Great White Egret - Wigeon Hide

Great White Egret, an unexpected find when we went for a walk to the Wigeon Hide. The word "walk" means I don't get to dwell to take photos of birds. But on Wednesday the hide wasn't so cold and the birds performed enough to interest Olive, she even wanted to see the Waxwings in Montrose! (shiny birds)

Twite video, click here         Great White Egret video, click here      Twite flock in trees, click here

Flying past the hide. It appeared to the north of the hide, tried to find somewhere to feed, then flew along and into a ditch to the south and wasn't seen again. Update, it was still thereabouts near dusk when seen by Andy Glaysher

Into the sun which is beaming off the ice on the pool

57 Waxwings still at Lower Craigo Street but berries are disappearing quickly, lit up well in the late afternoon sun, around 1430

Oops

Everybody wants to see the Waxwings, this Magpie called continually from the weather vane type structure at the "Dander"

Twite, from the window at the Wigeon Hide

From the same window earlier, a Linnet for comparison

One last Hen Harrier photo which was part of a group that hadn't dowloaded from my camera last week, I probably cut it off.

Waxwings - brightened the gloom

Another day in paradise, did I mention it rains a lot there.
I was far to optimistic this morning and assumed it couldn't possibly rain as much as it eventually did. I spent a long time hiding in the Bank of Scotland Hide at Montrose Basin, then made a break when the light improved, only slightly!

I responded to a text and went to see Waxwings at Victoria Bridge, Montrose, they'd gone and all that was left was a big flock of Starlings. Undaunted I went to Lower Craigo Street where 43 Waxwings, no doubt the ones I was looking had relocated.

On the way home I had another look for white gulls at Victoria Park in Arbroath, and arrived when someone had put out pink suet pellets for the gulls. That would have attracted a juvenile Iceland but hadn't, and a scan of the sea for a Glaucous also found nothing. It's early yet and they'll turn up, but will they stay long enough to be seen?

The berries won't last long with 43 hungry Waxwings feeding in the rain this afternoon

Adult Herring Gull with fishing line or string acting like a snare, and has cut into the skin on the lower leg. Likely to lose the foot!

The only time it put the foot down, and reluctantly. Brightened by removing the shadow to get some kind of view of the crows, failed!

Great Black-backed Gull, 4th winter

Great Black-backed Gull, 4th winter

Raptor catch up - and others

Some photos taken recently and some this week, from various sites.

Hen Harrier ringtail, blue darvic ring read as best as I could from a few photos. I'll post its origin if I get it, I've asked only for the county if possible

The tail is looking well worn

I need a longer lens to be able to read rings at this distance

Kestrel female, pale looking in the sun

Sparrowhawk, looked big enough to be a female

Little Egret

Black-tailed Godwits, lit up by the low winter sun

Fieldfares, always wary if approached, so I don't

Still seeing Meadow Pipits in different places