Burghead is a good spot for Long-tailed Ducks. we think there were maybe 16 out at sea, and one very obliging one that came, briefly, into the entrance to the harbour.
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| Redshank, with a Purple Sandpiper behind them. |
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| This particular Redshank really lived up to its name! |
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| Long-tailed ducks at sea... |
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| And off they flew... |
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| And closer up.... |
We popped into Burghead, in the hope of seeing the Long-tailed ducks (next post), but when we arrived there were lots of lovely Eider Ducks in the harbour, making their characteristic call and with the males jostling each other and throwing their heads back and forth while puffing out their chests, in courtship display.
Continuing out Moray meanderings we went to Roseisle where it really began to blow a gale, so we kept to the woodlands...
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| Peaking out into the bay - looking over the anti tank defences. |
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| And looking back to Burghead. |
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| Lichen heath reminiscent of Norfolk. |
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| ..and a nice light. |
Just along from Loch Spynie, is Lossiemouth, which looks a lot warmer and calmer than it was in the photos! It's well known as a birding site, with a very pleasant walk along the coast.
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| Lossiemouth. |
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| Bar-tailed Godwits. |
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| Looking along the coastal bar. |
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| Wigeon. |
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| Curlew - and below. |
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| More Wigeon...and below. |
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| Redshank and Dunlin. |
With 50 mph winds forecast as a minimum on Cairngorm, we headed up to the Moray Firth coast...first stop - Loch Spynie, where as always, the feeders were full...
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| One out ....one in! |
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| Yellow Hammer. |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker filling up on the fat balls. |
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| Tree Sparrows - shouting at an incoming Chaffinch! |
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| There's a nice new replacement hide at the loch edge - not much around in the wind though except... |
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| A lovely Little Grebe. |
A few photos from the morning's walk .. I do like arctic alpines, or is it the places they grow?
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| Fir Club Mosses.... |
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| Could they be the Arctic Fir Club Moss? The one on the right is very thin and yellow as per Arctic. |
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| Interrupted Club Moss and you can just about see the old cones. |
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| Stag's-horn Club Moss....and below. |
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| Showing the white tips. |
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| Nice lichens ...Cladonia sp. |
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| My favourite image of the lichen cups. |
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| And my favourite lichen Thamnolia vermicularis. Known as the White Worm Lichen this is definitely an upland species. |
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| And a general habitat photos - with drizzle/cloud drops on the lens for effect! |
