Waking to warm sunshine, blue sky and the ever present song of Song Thrush, Blackbird and Dunnock - the Siskin just talk to each other - we emptied the moth trap before making for the coast. Nothing local in the trap but all specimens are in fresh and immaculate condition. Especially the Red Green Carpet and four more lovely Pine Beauty. The latter are much brighter than those we catch at home. We are surrounded by Scots Pine.
Another latish start, the moth-ing takes time.
Soon after leaving Nethy Bridge we encountered a Brown Hare on the road in front of us. The verges were lined with wire fencing and the poor animal, getting more and more frantic, couldn't find a way off. It ran along in front of us and I tried a photo through the dirty and tinted windscreen. We were going as slowly as we dared with two cars behind us all longing to pass. We breathed a sigh of relief when it eventually found an opening, its heaving sides betraying its anxiety.
Our first stop was Burghead Maltings. This was the nearest page posting of to-day's target, White-billed Diver. Along with several other birders, I scoped the calm sea, finding a few Guillemots, a single Razorbill, passing Gannets and nothing resembling a Diver.
Soon after leaving Nethy Bridge we encountered a Brown Hare on the road in front of us. The verges were lined with wire fencing and the poor animal, getting more and more frantic, couldn't find a way off. It ran along in front of us and I tried a photo through the dirty and tinted windscreen. We were going as slowly as we dared with two cars behind us all longing to pass. We breathed a sigh of relief when it eventually found an opening, its heaving sides betraying its anxiety.
Our first stop was Burghead Maltings. This was the nearest page posting of to-day's target, White-billed Diver. Along with several other birders, I scoped the calm sea, finding a few Guillemots, a single Razorbill, passing Gannets and nothing resembling a Diver.
Cullen, famous for its Skink, was an hour's drive away.
Cullen skink is a thick Scottish soup made of smoked haddock, potatoes and onions. An authentic Cullen skink will use finnan haddie, but it may be prepared with any other undyed smoked haddock.
The town has a good sized parking area right on the pebble beach, we often stop here. The eastern end is unmade and decorated by an enormous weathered tree trunk and roots.This seems to have been moved landwards by the tides since last year. This end also has fresh water running in, a favourite gathering and washing place for gulls.
I scanned.... and scanned... and found two White-billed Divers, several Red-throated Divers, a few auks and some passing Sandwich Terns. No need to go on to Portsoy.
A quick visit to Spey Bay - a warm and sunny Sunday brings out the locals as well as tourists and the parking area at the Dolphin Centre is small. Only six Goosanders this year and nothing else to delay us, it was back to the coast road and Burghead Maltings western end.
Somewhere along the road we saw a Corn Bunting perched on roadside wires.
We often see a selection of waders at the western end of Burghead shore. One Oystercatcher to-day. We sat and enjoyed watching gulls in a feeding frenzy at a current upwelling, accompanied by my favourite Gannets. When asked what bird I would choose to be - I have been to some funny parties - Gannet was often the choice, despite not being able to eat fish !
Back in 1974, on Mainland Shetland, a 7 year old Sara wanted to buy a present for my sister. We found one jeweller's cum knick knack shop selling little figures of birds sitting on rocks. These were labelled ''Shags on Rocks''. And that is what has stuck in my family ever since.
This group also contains Cormorants.
The shore was decorated with mounds of pink Thrift, at their best.
Home in time for the second half of Man U drawing with Chelsea, that should have been a 6 pointer win. Another De Gea howler. What's gone wrong?
Cullen skink is a thick Scottish soup made of smoked haddock, potatoes and onions. An authentic Cullen skink will use finnan haddie, but it may be prepared with any other undyed smoked haddock.
The town has a good sized parking area right on the pebble beach, we often stop here. The eastern end is unmade and decorated by an enormous weathered tree trunk and roots.This seems to have been moved landwards by the tides since last year. This end also has fresh water running in, a favourite gathering and washing place for gulls.
I scanned.... and scanned... and found two White-billed Divers, several Red-throated Divers, a few auks and some passing Sandwich Terns. No need to go on to Portsoy.
A quick visit to Spey Bay - a warm and sunny Sunday brings out the locals as well as tourists and the parking area at the Dolphin Centre is small. Only six Goosanders this year and nothing else to delay us, it was back to the coast road and Burghead Maltings western end.
Somewhere along the road we saw a Corn Bunting perched on roadside wires.
We often see a selection of waders at the western end of Burghead shore. One Oystercatcher to-day. We sat and enjoyed watching gulls in a feeding frenzy at a current upwelling, accompanied by my favourite Gannets. When asked what bird I would choose to be - I have been to some funny parties - Gannet was often the choice, despite not being able to eat fish !
Back in 1974, on Mainland Shetland, a 7 year old Sara wanted to buy a present for my sister. We found one jeweller's cum knick knack shop selling little figures of birds sitting on rocks. These were labelled ''Shags on Rocks''. And that is what has stuck in my family ever since.
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| Shags on Rocks |
The shore was decorated with mounds of pink Thrift, at their best.
Home in time for the second half of Man U drawing with Chelsea, that should have been a 6 pointer win. Another De Gea howler. What's gone wrong?
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