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Montrose Basin and the surrounding area (2 Viewers)

Had a walk to Scurdie Ness, no migrants on show except for Pink Foots, of which there seem to be a lot, Eiders moulting in numbers, a dead Razorbill and a dead Guillemot sadly, some good numbers of Gannets including this years youngsters. A Minke Whale well out to sea along with a few Porpoises, Humpback not seen, but there have been sightings in the past week.
 
Garden full of birds this morning, 5 Redwing, 2 dozen Starlings, 10 Goldfinches and a Fieldfare eating the Rowan berries, around a 1000 Pink footed geese overhead. 30 or so Greenfinches on the top of the Birch, never seen so many in one group, House and Tree Sparrows on the feeders, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Coal Tit and Great Tit on ground under the feeders, no Chaffinch which is odd.
 
We seem to have a Magpie taking up residence in our village, never thought I'd get excited about that happening, still extremely rare around here.
When I first moved to Fife, 30+years ago, Magpies were a rarity. Fife birders would travel to get them on their list.

Six years ago, I would see the odd one at Seafield. Now, they are everywhere, and sometimes the Seafield count can be into double figures.

It can't be doing the springtime nesting birds any good, so be careful what you wish for. ;)
 
When I first moved to Fife, 30+years ago, Magpies were a rarity. Fife birders would travel to get them on their list.

Six years ago, I would see the odd one at Seafield. Now, they are everywhere, and sometimes the Seafield count can be into double figures.

It can't be doing the springtime nesting birds any good, so be careful what you wish for. ;)
Studies have shown that Magpies don't make any real significant impact on the breeding success of smaller breeding birds, they just get a bad press, along with other corvids (often thanks to those with ulterior motives for removing corvids of all types from particular habitats). I would suspect that those birds which nest where they can be spotted by corvids, and other predators, would just as likely have lost their eggs/brood to those predators already in the vicinity (such as cats, Sparrowhawks, Carrion Crows etc) had the Magpies not been around.

 
I don't remember the figures, but I remember being astonished as to how many birds are killed by domestic cats, far greater than any wild predator.
 
Spent a couple of hours on the coldest day in ages in my local forest, lots of Blue, Great and Coal Tits, a few male Chaffinch a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a fleeting sight of a Jay, couple of Dunnock and at least a dozen Bullfinch and a Dunnock and a Robin.
 

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Ooooh.... nice one Burnie.

Send them my way please... it's a few years since they last visited!!
 
Out again today as it was sunny and dry, wife needed a nice easy flat walk to aid her recovery after getting a new hip, so a wander to Scurdieness lighthouse. Tide was just coming in, but there was an empty sea when we arrived, the usual Rock Pipits around along with a couple of Eiders and a Herring Gull hoping to steal a meal. One Curlew lifted the list a bit, went to see if the Waxwings were still around, but they had gone.
Click on the link to watch the short video, there's a bit of sound of the waves but sadly no bird call.
Curlew having a wander by tigerburnie, on Flickr
 
Had a wander into my local deep dark wood, boy it is flippin' cold either that or I'm going soft in ma auld age, managed a couple of hours sat in the hide until I lost all feeling in my toes.
Not a huge variety on show, large numbers of Coal Tits, a few Blues and Greats, a Robin, couple of Chaffinch and one Siskin, a Greater Spotted Woodpecker dropped by and to finish it off three Jays, who obligingly sat still for the camera.
Blink and you'll miss it by tigerburnie, on Flickr
 
Longer video on youtube..................................burnie maurins( I don't seem to be able to add an attachment)
 
Longer video on youtube..................................burnie maurins( I don't seem to be able to add an attachment)
You need to click on the Media icon Burnie, as shown in this thumbnailBF for Burnie.jpg
 

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