Wolves in dog's clothing

   
Nothing much at Montrose Basin although an estimate of around 5000 Pink-footed Geese in one big flock on the mud had a Barnacle Goose with them. Returning home I drove past and went to Keptie Pond to see if anything new had arrived. I ended up sitting for about an hour while birds came to me, only to be scared away again by noisy people and free-running dogs which must chase the same birds daily! Not a grammar failure, some people chase the birds too!

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Wigeon duck, female

Female obscuring a male

Wigeon drake, male

Love in a cold climate (Mallards)

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No love here between two Moorhens

The Pintail/Mallard hybrid, no sign of the male with his mate

Female Goosander, from the dark side

Same bird from the light side

I assume this is the same "couthie" Heron I've seen before

The Little Grebe is still on its own

The male Mute Swan was patrolling the pond edge

Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls today but not together. They are still at the wary stage and wouldn't come near, or if they did another dog arrived 

I don't know of any nest sites nearby, so this is maybe a dry run to attract a mate?

Immature

The ever resourceful Herring Gulls even eat bird seed

There were 16 Jackdaws together at the feeding area

A rather lean and dark Feral Pigeon

At last a returning Yellowhammer, probably back on its nesting territory nearby. I wonder if it will stay around as many birds have abandoned the garden due to a persistent male Sparrowhawk

Going back to my roots - Arbroath Harbour

   
After an early morning drive looking for Owls followed by a fruitless search for the Great Grey Shrike, and in the wind and rain, I went back to my roots. On the way I had a brief look at Kinnordy and photographed a tree!

Going back to my roots, click here to play video

Dipper on the Brothock Burn near Arbroath Harbour

House Sparrow trying to be a Dipper

Adult Herring Gull at Danger Point, Arbroath

Adult

A 5th calendar year sub adult

4th calendar year

A 3rd calendar year

Probably the same 3rd year

More human rubbish, this time a carrier bag tangled around this young Herring Gull's leg

Not long after this the bird landed in the water of a shallow pool, the bag took on water and when it took off the bag fell or tore off

One of two large trees at Loch of Kinnordy which may be down by the time I'm typing this, and all done by a Beaver. The two trees are just left of the main bird hide at the loch

This one's included for Robyn my current favourite grandkid!

It must be spring, the Rooks are building their nests

One even looks to be sitting in a nest, but not yet on eggs, that will be a few weeks yet I imagine

Carnoustie Golf Links - March 2021

   
Some photos from a survey of the golf links at Carnoustie where the courses looked to be busy with golfers playing in pairs. There's a long area of land along the boundary with the army camp where the cable trench is, wouldn't it be great for wildlife if it could be planted with wild flowers and winter cover for birds when it's reinstated.

Two of the three Goosanders on the small loch

One of seven Skylarks on one of the early fairways walking from the Black Slab

Too gloomy for flight photos unless they're butchered in software 

It seems many of the Crows are comfortable with humans, obviously used to the golfers and walkers

I worked with big drums of cable (I thought) when with BT but nothing like these for the new Wind Farm. They're behind and not on the lorry

The cable route goes through some of the woodland, I wonder how and what will be used in reinstating it

I see that a Wild Flower strip has been planted with the help of the three local Primary Schools, a good start, Wild Bird Cover next I hope

When I was a young lad, a couple of years ago, I had to carry my kayak down the beach

Good conditions and visibility