Klay's back!

Weather: A pretty dry day all in all thankfully with a moderate NW breeze and light cloud most of the day.

Klay's tour:

We begun our private tour at high tide, scanning the coastline, watching 5 Bar-tailed Godwits feed amongst a number of Curlew and Oystercatcher. Shortly after, a pair of Turnstones joined the other waders on the shingle. We spotted a beautiful pair of Red Throated Divers feeding out in the bay, one of which was still in stunning summer plumage!

On our travels to the next site, we spotted the first returning Wigeon feeding on the shoreline. As we moved away from the coastline we were greeted by a stunning Red Deer stag bellowing out on the moors while two distant Hen Harriers and Golden Eagles hunted the high ground. It was a great day for raptors as we continued into the glen. Large numbers of Buzzards at every stop until we finally saw our first White-Tailed Eagle of the day flying high over the glen. Quickly joined by not one but two male Hen Harriers!

We had lunch at a sea loch where we watched an Otter feed continuously in the shallows, eventually landing a Scorpionfish right in front of us! Amongst the Otter excitement, a juvenile White-Tailed Eagle appeared over the ridge and was quickly chased off by the resident pair of Golden Eagles. We made our way back through the moors where we had further views of another Golden Eagle and male and a juvenile Hen Harrier.

Other spp; Common Seals, Wheatear, Kestrel, Goosander, Bullfinch, Stonechat

Theo's tour:

We started with 2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese on our way down.

At the first spot we saw 2 Harbour Porpoise. Moving to our next spot, we spotted an Otter rolling around on a rock on the shoreline showing well before heading off to several other rocks on the shoreline and then out to feed.

Further down, we had a scope view of leaping Common Dolphins and lots of Red Deer on the high ground. On our way back along, we spotted another Otter heading quickly for the shore and sneaking through the shoreline rocks and seaweed very low slung to the ground. Theo thinks it was the local female Otter who has a tiny cub and her belly was still low as she's lactating.

Onto our lunch spot, we had great views of the local adult male White-tailed Eagle perched up before the female flew in and joined him!

Into the afternoon we had distant views of 3 White-tailed Eagles soaring in the scope, a Golden Eagle lifted off its moorland perch and quickly disappeared and hundreds of Red Deer spread across the high ground. We finished with a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 more Brent Geese.