We spent most of today in Buchan with the main event of the day being a visit to the RSPB Loch of Strathbeg reserve. Natural connections were as follows: Lakeview Garden Centre at Cortiebrae: Woodpigeon (one in song); Buzzard (one); Swallow (one); Chiffchaff (one in song); House Sparrow (two); Goldfinch (one). Crimond Cemetery and surrounding fields: Osprey (One heading west carrying a fish); Skylark (One in song); Swallow (1); Willow Warbler (one in song); Wren (two in song); Blackbird (one in song); Yellowhammer (one in song). Loch of Strathbeg VC and Tower Hide: Mute Swan (Four, including an adult with a single cygnet); Shelduck (One asleep on the scrape in front of the visitor centre); Mallard (Four in eclipse on a pool out on the marsh); Pheasant (Two, including one in full view on the scrape in front of the visitor centre); Feral Pigeon (At least four on marshy area including some wild type birds); Woodpigeon (At least 20 on marshy areas and in flight); Collared Dove (A pair visiting the Visitor Centre feeders); Crane (Two showing well out on the marsh); Oystercatcher (Two on the scrape in front of the visitor centre); Lapwing (At least 42 on the scrape in front of the visitor centre and out on the marsh); Curlew (One on the scrape in front of the visitor centre); Greenshank (One feeding then resting on a pool in front of the visitor centre); Black-headed Gull (Twelve adults plus two juveniles, mostly on the scrape in front of the visitor centre); Common Gull (One over the marsh); Herring Gull (One over the marsh); Common Tern (two (presumably a pair) defending an islet on the scrape in front of the visitor centre); Grey Heron (Three out on the marsh); Buzzard (One sparring with crows over the marsh); Great Spotted Woodpecker (One calling outside the Visitor Centre); Jackdaw (22+ out on the marsh); Carrion Crow (28+ out on the marsh); Carrion x Hooded Crow (Two together out on the marsh); Blue Tit (A fledged brood near the Tower Pool hide); Great Tit (A single visiting the Visitor Centre feeders); Skylark (Two in song near the wildflower meadows); Sand Martin (a single over the marsh); Swallow (Five between the scrape and the marsh); House Martin (Two over the scrape); Willow Warbler (Four in song at the Visitor Centre and on the way to the hides); Sedge Warbler (Three in scrub on the way to the hides); Whitethroat (One in song from a hedgerow on the way to the hides); Wren (Two in song); Starling (30+ flocking on the scrape and the wider marsh); Blackbird (Three around the Visitor Centre); Tree Sparrow (At least 21 (including juveniles) around the Visitor Centre including on the feeders and on the paths); House Sparrow (At least two n the VC car park); Pied Wagtail (Three on the marshy part of the scrape); Meadow Pipit (Two along the path to the hides); Chaffinch (At least two visiting the Visitor Centre feeders); Greenfinch (One in song along the path to the hides); Linnet (Two flying beside the path to the hides); Goldfinch (At least four visiting the Visitor Centre feeders); Yellowhammer (At least three singing near the pony field/wildflower meadows); Reed Bunting (Five in song in the wildflower fields and out on the marsh); Red Fox (One on the way to the hides); Small White (one); Common Blue (one); Red Admiral (three); Meadow Brown (six). Peterhead centre and north harbour: Eider (2); Feral Pigeon (9); Oystercatcher (2); Kittiwake (At least 120 passing (mostly south) during 15 minute watch); Black-headed Gull (1); Herring Gull (At least 150 (probably many more) distributed around the town centre and harbour, and moving offshore. Many birds apparently nesting on rooftops and waste ground. At least one pair with a begging juvenile); Lesser Black-backed Gull (4); Sandwich Tern (At least two passing south during 15 minute watch); Common/Arctic Tern (At least two passing (one carrying a fish) during a 15 minute watch); Guillemot (At least seven passing off the esplanade during a 15 minute watch); Unidentified auk (At least ten passing off the esplanade during a 15 minute watch); Gannet (9); Cormorant (At least eight passing off the esplanade during a 15 minute watch); Shag (At least 35 passing off the esplanade during a 15 minute watch); Grey Heron (1); Swallow (1); Starling (2); House Sparrow (10+); Pied Wagtail (1); Goldfinch (1); Grey Seal (8).