Unless I was suppressing for my own callous amusement, those of you who subscribe to nation's bird news providers will already be aware that 'the boy' was not at Girdle Ness this morning. Or if it was, it failed to darken the prisms of my bins. I did try though, at least for an hour or so. Vis mig proved to be more vague miss, with impressive totals of Redwing 5, Siskin 2, Skylark 2, Meadow Pipit 2. I assume the last three of those were all heading for Noah's Ark, which was anchored offshore. Bird of the day was a female Tufted Duck flying up the Dee - only my second Girdle Ness record. Other ducks were in on the act too - a female Goldeneye in Greyhope Bay and 2 Long-tailed Ducks and a Common Scoter north. 3 Red-throated Divers were on the harbour, with another north and another south. The Stonechat numbers on the north shore had burgeoned to 3, with an extra male now about.
Watching from the flat later in the morning turned up an overdue house tick - two Kestrels circling over the harbour. A Sparrowhawk was troubling the pigeons over the city centre.
Photos: continuing to explore orange and black themes in my work, I call these brooding sunsets 'The future's blight' and 'The future's not black'.