The two male Stonechats were still feeding on the grassy area immediately to the south of Ainsdale beach entrance again today – when they’re chasing after midges or whatever here they look weirdly leggy.
Harder to approach too, as if they know they should be perching up being all photogenic on a suitable perch.
Peregrine, diminishing numbers of winter wildfowl and waders, egrets etc at Marshside too today, with flowering Common Whitlow Grass, and singing Skylarks at Weld Road.
Very nice, as were the hordes of singing Dippers on the River Don in the middle of Aberdeen on Wednesday.
Grey Wagtails too, Roe Deer and even an Otter that was hunting close to us for 45 minutes or so, bouncing through the fast flowing water, chasing and capturing a number of fish…crunch, crunch, crunch.
All very impressive for such a relatively urban setting, as were the frequent Goosander and Goldeneye.
Red Kite on the way north near Dunblane in the early morning light as well.
Less impressive was the absence of the Harlequin Duck which threw a wobbler five minutes before Chris Tynan, Stephen Menzie and I arrived, and promptly disappeared for the rest of the day.
Some days you get the bear, other days the bear gets you…and boy, did the bear get us on Wednesday!
John Dempsey Birdblog 