In the Garden in Forres

Along with the usual birds in the garden there were a few visitors. There had been large groups of Goldfinches and Chaffinches in the garden.  In amongst the Chaffinches  one  cold and wet morning there was Brambling feeding on the tree.  I unfortunately did not get a photograph of it and it only came in the once. Towards the end of the month a little Goldcrest was flitting about the apple tree. Again the light was poor and I could not get a photograph.  However, for quite  a few days, small group of Long-tailed Tits came in.

I did see this lovely Silver Y Moth on a window ledge.

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Along The Coast

As well as being on a holiday this month  I had been unwell and did not get out and about as much as would have liked. I was only at the coast twice.  As well as finding an increase in Turnstone, Ringed Plovers and Redshank numbers  at Cullen, Cummingston and Burghead,  I saw this Bar-tailed Godwit amongst the Plovers at Hopeman.

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On the Dava

I was only up the Dava once  this month and saw three Red-legged Partridges  at Dulcie Farm and a Stonechat near LIttle Aitnoch.

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Loch Oire

On our way back from Cullen one day we stopped off at Loch Oire near Elgin. There i saw a Gadwall  in amongst a group of Mallards.  This was only the second occasion I had seen a Gadwall as I had seen one at St John’s Pool near Thurso earlier in the year.

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Moyness

The Redwings and Fieldfares have started to arrive but not in particularly large numbers as yet.  This Redwing was near the reservoir in Lower Broadshaw wood. This Buzzard was watching a group of Fieldfares and Redwings from the top of  a telegraph pole.

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Potsdam

We went to Berlin for a week in October to see the Festival of Lights.  I had heard that Goshawks were sometimes seen on the top of buildings there. Unfortunately i did not see any.  However, on a trip to Potsdam I saw a large group of Coots together.  Here we just see the occasional one or two  in ponds or lochs but in Potsdam  there were well over a hundred. In the same area I  saw this lovely Hooded Crow, a solitary Cormorant and this beautiful Great Crested Grebe.

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