The Last Post - till next year

Happy New Year to readers when it comes, and if you needed Twite for your lists, you're now too late for 2021.

The Twite below were photographed and filmed at Montrose Basin, not in their usual site which has been ploughed in, but in trees towards the Shelduck Hide. It's likely they'll range across the fields and some were seen near the Wigeon Hide where they often sit when feeding in front of the hide on the salt marsh.

Twite video, and a bit shaky, click here to view in Flickr, also on my YouTube   

Some of the 56 Twite counted sitting in trees on the track down to the Shelduck Hide at Montrose Basin

terrible lighting conditions with a milky sun still low in the winter sky

Reed Buntings

One of two Pink-footed Geese in one of the winter barley fields, neither looked injured, but I'd have expected they would have fled before I could photograph them from the track

The Twite trees, about 50-60 metres down the track from the scrap cars

The Last Post - British Army, click here

Back next year with a brand new show......

Ducking 'n diving at Keptie Pond

   
I was dragged out of the house and we went to Montrose Basin, and the tide was still in - fail. I did see Little Egrets, Goldeneye, Shovelers, Black-tailed Godwits, Wigeon, Teal and more but most were seen through the trees at Rossie Spit, from the roadside walkway. The photos are from Keptie Pond when the sun was behind the large houses, some planning needed....

Shoveler drake Rossie Spit, click here for video       Black-tailed Godwits (through the trees)

Black-headed Gull, one of around 40 at Keptie Pond, Arbroath

Coot

Goosander drakes

Hybrid of questionable heritage, I might look into this one again

Moorhen

Tufted drake

And just before it got dark, some of my Tree Sparrows as I took my gear out of the car at home

Shooting Red and Amber Listed Birds!

   
It's very unlikely that many Red and Amber listed birds are shot, at least on purpose, although studies around the world indicate that shooters just aren't very competent at identifying the correct quarry species, so that could be having an adverse effect on populations already threatened.

All wild birds are "protected" in that there are rules, laws and regulations that apply, some which do allow birds to be shot.

The information below is available in the public domain and deals with; 

What methods are illegal for killing birds and mammals.

Selling dead birds.

Species which are legal to shoot.

The seasons in which shooting can take place.

I did want to go into the continuing use of lead shot, hundreds of very small lead projectiles fired from shotguns to kill game and wildfowl, but I don't have time just now. 

One for the pot......

All wild birds

It is illegal to use:

Any spring, trap, gin, snare, any electrical device for killing, stunning or frightening, or any poisonous, poisoned or stupefying substance so placed as to be calculated to cause bodily injury to any wild bird

Any net, any baited board, bird-lime or substance of a like nature to bird-lime

Any bow or crossbow

Any missile which is not discharged from a firearm including any arrow or spear

Any metal bar, axe, hatchet, cudgel, club, hammer or similar instrument

Any explosive other than ammunition for a firearm.

Any automatic or semi-automatic weapon against any bird except the Bird Pest Species listed on the general licences

Any shotgun where the barrel has an internal diameter at the muzzle of more than 1¾ inches

Any device for illuminating a target or sighting device for night shooting or any form of artificial light or any mirror or other dazzling device

Any gas or smoke not covered any where else in this section, any chemical or wetting agent

Any sound recording

Any live animal or bird as a decoy which is tethered, secured by braces or other similar appliances, or which is blind, maimed or injured.

Any mechanically-propelled vehicle in immediate pursuit of birds for the purpose of killing or taking.

 

Any wild mammal

It is illegal to use;

Any self-locking snare

Any bow or crossbow

Any missile which is not discharged from a firearm including any arrow or spear

Any explosive other than ammunition for a firearm.

Any live bird or mammal as a decoy which is tethered, or which is secured by means of braces or other similar appliances, or which is blind, maimed or injured.

Any sound recording

Mammals (with special protection)

It is illegal to use;

Any trap, snare, any electrical device for killing, stunning or frightening, or any poisonous, poisoned or stupefying substance so placed as to be calculated to cause bodily injury

Any net

Any metal bar, axe, hatchet, cudgel, club, hammer or similar instrument

Any automatic or semi-automatic weapon, any device for illuminating a target or sighting device for night shooting, any form of artificial lighting, mirror or other dazzling device or any gas or smoke not covered anywhere else in this section (see note below).

Any sound recording

Any mechanically-propelled vehicle in immediate pursuit of mammals for the purpose of killing or taking (or driving that animal 

Sale of birds

England, Wales and Scotland The sale of the following dead birds is permitted from 1 September to 28 February inclusive. Red and Amber listed birds marked in colour

Mallard,  Pintail,  Pochard

Teal,  Tufted Duck,  Shoveler

Common Snipe,  Wigeon,  Coot

Golden Plover,  Woodcock           

Woodpigeon can be sold dead at any time

Species

England, Wales & Scotland

The species that can be shot during their open season are (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981):  Status: Red and Amber listed birds marked colour marked  

SEASONS 

Sparrowhawk - The Bringer of Death

   

I have a male Sparrowhawk that occasionally will kill a Sparrow or Starling and pluck it on my garden bin, which is just outside the window I am sitting at creating this post. 

On Christmas Eve while I was filming around 12 Tree Sparrows through the window everything flushed, I looked up and a female Sparrowhawk grabbed a Feral Pigeon from the top of a bush 2 metres away. The pigeon was brought to the ground and the photos and video here give a graphic account of what nature in the raw looks like. 

At first I had hold the camera at the window without standing up but once the pigeon died the Sparrowhawk took it to a dark corner at the top of the garden. I was then able to fetch my tripod and film some videos through the space in the vertical blinds. All of the photos and videos were taken from inside the house except for one photo which is better quality but it was taken through a gap blocked with by my trailer. Once the rain stops I'll be clearing the garden for future filming.

Sparrowhawk - the kill, click here for video      Sparrowhawk video, plucked while alive (5 minutes)      Sparrowhawk feeding, close zoom, graphic  

 Female Sparrowhawk

with the still alive Feral Pigeon

The scene at the top of my garden

It definitely could see me in the house, but once on a kill they are loath to move and struggle to fly off with a complete carcass. The last one I documented returned to a pigeon into a third day before it carried it away. This one was likely taken by one of my Foxes overnight, Xmas distractions meant I didn't have a camera on it... 

Using its formidable talon to pick feathers from its beak

In this shot you can see a pigeon feather that had become stuck on the hawk's left leg. It had a few attempts to pick it off but didn't manage

The only photo not through double glazing

Peace on earth at Arbroath Harbour where most boats were moored away from the breakwater, and gear stowed safely out of harms way if there was a storm over the holiday. This I reckon is the same Rock Pipit I photographed before, then in good light, this time not

I assume this is the same Grey Seal I posted before, and again it surfaced without warning, immediately in front of me near the outer harbour slipway

Dreaming of a White Christmas - it came true!

   
My last outing before Xmas lockdown, when Olive doesn't let me out and I have to wear clean clothes, and be nice to people.

I left home on Friday to visit the Basin when there was barely a breeze in Arbroath, when I got to the Lurgies there was a gale blowing! A quick retreat to the Bank of Scotland Hide at the SWT Centre and the Great Egret was there, but had flown out of range. I sat very still and quietly in the hide and within a few minutes the Egret flew back and close, albeit in one of the overgrown pools. Serious cutting and digging needs done soon or a great habitat will be lost. The Egret stayed and fished for some time and I got photos and videos before it was distracted by a barking dog and clocked me in the hide.

Satisfied with what I'd seen and my photos I left it in peace to feed, and I carefully sneaked out the back of the hide.

Great Egret Full UHD version, lower bitrate, click here      Great Egret hunting, SWT Montrose, same but longer in HD

Kestrel female hunting, click here

A follow up post featuring a female Sparrowhawk in my garden also on Friday should be available later today or on Boxing Day. (not for the squeamish)

Very happy with this batch which were taken in poor light, it does help when the subject is large and white though. A selection of the originals will be on my Flickr soon 

WILD JUSTICE - General Licences

   
Have a read of the latest news on general licences, it's all in the blog link below.

"General licences are used by statutory agencies to authorise the killing of what might be called ‘pest’ species – although we object to that as a blanket term."

"we’d like to see House Sparrow and Starling removed from the Northern Ireland list as they have been from those of other UK nations. We’re pretty unconvinced of the necessity of having general licences which authorise the killing of Magpies or Jackdaws, in particular, to protect crops or livestock."

The link below is to Wild Justice Blog where they compare the current general licences across the UK.

You'll all know that House Sparrows are red listed, as are Starlings and yet they are both included in two of Northern Ireland's licences!

The state of general licences across the UK nations   

 

"It'll soon be Christmas and we'll get some nuts" (a quote from my first journeyman when I started work)

   
Photos and video from Monikie and Montrose Basin, namely Miss Erskine's Bank, the Lurgies and Rossie Spit, none in good conditions which might account why I'd forgotten I had them!
Some of the video is of better quality, but not what would be possible in midday sun.

Buzzard video, click here      Shovelers, click here      Godwits from the roadside, click here 

Curlews at Maryton Ditch, click here      Monikie Cormorants      Great Northern Diver eating a crab, click here

This Buzzard at Monikie was sitting very close to the path and was closely watching the undergrowth for prey

Cormorants on one of the islands on the Island Pond at Monikie, these and others were counted at 42 birds

Two landscape photos from one bank to the far side, there are many trees that have already been cut to clear the road and around the park many more need removing from paths

My last sighting of Shovelers was May 10th so it was good to see eight at Rossie Spit, Montrose Basin. These photos are from the footway alongside the A92

Teal at Miss Erskine's Bank, the poor light affected the colour of most photos that day

Red-throated Diver at the Lurgies

With my camera set up for photos at a distance, the Great Northern Diver surfaced directly in front of where I'd sat on the sea wall, no more than 4 metres away. This is the original photo shrunk to 1430 pixels wide

Trying to break off the claws of the crab it had caught

I can't see the claws in this photo

Great Northern Diver swallowing almost all of the crab