Ring-necked Drake, Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit and Dipper Chicks

The highlight here is the Ring-necked Drake seen at Murton NR, but the Little Ringed Plover is also one of our rarer birds, this one at Loch Leven. The Black-tailed Godwit should be in it's breeding grounds further north but some birds do breed in the UK. The two Dipper chicks were being fed by their parents and were sitting on a branch above the rain swollen South Esk.

The second photo shows a comparison between the Ring-necked Drake and a Tufted Drake. The RN has a larger head with a crown, a white flash at the front of a light grey flank and a grey bill with a white ring and black tip. The shape of "s curve" of the flank is more pronounced in the Tufted and it also has a crest behind its head.

Photos from around Angus, Spotted Flycatcher and Painted Lady

Not my first sighting or photo of a Spotted Flycatcher this year but this one is local. The Great Crested Grebe is one of two who look to be making a half-hearted attempt to breed this late on at Murton NR and the Painted Lady was on the banks of the South Esk, the first one this year.

Ythan Estuary, in search of a King Eider Drake

I foolishly went straight from a very late night survey to the Ythan Estuary arriving just at dawn which was dull and overcast, the worst conditions for photography and even finding the one different Eider in many hundreds was a challenge!

A couple of the King Eider below and an unusual variation in plumage colour in the other Eider which may be a 1st summer male, I'll ask a wizard. Lastly two photos of the many seals around, both Common and Grey, perhaps 200-250 today. Also on Forvie NNR Little, Arctic, Sandwich and Common Terns in a huge "Ternery".