UKC

Gaddon Loch. Couldn’t quite believe it. Not uncommon down south. If you zoom in, it kinda looks like the top terrapin is actually sat on another terrapin (you can make out the pattern on its shell).  

St Andrews harbour early this morning. The bird you may not know is a rock pipit. 

Lethal pools, sedge warbler and reed bunting 

A little gull at Letham Pools. Really neat bird. Proper black head, small bird (that’s a black tailed godwit next to it).  In flight, look for the underwings as per the photo. 

Black tailed godwit.

Also got a great view of a male marsh harrier. I was driving, caught a glimpse of what I thought was a red kite. Pulled into a nearby lay-by and got the bins out. Took a few snaps as I believe they are not that common where I saw it. 

Excellent photos, especially well done with the Sedge Warbler.

I was at Stanage this afternoon, don't think I've ever been there before and not climbed -  https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/crag_access/stanage_ring_ouzels_2022-7470...

Is that at Collessie?

Aye.  I’ve dropped a pin on a map  on exact location - near Fife Zoo.

Letham pools is brilliant. Chatted to a couple of birders - the fields only flooded about 20 years ago when they did some gravel extraction few miles away. You view from the road, quiet enough though. There was a pectoral sandpiper their few days back.

Another great place is The Wilderness near Ladybank. Dropped a pin on it too. Old gravel quarries, now a few Lochs and loads of broom, horse and scrub. 

I’ve taken a hard drive full of blurred reed photos trying to photo reed and sedge warblers.

Aside: some birder I chatted to yesterday had drove to Kent to see the Eleonoras  falcon. He saw, on posts adjacent to each other, Eleonoras, Red footed and a hobby !!! 

This heron gets fed creel bait and listens out for the fisherman opening their storage garage and then flies in expecting food.

Harsh nature warning…,,

…..Fisherman told me the herons wait above the rabbit burrows, snatch a baby rabbit, fly to the waters edge and drown it before eating it. He said you can hear the rabbits squealing as they try and escape the drowning. 

That is just ridiculous, like having the relevant page in a guide open so that you can check out the differences.

All excellent photos BC, thanks; I look forward to seeing more of your finds (and learning other places to visit 😬!). Tried Cameron Res one day, but it was very quiet for bird life the day I picked! Never stopped at The Wilderness yet; access seemed to be a bit of a problem when I passed.

There is a Marsh Harrier presently at Vane F, but can be hard to see it close by as tends to be far from the accessible area.

Enjoy your holiday.

Thanks.

Re The Wilderness. There is a bunch of long concrete blocks next to a gate. Looks like folk park there, pass through the gate and follow a path (which is more trodden that it initially appears).  

Great pitures again - I especially like the one of the Little Gull in flight.

I'm tempted to downvote the terrapins as they shou'dn't be here!

Thanks. I’ll check that out; I remember seeing the blocked off area in the passing, but wasn’t obvious that was way in!

https://tinyurl.com/5n93ewpt

Cracking Heron photos.

It's terrapins all the way down.

Oof!

Saw rabbit pâte at the market yesterday but how it got there didn't enter my mind, just "mmm wonder what it tastes like." Perhaps it should have though.

I stopped in past Gaddon Loch and the terrapin was out on that rock again basking in the sun.

Spoke to a couple who walk there regularly. They were aware that there was a terrapin, but said it was only ever seen in the adjacent loch on a favoured rock near the hide. If there is only one, then it seems it must have move lochs!

Hi I photographed this Pine Marten near Strontian a couple of years ago. It still one of my favourite images but those midges were voracious.

Beautiful short-eared owl flew across the road in front of my car as I drove to work this morning.

Wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excellent! One of my favs, don’t see enough of them. This was from the other month near Martin Mere. 

I think I'm going to have to add "seeing a Pine Marten" to my bucket list, the midges however I can cope without.

A poem about terrapins.