No photoghrapher

A better day for sightings on a day with no photographer but we did miss out on Mountain Hare. The first decent sighting of the day was a summer plumaged RT Diver.

The Meadow Pipits were busy feeding young.

A couple of Golden Eagle flew around giving decent views before drifting off.

An Adder was seen sliding through the heather...

...but then one of the Golden Eagles put in another appearance and a bit of display too.

The bird disappeared again and then returned for one last close up of us while being mobbed by a couple of Swift!

The usual sightings round the loch - Oystercatcher, Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Stonechat and the inevitable Grey Heron.

Two Otters were seen on the day...

...WT Eagle and a posing Whinchat.

Photographer

Another trip out with a photographer was more about finding out the best sites for certain species than getting the actual sightings. We did get plenty of sightings on the day though. A Mountain Hare was in a difficult position to get close to it and eventually it wandered off.

As we headed back to the motor a male Hen Harrier was floating around.

WT Eagle was not one of our targets but we did find one all the same.

A surprise sighting was a day flying Pipistrlle Bat.

We put a bit of effort into visiting Golden Eagle sites but our only sighting was a distant dot on the top of a hill until we were heading back when we located this young bird gaining height over the main road!

Different

An impromptu tour made up for a bit of a different day. The target was to find an Otter to photograph and then any species of fauna in front of the camera. We started off with a nice Common Seal...

...just before we bagged a couple of Otters.

We managed to stumble across a Spotted Flycatchers nest with four chicks - luckily we had already got photographs of one of the adults so we left pretty quickly.

A Black Guillemot was watched as we had a cuppa.

Next on the hit list was a Peregrine chasing a Rock Dove that wasn't captured on the camera but the falcon put on a good display.

 A couple of WT Eagle were seen, Whinchat and a newly fledged group of Swallows.

 A Red Deer hind didn't want to wander off so it had to be photographed.

A Yellowhammer gave us the run around but it made for some interesting flight shots.

We couldn't find an Adder but this Common Lizard was abit of a performer.

 We waited over an hour for a Golden Eagle to take to the air but it never obliged so we headed off to the Tawny Owl site instead - a great day out with a few different things seen.

The fog

There was quite a bit of fog around when I went to pick up the guests so we headed out of the fog and back into the sunshine. No problem in finding a WT Eagle as one sailed around in a clear blue sky.

There was plenty of common stuff to see but we couldn't find an Otter or a Golden Eagle but as we headed back into the fog an eagle drifted into view, flew around and then disappeared.

A little bonus just before the guests got dropped off was the lone Whooper Swan.

The next day the weather was better and there were plenty of sightings to be had. An Otter was seen briefly but too distant for photos. Stonechat...

...Common Whitethroat...

...and Great Black-backed Gull were all seen well.

Other posers for the camera were Common Sandpiper...

...and Northern Wheatear.

A Yellowhammer was seen in a new location and also an Adder seen on the day. Good views of WT Eagle were had and quite a few Common Buzzard seen in various locations.

Hot

The weather has been fantastic for anyone on their holidays but it's way too hot for the wildlife - everything just wants to get into the shade and stay cool! The views are just superb though.

The mornings have seen the most sightings before it gets too hot. I must remember to have my camera to hand for the WT Eagle as we have had some superb views. The Curlew are still looking after their chicks but you don't see the youngsters that much.

Whinchat and Stonechat always get a good reception while the Reed Buntings can be a bit more elusive. Guests are always pleased to get a good view of the Hooded Crows but they are everywhere.

We managed to get a family party of Grey Wagtails on a river as they bounced around catching flies.

I've not seen any youngsters at the Common Tern colony but the Oystercatcher chicks are a treat to see.

Golden Eagle has been a difficult one to catch up with in the heat of the day but they do show with a bit of patience. We did manage to see an Adder and also found a couple of newts in a pool - you can see the external gills of this youngster.

Not quite

A couple of tours in this post with some of the birds just not quite in range. The Golden Eagle we saw just never came close enough for a decent shot...

...unlike the mating Golden-ringed Dragonflies that were quite approachable.

A WT Eagle showed very well but I managed to get the camera strap caught up so the best I managed was a quick snap as the bird disappeared behind the trees!

The first tour we managed to see an Otter but we probably didn't devoted enough time for the furry beast on the second day so we missed out. We did photograph lots of stuff on the second day though starting with a nice Golden Plover.

There were a couple of Common Gull chicks on the shore too.

It wasn't just the birds and mammals that we covered as the plants are of interest too - Greater Butterfly Orchid seem to do quite well despite the constant grazing that goes happens along the verges.

We saw an Adder at a new site and got another at my usual site.

Most of the Red Deer are seen at a distance so it was nice to get this stag close to the road.

Meadow Pipit might be a common bird but it's worth having a closer look at this attractive bird.

You wouldn't give it a second look if it was next to a male Stonechat though!

I mentioned that Whinchat seemed to be in short supply this year but there seems to have been a late arrival of these birds as they are in all the regular spots now.