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Montrose Basin and the surrounding area (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter burnie
- Start date
Hi Burnie.... this is the right place to post.
Thanks so much for starting this thread too.... it's ages since I've managed over there, so it will be lovely to see what going on there.
I'll link this thread to The Opus article, which is sadly lacking in detail at the moment (will need to address that at some point)!
Thanks so much for starting this thread too.... it's ages since I've managed over there, so it will be lovely to see what going on there.
I'll link this thread to The Opus article, which is sadly lacking in detail at the moment (will need to address that at some point)!
Anything is interesting lad, where on the reserve you go to etc.... it's such a big place!!
Ok I will try and do a report from my next visit, another favourite place is Montreathmont forest.
Lots of these
and on one occasion recently
[url=https://flic.kr/p/QnCqRE]
a rather distant shot, hence the new lens on it's way to hopefully help.
Lots of these
and on one occasion recently
[url=https://flic.kr/p/QnCqRE]
a rather distant shot, hence the new lens on it's way to hopefully help.
Montrose basin is an excellent place to watch wildlife, but it can get very busy, especially at the weekends, I tend to go to the less popular corners early or late, the wildlife definitely appreciate the quiet. There are 4 good hides and I use them all, but the walks to and from them can produce the more interesting stuff.
I sat in one hide only getting very distant views, stepped outside and this was in the field and I wouldn't have known it was there.
These Twite are also on the path to one of the hides
[url=https://flic.kr/p/QPcizE]
Patience in the hides does get rewarded though
[url=https://flic.kr/p/EibqoF]
I sat in one hide only getting very distant views, stepped outside and this was in the field and I wouldn't have known it was there.
These Twite are also on the path to one of the hides
[url=https://flic.kr/p/QPcizE]
Patience in the hides does get rewarded though
[url=https://flic.kr/p/EibqoF]
It's great to see your reports coming through for Montrose; quite giving me itchy feet to get over there again.
It would be great if you could post some of your lovely pictures in the Gallery too, lad.... we don't have all that many for that reserve in there sadly.
It would be great if you could post some of your lovely pictures in the Gallery too, lad.... we don't have all that many for that reserve in there sadly.
The lights not been great lately, so not been out a huge amount, but hopefully get out a bit more over the next few weeks. Plans include trips to Perthshire after Grouse and Aberdeenshire after raptors and stuff in the snow.
This Fox( a melanistic one) was one of a recent trips shots
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/45536518674_5f8bf9076e_c.jpg[/img]
Still good numbers of Red Squirrels
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A Dipper on the North Esk river
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This Fox( a melanistic one) was one of a recent trips shots
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4892/45536518674_5f8bf9076e_c.jpg[/img]
Still good numbers of Red Squirrels
A Dipper on the North Esk river
Not unusual to see Water Rails, it is unusual that they are sitting still long enough to photograph, usually a good impression of the cartoon Roadrunner.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4719/26151401788_881cb4be0d_c.jpg[/img][/url]
A first for me to see one swimming on open water
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4712/25153723597_0a2d143ba1_c.jpg[/img][/url]
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4719/26151401788_881cb4be0d_c.jpg[/img][/url]
A first for me to see one swimming on open water
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4712/25153723597_0a2d143ba1_c.jpg[/img][/url]
We have the RSPB Fowlsheugh close by with sheer cliffs with a good number of sea birds breeding
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1759/27780227627_db8f87b366_c.jpg[/img][/url]
Guillemots and
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1721/42598700922_81242863a1_c.jpg[/img][/url]
Kittiwakes and a few
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4733/25275560408_6cce3dded4_c.jpg[/img][/url]
Puffins
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1759/27780227627_db8f87b366_c.jpg[/img][/url]
Guillemots and
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1721/42598700922_81242863a1_c.jpg[/img][/url]
Kittiwakes and a few
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4733/25275560408_6cce3dded4_c.jpg[/img][/url]
Puffins
Minus 3 and half an inch of snow made for a cold trip round my patch, started in the forest where the usual suspects were present, greater spotted woodpecker, jay, dunnock, coal, blue, great and long tailed tits, siskin, redpoll, chaffinch, robin, blackbird, yellowhammer and carrion crow, distant high view of a crossbill. Moved to Montrose basin lots of redshank, lapwing, teal, mallard, dabchick, herring and black headed gulls, curlew, black tailed godwit, dunlin, pink footed geese, shelduck, shoveller, widgeon, heron, common seal, red breasted merganser. Moved to the light house for a bit of sea watching, very quiet, with a flat sea hoped for cetaceans, but none showing, cormorant, eider ducks, lesser black backed gull, common gull and oystercatcher. Called in at the redcastle hide at Lunan on the way back, but again deserted, though quite a few folk walking dogs may have scared stuff away.
Having dropped the missus off in Montrose I went for a wander round the basin, tide on the ebb meant the waders were a long way off, but plenty of Pink footed geese and half a dozen Golden Plover along with 4 Lapwing in one field. On the way back I had half an hour watching 5 Brown Hares boxing in the field, not sure spring is here yet though.
We are still gripped by a deep freeze, plus we had a light dusting of snow overnight, the basin area was very quiet, visited the area where the river flows in known as the "Lurgies", and area with large reed beds which hide an interesting bird or two, but not today. 2 Mute swans, 3 dozen widgeon, 6 goldeneye and 4 dabchicks, a few blackheaded gulls, pigeon, rook, carrion crow and herring gulls flying overhead. I went to the field where I saw the boxing brown hares, but there was only one out in the field today.
Had an hour in the Bank of Scotland hide and had this female Kingfisher for company, never had one sit so nicely for so long.
A dozen Eiders on the basin and flotillas of Mallards drifting by on the ebbing tide, very quiet in the cold
A dozen Eiders on the basin and flotillas of Mallards drifting by on the ebbing tide, very quiet in the cold
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Took my wife out with me today, she's trying out my old 400mm lens on her camera, might be too heavy though. We began in the local forest which was busy with the usual suspects, good numbers of Siskin, Redpoll, Long Tailed, Blue, Great and Coal tits, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer and Greater Spotted Woodpecker and one Tree Creeper.
Moved to the back of the basin looking for Brown Hares boxing, but none around today, so ended up in the BoS hide, Buzzard, Moorhen, Mallard, Shelduck, Eider, Oystercatchers, Redshank, Curlew, Knot and Sanderling. The usual crows, rooks and herring gulls and that was our trip done. Back to the hospital next week to see if I get my operation( they cancelled last weeks attempt), so I may be garden watching for a couple of weeks.
Moved to the back of the basin looking for Brown Hares boxing, but none around today, so ended up in the BoS hide, Buzzard, Moorhen, Mallard, Shelduck, Eider, Oystercatchers, Redshank, Curlew, Knot and Sanderling. The usual crows, rooks and herring gulls and that was our trip done. Back to the hospital next week to see if I get my operation( they cancelled last weeks attempt), so I may be garden watching for a couple of weeks.
