Scurdie Ness and Mains of Usan

Some photos from the coast, posted in alphabetical order. Just beginning to see a more spring like movement of birds, some paired, some courting and others flocking together before going off to breed.

I don't often see a Grey Partridge so I've posted this "into the sun" photo. This was one of a pair seen near Mains of Usan while on a search to confirm an unusual sighting, I didn't. Looks like I caught a swarm of flies in the shot, didn't seem warm enough for that!

This Oystercatcher at Mains of Usan has been injured, its leg looks broken and the skin and flesh have been stripped and exposed. Another Oystercatcher was dead on the beach!

Some of around 25 Purple Sandpipers at Scurdie Ness before they were flushed by a gull, then again by screaming children

As usual with a Turnstone, they do associate with Turnstones

One of two Red-breasted Mergansers at Scurdie

One of a pair of Ringed Plover, yellow flag 109

The second one of the pair, yellow flag 106

Note the flag number reads from the bottom up

Not a great photo of this solitary Rock Pipit

The only Skylark that stayed close enough for a good view. Seen near Mains of Usan with a flock of 200-300 Linnets

Sparrowhawk male, still trying hard in my garden but only one feather pile in the last few weeks. Photo through the windows again, the camera trap was removed due to the wind, the sensor was picking up every movement of the bushes

Last Post (from Montreathmont)

My hide rota week is now over so I'm posting some more birds from Thursday during the gloomy, stormy conditions. All are high iso photos but the close proximity achieved by having the camera poking through a small gap in the camouflage webbing balances the iso out.

I do have some video to post but Flickr is being upgraded and it's taking longer than expected........I've put it on YouTube

Brambling at close range, click here for YouTube video, (UHD edited to HD 30fps)

Male Siskin, click here for HD video (if selected)      Female Siskin, click here for HD video

"Rural" Fox video, its distracted by someone snoring (not me), click here for camera trap video

I wonder if this could be the Fox I saw with a cub while Corn Bunting surveying in 2018. A neighbour reckons it travels a route each night which puts it very close to the field I saw the foxes in.

Blue Tit

First of four Brambling photos

Same one

The second one

Coal Tit with metal ring, hope someone gets a photo of all of the numbers

Great Tit

Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

Robin, unusually there are at least three around and sometimes two appear to get on

Male Siskin

Female Yellowhammer

Male Yellowhammer

First Lesser Black-backed Gull at Keptie Pond this year

No sign of the Iceland Gull at Victoria Park and elsewhere, but 74 Oystercatchers on the breakwater at Inchcape, another 43 at Victoria Park where around 120 Curlew have been seen each day this week. Seems to be more Turnstones, Redshanks, and earlier this week a few Golden Plover

Mountain Hare Campaign and SnareWatch

Indulge me, I'm posting the link below to a OneKind petition which it's hoped will bring an end to what appears to be the wholesale slaughter of Mountain Hares. I used to see these gentle, charismatic animals often in the hills when I was young and still mountain biking, now they've become a rarity in some of our eastern glens.

The SnareWatch site is new to me so I've added both their Facebook and web site where you can report seeing a snare. Over the years I've seen many animals from rabbits to roe deer dead in unattended snares and its not a pretty sight. My local MSP Graeme Dey, the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans, thinks snares are a necessary tool in land management, his answer when I wrote him. Note, properly set and supervised snares are legal at this time, just a bit barbaric!


Mountain Hare Petition to Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform

SnareWatch Facebook Site

SnareWatch - report a snare


The previously seen and reported Iceland Gull couldn't be found today and during my wait as the tide receded I noticed the sign below at Victoria Park and thought we need another at Inchcape Park where some camper vans are encamped every night for most of the summer. The gull may just have been close by and I'll keep looking.

I hope this refers to a single rule to follow, and not that the management are in some way omnipotent, all knowing and who must be obeyed

No Iceland Gull so here's a Great Black-backed (the beast)