Macduff Break.

As you know we have just returned from a birdwatching break on the Moray Coast. We were blessed with good weather and good light which is equally important to us.  We saw 80 different species with one life record. It was the pictured bird which is a Lesser Yellowlegs an American visitor. I did not take this picture the ones I took were too far away to let you see it properly. In this picture the legs of the bird appear to be orange I can assure you they are yellow just like is says in the name.  It was a very approachable little bird and let us get really close. This bird has been a thorn in our sides for the last 18 months.  It is very rare for one to be on this side of the pond but there was one on Stiffkey Fen in Norfolk in 2005 that stayed for about 3 months in early spring.  We were hoping to see it when we went down in at the beginning of May that year but the little devil flew off on the Thursday two day before we arrived. When we heard this bird was in just before we left we thought no not again, it had moved to another location but had only moved about 20 miles down the coast so this time we did not dip out (that's a birding term meaning missed the bird). We had a great week all told with good views of many seabirds and were able to sit in the sun and watch instead of braving a gale or rain.  We will certainly go back to this area in the future as you can get so close to the sea with the car and therefor makes life easy for us.  Looking forward to the arrival of the geese now but they are very late this year must have had a good summer in Greenland and the North.
Total for the year is now 180.
                                                    Take care
                                                          Love 
                                                          Joan.

A Strange Vistor to The Tay Estuary.

We have had a faraway visitor to The Tay Estuary this week. Yes a White Pelican very strange.  To start with it was said to be an escapee and was going to be caught but later in the week it was decided that it was not ringed and did not have clipped wings, therefore must be a wild bird. We have had a busy week with hospital appointments and therefore had to wait till Wednesday to go and have a look for ourselves as we had never seen a White Pelecan before.We have however seen Dalmation Pelican when we have been abroad.  So Wednesday morning bright and early we set off to Monifieth beach where the bird had settled. As we parked the car you could see the pelican with the naked eye it is so big. We walked along to get a better and closer look and got a great view. I was really inpressed to think anything this size could fly if you can imagine it is about one and half time the size of a swan.  While we were having the usual coffee in the car a small flock of Golden Plovers landed in front of us they looked really golden yesterday against the sand and rocks.  So at the moment it is on my year and life list and will stay there till I find out differently.  Thats about it for today off to the North East next week and hoping for a great week.  Love   

                                             Joan.

Autumn is here.

          I know you will all think that there is nothing unusual about a Robin this is really just to mark the date for my personal record. I heard my first Robin of the autumn singing  yesterday 8th September.  I was hanging out the washing and he/she was singing loud and clear.  You may wonder why they sing so loud at this time of the year and will go on singing for some time, they are marking out the winter territories and woe betide any other robin that crosses into his/her patch. You will notice that I say his/her that because Robins  can't tell if the intruder is a  guy or gall so what chance have I got. Will have to be getting the  bird table ready for the winter soon but there is still plenty of natural food for them as yet. We still have Swallows, House Martin and Sand Martins about at the time of writing hope to see them for a while yet.  Still miss seeing our Swifts they have been gone since the first week in August up here. Looking forward to our holiday the week after next hoping to get some good birds then. 
                                                Love
                                                             Joan.