Monday, 27 November 2023

Great Egret still at Montrose Basin

   
My first visit to Montrose Basin for some time and I was too late to catch any numbers of geese and the tide was a bit high. I was curious to see how the Lurgies path and car park repairs were going, and when I arrived the car park was closed and badly damaged, and the path repairs upstream were ongoing. Basically it's still a mess, but it has to be done and hopefully we'll have a better surface in the car park than before. 

Birds were in short supply at the Lurgies so I moved on to the Bank of Scotland hide at SWT Montrose, it had no birds so I sat quietly in hope. Eventually the Great Egret in the photos below appeared, although a bit far away. Later a quick look at Rossie Spit turned up higher numbers, with 37 Cormorants, 3-400 Knot, Redshanks, Black-tailed Godwits, 7 Greenshanks, Dunlin, Curlews, Eider, Mallards, Oystercatchers, Wigeon, Teal, Shelducks and single Shoveler drake. An accurate count couldn't be made due to heavy rain, and darkness.....

Shoveler drake Rossie Spit, click here for distant video



The Great Egret landing near the salt pan fence, I think it moved due to noise in the hide




Too far away to see what it was catching, sticklebacks and shrimps most likely




It moved again and then we had torrential rain





One of two Whooper Swans seen out from the Lurgies path, this one was calling and displaying to the other which flew off, then the remaining one followed after a few minutes





Only 3 Goldeneye were seen, all drakes and very wary, well you would be if people shoot at or near you twice a day





These Teal seemed to want to land upstream from me but didn't like the diggers working to fill the very large hole in the sea wall






Common Gull


No comments:

Post a Comment

Search Blog

Blog archive