House Martin fledging, Black-tailed Godwit, don't forget the Spoonbill!

On a flat calm Montrose Basin at high tide, not often a good time to be there, but the Spoonbill was sitting on Miss Erskine's Bank, the Little Egret nearby, Terns were touring and fishing and as the tide retreated a fair number of waders flew in. There was a flock of 190 Lapwings, 20-30 Oysteractchers, a first returning Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Reshank, Eider and a large flotilla of Mute Swans. The Godwit is ringed and I'm trying to ascertain the colours and sequence from a distant video.

A House Martin fledgling on my neighbours gable just after 2100 hrs, that didn't seem like a good time to fledge from the nest above it, out of shot. All's well this morning and the fledgling is still there being attended by its parents while at least one other is still in the nest

The young were still being fed at 1700 hrs, then at 1900 it went quiet with no sign of the adults visiting the nest

Spoonbill on Miss Erkine's Bank at the Lurgies, Montrose Basin. Canon SX60

It flew down the basin as the tide went out and landed in a channel viewable from Maryton Ditch

This Little Egret flew in quite close to me when I was hidden behind some gorse filming the Spoonbill teetering on a washed up tree

There are at least twelve Common Sandpipers around at the Lurgies just now

On a flat calm day a flock of 60 Common Terns were touring the west end of the basin, some like this one catching fish. I hope these aren't failed breeders from McConnechy's

Around 20 Sandwich Terns were with the Common Terns, all roosted on the mud when it was un-covered by the ebbing tide

Not the first Meadow Brown I've seen, this one at the Lurgies. Pity about the blade of grass

Ringlet, also with grass in the way, developing a theme here

The same Ringlet, and more grass. On another day I'll try harder but on Wednesday I had other targets

Now down at Boddin, there were a few Common Blues around but it was just too windy

The male

Common Blue female

Common Blue female

Six Spot Burnet Moth

Making more Six Spot Burnet moths. I must try and carry the camera and lens I have for macro

As yet I haven't been able to idetify these caterpillars. Canon SX60

I think this is a Northern Marsh Orchid

The view from Maryton Ditch looking east to Montrose. Canon SX60

A horse, of course!