Thursday 15 April 2021

Glaucous Gull - eats whales

   
A glaucous Gull 1st winter on it's way north dropped in at Arbroath yesterday, and although always into the bright sun, good views were had from the harbour mouth. Now on Thursday it's still around, and I hope it notices that the lobster fishermen often throw old bait out for the gulls and stays for a few days.


Glaucous Gull preening on the breakwater, click here for video

 

Glaucous Gull on the west breakwater at Arbroath Harbour, found on 14/4/2021 by Dan Pointon



I posted these two photos to show the size of the gull, when compared to a Herring Gull



and here to the Great Black-backed Gull (better if it was standing up)



Best views from the Foghorn area at the harbour, looking across to the breakwater, also seen at the mouth of the Brothock Burn



The only problem with the views from the Foghorn is it's into the sun for most of the time



The sun really affected this photo, I'd overexposed it into the sun as the gull sat on the breakwater and it suddenly took off



When last seen by me on Wednesday it had gone to sleep



Herring Gulls making new Herring Gulls







The Birds and the Bees - and Butterflies

Blog set up for a PC monitor of 1920 pixels, to get the best view on a phone or tablet rotate it to landscape. Note, Google is withdrawing the "Get a new post email" function in July. If there's anyone out there using it blame Google, you won't get an email once it's withdrawn.
   
Another post where I've loaded in photos quickly and in alphabetical order, in reverse. It's just the way it does it, honest.
All of the insects here were photographed in my back and front gardens, the Chocolate Mining Bees as I previously said, are nesting in Olive's garden but now feeding in mine. Olive's pal is worried that the bees have found Olive's Chocolate store, she has a Tardis like cupboard full of chocolate! I swear it's true.
Photos with a 300mm lens and 1.4 teleconverter, 420mm.


Best ID so far is a Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana)



Gooden’s Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana) is one of the largest and most common Nomad bees in the UK. Nomads are wasp-like, cleptoparasites which will target unsealed pollen-stocked nest cells created by their Mining Bee hosts and lay their own eggs inside. Olive's Chocolate Mining Bees are one of it's target species




Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly, a bit worn



This one's pristine



This Red-tailed Bumblebee Queen proved very difficult to photograph, the outer flowers have been pollinated so it was feeding on the new growth underneath and often out of view







Peacock Butterfly



If I as much as move too fast in my house these Greenfinches move away, yet occasionally two came in to feed while I stood in my drive photographing bees







Chocolate Mining Bee (Andrena scotica)



Chaffinch, same as the Greenfinch above



Buff-tailed Bumblebee Queen






A Coastal Dander - first Wheatear

Blog set up for a PC monitor of 1920 pixels, to get the best view on a phone or tablet rotate it to landscape. Note, Google is withdrawing the "Get a new post email" function in July. If there's anyone out there using it blame Google, you won't get an email once it's withdrawn.
  
A walk down to Scurdie Ness and along to Sandy Braes turned up these birds which due to a lack of time are simply in alphabetical order, reversed? And I've just noticed I must have edited some from Hatton on the same day which have got mixed amongst them..............

Might find a video unrelated to this?


Yellowhammer male



Woodpigeon at Ferryden



Wheatear male near Hatton







Teal drake with 13 more Teal in the Hatton field



Ringed Plovers flushed by one of the 51 people or 27 dogs on the beach at East Haven



Just before a dog approached



This one has a blue ring and is a regular at Scurdie Ness, just couldn't see the expected yellow flag on the lower leg



Another at Sandy Braes



This poor Razorbill crawled ashore knackered near Scurdie



No apparent injuries, unless the leg seen here?



Oystercatcher at Hatton



It wasn't even that stormy, just a rolling swell in this photo taken from Scurdie Ness looking to Montrose Beach with the old Sunnyside Hospital in the distant background



An into the light photo of a Meadow Pipit on the Scurdie track



One Linnet on the rocks



Another on the Gorse



There were eight Grey Plover at Hatton but always getting moved along the beach, they eventually flew off to the south







Many immature Great Black-backed Gulls around just now



A very unwary Dunnock feeding on the path at Scurdie Ness Lighthouse  


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