Well I had hoped to put up a wish list...go get them all and post pix!!
Something happened and I didn't get round to posting.
However after a hot week in Scotland and really not too many midges or other nasties. I managed to escape most bites...still probably got more than most. I do wish my blood wasn't so tasty!!
I had a good birding week and managed to see a mammal lifer - an Otter! (Having seen giant river otters in Peru I thought it time I finally spied a uk otter!!) well i actually saw 1 and a half otters as the first was half dissappearing into braken having crossed a road.
Minke Whales...in the Moray Firth and off the Isle of Mull. Good views. Even better views on the Moray firth of Bottle nosed Dolphins. Thought the first sightings good but we had even better ones later in the week. They were playing and tails and snouts out!! Needless to say I got a couple of pictures I was quite pleased with and I managed to delete them before posting.
Such is life.
As to the birds...well -Red Grouse showed and Black Grouse and Capers didn't. White Tailed Eagles posed well and one flew for us. The Golden Eagles were terrific...and one flew the closest I've ever been to one.
After a struggle up a mountain in the cairngorms.....breathing hard on way up and agony on the knees on the way down.I saw a closer view of a Ptarmigan than before...she had chicks but was not about to show them. Then my favourite wader....Dotterel with at least one chick...he kept his eye on us!!
I found a Crested Tit myself early one morning....and we saw a Parrotbilled Crossbill.
Ospreys were everywhere, well it felt like it. I didn't get to see one last year and this year I have been elsewhere to the ones in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and even over my local patch Barnes!!
But I have made up for the misses....seen them fishing....close to and far...looking after youngster in nest and perching and flying so feel pleased with myself!!
A good week...really looking forward to a week in the Orkneys at the end of September.
I'll try to post a pic or two but still seem to have the gremlins about!!
