European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) - courtship

   
The photos here are not in date order but I wanted to show off the Shag courtship first as I was pleased with these photos taken from the clifftop at Arbroath Cliffs. I'd followed two separate Shags northwards as both had darvic rings and were too far away to photograph. Following below are a couple from Murton which is almost flooded, and a friendly Pink-footed Goose and a Snipe at Hatton. Also seen at Murton, a Red Kite and a single Sand Martin, and briefly at Balgavies two Chiffchaffs. 

It started off with just this single Shag

Then an apparent pair arrived

Everyone knows that three's a crowd

"Ir yi dancin," "ir yi askin," "am askin," "am dancin."

Look what I can do

Anything you can do, I can do better

"Let's get it on"

Guillemot, a first winter bird still to moult into new plumage

Razorbills, still preferring to stay a good bit offshore

Kittiwake

Rock Pipit on the ramp at Whiting Ness

Herring Gull 4th calendar year, no sign of the Iceland Gull

Most of a flock of around 20 Turnstones were beginning to show some plumage changes

A very common species on the cliffs, Feral Pigeons, and they come in all sorts of colours and patterns

This Greylag Goose at Murton NR was driving away another younger looking bird

A bit of Lapwing action from Murton NR where the water levels are very high despite the inflow burn being completely filled up with flood borne sand

One of two Snipe in the field between the coastal path and the beach at Hatton

I'd seen a single Pink-footed Goose fly past and assume this is it in the same field as the Snipe

There were at least three pairs of Skylarks in the Hatton field, this one and its mate were loath to move in the strong wind

Foxy Lady - return of the Vixen

This Blog set up for a PC monitor of 1920 by 1080 pixels, to get the best view on a phone or tablet rotate it to landscape. This allows slightly bigger photos to be uploaded.

   
My visiting Vixen had gone awol for a while, probably due to to having new cubs in her den. Testing that hypothesis I put out a wee bit of food last night, and sure enough she turned up with clear signs of lactating. I'll continue when I have something suitable to put out to give her an easier time. I still believe she's a rural fox due to her wary demeanor, she's never that settled despite the apparent lack of any threats.

Vixen in my garden for the third year, click here for a longer video

A shorter clip of the Vixen when the security light helps out, click here

You're thinking, what a strange pose for this female Blackcap? It's stuck by it's feet and wings on a "glue stick" somewhere in France where barbarism towards wildlife is clearly at the level of medieval times. The intended victims are mainly Thrushes, but of course any bird landing is likely to be doomed even if released.

Another country crossed off my holiday destinations. Did I mention they've also have been shooting Curlews for years.......

Windswept and barely interesting

   

Someone sent me this report which I had already posted last year, but I thought it was still worth reading for anyone out there with a care for wildlife in our hills.

Hanged By The Feet Until Dead: An Analysis Of Snaring And Trapping On Scottish Grouse Moors

Link to the complete document covering seven estates   

Some photos from East Haven and Hatton where it looks like I'll be spending more time at, while Olive gossips with her daughter, with a coat on in her garden!

Dunlin at Hatton, I've not seen many over winter unless at Montrose Basin

This Sanderling looks to have some summer plumage creeping in

I didn't get many photos in the high winds and disturbance along the beach

I have a bit of a thing for Crows, I've always tried to champion the less "colourful and shiny" birds

Many of the Oystercatchers have separated from the small flocks and I'm seeing more paired up

I've been trying to find this male Greenfinch again in my garden, it looks like its only got one leg. 

Iceland Gull 2nd calendar year

   
An aborted look at Heronries because of the high wind today left me looking again at Victoria Park for an Iceland, or even better Glaucous Gull. I got the Iceland, and didn't really expect a Glaucous. I moved on from there to Danger Point (Old Brewhouse) where a large number of mostly immature Herring Gulls were preening and drying on the rocks partly out of the wind.

Iceland Gull 2nd cy, click here for video

Iceland Gull, 2nd calendar year

Again with Herring Gulls

Maybe a better photo for comparison

I added this one taken with my P1000 when I first saw the gull and too far away for the DSLR

This is a Great Black-backed sequence which I anticipated (for a change). Photo one, it's thinking about it

Preparing for launch

No going back now

Lift off

All of that just for a few metre or two

This one flew very close as I walked back to the car

Another Great Black-backed Gull, a 3rd calendar year bird with a yellow ring 159:M. Ringed on Isle of May 8/7/2019, sighted in Anstruther and Pittenweem in 2020, this was first sighting in 2021. I had it as a 2nd cy bird and the ringer was surprised when it came back as 3rd cy. It seems again that the birds don't read the books or look at Gull Research Organisation like I do

The same gull, included just to show off!

Pied Wagtail on the Brothock Burn, no sign of the Grey Wagtail today, but the male Dipper was there

Little Gulls - distant but welcome

   
One year to the day since they arrived last year and the Little Gulls were at Monikie CP, with some youngsters on Denfind and a mix but mostly adults on the Island Pond, 14 birds in total. Nothing else in this post, and I won't commit to saying I won't have another post later if I find them closer on another day.

It was impossible to get photos of the 9 Little Gulls in the centre of the Island Pond at Monikie CP, so it's quirky photos and grainy ones

Showing the black underwing of the adult

2nd calendar year

2nd calendar year on Denfind

Denfind again with a Black-headed Gull

2nd calendar year on the Island Pond

Adult and 2nd calendar year Little Gulls

Little Gull 2nd calendar year and Black-headed Gull

The Last (Lockdown) Post

   
Hopefully the last garden batch for a while, I doubt I'll get a better Blackcap, and I won't spend any more time trying. I'm hoping I'll get a Whitethroat as I did last year, and one that stays for a day or two.

The Last Post, click here

Blackcap, still here on Monday and the first time in the open without twigs in the way

My trained Yellowhammers, they almost got the pose correct but for the twigs

This one is better trained

It's the time of year the Dunnocks are looking for a mate, actually the female looks for mates and the males won't know who fathered the young and they'll feed them

Same bird

I expect the Tree Sparrows will disappear soon, then hopefully bring their youngsters back as they've done in previous years

Blue Tit

House-hunting, that's happened before but they've only nested once

Chaffinch male, two pairs are coming every day, sometimes with the Greenfinches

The underrated House Sparrow (male)

I think this female Blackbird will nest in the garden

I wonder if this was the male Blackbird singing at 0530 this morning in an apple tree outside my bedroom window

Still just three Goldfinches and as yet the pair is tolerating the odd one