Tuesday, 11 April 2023

Monikie, Murton and Montreathmont

   
Birds from three different habitats, and I managed to identify a species of fly that was present at them all.
I didn't find any Little Ringed Plovers at Murton, or the Green Sandpiper reported at the weekend, it will be there somewhere, and the LRP's will turn up?
Little Gulls currently absent at Monikie.
It was a bit windy and cool when I looked for a Comma Butterfly at Montreathmont, a small insect in a 2,500 acre forest!

My new YouTube Handle, the old way still works. https://youtube.com/@Aberbrothock 
 

Sand Martins checking out the nest wall at Murton NR





Underwing




Upper wing





An unexpected visitor at Murton while I was sitting in one of the shelters during a heavy shower. The Osprey briefly hovered over the small pond outside the reserve at the east end











There were three Shelducks, two males and a female, which of course caused some tension and chasing around on Buddy's Loch





Quite a distinct size difference between the sexes, the male much bigger





Parasite Fly Tachina ursina. "Tachinids are commonly referred to as 'parasitic flies' because the larvae feed on the body tissues of immature or adult invertebrates. However, although we use the term parasite they are really parasitoids – the difference being that parasites (like tapeworms) don’t kill their hosts, but parasitoids usually cause the death of the host in some way – either by killing them outright – or by weakening them so much that they die."





Same fly as above. When first seen there were two of them locked together fighting, which continued even when they managed to fly around!





Chiffchaff singing at Montreathmont car park





Lesser black-backed Gull at Monikie





Black-headed Gull, no Little Gulls but a report of a flock on the sea at Tentsmuir may mean they'll arrive soon





Blackbird singing at Monikie






Jackdaw at Arbroath Harbour, while I was waiting for my White Pudding Supper!



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