Scottish coast 22-25 Nov 2012

22-25 Nov - An excellent 3-day trip with Mark Finn to see the wintering birds on the Scottish east coast, primarily around the Moray Firth. The weather was excellent, with sunshine and little wind (athough the day prior to my arrival had been very wet). We started with Tarbet Ness and the Sutherland coast up as far as Loch Fleet and Embo - birds here included 1000s of Pink-footed (2,3) and Greylag Geese, and 100s of Whooper Swans (4,5), arrived from Iceland for the winter. A seawatch here produced all 3 species of Diver, Black Guillemots, and our first Long-tailed Ducks (14,15) and Scoters. Portmahomack harbour (6) held a nice flock of 20 or so wintering Purple Sandpipers (7,8). Tain and Loch Fleet held a good range of waders, including Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Sanderling and Redshank, with large numbers of dabbling duck especially Wigeon and Teal. A large finch flock, including 100 or so Twite, was flying around some adjacent stubble fields. Embo (1) and the adjacent coast gave close views of flocks of Common Scoter (11,12), together with a very close Red-throated Diver, Slavonian Grebes and Long-tailed Ducks. The second day was a calm, sunny day and a Dipper was on the river at Nairn early morning - later, Roseisle, Burghead (9) and Lossiemouth gave excellent views of rafts of several hundred Long-tailed Duck, a few smart Velvet Scoter (13), Red-breasted Mergansers and Eider (10), with a few Common Scoter and Goldeneye. Lossiemouth beach held the same species and an obliging Curlew (16), but we did not find any Snow Buntings due to the number of people enjoying the beach in the fine weather. The car park at Roseisle contained 2 confiding Crested Tits. On our last morning, the weather was dull, but Udale Bay gave great views of waders including both Godwits, more Knot and Redshank, and many Dunlin. Moving up towards the Cromarty Firth we found a large flock of Scaup, more Slavonian Grebes, Eiders and Long-tailed Duck. In Culbokie village we finally found a flock of 45 or so Waxwings (17) perched up in the treetops - and the finale was a Otter feeding under the Kessock Bridge, not far from the airport. Photos JM.