Whole lotta Otter

Weather: A nice light breeze and some warm sun at times and very heavy brief rain showers.

Theo's Nature Explorer:

Theo's day started with scope filling views of 2 perched White-tailed Eagles, Red Deer on the hillside and Ravens and Buzzards up above them. Harbour Seals hauled out on an offshore reef.

Onto the next stop we watched a family of White-tailed Eagles, 2 adults and a chick sat on an offshore reef and a few Grey Seals hauled out.

Further down we spotted a couple of Great-black backed Gulls on the shoreline when 2 Otters walked up from the shore behind them! A mother and cub we watched them fishing for a while further our when another dog Otter appeared fishing! It quickly headed off. The Mum and cub then bought a fish ashore and bounded over the rocks playing around before preening their fur and dozing off.

A flock of c30 Manx Shearwaters were out in the loch with a few Gannets and Kittiwakes around.

2 distant Golden Eagles were the best from our lunch stop and a Whimbrel.

Our next stop on the grass moorland we had a hareem of Red Deer, an Adult and Juvenile WTE perched on the spruce trees and brief Hen Harrier hunting Goldfinches when we were driving away.

A flyover adult WTE and a perched up adult WTE were at the next stop, plus a Whinchat briefly perched on the Foxgloves.

At our final stop we had a flock of 40 Bar-tailed Godwits, Kittiwakes, Curlews, Oystercatchers and Harbour Seals before an Otter with her 2 cubs popped up further out fishing at high tide! an unusual sight, but good views in the scope and a great way to finish the day.

Jack's Wilderness Explorer:

Jack popped into one of the usual WTE territories and found the male looking for prey from a coastal Spruce. Shortly after we arrived the Eagle swooped down into the water to have a go at a shoal of Mackerel that were chasing fry on the surface, before the female joined him in the tree.

En route to our walking destination we had our first Otter encounter of the day- an individual foraging in the shallows. After watching the Otter from the van an Adult Golden Eagle flew over the van before circling over a nearby ridgeline escorted by Hooded Crows.

A short drive along we bumped into another Otter which was clearly on a mission so we left it be before getting to our walking location.

To say we would have been drier if we swam in the loch was an understatement as the heavens opened once we started the walk. Luckily the local Atlantic Oak Woodland offered shelter for us, so we continued with our plans.

Once we returned to the van we encountered the local dog otter, who we watched capture a Scorpionfish and take it ashore to eat directly in front of us! We continued to watch the otter work its way along the coastline before it sprainted on the highest rock and carried on its way.

A quick toilet stop/coffee and cake with some spectacular views we headed back to base.