We went north......

Another great week with Heatherlea - this time a bit of wandering around Strathspey and three days up to Caithness.....  So Cresties, Ducks and Divers with the odd gull thrown in........

Red Grouse almost posed

Teal and Redshank did pose....... although the American Wigeon didn't put in an appearance

Could have spent all morning around Scrabster harbour - nine Great Northern Divers, Black Guillemot, Iceland Gull and a Red-breasted Merganser

Even a Buzzard sat obligingly....

Checking the gulls feeding along the shore line at low tide ....  possible Bonapartes Gull?????

and a brave surfer???

We headed back south across Forsinard, chased by snow showers, finding the original stag party......

Checked out a few more harbours along the way to Inverness

The Long-tailed Ducks at Burghead obviously thought spring was sprung...

and so back to the Cairngorms - looking gorgeous in the sun

Cresties, Coal Tits and a Goldcrest were amongst those enjoying the weather at Loch Garten

and ended the week in a favourite place - Strathdearn

A day up north (well Scarborough!!)

Still overcast and windy but no rain so headed 'up north' today with a visit to Carr Naze at Filey -no sign of the Surf Scoter but did have around 6 Skylarks singing their hearts out whilst watching the lifeboat be towed up the beach - and found a parking space specially for my car!!

Onwards to Scarborough and checked out the Med Gulls at Holbeck.

Next stop was Scalby Mills, plenty of Wigeon but no sign of one wearing a Stetson so headed for excellent fish and chips instead.  Feeling rather full another check but the wigeon had disappeared altogether!!  So a relocation to the harbour was undertaken.  Confiding Turnstones were being bullied by the gulls, but the Black-necked Grebe was found!!!

And to round the day off a distant Razorbill played hide and seek...