A trail camera photo of a male Sparrowhawk in my garden on 8/1/2019. I currently have another male, a 1st winter visiting multiple times a day. The trail camera is in place at the moment pointing at one of his perches
Short-eared Owl on the Golf Course at Elliot, near Arbroath. It was also seen a few times from the car park at the green-keepers buildings. This photo from on the course, 31/1/2019
Black Redstart in front of the sewage pump building at Inchcape Park, Arbroath. It was on the beach and rock armour at the car park where camper-vans invade en mass during summer. This was on 5/2/2019
This is the long returning Mandarin drake which commutes yearly from Norway to Aberdeen. I dropped into Walker Dam in Aberdeen after a Loch of Skene visit on 25/2/2019. The bird was back this winter when I found it in Johnston Gardens, not very far from Walker Dam, it moves between the two small and easily accessed ponds
We don't get many Iceland Gulls and most are juvenile/1st winters. This adult was briefly at Victoria Park in Arbroath on March 5th when I managed a few photos of it sitting near the tide line
If it's a Little Egret you want to see in Angus there's a good chance in winter and spring at the Bank of Scotland Hide at the SWT Centre, Montrose. They don't come close if there's noise or disturbance. This one on March 13th flew in when I was on my own in the hide. The hide is down a slope and some steps but close to the car parking
Forfar Loch is the go to site locally for Great Crested Grebes. This one was photographed from a viewing platform not far from the north car park on 26/4/2019. They can usually be seen from the old leisure centre area, although not so close views
One of the local Dippers, many on the Brothock Burn and Elliot Burn are ringed. Dippers in Arbroath can best be seen in spring while they are busy with feeding broods, most bridges are good spots to find them, including the bus station and the burger van near Morrisons. This bird was seen on 9/4/2019
I don't like "feeder photos" but I didn't have time when passing Killiecrankie for anything else. The Nuthatches frequent the bird feeders at the visitor centre only metres from the car park. This photo is from May 2nd
Inchcape Park has a Purple Sandpiper roost in winter and this one may have been passing through on May 10th on it's way north to Svalbard. Photo from very near to the car parking
I find that Whitethroats can be wary birds, especially when returning to their nest. This one was seen in Auchmithie from the wall overlooking the harbour at the end of the road in the village. This is a regular site for these birds, this one posed on 9/6/2019
Everyone who feeds birds in their garden gets a Sparrowhawk eventually, I get them nearly all year. This one, as you can see has just caught a House Sparrow, somebody's bairn! Photo from June 30th
Common Sandpipers aren't that common but Backwater Dam, especially the dam wall has one or two pairs each year which can be seen from the car park area. This one was on 10/6/2019 but it would have been around earlier
This Common Crane counts as an accessible bird as it was seen from the Waulkmill Bird Hide on the Ythan Estuary at Newburgh. In fact I could see it before I got out of my car, never close but its size allowed me to get this photo and some video on 29/7/2019. One of three which visited daily
Roseate Tern, a rare bird, difficult to find, difficult to pick out in a tern flock. Best plan is do some homework, make many visits and one day look over the sea wall near Gayfield Park in Arbroath and one is waiting! (Gayfield is home to the world record holding, mighty Reid Lichties). This one was on 12/8/2019 but I'd seen a few previously including and adult with juvenile
Just one day after the Roseate above, this Mediterranean Gull was only two hundred metres to the south near the Milimia Pizza. This site hosts a number each summer after their breeding season, this was 13/8/2019. Photo taken from where I'd parked my car
September 1st and Wheatears were migrating south along the coast on two days around 1/9/2019, at West Links in Arbroath. At least ten birds overnight-ed near to the above mentioned pizza place in the rock armour at the sea wall
A not so accessible site at Rossie Spit, Montrose Basin. As I have a love of Sparrowhawks (you noticed) this one on 11/9/2019, with a Dunlin it had just caught gets the nod. It's possible to view the wader roost at this site from behind the garage at the roundabout as you enter Montrose from the A92 south
Surely the most surreal moment in my bird-watching year. I was standing at Victoria Park in Arbroath, speaking to a friend about a documentary on Spitfire plane evolution, including the change to Merlin engines. Then I saw a bird fly past, low and at speed, a Merlin, it got better when a second Merlin chased it off the wall and sat in full view in front of the oblivious driver! My only problem was I wasn't close and the park was busy on a warm October 1st. It flew off when walkers approached. ( just like farmers, never happy)
This lovely Little Stint found on 12/10/2019 by Anne Reid was the most accessible bird of the year. It was still there at East Haven, in front of the car park when I did my Webs count on the 13th. Many must have got close up views and photos of this juvenile which stayed around for a few days
Each year around the date I took this photo, 14th October, I see Jays collecting and caching acorns. This one from near the hide at Balgavies Loch, Angus. Another accessible site is from the railway station at Barry Halt, Carnoustie where they fly from inland trees to cache acorns somewhere on Barry Buddon Camp
Photographed at the start of the cliff path at Whiting Ness, Arbroath, this male Kestrel simply floated up from below the cliff top into view and briefly hovered long enough for this lucky shot. Although Kestrels are seen all year at the cliffs they are seen more when hunting using up-drafts in winter, this was on 30/10/2019
This Pintail hybrid had some people including me excited when I first saw it at Keptie Pond, Arbroath on 7/11/2019. When it came closer I could see the bib of a mallard and other photos show a green sheen on the head, it's also got yellow legs and had a plastic neck ring when it first arrived in November. It was still there a few days ago
It's always a bit more special when you find a bird yourself and not following a report. So when this Great Egret turned up at the Wigeon Hide at Montrose Basin on November 13th, and then flew past the hide, even Olive was interested! There's a good chance it's still there after a report earlier this week
On our way home from the Wigeon Hide above, Olive asked to go and see the Waxwings in Lower Craigo Street in Montrose and I almost grudgingly said yes. It was a good decision, as when we got there the light was good and only one tree still had berries and they were feeding. I took many good photos, but like this one as it didn't have a berry in its beak!
Back with another easy access site. Arbroath Harbour on 19/11/2019 hosted this Shag which had a darvic ring which indicated it was an Isle of May bird ringed on 7/6/2016, green FBB. Also on the same day a female Long-tailed Duck was in the harbour and a Dipper with rings on the Brothock nearby
I've taken to liking Jays but not to the lack of light where this one was photographed on November 21st
Taken at the same site as above on 21/11/2019, described by a grand-kid (of course it was a girl) as soooooooooooh cute!
And thereby ends photos from Accessible places in Angus where hopefully anyone can see birds and other wildlife, sometimes even from a parked car..................