Red-spotted Bluethroat in Angus

   
I was unaware at the time of finding this Bluethroat just how uncommon/rare it was, apparently the last two seen in Angus were in 1993 and 2012. I'd been looking for Yellow Wagtails for a long time towards Arbroath on the East Haven to Arbroath coastal path. I decided on my way back to the car, despite being hungry and dehydrated to check out the small burn near East Haven and found my first ever Red-Spotted Bluethroat, and it was a male! 

As always when finding something special, I quickly texted out details and kept well away from the bird and hoped the many walkers didn't disturb it. Luckily the tide was just about full and very little of the beach was above water, only twice was the bird flushed but returned to feed soon after.

Up until then I'd been happy enough to have found my old "pal", a leucistic Herring Gull I'd first seen in 2018, and six Whimbrel. As you'll see below I had photographed just about everything I saw. 

Added to the East Haven birds, my first Swift of the year from my garden.


Red-spotted Bluethroat video, click here      Leucistic Herring Gull adult, click here      Bluethroat - Wiki

Red-spotted Bluethroat at East Haven, in the burn at "Eric's Bridge"

Leucistic Herring Gull adult, East Haven

Whimbrel, three of six seen going north

Common Buzzard at Hatton

House Martin, above my garden

Swallow near Hatton gathering nest material

Swallow on a garage in East Haven

Swift over my garden, seen with another five

Pied Wagtail male near Hatton

Reed Bunting female at East Haven

Rook on the beach near Hatton

Difficult to photograph but the light was on this one's back