Birding Scotland 3rd-7th May 2014

I made my annual trip around the Scottish highlands with some birding friends in early May this year. A great time, as ever, although we dipped one target (Crested Tit), it was a little early for some migrants (Wood Warbler, and Pied and Spotted Flycatchers), and there weren't any real rares to lead us off on a crazy twitch.

I won't bore you with the minutiae of the journey (see some of my previous trips here for that: 2013 (short trip), 2013 (long trip), and 2012), and I'll just post the photos, dates and locations.

Black Grouse, Braco Moor, Perthshire, Scotland - 3rd May 2014

 Red Grouse (female), Braco Moor, Perthshire, Scotland - 3rd May 2014

 Red Grouse (male), Braco Moor, Perthshire, Scotland - 3rd May 2014

 Ring Ouzel, Braemar, Abderdeenshire, Scotland - 3rd May 2014

 Common Gull with Mountain Hare carcass, Glenshee, Aberdeenshire, Scotland - 3rd May 2014

 Common Gull with nest material, Nethy Bridge, Highland, Scotland - 3rd May 2014

 Slavonian Grebe, Aviemore, Aberdeenshire, Scotland - 3rd May 2014

 Long-tailed Duck, Buckie harbour, Moray, Scotland - 4th May 2014

 White-billed Diver, off Buckie, Moray, Scotland - 4th May 2014

More White-billed Diver photos from this trip here.

 Fulmar, off Buckie, Moray, Scotland - 4th May 2014

 Common Guillemot, off Buckie, Moray, Scotland - 4th May 2014

 Feeding group over a Minke Whale, off Buckie, Moray, Scotland - 4th May 2014

 King Eider with Common Eider, Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire, Scotland - 4th May 2014

 Common Eider, Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire, Scotland - 4th May 2014

 Arctic Tern on sign at the 18th tee, Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire, Scotland - 4th May 2014

 Meadow Pipit, Abernethy Forest, Highland, Scotland - 5th May 2014

 Scots Pine and Bilberry, Abernethy Forest, Highland, Scotland - 5th May 2014

Wood Ants, Abernethy Forest, Highland, Scotland - 5th May 2014

 Sphagnum and other mosses, Abernethy Forest, Highland, Scotland - 5th May 2014

Lichen, Abernethy Forest, Highland, Scotland - 5th May 2014

Glacial Till under a fallen Scots Pine, Abernethy Forest, Highland, Scotland - 5th May 2014

Cuckoo, Gruinard Bay, Highland, Scotland - 5th May 2014

Hooded Crow, Gruinard Bay, Highland, Scotland - 5th May 2014

Great Northern Diver, Gruinard Bay, Highland, Scotland - 5th May 2014

Red-breasted Merganser, Gruinard Bay, Highland, Scotland - 5th May 2014

Corncrake, Uig, Isle of Skye, Scotland - 6th May 2014

Twite, Linicro, Isle of Skye, Scotland - 6th May 2014

Wheatear, Linicro, Isle of Skye, Scotland - 6th May 2014

White Wagtail, Linicro, Isle of Skye, Scotland - 6th May 2014

Looking west, Isle of Skye, Scotland - 6th May 2014

Great flight views of Golden and White-tailed Eagles from here.
Isle of Skye, Scotland - 6th May 2014

Spot the two White-tailed Eagles! Isle of Skye, Scotland - 6th May 2014

Mealy and Lesser Redpoll, Staffin, Isle of Skye, Scotland - 6th May 2014

Song Thrush, Killiekrankie, Perthshire, Scotland - 6th May 2014

A very distant Surf Scoter, Musselbrugh, East Lothian, Scotland - 7th May 2014