Day 2 of my brief trip to Speyside saw us heading for the Moray coast. Our first destinations was the Findhorn Estuary. As we left Forres we noticed some birds in a hedge and scrub area on closer inspection found a mixed flock of Finches and buntings including some stunning Yellowhammers and Linnets.
Moving onto the coast we had some great views of Long-tailed Duck, Eider, Great Northern and Red-Throated Divers and Slavonian Grebe.
Long-tailed Duck
Photo by Francesco Veronesi (https://www.flickr.com/photos/francesco_veronesi/)
Then back to watch the rising tide on the estuary and to add a number of wading birds to our list.
We next moved onto Burghead, a headland which juts out into the Moray Firth where again we had excellent views of sea-duck as well as other coastal species such as Rock Pipit.
In the harbour we had a close encounter with a Grey Seal.
Heading west again we stopped at East beach at Findhorn and got the most amazing views of a group of Velvet Scoter.
Velvet Scoter
Photo by Stefan Berndtsson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sbern/)
Our final coastal stop was at Nairn where we again had good views of sea-duck and added Hooded Crow to our total.
On the way back to our base we saw a Woodcock flying over the road and stopping were treated to another couple of flight views as it completed its circuit flight.
Red Grouse [sp] (Lagopus lagopus)
Common Pheasant [sp] (Phasianus colchicus)
Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus)
Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
Common Eider [sp] (Somateria mollissima)
Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca)
Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra)
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)
Great Northern Loon (Gavia immer)
Horned Grebe [sp] (Podiceps auritus)
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
European Shag [sp] (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)
Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Common Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo)
Eurasian Oystercatcher [sp] (Haematopus ostralegus)
European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria)
Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
Bar-tailed Godwit [sp] (Limosa lapponica)
Eurasian Curlew [sp] (Numenius arquata)
Common Redshank [sp] (Tringa totanus)
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Ruddy Turnstone [sp] (Arenaria interpres)
Sanderling [sp] (Calidris alba)
Dunlin [sp] (Calidris alpina)
Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Mew Gull [sp] (Larus canus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Rook [sp] (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Hooded Crow [sp] (Corvus cornix)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Skylark [sp] (Alauda arvensis)
Eurasian Wren [sp] (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
Redwing [sp] (Turdus iliacus)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus)
Pied Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla alba)
Eurasian Rock Pipit [sp] (Anthus petrosus)
European Goldfinch [sp] (Carduelis carduelis)
Common Linnet [sp] (Carduelis cannabina)
Yellowhammer [sp] (Emberiza citrinella)
Common Reed Bunting [sp] (Emberiza schoeniclus)
Pete's Favourite Things 