A Day of Rest

 Sunday May 4

It was certainly a later getting out of bed day.  We both had a disturbed night, mine due to cramp after getting cold. We learned that it was a very cold night, the coldest for weeks. Well. it is Scotland and early May. We've had snow in the past. Ian and Sue said that it snowed on Cairngorm yesterday.

Not wanting to travel too far, we drove west to Alturlie near Inverness, in sight of the Kessock Bridge linking Inverness to Scotland's most northerly provinces. Firstly, a small detour to Loch Flemington where we usually add some easy padders to the list. It's a nice area too, a couple of dozen houses in a well separated ribbon development along a small loch. Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, House Sparrow, and Sedge Warbler were today's reward. The Little Grebe was the most wanted.

Alturlie Point lies along a narrow, one track road on the banks of the Forth. It rained on and off until we left. A hundred metres away, the road was dry. A low tide made my scope essential. A few Hooded Crows. fewer than usual here, five Grey Herons and a myriad gulls thronged the muddy  shore. An offshore shoal of fish was exposed by all the gulls and Guillemots in a frenzied food knot. This continued as we made our way along the shore, birds moving with the shoal. Then, they were joined by a dozen Common Terns, their slender wings, buoyant flight and general elegance marking them out. 

Three male, and one female, Red-breasted Mergansers were the only other birds of note. 

The main aim of the day was a Sainsbury''s shop. I sat in the car and completed a puzzle whilst Pam did the chores. 

We were  back at the Bothy in good time for a very pleasant visit from Ian and Sue, it was lovely to see them. They'd been to the Black Isle for the day and taken the very pretty way (!) back to their caravan in Glenmore. They move on to North Uist on Tuesday. I envy them.