April so far

Without any internet connection at home it has been difficult to compose a new post. Facebook is so much quicker and easier to manage that is where most of the photos have gone - you don't need to sign up to view that so don't be put off.
A quick update while I have an internet connection - a Yellowhammer in the garden was a treat.

As you can see the GN Divers are coming into breeding plumage and preparing to leave our waters.

There are quite a few Pheasants wandering along the shore - it looks weird with the sea in the background!

A nice size comparison between WT Eagle and Golden Eagle.

The Redshank are starting to move away from the shore and search out a nesting area.

Plenty of Stonechats around but none on the nest yet but it won't be long.

I had eight Whooper Swans pay a visit last week - they will probably be the last until they return in the autumn.

I had an early run out and watched the sun rise while an Otter swam around in the loch and a WT Eagle drifted past - awesome!

The Crossbills are still showing well with the young bird being the most photographed.

The Red Deer stags have been popular but not with the motorists.

The migrant birds are starting to appear with lots of Northern Wheatear, Chiffchaff and the delightful Barn Swallows all putting on a show.

The big cheese

There's not been much happening this month so the posts will slow down now. The WT Eagles are sitting in the trees behind the shop fairly regularly - they don't seem impressed with part of the tree breaking off!

I've had plenty of Otter sightings over the last week but nothing close enough for photos. A bird that I haven't seen on the local patch for a while is Pheasant so it was nice to see this male on the shore...

...but it would have been easy to overlook the female bird.

The BT Diver is still hanging around while GN Diver numbers are still increasing - I had about 15 but I'm sure there are more. Another interesting photo of the plumage change - an obvious white edge surrounding the all dark bill while the rest of the face is still transitional.

You never notice the movement of the moon when it's in the sky but it only took about two minutes for this big cheese to appear from behind the mountains.

On the run

On the way to pick up the guests a bit of movement caught my eye. I could see it was black in colour but I didn't expect to see a cat with a kitten!

The tour got off to a good start with a nice Yellowhammer on the fence and a couple of WT Eagle including this youngster.

About 20 Golden Plover took flight as a Peregrine cruised past at our next stop. Another WT Eagle was seen sitting on a skerry as a couple of Golden Eagle soared above us. The usual array of common birds were seen through the day but a group of Pheasants on the run were worth taking a few shots of.

A Hen Harrier and a WT Eagle were seen just after we'd spent some time with an Otter.

All dressed up...

The weather has turned overcast instead of the blue skies but there is still no rain for us. Some of the pools that the frogs have used are now dry and the spawn will be lost. No frogs in the garden pond so it's another bird waiting to get on the feeders - Chaffinch.

Nothing else came close enough for the camera. Even the GN Diver kept it's distance.

No improvement in the weather on the next day but being out earlier helped with the sightings. The Otter family were out fishing and catching well so I didn't have to wait too long before one hauled out.

The Black-headed Gull is that common (for me) so to see two birds coming into breeding plumage was worthy of a bit of camera pointing!

You can find the Red-breasted Merganser close to the shore but they are not that keen if you stop to look. You can see the speed of this bird as it heads off - love the hairdo though!

Not a native bird but Pheasants are striking birds - all dressed up and nowhere to go.

A Common Gull was doing circuits...

...round a herd of Highland Cattle.

I managed to get reasonably close to two of the Skylark when I got home and got some photos of of one of them in the open - result.