Mandarin at Walker Dam, Aberdeen

I can't decide which photos to post so have just put the ones which weren't soft or blurred by its movement in the iffy light. I say every year I'll go to see it when its sunny and it never is when I get there. We had lunch at the dam after a visit to Loch of Skene for the real birds, Ring-necked Duck, Smew, Scaup and Pochard. All distant, didn't have any worthwhile 130 times zoomed video, that's how far away everything was. More later perhaps, when I've counted the Purple Sandpipers at Torry Battery, just have and it's an amazing 252!!

Mandarin video on Flickr, click here                     252 Purple Sandpipers, click here for Flickr video

Common Gull, close quarters video, click here

These Mandarin photos were taken at very close quarters while we had lunch and the bird often was too big to fit in the frame. When I got up and retreated, so did the duck, into a gloomy corner of the pond!

One of the noisy Black-headed Gulls that annoyed Olive while she had lunch. I like gulls, good on them!

Unusual to have Common Gulls so close

Crocus in Seaton Park

Just in case you didn't know where the Black-necked Grebe is at Elie. In the harbour mouth, viewed from near the sailing club

Blue Tit

Coal Tit

Great Black-backed Gull with a Monkfish head at Victoria Park Arbroath

Purple Sandpipers, Inchcape Park Arbroath

Tree Sparrow, SWT Montrose Basin

Turnstone, Victoria Park

Wigeon, from my last Webs count at Easthaven