Perched

Lots of birds were perched up ready to be scrutinised by the guests on this tour. We started the day with a Common Snipe on a post...

...but when we passed a bit later on there was a Redshank in it's place. We had an hour long encounter with an Otter in the morning - cracking views as it came ashore to head into the holt. Whinchat, Stonechat and Reed Bunting were all seen but people do like to get a good look at a Common Sandpiper.

The Curlews are still keeping sentry around their chicks.

We had seen a GN Diver when we were watching the Otter and I passed comment that we probably wouldn't see another - we only found two more! We finally saw one of the Common Seals with a pup so there should be a bit more action at the colony for a while. We had some fleeting glimpses of Cuckoo through the day, views of Golden Eagle and a cracking Tree Pipit.

Mountain Hare and displaying Snipe were no match for a family of Wheatears sheltering under a rock - aaaaahhhh!

Smart

A few showers helped with the year list as I managed to catch up with Blackcap, House Martin and a Tree Pipit that was displaying in the garden!

There are a few White Wagtails around now but none close enough for a photo yet so a Pied Wagtail will have to do.

The Common Scoters are still hanging around.

I didn't actually see an Otter but this Dogfish didn't haul itself out of the sea so it could be a GBB Gulls dinner!

There are plenty of Northern Wheatear around now and I have seen them pairing up and exploring nest sites.

The Shelducks are doing the same thing - how smart does this bird look?

Most of the Lapwings are on the nest so it won't be long before the chicks are on the go.

Other year ticks have included Short-eared Owl, Knot, Cuckoo and Treecreeper - 116 species for now.

End of June.

Some photos from the last few tours just to give some of the highlights. The Red Deer stags are starting to look good now and they should get rid of the velvet in July - I wonder if it'll be later with the cold spring.

The Tree Pipits have spent a bit of time being quiet but now they are back displaying again.

The Whinchat are still bouncing around but I haven't seen any young birds yet even though I do know that some are out of the nest.

The WT Eagle and Golden Eagle both have a large chick that should be on the wing by the end of July. Otters are still being seen on most days but we did miss out the day we saw this oiled Puffin.

It was a bit of a wet and windy day but we did find another auk - Guillemot.

The Linnets seem to enjoy the wet grass...

...and the Greater Butterfly Orchids are in flower at last. They don't seem to be lasting very long this year and a whole bunch of this species was munched by...

...Red Deer. Quite a pale looking beast on the right and a spotty youngster in the middle.

This female Adder has showed reasonably well over the last month.

I did say the Whinchats are showing well so here is another shot!

It won't be long before we stop seeing the Snipe on a post so here is, possibly, the last one for this year.

Shooting stars.

A trio of us headed out for a day of taking photos of anything that moved....or stayed still! We all managed to get shots of a Common Snipe on a post before we met up - way to go.

Our first stop of the day produced an Otter which I took some distant shots of as I let the other guys go stalking it. A Meadow Pipit provided some entertainment while I waited but I couldn't get a clear shot. The pale Buzzard was having a snooze on an electric pole.

Four Red-breasted Merganser looked good in the shallows.

WT Eagle was checked out and a Common Whitethroat photographed. The Curlews are showing in pairs again - a sign the chicks are out of the nest and alert to danger.

Whinchat was bagged along with Meadow Pipit...

...and, after a search, Tree Pipit displaying.

The main target for the day had always been Otters and just after lunch we got the close encounter  - awesome!

Spotted Flycatcher took up some time...

...and we had a blast trying to photograph the House Martins and Swallows - not a bad effort and a great day out!