Friday, 20 May 2022

Common Tern fest and many Swallows

   
I've fallen behind on posting and this one has at least two days birds from Montrose Beach, Auchmithie and my garden. 
I've gone overboard with the Common Terns and the Swallows, I was lucky to find both species at the right time and place. The terns were on the seaward side of a rock barrier near the mouth of the South Esk so I sneaked into the rocks and let the tide and the terns come to me. The only issue was I was so well hidden I couldn't photograph the closest terns as I couldn't see over a large boulder without fear of flushing them!
The Swallows looked to be courting and looking for nest sites in a farm building and were coming in slower than normal into the wind.
Other photos from my garden with two, maybe three new species for this year. I still have a Dog Fox visiting and may have some video, he doesn't stay around long enough for the camera to switch to colour as daylight arrives.
Videos of Dunlin, my favourite, Common Terns, a first Little Egret for some time and a very distant clip of a Goosander with 9 ducklings with some on its back as it sought safety and shelter.

Dunlin on Montrose Beach, click here      Common Terns, click here      Little Egret      Goosander brood




Common Tern, Montrose Beach. There were around 150 birds and many were seen courting with males bringing small fish or sand eels in for the female






Common Tern with sand eel to impress a female












Courting pair



Re-locating as the tide rose




Dunlin, seems bit late but if they are far north nesting birds, then maybe not




Common Gull 2nd calendar year




Swallow near Auchmithie

















Whitethroat, Auchmithie




Female Chaffinch in my garden, and the photos below also from the garden




Coal Tit




House Sparrow female




Jackdaw, caught as it took off from my TV aerial. This is the first year I've had a daily Jackdaw and I also see a pair of Magpies nearby which may visit the garden in early morning




They're back, every spring I get invaded by Starlings. I wonder how many would bathe together in a bigger bath



Drying off




Prospecting for a home or already found one




Possible, Andrena scotica Chocolate Mining Bee, or Andrena nigroaenea Buffish Mining Bee, or Andrena barbilarbis Sandpit Mining Bee



Same Bee as above tinted by the orange light from the flower




Early Bumblebee, the first I've seen in the garden this year




A fresh looking Dunnock




Olive's favourite species, Goldfinch




Another fly-over by a Grey Heron, my house appears to be on a line from a small Heronry to Keptie Pond and the Brothock Burn




Red-tailed Bumblebee




Small White Butterfly




Meadow Pipit near Auchmithie




Common Red Soldier Beetle, Rhagonycha fulva




Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly, Auchmithie




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