Just keep looking.

Tuesday was another changeable day but the roadworks were uppermost in my mind. We set off to get through the day as easy as possible so the WT Eagles were a great start. With the tide approaching the high mark you might think there would be little chance of picking one up but then you would be wrong. If you can find an Otter at high tide the reward is a close encounter.

The weather turned a bit chilly and the odd shower was starting to push through so it looked a bit dodgy for Golden Eagle but if you don't have a look you won't find anything. There were quite a few people standing around and not seeing anything but we were a bit more fortunate to find this one perched against the sky!

Flushed with our success we did a round up of the plants with the Lesser Butterfly Orchid now coming into flower being the highlight.

Hen Harrier, Red-throated Diver, Twite and Lesser Redpoll were all seen well in the afternoon and we did get held up by the roadworks too but that didn't dampen the spirits at all. We managed to get a group of six Mountain Hare and a couple of others that were close enough to photograph.

The best find of the day was this White Ermine - not your usual fare but a nice find all the same.

It was a bit of a late return with being held up but the last guests on board got a bonus Hen Harrier on their way back to their accommodation.

Wednesday was a better day as far as the weather went but I managed to get held up by the roadworks while going to pick up the last of the guests. An alternative view of the WT Eagle today as we couldn't get near the usual viewing point but we could still see the chicks being fed so there was no disappointment there. A bit of a search for the Otter today but if you just keep looking you should find one. Another classic view on the high tide.

We bagged the Golden Eagle, a male Hen Harrier and the usual array of commoner birds but my highlight was the damp Oystercatcher sitting on the nest.

More June.

Monday was a cloudy start but not enough to spoil things. The guests had requested the usual eagles and Otters plus Hen Harrier - no surprises there! We started the day with the WT Eagles and a distant Otter - nearly there already. Another location and our next Otter but still too distant for photographs so we moved on after watching this one through the scope on the shore. We struck gold with the next sighting as another Otter gave us the perfect opportunity for a close encounter - not that easy with a crowd of nine people! We were just in position when the Otter surfaced and headed for shore.

The Otter had spotted two people watching it but hadn't noticed our crowd of nine so it headed straight for us and came ashore with it's prize Crab.

Delicious!!

A real top day and we'd only been out for an hour. Two Golden Eagles gave a superb display while a couple of Red Deer browsed the hill beneath and we searched out Early Marsh Orchid and Great Sundew. Our next stop gave us a couple of birds that are not that easy to see - two Bullfinch and a Spotted Flycatcher. A nice male Adder was a surprise find...

...and we completed the requests when a female Hen Harrier graced us with it's presence. The Northern Marsh Orchids are coming into flower all over the place but we struggled to find a safe spot to stop and get a closer look.

We had a good finish to the day despite the lashing rain that appeared from nowhere. So the Ringed Plover, Cuckoo and Mountain Hares were all welcome sights.

Mondays weather wasn't too bad and we didn't see any rain! With some major roadworks going on at the moment we made a point of trying to avoid any hold-ups on the single track roads and also to pick up the 'main attractions' as soon as possible. We picked up an Otter pretty quickly but it soon gave us the slip so we moved on to the WT Eagles. We had both birds present and watched the chicks too as they peered about. A single adult Golden Eagle was watched carrying a Mountain Hare to a plucking stand. A young Golden Eagle showed well in another area before we got cracking views of some Red Deer.

Two Adders, a Slow Worm, another Golden Eagle and a Whinchat helped us pass the time while having lunch as did the opportunity to get a photo of a Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary.

We managed to dodge the roadworks and get a superb finish to the day with a close encounter with a female Hen Harrier...

...and a few Twite.

Four days in June.

Well, June arrived under a cloud but it still doesn't spoil things. Wednesday didn't look the best but we kicked the day off well with a couple of Mountain Hare, Redshank and a male Hen Harrier before we picked up a nice Summer plumaged Sanderling.

A cracking Great Northern Diver was added to the list too. An Adder was a surprise find for the guests but with a decent air temperature I would have been disappointed not to find one! The afternoon provided the best entertainment. While watching an Otter fishing close by a couple of gulls started calling in alarm. I looked up to find a WT Eagle heading straight for us - lovely view as it went over the top of us.

Thursday was a better day with much the same sightings but a better chance to photograph the Adder.

Poor views of Golden Eagle on the day but they can't all be good sightings. We made up for that with two Otters together and a nice WT Eagle viewing too.

Friday was an absolute scorcher and flat calm too. You would think this would provide an easy day but it doesn't work like that. Not a sign of an Otter and nothing of great note until we viewed the WT Eagle nest with just the chicks present. We'd have to wait for the action. First off the mark was an Otter and when that disappeared a young Golden Eagle put in an appearance with an escort of Buzzards for comparison. There was just enough time to draw breath before the male WT Eagle started soaring closer and then the female flew to the nest with a prey item - phew! It was certainly easy after that performance as we picked up another Otter, two Golden Eagles, Hen Harrier and a couple of Mountain Hare to finish the day.

Saturday the weather was still holding fine and the camera got an airing too! We started the day with an elusive Otter and backed that up with a very showy Otter.

A couple of good distractions along the way were a singing Yellowhammer and a posing Curlew.

The WT Eagle flew in just as we were settling in for a long wait so that was a bonus. We found a Fragrant Orchid that was just coming into flower - cue the group taking turns to lie down and have a sniff!

 A Golden Eagle put on a stunning display...

...before landing on the hill side. Another location and another selection of sightings included a cracking Lesser Redpoll, Whinchat, two Golden Eagle and my first Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Golden-ringed Dragonfly of the year. A single Cuckoo was deemed to be a good find but after we'd viewed some Ringed Plover and a Dunlin...

...we picked up three Cuckoos together!! A cracking finish to the day with four Mountain Hares, Redshank...

...Skylarks dust bathing on the side of the road, a Buzzard carrying a young Rabbit...

...and baby Lapwing too.