Made the most of a working trip to Inverness today. I had to work all day, but an early start (5am) and the long summer evenings meant plenty of time for natural connections at both ends of the day.
The drive up was particularly notable for a fine Red Deer stag which was waiting patiently to cross the A9 at Calvine.  It looked to be "in velvet" with the antlers the same deep brown colour as its coat. In any case, it was a fine sight. Reached the outskirts of Inverness with some time to spare so took a quick run along to the RSPB reserve at Loch Ruthven. Best birds, of course, were the Slavonian Grebes, with (what appeared to be) two pairs and a single on the loch. An alarm-calling Common Sandpiper and a singing Willow Warbler were the first of many for the weekend.
After work, headed for Chanonry Point to try for the Moray Firth Dolphins. As it happened, the tide was just about to turn and a fair crowd had gathered. Spent an hour chatting to the other watchers and counting the birds that flew past (Fulmar, Sandwich and 'commic' terns, Herring and Greater black-backed Gull, Cormorant, Guillemot and a possible Kittiwake. All at once, five Dolphins appeared and proceeded to give fantastic views as they hunted in the channel just a few metres offshore.  At the same time, a Red-throated Diver flew low overhead.
Drove back to Kingussie (where I was staying the night) via Lochindorb but nothing much was braving the biting east wind. It was the same story during a dusk walk along the back of the Insh Marshes. Spotted Crake was the target, but had to make do with a singing Grasshopper Warbler and being mobbed by two Oystercatchers (on Kingussie Cemetery wall) and the entire Black-headed Gull colony nearby. In all the commotion, a pair of Greylag Geese hurried away with 5 goslings.

An early morning Loch Ruthven
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Waiting for an audience
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The camera on the phone doesn't show how close they were
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A disappearing Dolphin
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