Scotland - Black-throated Divers!!

I've been waiting nearly 10 years for these images!! Ever since my first trip to Speyside, the Black-throated Divers at Lochindorb became a must see! They are usually out in the middle (miles away) and at this time of year, the female is sitting or with young but the pair were out together in the small bay by the Lodge. I caught sight of them and screeched to a halt!

Stunning birds whichever way you look at them!

And constantly checking out for fish...

I was sat quietly in the car as they drifted even closer!

The light wasn't perfect, cluding up but I wasn't complaining too loud...

Just love the head on opportunities!

But they weren't to last as they dived and then gradually drifted away.

A couple of favourites to close on. Eye to eye contact and, droplets...

A magic moment indeed which probably wont happen again in a hurry, if ever?!!

Scotland - Redshank

Only a Redshank but given the light and a frame filling bird from the car window...

Worth a brief stop?

Scotland - Ring Ouzel

A painful Achilles tendon had scuppered any chance of walking Cairngorm this year but I was determined to have a minor wander on the lower slopes with hopes of a Ring Ouzel or two? This male was busy feeding on a grassy slope and kept me occupied for a while, trying to capture what he was eating?

Sit quiet and her he comes...

Sprinting after an 'unseen' small insect!

Gotcha!

Then a pretty one sided tug of war with a worm!

Hmm, this saves catching another 50 of those flies?

Safely down the hatch...

The Ptarmigan can wait another year...

Scotland - Cresties for the record

I was leading a walk from the hotel today and having done a brief recce of the Loch Mallachi loop yesterday, hopes weren't high for locating a Crestie or two?

Unbelievably however, first bird of the day, just 100m into the walk, a Crested Tit! I wasn't carrying the big lens either - bit annoying as it showed really well!

Bird of the day then, despite the lacklustre images but in situations like this, keeping my small group happy (and they were!) is the prime concern :-)

Scotland - Red Grouse

Red Grouse, I ought to ignore them? I've taken 100's and 100's of heads popping up out of the heather (and they really need to know better in these parts!). This male was clearly seeking attention? Just one or two more then?

Wandering closer to the roadside!

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

The opposite of a full frontal! Whatever you call that?

And a couple of obligatory closer crops...

No more Red Grouse images, I promise...

Scotland - Slavonian Grebe

A great start to the day at a private lochan where two male Slavonian Grebes were fresh in and sparring. 

Most of the fighting sequences were clearly too distant but one of them flew nearby, tufts erect after the battle and paddled around for a few minutes...

Moving away from the 'white water' was a paddle in the right direction!

And constantly on the look out for the other Grebe, it was high vis plumage alert time!

Sporting a 'Trumpesque' hair do?

Coming even closer...

It doesn't get better than this?

No doubt already, which species will receive my bird of the day award!

Scotland - Cuckoo welcome

First evening in Scotland and after a miserable 8 1/2 hour journey due to Glasgow roadworks mayhem, I decided (after eating well) to check out Dava Moor ann Lochindorb.

No surprise to see 100's of Common Gull...

Blackcock were out lekking early!

And of course Cuckoos were cuckoooooing :-) Bird of my very brief 'day' or should I say evening!

Shame they weren't closer though!

Apart from this one!

A familiar welcome to Speyside, the long drive instantly forgotten!