Fight of the fish-eaters

   
The highlight is an action video of a flotilla of Cormorants fishing and fighting over a small sea trout at Maryton.

Photos and video from an early morning trip to Tayock, the tide and sun rise could have been better aligned. There is a long pan across a flock of Pink-footed Geese on my Flickr showing about half of the flock.

I moved up to the Lurgies where the Great Egret was feeding in a pool with two Little Egrets. The last video link shows how "the camera can lie" the long lens shortens the distance between the two Egrets and makes them look similar sized.

The tide was receeding quickly and I moved on to Lunan Bay where a Hooded Crow was on the beach, it was flushed by a dog before I could get around the sunlight for a video. Five Barnacle Geese also flushed at the same time.

In the afternoon I had a look at East Haven for a Merlin reported by John, I didn't see it but there were plenty of prey birds around for it to hunt, and they looked a bit edgy, so it was likely still around. Two Ruff were feeding near the first of the long wooden walkways.

Note, it was this week last year that a Ross's Goose turned up at Montrose Basin, keep you're eyes peeled for a spectacular return!

Cormorant fishing fleet      Ruff at East Haven      Great and Little Egrets      

Shelducks, Tayock (8am)      Hooded Crow, Lunan Bay      A trick of a long lens

Great and Little Egrets at the Lurgies, both wary species and this was taken at distance using a tripod and timer

Five Barnacale Geese at the mouth of the Lunan Burn, Lunan Bay

One of two Ruff at East Haven

Not much doing and I had the DSLR for a change, so swung it at anything that moved!

Pied Wagtail, lots on the beach and in the fields

Starling, not so many around and no big flocks north of East Haven

The light was intermittent and the air moist enough for a large Rainbow