The Young Ones

   
Four species in the garden this week, all with newly fledged chicks, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, Robin, Starling but no Blackbirds yet, or photos of elusive Tree Sparrows. 

An opinion piece in the Press and Journal today, "Grouse moors are being protected at the expense of Scotland’s other wildlife"

The Young Ones, click here

Collared Doves     Great Black-backed Gull     Lesser Black-backed Gull     LBBG, an odd one     GBBG close up

Unusual to see a Robin on a feeder, especially a Sunflower one, it's a newly fledged chick so probably searching the area to see what's what

It clearly liked the feeders, but didn't seem to notice the mixed seed one which would have suited it

Just a few Starlings when these photos were taken, one night when I filled up a feeder I flushed between 40 and 50 from Olive's giant Cotoneaster

I put this "bath" out after seeing the young Starlings trying to land in my pond, it's the bottom of an old bin, they love it

I don't see the Yellowhammers in the open very often, they're usually very near to cover where the two mixed seed feeders spillage lands

Blue Tits and Coal Tits have returned and even a Great Tit on occasion

I'm only seeing the male Greenfinches just now, hopefully that means many young to come soon

There are currently around one third of the House Martin nest sites being used in my street, I did hear of some birds going north over the Isle of May this week but they didn't come here

Photographed while looking for interesting insects, none found

I've no idea what this is, I'll ask Olive who most likely planted it

Give peace a chance - but don't release more white pigeons!

   
Add this one to my list of freaks seen in my garden, not as interesting as a white Tree Sparrow, the Tree Sparrow paired with a House Sparrow,  nor colourful like a Green-wing Budgie but it's difficult to not like or ignore.

Give peace a chance - 4,200, 445 views, click here

It seems highly likely that this white Rock Dove was specifically bred to be released at funerals or other suitable events. Often said to return to it's loft, but just like some racing pigeons it got lost or preferred freedom. Never-the-less it's an unusual visitor to my garden just now, coming in with the pesky feral pigeons

Being this colour must make capture by a Peregrine so much easier, it will stick out in a flock like a sore thumb

Peace and love, peace and love.....

"They call me Mellow Yellow"

   
Some photos of Yellow Wagtails from near East Haven, most taken through the railway fence and just a bit too far away on one of the cooler dull days we've had. Also some early morning shots from my Corn Bunting surveys. Although the forecast was good to acceptable each time, one turned out too windy, on the other it was constant drizzle. Finally, Small White Butterflies in my garden, the first seen this year anywhere I've been.

They call me mellow yellow, click here        Singing in the rain, click here   

Singing Skylark, click here        Singing Corn Bunting         Singing Dunnock   

Channel Wagtail, photographed through the railway security fence

Channel Wagtail' M f flava × flavissima. n northern France, there is an 'intergrade zone' where Blue-headed and Yellow Wagtails regularly interbreed. The offspring of such pairings are variable in appearance, but many individuals show a head pattern that resembles a washed-out Blue-headed, with a paler powder-blue head and often more extensive white in the supercilium, ear-coverts and throat. These intergrades are colloquially known as 'Channel Wagtail'. They are the commonest form of Blue-headed to occur in many northern areas of Britain.

The only photo a bit closer and without the fence, yes it did fly off immediately

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima. Restricted to southern and eastern Britain, 'our' Yellow Wagtail will be the most familiar race to British birders. Some breed in Lothian

Yellow Wagtail, possible pair

Corn Bunting, it was singing in the rain

Skylark

My first Small White Butterflies this year

Apologies for the non-native, Spanish Bluebells, the birds planted them some years ago

One of Olive's beloved Goldfinches

The Good, the Dad, and the Ugly

Note, the "Featured Post" has been removed, no more "This Week last year". Don't blame me, I didn't retire it! 

  
I eventually tracked down some Whinchats, it's much easier when you go out to look! Some Red Kites were a welcome bonus, but we were brought back down to earth again when we started seeing traps.

I've included links to some recent videos below, a mixture including my Vixen, Mice, Yellowhammers, Waders and the entertaining juvenile Starlings.

Vixen, looks to have weaned the cubs, click here      Yellowhammer and Mice, click here 

Bar-tailed Godwit      Ringed Plover      Sanderlings      Turnstone      Mouse      Starlings

Whinchat, some way off in a windy Glen. This is the first of the good, subjects not photos

One of 8 Whinchats on 4 territories. Reluctantly I have to say that Olive spotted this one.....

Lots of Curlews, a fair number of Lapwings, a few Oystercatchers and a single Snipe

Two of three Red Kites which I thought were "playing" until I saw the photos at home, they were squabbling in a long aerial battle over a baby rabbit. Unfortunately they wouldn't do it anywhere near Olive and I, and at one point a fourth Kite got involved, then two of them escorted a Buzzard into the next glen

You can see the rabbit in the left-hand birds talons

Common Heath Moth, and I expect the large antennae means it's a male trying to sniff out a female

This one is "the Dad" who must have been foraging in the wet undergrowth

"The Ugly", one of the thousands of similar traps set across Scotland's grouse moors with the intention of impaling Stoats, Weasels and Rats. We should be grateful in this case that it seems to match all of the regulations - however it's still lethal and doesn't always kill instantly if some poor animal gets caught by its leg

I had to put my fleece back on!

   
On a Webs weekend when I also had Murton NR to do I took some photos and most were with my P1000. My East Haven Webs was cold, rainy and windy, the Murton one was a disappointment with all ponds at a very high water level. I also had a look at Keptie Pond in Arbroath where they were still pumping water into the pond, and it was around the highest practical level. The Grey Herons won't be able to hunt and I wonder if it's an attempt to stunt the growth of the weeds before it warms up?

The Herring Gull looks to be a 4th calendar year, I can't find a likeness for the Lesser Black-backed Gull but assume it's also 4cy, sub adult

Some of a flock of 43 Ringed Plover at East Haven on Monday, with a Sanderling and a Dunlin (not in the photo)

I went to Victoria Park in the rain but a truck was parked across my favourite shelter, so I took this photo and went home in the huff

A new Dragonfly installation at Keptie Pond

I don't know if this hybrid hasn't reached breeding plumage or is already losing it, I suspect the latter

One of the Pintail/Mallard hybrid ducks

Blackbird

This Feral Pigeon was at my feet and too close to focus well

Jackdaw

Moorhen

Buddy's Loch with discoloured silty water, this photo shows the island where the Black-headed Gulls usually nest, and some nests will have been lost on the Wetlands at the car park

Inlet burn to Buddy's Loch

Home Loch, Murton

Home Loch, Murton