The end of a busy week

Our week in Northeast Scotland came to an end today with a long drive through deteriorating weather. A Red Squirrel was on the roadside just outside Granton on Spey.  A little later, a stop at the Strathspey Heather Centre found the feeders there alive with juvenile Great Tits, Blue Tits and especially Siskins. 

One of the attractions of summer birdwatching is the variety of signs of breeding activity - adults visiting nest sites, eggs and young in nests and fledgling birds on the wing.
Other highlights of an excellent week have included the constant activity at the Troup Head seabird colony, the frequent presence of hunting Ospreys over suitable waterways, the presence of early-arriving migrant waders at coastal sites and the sound of screaming Swifts in almost every town and village we visited.