It's a foggy and wet morning here which means I'm unable to get out with my #camera.

Instead, I'll share a photo I took earlier in the week on my Panasonic #FZ330.

Fortunately, I’ve had some real luck with #robins the last few weeks, especially in the back garden.

They are very common but I will never get tired of taking photos of them. Such a beautiful little #bird!

#robin #wildlife #birding #birdsofmastadon #mastadonbirds #gardenbirds #birdwatching #rain #saturday

I don’t see many goldfinches but recently stumbled across a nesting pair. Their nest is in a tree besides a number of gorse bushes next to the River Dee in #Aberdeen. This particular photo shows one of the goldfinches with some material in it’s beak prior to returning to the nest.

It isn’t the sharpest photo I’ve taken of a #bird but with the blurred foreground and background I think it works okay. I’m excited to visit the area again with my new camera and lens tomorrow morning!!

#birds #goldfinch #birding #nesting #birdsofmastadon #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #FZ330

Today I'd like to share another photo - one taken last week at Newburgh Beach in #Aberdeen

The beach sits on the edge of a #nature reserve and is home to a range of nesting birds as well as seals🦭

It was here that I was able to get this shot of an #Eider duck flying through the air, shortly after taking off. Everything lined up perfectly and it's quickly become one of my favourite #bird in flight photos🦆

Flying birds are difficult to capture on my camera (#FZ330) which is one of the reasons I'm looking to upgrade it. However, it's still pretty amazing that a relatively old and cheap bridge #camera (relative to mirrorless/DSLRs) can capture such good detail!

On my explorations, I often only see lone eider ducks but at Newburgh there is a breeding colony which meant there were hundreds! It was the first time that I've heard their strange sounding #birdsong but one I can't wait to hear again.

Unfortunately, eider numbers are starting to decline in the UK and they are on the Amber list for Birds of #Conservation Concern. Threats include nest predation, habitat degradation, disease outbreaks and the impacts of #climatechange.

To help protect nesting eider's it's important to not disturb their nests. If you come across one, stay away, keep dogs on leads and try to help notify others to give the birds the best chance to survive and thrive 💚

#Photomonday #BirdsOfMastodon #WildlifePhotography