Along the Moray Coast......Day 3

 Today's plan was to head West along the A96 to Nairn and then make our way back along the coast, past Elgin to Spey Bay to see what we could find on the water.

 We arrived at Nairn early in the morning as the incoming tide was already concealing the majority of the stoney beach. Hooded Crows were foraging among the rocks and washed up seaweed.

 A Rock Pipit appeared from out of it's camouflaged place among the stones and flew up to greet us on the pier wall.

 Back down on the beach a flock of around 20 Redshanks and 10 Oystercatchers rested but were continually disturbed by the waves of the encroaching tide.  

 The Redshanks were only able to rest their heads under their wings for seconds at a time before another deepening wave annoyed them and caused them to move a few more inches up their rapdily disappearing sanctuary.

 Video clip of the Redshanks trying to keep ahead of the tide.Filmed by Majella.

 A small group of Turnstones briefly joined the increasingly crowded, shrinking beach before joining us up on the pier out of reach of the surf.

 We left the flock to battle with the inevitable tide and walked along the pier to scan the Moray Firth for Sea Ducks.

 Photo by Peter Moore.

 Pale-Bellied Brent Geese flew East, their wing tips scarcely above the undulating water surface.

 Through the scope, scanning of the water revealed distant rafts of Ducks with the wonderful Black Isle as a backdrop. Common Eiders, Common Scoters, Red-Breasted Mergansers and some stunning Long-Tailed Ducks calling out across the deep water. Unfortunately all too distant for photographs but we were immensely happy to have seen them none the less.

 

 We left Nairn after an enjoyable 3 hours of birding and relaxing to the sound of the waves and headed back East and in to Findhorn Bay.

 Findhorn Bay was also alive with the sounds of calling waterfowl.More Redshanks, Curlew and dozens of Pintail Ducks all along the shoreline.

 It was only a brief visit to Findhorn as the wind seemed to becoming more Arctic by the minute so we warmed back up in the car and made our way to Spey Bay.

 Spey Bay is most notable for the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre but today the conditions were not favourable for Dolphin sightings.We stood on the shingle beach for a while gazing out across the Firth. A flock of small birds flew past and landed further up the shingle, it was a group of Linnets. We just managed to get the binoculars on them and identify them before another person with a loose dog many yards away from her disturbed them, making them move on and unnecessarily use up more energy.

 Moving out of the wind we had a short walk along the Spey River. As well as a large congregation of Gulls there were also numerous Goldeneye and Goosanders.

 Song Thrushes, Robins and Dunnocks were hopping among the gorse and another group of Curlew had been joined by a few Greylag Geese in an adjacent field.There was still some daylight left so instead or returning straight to our hotel in Elgin(another expensive Travelodge) we followed the coastal road through Portgordon to Buckie.

 On the way we spotted more Gulls, Herring, Black-headed & Great Black-backed, as well as Wigeon, Oystercatchers, Redshanks, Grey Herons, Mallards and a couple of Buzzards.A wonderful long birding day completed, it was time to head indoors for some shuteye and decide on our destination for tomorrow.

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More Scottish wildlife to come tomorrow.