Scotland Sept 17............

7 Sept - at last a window of fine weather coincided with me being free and Munro no 200 was clocked up. Birds seen during the Munroing included Meadow Pipits and Wheatears, now moving south on passage - a flyby female Merlin and several Buzzards, together with Siskins and Redpolls wherever there was forestry. A bit of additional birding logged 2 Crested Tits at Culbin Forest and a lone Whooper Swan at Ardersier which has apprently been resident for a while. Udale Bay gave distant views of waders on the tide, including good numbers of Bar-tailed Godwits, but the highlight here was 2 flyover Ospreys, one of which gave a close pass. The 7th Sept was a day I had booked with Philip Price of Lochvisions - Otters! We arrived on the west coast of Argyll and more or less immediately were treated to an Otter sleeping on the rocks - we managed to stalk it fairly close keeping downwind, and were rewarded with a superb display - it fished and ate 2 large FLounders in front of us in the seaweed, yawned, rolled, snoozed and cleaned its fur, and was then joined by another animal! After this the day couldn't get any better, but we saw 1 or 2 more animals as well as an adult White-tailed Eagle and an Osprey. Superb, despite the rain most of the day that made everything v wet including the camera. A memorable experience, and some decent photos despite the initial adrenalin!