A trip to survey Carnoustie Golf Links. A recent list I received from ADBC members detailed 49 species. If you have a walk on the three courses feel free to identify and record bird species and numbers, and send the records to me to be input to the BTO's BirdTrack.
The courses are open to the public but please don't interrupt the golfers, stay off the tees and especially the greens. There are a number tracks and paths which cross the links.
There were hundreds of these tiny (12mm) frogs all along the tracks after the heavy rain, it was walking on tip toes and being very careful not to stand on any, unless you were the couple who said" we just keep going and don't look down". Out of sight, out of mind, just like everything else in humanity....
Never a shortage of Carrion Crows (the Black Prince) and of course easy to see as they don't hide in the undergrowth or in leafy trees like those pesky warblers
One of a brood of large Coot juveniles, a testament to the parents and the amount of good cover where they nested
The nemesis of many water bird chicks, Lesser Black-backed Gull
Even the Mallards at Carnoustie were doing quite well and keeping larger broods alive. Mind you, I'm making a comparison with Keptie Pond which doesn't have much cover for feeding ducklings and lots of gulls, despite most people feeding seed only
After the heavy rain this limping Robin was hopping sideways along the track, looked to have an injured foot which it wasn't putting any weight on
Water Lily on the pond nearest to the practice course parking
On the same pond
Red Kite, in a field of brassica, in an odd sort of way, if it keeps pigeons and song birds away, and the field isn't a dead zone for insects because of spraying, it might help insect numbers. Surely a fantasy on my part......