There's been a Firecrest at Drumoak for quite some time now and I decided I'd better go and see it before it disappears, which was just what happened with the Shore Lark at Fowlsheugh. It's possible to get good views with binoculars, not so easy with the constant movement, lack of light as the Firecrest and Goldcrests flit around, to get a photo. That said, I've seen a few good photos, so on the right day with light and peace a good photo could be had. No so when a woman arrived, said excuse me, (I thought she wanted to stand alongside) and walked past me and down to where the Firecrest and Goldcrests were feeding.....
Red-throated Diver, Scurdie Ness, click here Ringed Plover Sanderling Dunlin Redshanks Wigeon Bar-tailed Godwits
Firecrest at Drumoak water treatment works, wary when compared to the Goldcrests also there and rarely more than a metre above the ground
Every now and then the Firecrest and Goldcrests would go through the fence and feed on insects where the waste water is filtered, you can see the rotating pipe dripping water, sometimes they ignored the droplets. This sequence is photographed through the mesh fence!
There were a number of people watching the antics of these crests, and all stayed far enough from the birds. It's likely they'd tolerate someone sitting closer, but better to get a record photo than to disrupt their feeding
Three photos of the same Goldcrest which flew closer to the people, but due to the scrub, trees, and the birds non-stop movements, few got a photo
This Goldcrest was actively chasing others, often with the orange crest raised
Lesser Redpoll, also at Drumoak
Fulmar at Fowlsheugh RSPB, where the Shore Lark appeared to have moved on, after the mist and rain probably made the ploughed field it had been in less appealing
Squabbling but no violence
No auks at Fowlsheugh, just patrolling Great black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls and two Ravens
Wind Turbines on the horizon, seen from Fowlsheugh
Curlew in the mist at Arbroath Cliffs on Thursday
Less misty at Arbroath Harbour where the Great black-backed Gulls "own" the best perches
Redshanks in shelter where they don't get disturbed as the creels are everywhere and difficult to navigate through safely
Some Ringed plover and Dunlins from my February Webs at East Haven
Unlike the Fulmars above, Herring Gulls don't shy away from a fight at this time of the year
Blue Tit at Montreathmont and other birds below
Coal Tit
Great Spotted Woodpecker, the nail is in the tree, not it's head
Long-tailed Tit
Male Siskin
A Red-throated Diver reasonably close in at Scurdie Ness, unfortunately the Black-throated Diver just wouldn't come close enough and stayed around the large green navigation buoy directly out from the lighthouse
A quick look at Arbroath Harbour on Thursday, and I could only see one adult drake Long-tailed Duck. This sequence was taken on 12/2/2024, this photo is of an immature drake, the bill is showing the beginnings of a pink adult bill. Although it was a bright day, it was still cold, and both the duck and I had the same drip on the nose! This photo was nearer dusk
Is this the one that stayed on
It's possible the Common Scoter was still around as it did move into the marina and sit near the west breakwater
A new Eider drake
Do you know what's at the end of a rainbow? It's the letter W
Some of the waders at East Haven, Bar-tailed Godwits and Oystercatchers, they were flushed when someone walked right through their roost. Thanks go to a different walker who carefully circled around them minutes earlier allowing for this photo
Ringed Plover and Redshank
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