APRIL 9, WIGEON : Sunny spells, high tide. Did both Hides in area and saw at Wigeon end oyster catcher, pink-footed goose [hundreds], curlew, grey plover, wigeon duck, shelduck, black-tailed godwit, skylark, reed bunting, pheasant; and at Lurgies end mute swan, gadwall, wigeon duck, mallard [not a lot as high tide covers land]

APRIL 11, FORFAR LOCH : Mainly sunny walk to see the above birdhouse amongst the trees as well as white and orange-tipped butterflies. Bird-wise was great tit, magpie, dunnock, cormorant, grey heron, mallard, gadwall, coot, mute swan, goldeneye

APRIL 17, AUCHMITHIE : NEW SITE OPENED UP TODAY. Scouting trip to find how to get there. Auchmithie is a small village atop coastal, red sandstone cliffs. Chosen as a bird I like but never expected to record breeds there - the puffin [Fratercula arctica] - appearing late April until August, along with a variety of other coastal types I have not recorded. On a cloudy day with midday rain I saw only herring gulls but return trips and a bit more focus by myself hopefully will get results. I did see grey partridge, pheasant, house sparrow, meadow pipit, chaffinch. Photos on this page are of the MEADOW PIPIT [Birds / Auchmithie] plus rock formations seen on the cliffpath walk, including Maw Skelly.

APRIL 23, BALGAVIES LOCH : Sunny day to see chaffinch, dunnock, pheasant [male and female], bullfinch [male and female], songthrush, reed bunting, goldeneye, tufted duck, mute swan, greylag swan, shelduck [2] and the arrival of osprey for another year. Only saw one on the nest. No cormorant roosting on large tree which is an indication that the osprey have arrived as cormorant driven off. Seed station had few seeds so no birds

NEW PHOTO OF FEMALE BULLFINCH [Birds / Balgavies Loch]. Also saw orange-tipped and green-veined butterflies

APRIL 24, LURGIES : Sunny and calm morning with yellow gorse blooming and fragrant, very pleasant. Coast birds not around much, only redshank, eider, little egret, mute swan, mallard, gadwall, while tree-lined path had great tit, linnet, jackdaw, goldfinch, starling, reed bunting

APRIL 26, RIVER ESK : Passing by so dropped in for a wander, not expecting much, and I was right as only saw mallard, gulls and a common merganser female

APRIL 30, LURGIES : Best day of year weather-wise so went a mid-tide walk. Not much around but it was enjoying the sunshine more than anything. Oyster catcher, mute swan, cormorant, mallard, eider, gulls, no small birds; also small white, orange-tipped and green-veined butterflies. The orange-tip have been a regular view this year

MAY 1, AUCHMITHIE : Visit on a hazy day at low tide - really need to get a sunny day at high tide, plenty time though. This time scouting trip two took me south and turned out a good walk. TWO NEW BIRDS plus other photos as well. Field types were skylark, yellowhammer, common house sparrow but after Maw Skelly to the north went south this time towards Arbroath to see Lud Castle and Deil's Heid. Lud Castle became my future go-to place as saw cormorant [definite, not a shag], herring gull, guillemot [also known as murre] as well as two new types - shag and razorbill. No puffins but I live in hope. NEW PHOTOS OF SHAG and RAZORBILL and UPDATED PHOTOS OF COMMON HOUSE SPARROW and GUILLEMOT. Also took photos of rock formations LUD CASTLE and DEIL'S HEAD which are a bit hazy as that was the weather conditions