Friday, 4 June 2021

Scurdie Ness - an underrated bird site

   
This covers the area seen on a walk from Ferryden (Montrose) along a track to Scurdie Ness Lighthouse where a variety of birds breed and more can be seen passing along the South Esk.

Maybe some unrelated video?

Whitethroat, at least five territories along the track, this one has some nest building material to enhance the nest as chicks grow



The whole length of the track had swarms of Hawthorn Flies, thankfully few ever land, except for the one crawling on the inner side of my specs lens!







Linnets nest in the undergrowth and at least one pair were feeding fledged young near to the Lighthouse











Not as many Meadow Pipits as usual, but that might be they were feeding in the cereal fields



A female Reed Bunting which are rarely seen when nesting, it's usually the males guarding a nest while sitting on a fence or bush



and this is one of the males



There were only a few Common Terns passing along the south bank and they were heading out to sea







These were the only Sandwich Terns I saw



Cormorants were flying past the rocks at Scurdie Ness in both directions and looked to be feeding in Montrose Bay







I haven't seen any Eider ducklings yet and there seems to be quite a number of females in the estuary, hopefully not failed breeders




Fulmar which was flying over the ness



Even if the Eiders raise ducklings, these Great Black-backed Gulls cruise along the estuary shores looking for opportunities and inattentive mother Eiders



Green Veined White Butterfly, many seen but only two Small Tortoiseshell and no photos of them



Sedge Warblers do well along the track



This Sedge was at the Ferryden end steps




Swallow numbers appear to be down, but House Martins are still in good numbers at the Lighthouse area



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