually approachable.


Corn Bunting close up, click here for Flickr video

Fox Cub, not sure about me, click here for video

The second Fox Cub, click here

Peregrine fledglings, cllick here for video

An unexpected visitor at this time of year, click here

I almost never see foxes but recently I've been falling over them everywhere. I think there were three cubs at this site and I heard an adult call in a nearby field. (Canon SX60)

Just before it disappeared when I'd got too close, I'd no alternative route to go

Adult Peregrine

Common Blue butterfly, only the second this year so far. Plenty of Painted Ladies around the coast

A male Siskin, which only ever turn up in my garden in winter, this one brought a juvenile with him

And up popped a Puffin

Arbroath Cliffs today where I saw a mixture of sea birds, some close and others like Gannets distant. No dolphins, or whales, perhaps a bit early yet.

An unexpected fly-past when I was sitting halfway down the cliffs at Mariners Grave

I only got two shots so am posting both

I was surprised to see quite a number of Guillemots, some must be nesting at or close to Mariners. I probably wouldn't have seen them from the cliff top

There were many Razorbills flying south and from time to time some would land beside or amongst the Guillemots

The Kittiwakes nest high in the gully at Mariners along with a few Fulmars, Herring Gulls are on the low rocks, and Sand Martins and a few House Martins near the top. Shags nest on ledges in the caves and it's possible that a small number of Puffins still do, they did many years ago when I kayaked along the cliffs

As well as the many adults, I saw one or two 2nd summer Kittiwakes and 1st summer birds

These Fulmars fly deceptively fast even when gliding and are difficult to capture especially when in the gulley

There has been a Fulmar nest in this recess every year for the last five, last year it appeared to fail, or was predated?

I had to move on from my perch at the cliff bottom as I must have been near to a Rock Pipit nest

No I didn't take a rubbish photo of  tourists, you might see the ring on this Herring Gulls leg, it's my old mate T:524 who has been around Arbroath Cliffs, usually at the ramp in front of the toilet block for years. Another Herring Gull where I was sitting came very close, I must have been near it's favourite flat landing patch, it had lost a leg and struggled to land in the wind

Everyone wanted a look at the strange creature sitting in their patch and this young Feral Pigeon was happy to sit 3 metres away for some time, wondering what I was

Good to see some Kidney Vetch at a site that's accessible and where I can't recall seeing it before at the cliffs. I think there was five separate plants

Willow Warbler and new fledglings

Not much to see at the moment, I might go and get some Sea Birds. These are from the Lurgies where even the late Mergnsers have gone, but already Wigeon numbers of 19 birds, 18 male and 1 duck. Also some more of the youngsters coming to my garden, the cat repeller seems to be working, but as I sat in a corner waiting for my Yellowhammers to arrive a male Sparrowhawk went through twice, it failed both times when even the juvenile House Sparrows spotted it coming.

I'm investigating if Google is "enhancing" my photos, despite my attempts so far they all end up brighter than the originals.

Willow Warbler, one of many at the Lurgies

House Martin nest on my neighbours gable

The second batch of House Sparrow juveniles have turned up, these have more obvious remains of their chick gapes. In the earlier ones the yellow at the base of the beaks had gone, these look at three slightly different stages 

This one spent most of the time sleeping

Adult Starling

I've found that keeping the grass well watered helps the young Starlings get at the leather-jackets

Greenfinch in the bright sunlight

Male Blackbird

Common Sandpiper at the Lurgies, I don't know if it has nested there or has returned from inland

Cormorant

I'd had a look at the "Splash" at Montrose Beach looking for a reported leucistic Starling, but all I found were Herring Gulls, Crows and House Sparrows